Posted: 6/28/2010 4:21:18 PM EDT
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I grew up with a trout fishing father. He took me all the time and I'm pretty comfortable in waders in a cold springtime stream with a spinning rod. However, he NEVER fished bass so niether did I. Where I live now, there aren't a ton of great trout spots, most people fish bass (LM and SM) and some lake trout. I've been trying to get back into fishing the last few years and just had no luck. I have some ok gear and I've tried a lot of different baits and techniques but I still feel lost. I don't have a boat so most of my fishing is from the shore. I've tried live worms, plastic worms on jigs and "Texas rigged", minnow looking crankbait, rooster tails, hula poppers and such. I usually don't catch anything and most of the time I'm just guessing at what to throw out there and how to move it based on scattered info on the internet. So my question is this, I don't want to be a pro by any means, I'd just like to strip things down to the simplest bait and techniques that would give me a decent chance at some fish. I think that's what I liked about trout, there isn't a million and one different ways to fish them. Any advice on 1-2 different approaches? Is being on the shore a disadvantage? Seems like I catch all the panfish and the guys in the boats catch the bass and trout. Also, what's the AR-15.com forums for freshwater fishing? Any other good books or internet resources? |
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Quoted:
I grew up with a trout fishing father. He took me all the time and I'm pretty comfortable in waders in a cold springtime stream with a spinning rod. However, he NEVER fished bass so niether did I. Where I live now, there aren't a ton of great trout spots, most people fish bass (LM and SM) and some lake trout. I've been trying to get back into fishing the last few years and just had no luck. I have some ok gear and I've tried a lot of different baits and techniques but I still feel lost. I don't have a boat so most of my fishing is from the shore. I've tried live worms, plastic worms on jigs and "Texas rigged", minnow looking crankbait, rooster tails, hula poppers and such. I usually don't catch anything and most of the time I'm just guessing at what to throw out there and how to move it based on scattered info on the internet. So my question is this, I don't want to be a pro by any means, I'd just like to strip things down to the simplest bait and techniques that would give me a decent chance at some fish. I think that's what I liked about trout, there isn't a million and one different ways to fish them. Any advice on 1-2 different approaches? Is being on the shore a disadvantage? Seems like I catch all the panfish and the guys in the boats catch the bass and trout. Also, what's the AR-15.com forums for freshwater fishing? Any other good books or internet resources? Bass literally bite on about anything that moves, the key word being moves. What makes bass fishing a sport is the art is finding them and that varies by different types of water, temperatures, and times of day. They hit or nibble so not a gobbler which is why treble hook artificial baits ae so popular. Hooking them takes some practice, experience, in feeling when they are pulling not just striking then setting the hook. I sometimes think its just luck if you catch a bass and your bait is just sitting there. Its is a fish your pole is very important that you can tell what's going on at the bait either by feel or sight. That's why poles like an IM7 or IM8, high modulus, are very popular in bass fishing. Obviously if follow this, live baits are not always the best for bass and if you do things like worms and especially minnows which move or faint movement are best where a bass likes things like stink baits but you will do much better on live. This is why the artificial baits are so popular. They move and faint life. Everyone bass fishes or there are so many who do, the fish aren't stupid. They're often like the pond has been fished in too long, what we call a high pressure pond but in this case fish. Depending on the water things like line visibility impact your success rate with invisible being better. Like wise, color of your lure influences your success rate. Really I think they run deep but unlike other fish when they hit shallow instead of getting confused and milling about they go shallow. Like most game fish they like shade. This is why working the banks is so popular or working underwater obsticles such as humps at cove entrances. Most people fish shallow for bass which they tend to feed the usual morning and evening times, however they do run deep especially at night. The tend to favor attacking their prey from below to up. Had a buddy that flat out almost commercial fished bass. He'd run at night to fish attractors (pits, underwater humps, stumps, etc.) lay out a floating croppie light, use a flasher type fish finder, then measure the minnow cloud dropping his minnow 1-2 feet below the cloud. Damn he would slay them fileting fish many would mount on their walls. Anyway, knowing they come below helps in your technique. Like all types of fishing, the more you do the more you catch. Personally I think its a combination of learning technique and what I think of as God's luck. The more you fish, they more you are rewarded. Its almost amazing really. You can take two guys out, one who fishes all the time and the other one who doesn't, use the same lures/bait and even the same techniques and the guy who fishes all the time will slay the other guy. Drop off a while yourself and it takes a while to get back in the groove. Now you want to really get disappointed? Just when you think you got it all figured out, you catch your biggest bass ever on a damn piece of worm on the bottom from the bank. 
