Bass fishing for beginners

Bass fishing for beginners

Tips and tricks to help beginner bass anglers 

This blog is designed to help the amateur bass angler get started into the amazing world of bass fishing. Bass fishing is an exiting new hobby, but can be intimidating for someone who is new to it. There is a huge market for fishing and figuring out where to start can be hard. These tips in this article should help to get you started and may even help you catch a bass.

where to start...

There are many different ways, places, and times of year to fish. There are millions of different rods, reels, lures, and other combinations to pursue fish. These methods are what I have found that works the best for me and what I prefer and should bring you the same results as they have for me. 

Getting license if needed 

If you are fishing a public area you will need a fishing license. Fishing in a public area without a license is against the law. The money that comes into the state for fishing license goes to research and conservation practices. Not only are license a must to be legal they help keep the sport of fishing alive. In the state of Georgia for residents the price for a license is 15$ for a year. if you are fishing a privately owned lake or pond you will not need a license. 

Gear needed

-Fishing rod
-Fishing reel
-Fishing line
-Tackle and lures
-Tackle box
-Tackle bag
-Pair of needle nose pliers

There are two different types of fishing reels that you can use. You can use either bait casting reels or spinning reels. You can purchase both for pretty cheap and both are effective. Some people just prefer one over the other.

Here is a Shimano bait caster reel

              

This is a spinning Abu Garcia spinning reel

Lures 

You can buy hard lures, soft plastics, or bladed baits. All work but some work better under certain conditions. When the water is warm (45 degrees or warmer) you can really use any lure and have success. you can find the water temperature by searching current water temperature in your area online. If the water temperature is lower than that you should use a more slower presentation lure. This means use a bait that you can present in more of a slow method. You want to do this because like humans fish act slower in cooler temperatures and don't like to eat as much. In reality thats what you are doing when fishing, you are trying to entice the fish into eating your bait to catch them.

What kind of lures should you use?

Here are some pictures of some different lures that are my go to baits and should also work for you:

This lure is called a chatter bait. You should fish this lure on a bait caster reel for the best results. this particular bait above is a War Eagle brand chatter bait in the chartreuse and white color pattern. you use it by casting it toward sticks, grass, and even open water. you then slowly retrieve it back in and repeat.

This lure pictured above is called a soft plastic worm. This is one of the simplest lures to fish with in my opinion and one of my most effective methods. The worm pictured above is called a Yum brand worm and the color of the worm is called Green Pumpkin. This worm should be used on a 3/16oz worm hook and should be fished on 6 to 8 pound line. I wouldn't recommend anything heavier than that. You fish this lure be casting it out and letting it sink to the bottom. You then should move your rod up and down making the worm drag across the bottom while slowly reeling  in the slack line.

Line

When bass fishing you should use line any where from 6 pound to 20 pound test line. The "test line" means the amount of stress the line can handle. 6 to 20 pound line is plenty for bass.

Other gear 

You will need a tackle box or two to keep your lures and other gear in. You should also purchase a tackle bag to keep all of your other stuff in. When you are organized it makes walking around and fishing a lot easier and less stressful.

this is a coastal conservative brand tackle bag

You should also purchase a pair of needle nose pliers. These can come in handy when you catch a fish to safely remove the hook form its mouth. Sometimes the hook can be too hard to get out with your hand. When this happens you need to use these pliers to get it out quickly. This helps to get the fish back in the water as quick as possible. Doing little things like this helps to practice good conservation and keeps the sport of bass fishing alive.

Other tips

Bass fishing has been one of my favorite hobbies to do ever since I was a young kid and was taught a these few tips. It is a very relaxing activity and can be very good for the mind. It is a great way to get outdoors and enjoy nature. It can be a great weekend or weekday activity. When you are organized and have legally purchased a license fishing can produce endless days of fun and can be done with friends and family. Fishing is a good time to also practice good conversation practices such as taking care and properly releasing fish quickly, cleaning up trash around lakes, ponds, and rivers, and also teaching other people the fun of the great outdoors. I hope these tips can help you start your bass fishing experience and help you catch some bass. good luck!