New to fishing, how can I learn?

[Simp]

Yeah I have a fishfinder, it is a humming bird 565 I believe.

I got two bait casters, both are 6' 5inch with medium to heavy action

One was a rhino combo with rod and reel that I have placed 14lb mono on(i use it for top water lures like walking the dog, popers, and such)

The other I bought seperate from each other and put together, the rod is abu garcia same length and action as my rhino, with a Megaforce 100tsh 7.1:11 reel that has 12 pound floro on it

and lastly my spinning rod was a Daiwa combo for about $20. It is light/medium action with 8lb test line on it. This was the first rod I got for shore fishing, then I got the boat for cheap and have been fishing at a place call one mile which is full of heavy weed cover, so I went with some heavier setups so I won't loose my fish or lures.

Also I would like to add that where I fish is so full of weeds that the fish finder is useless out there. We have a nice big lake out here but it is constantly being fished and is used in bass tournaments so I felt I would go out to this little pond and learn the basics there first before trying to fish in a pressured lake.

Two great lures for weeds are a rattle trap also called a lipless crank. Make sure you have heavy line tied on (the 14 you have should work but it's a little on the low side.) and a strong rod. Then try to tick the tops of the weeds and rip it out when it's caught. Usually the fish will strike after you rip it out. I'd also suggest a topwatter frog. I'd suggest a spro frog for matted grass and Rage toads for sparse grass. The spro is also usually best when fished with braid so you can set the hook better.

Ponds can be a great place to learn and catch some nice fish. I've spent as much time on farm ponds as I have on lakes. The downside is they can limit you to what you can fish. That is unless you are on a boat. The downside to a lake is there is allot of water and most if it doesn't have any fish. Finding fish and learning there seasonal and even daily movements then becomes VERY important. Now you may find that the water you fish may be very different then most of us. Out west in Cali they have many deep clear lakes. Other styles have came about from the fisherman out west that many of us may not consider our strengths in fishing. So keep trying to find a fishing partner near you.

I think all the advise you have gotten on here has been right on and a great majority of things I've learned has came from here. I find it very fun to take something I've read on here and then go out and practice it. Some things I find I can do right off the bat well (like frogging) while others are proving it's going to take some time (drop shotting). Listen to what you have read here and on other thing. Try other bodies of water!! I say that for a couple reasons. First it's just nice for a change of scenery. Second if you have put a good amount of time in that pond and it hasn't produced well and it continues to not produce. That simply may mean that pond has very few bass in it. While the other lake may be having tournaments on it all the time because it's a great fishery. Just look at out BR club trip to KY Lake. That place has tons of tourneys but many of us had days where boats where caching 100 fish a day almost. So keep at it and have fun! Remember there also isn't anything wrong with a bober and worms to feel the tug of a bluegill! They also taste great!

[flechero]

Hopefully someone local will PM you about a trip.