Yes, I fish, boat on weekends where i keep six poles and gear and even keep a stash at home for a fast get away and bank fish. Heck, I even have a nice four piece pack rod setup with pocket tackle box. To me, its another excuse to be outdoors and something to do and I'd rather be outside than inside. Tj |
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Thanks for the responses. So for my goal of just making it simple, if I stick to just the texas rigged worms, casting from shore into some sort of cover (rock, stumps, weeds, lillies) and drag that thing slowly across the bottom, eventually I'll catch some fish? I've tried this a bit an still haven't caught anything but weeds and gotten hung up on stuff but I guess these rigs are cheap. Thanks for the advice. |
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I love Texas rigged worms...if you rig it right you really shouldn't bring in a lot of vegetation. Work them slow, and experience will tell you when a bass is 'tapping' on it and when you've hit structure.
There are hundreds of colors available, but I prefer black, purple, and motor oil. For other lures, I like Rooster Tails and Jitterbugs. I usually just cast and retrieve the Rooster Tails and Jitterbugs, but sometimes I use a stop and go approach with Jitterbugs if nothing happens. I don't have much experience in boats and usually just shore fish. |
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I have more success with topwater lures. Spinnerbaits followed by buzzbaits. T-Rigs are god but you have to have some patience.
Bank fishing is a good way to start but once you're in the water, you'll get better access to them sweet spots. I fish from a float tube and a one man pontoon. It serves me well. Spend time wetting the line and read a bit on some fishing forums. That's the best way to learn. Good luck. |
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I'm not a big fan of any Berkley hardbaits, but I LOVE their soft plastics. Berkley Gulp! turtleback worms are my go to bait for Texas rigged worms in the summer. I just feel like the extra flavor turns more nibblers into biters, however be warned they are expensive and far more fragile than regular plastics. Berkley Powerbait has a lot of scent to it also and if I wanted to have a more resiliant worm this would be my choice.
On the lakes I fish a big Texas worm seems to work well when the fish are active from early or mid-summer on. Cooler water (early season), or cold fronts I get more action from a simple shakey head worm (see - http://www.bassfishingandcatching.com/shaky-head.html ). The shakey head with a plain ole round rubber worm (I use Powerbait for this application - the Gulp! worms were too fragile for me in this application but would probably get more bites) is a very subtle presentation, and seems to get way more bites on those slow cold front days. Feeling a fishing nibbling vs taking the bait in its mouth is very important for either of the above presentations. I have a strong preference for super braid lines because the very low stretch gives you a better feel through the rod. For clear water use a flourocarbon leader on your braid if you think the fish might be line shy. Think about what you are doing on the water - by changing your retrieve up until the fish tell you what they want. Fast/slow. Big hops/subtle shakes. Deep/Shallow. I found the "Bass Location Secrets" video by In-Fisherman helpful when I was starting out in that it showed how to vary different presentation styles in broad categories until you start seeing action. |
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Confidence (along with patience and persistance) is pretty key....I just read a survey somewhere that the bass catch rate in Florida (which is heavy into bass fishing) is something like one fish every 3.5 hours or something like that.
I agree with the texas rig worm and the senko.... Fishing from the bank is not always a problem, especially in ponds and rivers... Dnn't know where you are or where you're fishing, but smaller waters can be much more productive for bass than larger ones (especially from the bank) My fly rods and fly boxes would argue that there's not that many ways to catch trout
Little rascals will turn their nose up at ANYTHING when they're clued into an "emerger with just the right hackle"...doggone snobs... 
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All good advice above....
Another key thing is lure presentation.... Try different speeds of retrieval, jerking the rod tip, bouncing lure (texas rigged worm) off bottom a few times, or just simply lifting tip of rod once or twice, etc.... As for lures... I swear by Senkos (both stick & swim senkos) and zoom trick works.... I have several rods set up.... weightless and in the case of the trick worms with a shaky head weight.... I also use a ton of rubber lizards and regular culprit worms... Favorite colors that work for me here in my area everytime.... Watermelon red, red shad, june bug, crawdad and pumpkin seed! |
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Quoted:
I have more success with topwater lures. Spinnerbaits followed by buzzbaits. T-Rigs are god but you have to have some patience. Bank fishing is a good way to start but once you're in the water, you'll get better access to them sweet spots. I fish from a float tube and a one man pontoon. It serves me well. Spend time wetting the line and read a bit on some fishing forums. That's the best way to learn. Good luck. You and I are of the same mind. I love top-water lures, especially spinner baits. If nothing else, it cuts down the boredom if the fish aren't biting.
