Need Help - Ri,ma,ct Bass Fishing

[bigz1229]

Hey Guys,

I want to start fishing bass in the RI,MA,CT area. I live in RI. I went to my local tackle shop and they didn't have much for freshwater so I took the drive to Bass Pro and let me tell you I was a little taken back by how many options I had. Can you give me any advise on the best colors, lures, etc. I should be using in my area?

Thanks

[webertime]

This is a pretty basic list and should be a good start. Colors are just what I have had luck with and often reported as being succesful).

5" Senko (green pumpkin and black with blue flake)

Fat Ika (same as above)

X-Rap or Lucky Craft Pointer suspending jerkbaits (Perch or whitish colors)

White, Chartruese, & white/chartruse spinnerbaits (3/8oz Willow Blades in both gold and silver)

Rage Tail Craws or Zoom Speed Craws (Green Pumpkin or Watermelon)

Zara Spook (any)

Pop-R (any)

Cavitron Buzz Bait (any)

4" and 7" Roboworms (Aaron's Magic and Oxblood)

25packs of Gamakatsu hooks (2/0 EWG, 4/0EWG, 1 or 1/0 Drop Shot)

3/16oz Drop Shot Weights (You'll use this a lot up here)

various split shot and bullet weights (1/4 oz to 3/4oz for the bullets)

Strike King, Lucky Craft, or Bandit crankbaits (colors are all over the map, but "I" like crawfish, chartruese with a blue back, and whites/lights).

[grampa1114]

That's a nice list and fine if you're an accomplished fisherman in the first place. Do you know what types of equipment you will be using...or...are you just beginning? Let's just say for the sake of a place to start, that you are just beginning and are on a budget. Perhaps a 6' medium action spinning rod with a fast tip and a quality spinning reel...$100.-$125. for the set, loaded with quality 8# monofilament. Then you will want to reach 3 areas of the water column. Surface to 2' can be covered nicely with floating, original, 3"-4" silver w/black back Rapalas. Mid-range is handled nicely by 1/4oz white w/willow leaf blade spinnerbait. The bottom can be dealt with by using 4" black,curly tail worms on 1/0 offset worm hooks and leadfree 1/8oz bullet weights. Remember to read and watch any and all information about bass behavior. More important than what you throw is where and why.

[NoBassPro]

That's a nice list and fine if you're an accomplished fisherman in the first place.

There is nothing in that list a beginner can't throw. Might take a time or two to get used to a spook, and there's just as many different ways to retrieve an original rap as a suspender.

[Sam]

Up your way you have different types of bodies of water ranging from ponds to rivers to lakes.

What is more important than us giving you a list of baits and colors to use you need to learn about each body of water and its clarity, temperature and types of fish in each one.

Then experiment with various baits at different times of the year depending on water clarity, temperature and what the baitfish are doing.

There is always a debate regarding which baits work best but you will have to decide which ones are more productive on the bodies of water you fish.

Down here in Virginia, there are three primary colors for plastics. However, with that said, there are also many variations and other colors to select among.

Watermelon, Green Pumpkin and Junebug are starters. You go from there to your reds, blues, oranges, whites, pinks, blends, etc. The water clarity will direct you to the color to use.

For crankbaits in Virginia, the staples are the various shad colors, blue/chart and Firetiger. Once again, we use other colors we like or have been productive in the past depending on the time of year, what the baitfish are doing, water clarity, water temperature and if there is structure on the bottom.

After water clarity you need to go with what the bass eat. Crawfish, bluegills, shad, bass, crappie, trout, perch, Walleye, Pickerel, etc. You need to match the hatch.

Experiment. That is the fun of bass fishing. And then set the pattern for the day.

In other words, if a green pumpkin brush hog is getting hit along or within 5-feet of the shore line you have the pattern. If that does not work, try a shad colored crankbait. Then go to a spinnerbait. What about a shaky head with a Junebug trick worm? Mocassin Blue Dead Ringer? Robo Worm's Morning Dawn?

Find the pattern for the day. And remember, each day can have a different pattern.

Read, read and read some more. Watch YouTube for various techniques. Go the pros of your choice and hit their web sites.

Visit some local tackle shops around where you will be fishing and do two things. First, ask the sales force about the local waters and what is working. Second, look at the baits and see which ones are gone.

This means that if the green pumpkin six-inch Zoom finesse worms are low or out of stock then they must be working in the area.

The above clarifies why we all have over 100 pounds of plastics in our arsnel and keep adding to it!!! You are expected to do the same. The Bait Monkey awaits you.

[grampa1114]

There is nothing in that list a beginner can't throw. .

Did you ever loose your appetite because there was just too much food on the plate?

[backwater4]

In CT, you can't go wrong with:

4" worms on slider heads 3/16 blue fleck or pumpkin

4" wacky rigged senkos black blue or watermelon

1/4 black football jig

pop r

Shad 3/8 spinnerbait

[Quillback]

I spent about 12 years of my life living in SE Mass. Bass fished a lot while there, didn't have all the tackle or knowledge I have now, but did well as there's some good bassin in that area. My go to bait was a chrome/black 3 1/2" floating jointed Rebel, throw it to cover, weedlines, lilly pad edges, twitch one or twice, if no strikes, retrieve and try the next pice of cover. Workd well spring through summer. Good to have a few spinner baits for spring and fall. Black Jitterbugs for night fishing if you're so inclined.

Lots of small ponds/lakes/rivers that can only be accessed with car-toppers or canoes that have good bass populations and can surprise you with bass in the 5-8 lb. range.