Hey guys, new here with few questions!

[Dennis22]

Hey guy's!  My name is Dennis I am 22 and i live in Bethlehem PA.  I am fairly new to fishing, and i really want to catch "bass"!  I guess i just really want to find out how the heck am i going to catch these fish! I have not the slightest idea onto what "bait" or "Lures" these fish like, I have no idea if i should use weights on my line, or if i reel it on or let it sit!

I do have a small boat, trolling motor, 3hp 2 stroke motor.  And i usually like to fish on lakes.  Beltzville and Nokamixon if anyone is familiar with those lakes.

So to make it easy I just need to know how to fish correctly for bass.. what to use.. how to use it guess.. and where to find them!

Any info greatly appreciated, and if anyone has secrets or tricks up the sleeve that your willing to share. Please do so

[flyhatch]

welcome,

you found the right site to get the info you seek.

this time of the year i would throw a jerk bait using long 1 to 3 sec pauses and watch your line during the pause

gold has been working in the lakes around here near Pittsburgh.

I would throw it near downed trees and work it back with the jerks

if i were asked to reccomend an all around lure one word ......SENKO

rig it weightless texas style

it casts like a bullet, let it sink to the bottom, watch your line for movement  lift your rod, reel in a turn or two and repeat.

you will catch fish!

I reccomend  color 194

also target downed trees.

Use the search feature to find threads on topics your interested in.

and post pic of your bass

later

e

[Jig Man]

I recommend that you pick a few proven baits (like plastics and jigs).  What you get will depend on your rods and reels.  Take the time to fish them and learn how to use them to catch fish.  Don't get caught up in all the bait buying hype that is out there.

As you learn a few and you confidence and catching improves, there will be time to buy all the extraneous stuff that the rest of us haul around with us.

[Dennis22]

Thanks guys for the help.. I have never ever got a darn Bass and thats all i want to do already!  Where can i buy this SENKO color 194.. and what exactly is it.. i tried looking it up but i must be an idiot

[Triton21]

Any baitstore worth it's salt will stock Senko's. It is a peice of soft, salt impregnated plastic that looks like a cigar with the band on it. I missed the boat for several years by being so hard-headed that I would not use them. I thought "no way a bass will hit these" but I was the same way with tubes. I don't have my color chart in front of me so I don't know what a 194 is but if you stick with natural colors, ie, shades of green, white, browns, and blacks you will be fine.  Google Yamamoto Lures.

Kelley

[Dennis22]

lol.. i have those gary yamamoto things.. didnt know they were called SENKO!.. How.. or which is the best way to fish them.. and what test line..?

Thanks guys!~

[Gatorbassman]

Welcome,

You can find out all you need to know about Senkos by going to the Tackle section of the forum and clicking on the post at the top about Senkos.

I would also recomend that you check out the Fishing Articles section at the top of this page. Read the ones that are for beginners first. This will have you catching bass in no time.

Good luck and have fun,

Fluke

[Guest avid]

Senko's are about as reliable as you can get, but the hardbaits are generally more fun to fish.

Pick up a 1/2 oz. bill lewis ratltrap. blue/chrome is the classic color but they all work fine.

A topwater like the chug bug, torpedo, and jitterbug are mainstays.

a spinnerbait - twin gold/silver willowleaf blades is the most common in 3/8 th oz. & white skirt

and a rattlinRogue in gold/orange or Rapala minnow in silver/black

With these baits and the senko, you will have the basics that will cover all levels of the water colum in various colors and speeds.

Jigs, walking baits (spooks) T-rigged plastic worms and many others are also bass catching standards, but get used the top few first.  Jigs, and walkers etc. can take a little more skill.

You'll catch plenty of bass on the first choices, and have other baits to look forward to.

Good luck and have fun.

avid

[Pa Angler]

Welcome to the forum. Depends on what time of year it is, If you fishing now in the cold then I would use a 3" jerkbait such as a Pointer 78SP or DD very slowly or a Senko riged as a jerkbait or wacky rigged also very slowly along dropoffs into the deeper water Bass in PA have not moved to spawn yet as the weather warms you can start to go shallow and can speed up the retreive just remember though it's illeagal to bed fish in PA. I would not be afraid to try small crankbaits as well.

I fish Wallenpaupack for most of my PA fishing I can't use my main motor on Nokamixon and I have heard stories of boat owners waiting for over an hour at Beltsville just to launch their boats so I have stayed away from those 2 lakes but the Pack has the structure of both of those lakes from what I have seen on maps so fishing should be similar.

Good Luck

[Dennis22]

Hey guys thanks for all the feedback, this is a very great forum, all are very kind and nice to see you take the time to answer questions!.  I appreciate the feedback and hopefully i can go and catch me a bass soon!  I was out today, and i was using the wacky rig but i guess i wasnt in the right spot, i was in the shallow parts of the lake!  I will have to go back with your advice and hopefully get me a fish!

I go to Wallenpapuack, but i go with my familys bigger boat a "Baja"

I think my boat is a bit small being its only 3.5 horepower! 9 and a half feet long!

[Cigarlover 1]

Welcome Aboard! If you want learn about catching bass this is exactly where you need to be. Like these guys said read through the beginners section on the website and through all the forums here. You'll have more fishing info than your brain can process. LOL

Good luck catching that lunker. Don't forget to take a camera. In the fishing world if there's no picture it didn't happen.   ;D

[bigdog]

Welcome...

[New 2 Bass]

Al

[Grey Wolf]

WELCOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[skillet]

WELCOME to the forums!!

                                        As Ever,

                                         Skillet  

[GotOne42]

i would use a lot of crawdad crankbaits. the brand is rebel and i can't get the fish off it! use a dark color on top and a little lighter color on bottom.  just go to any sporting goods store and ask cause they know exactly what it is.

[roadwarrior]

Welcome aboard!

[IdahoLunkerHunter]

Welcome, I am also new to the board but I am a veteran to bass fishin'. Depending on what type of fishing you are doing will determine what type of rod/line/reel you should use. If you are gonna be casting out with no vegetation you should be lookin for a medium rod 6'-6'6", spinning reel, with about 6-8 lb test. You should also use a colored line that best camoflages in the water. The less you can see the line the less the fish will. (Note fish see in all directs except down). When you start getting into flippin a tube or senko you need to upgrade your gear. A medium action rod 6'6"-7' will work, with a baitcast reel, and about 20-25lb test. This heavy line is used so you can yank those fish outta the weeds and/over the covor your flippin' in. When flippin make sure to rig your softies texas rigged so you won't hang up in the vegetation. The gear ratio on the reel all depends on what you want to do. If you want a fast retrieval a higher gear ratio is wanted. I would recommend a 5:1:1 or 6:2:1 for starting out. Make sure the reels also have the anti-reverse on them. If you need any lure questions I might be able to help with just ask

ILH

[eastkybass]

Welcome to the site.  

With it still being cold you might have to slow down and fish a little deeper.  Move off shore some more and try to find some cover on out.  And good luck