Years ago I bought a Belly Boat...basically a tube set up for fishing. Even came with a set of duck-fin flippers. 
There's nothing like hooking into one when you are nearly eye-level with the surface of the water. Done my share of wade-fishing in rivers as well (primarily the Shenandoah). Again, even if the fish aren't biting, it makes for a nice day being chest-deep in the river with the mist hanging all around you. Good times. |
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The basics:
Bass are structure oriented. If there are a lot of weeds, and a few stickups the bass will be at the stickups. They also like points, creeks, etc. Anything different attracts them. They really like structure near deeper water like a creek channel. You have to match your lure to the water. If the water is stained you need a slightly brighter lure. If using a spinner bait you need bigger willow blades. in clearer water you need a more subdued lure. Remember, the normal bait the bass eats tries hard to not be seen. You want your lure slightly easier to find. Plastic worms catch more bass than anything else. You have to remember- go slow, then slow down. There are a lot of different colors, but usually a motor oil green, purple with a white tail, grape with a chartreuse tail or pumpkin seed work for me. Remember most lures are designed to catch fishermen, not fish. As for bank fishing, yes it is easier in a boat, but not completely necessary. It depends where you fish. I caught 3 1.5# bass today in about 15 minutes while dove hunting. I threw several lures and they finally started hitting a baby bass crank bait. You just have to find what they like. When dad and I were big into bass fishing we both used plastic worms. He threw one color and I threw another until we figured it out. I have seen them ignore a grape with a firetail and destroy a purple with a chartreuse tail. Take plenty of each color- they get REAL expensive out on the lake. You have to find their depth. generally in summer they are shallow- foot to foot and a half. When the water gets colder they go deeper. Sometimes they are suspended, and that is a tough situation. They don't have eyelids, so if there is a log in the water they will be in the shade. bass have a strike zone of about 12" You need to present your lure within that destance. That means if you throw past a log and bring the lure by with no strike, try again. You might have missed him by 6". Don't overthink this stuff though. They will let you know what they want, even if it means throwing the tackle box at them. You will learn what that means- trust me. Jim |
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Lots of good info here so I will go basic.
My 2 cents... Texas rigged worm or tube will work 90% of the time if you can find the right color and size. Spinner baits are very useful for most of the year and can be fished a number of ways to match what the fish want. The shakey head worm has been great for me the last few years as well. I can also guarantee that all these baits will catch fish from the bank. My wasted youth is proof. There are 8 bazillion different baits out there to catch bass (and bass fishermen). If I was you, I would concentrate on learning the types I described above and ignore most the rest until I got a handle on these. The only real issue might be the difference between a desirable spinner bait rod/reel combo and a worm rod/reel combo. I would say you will want a dedicated rod/reel for each type of fishing. http://www.fishin.com/ is a wealth of information. The KY section is full of a bunch of friendly guys if your state is dead or snoddy. |
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around here, MN, i enjoy Texas rig worms in the spring. the Momma bass are very protective of there babies (eggs).
after the season gets going find cover. lilly pads, timber. moss covered areas. about 10+ ft deep. this cover attracts a lot of bluegills and crappies. well, guess what bass love sunfish. I use top water lures a lot. love the way the bass comes out of the water, i guarantee , you will jump when a bass strikes a top water lure. and you'll be hooked. secret,,,,, Moss Boss they are kind of big, made of plastic, and light for the size. cast those onto lily pads and swim them over, through and around the pads. they are similar to the Johnson silver minnow, but plastic. have fun catching bass. |
| I fish for smallies and large mouth most of the time. I was a plastics guy for years and then slowly was brought into cranks and top water by my good buddy and his father. Top water strikes from a bucket mouth is the best ever. As far as cranks I use mostly rapala d10's and the crawdad looking rebels but never both on the same water. Rebels mostly on rivers for smallies and d10's on lakes for buckets. Now I have a ton of other brands but those are my go to that almost never fail me in the waters I fish. I have them in every color I have seen as well as back ups in every color because you never know when they will discontinue a color or even the entire line of tor favorite. Keep it wet |