Lake fishing can be a daunting task, depending on the size of the lake. If the lake is very large it is sometimes difficult to know where to start fishing. Generally if you are a bass fishing beginner you should stick to smaller lakes and ponds where there is not so much scope for failure. Fishing in smaller dams and lakes will generally hook you smaller fish, but not always. It will give you an opportunity to gain experience about where the fish might be hiding, how to read the conditions, how to manage and use your fishing gear and tackle.
The thing to remember when approaching a lake, is that while the lake might look flat and uninteresting there are often unseen places where the bass will lurk. This is because the structure of the lake bottom, the contour of the lake, is quite different to how the lake might appear on the surface. If there is nothing else on the bottom of the lake (highly unlikely) the humps and bumps in the sand will create preferred hiding places for the small and largemouth bass. Look for a spit of land that pokes out into the water like a point. This might create the sort of underwater terrain that the bass might frequent. Can you see a place in the water where it is a lighter shade? This might mean that the water is shallower at this point and might be productive.
The next thing to look out for is whether there is any sort of cover for the fish. Are there any boat docks on the lake? Bass love to lurk near to (and often under) docks and use these as an ambush point. Are there any dead tree trunks in the water? Look for places where there are rocks that protrude above the surface of the water. Aim to fish around these obstructions from different angles. Look for weeds that give way to sand or rocks. Perhaps there is some sort of overhanging tree that creates a bit of shade – often shade is all the cover a bass will need.
If all else fails just fish anywhere. This may sound stupid, but often with a bit of luck you might catch a fish without really having had any real plan – remember the more chances you give yourself the more fish you will catch.
When starting out fish with lighter tackle. Remember, with light fishing gear, lure fishing for even the smaller fish in the lakes will be exhilarating.
Lure Fishing Gear For Beginners | Bass Fishing Lures
Once you have got your basic fishing equipment together (your rod and reel) you will want to start looking at what type of bass fishing lures you will need to actually catch a fish. Most likely you will have already bought yourself a few different lures in order to try out your new fishing gear.
There are many different types of fishing lure that are available and a lot of different brand names (Rapala Lures come to mind). Once again though, I am going to say that you shouldn’t buy the big expensive brand names yet. This is because being a beginner fisherman and not having much experience can be a very costly exercise if you are buying expensive lures. You will lose a lot of lures in the weeds, reeds, rocks and even in the trees and bushes along the bank. ;-)
So start off with a selection of cheap lures. You will be able to buy more of them to start off with and this will enable you to collect a wide range of different styles of artificial fishing lures.
I have put together a list of some of the better styles of lures for a beginner fisherman to have in his or her tackle box.
Spinnerbaits | Spinner baits:
These are artificial lures that are bent at a right angle with a hook on one end and a flashy spinner on the other. It has a frilly rubber skirt that disguises the hook. Spinnerbaits are made to be retrieved fairly fast in order to make the spinner spin through the water. The spinnerbait is a surprisingly effective lure and I have caught quite a few good fish on this lure.
Fishing Poppers:
Sometimes called a floating popper, this is a plastic fishing lure that floats on the surface of the water and is pretty effective in the very early morning (dawn) and in the late evening (dusk). It is meant to be fished very slowly. Cast it out and leave it floating on the surface of the river. Every so often give it a tug and the scoop on the front will scoop the water creating a distinctive “popping” sound. This makes for exciting explosive strikes as the bass sometimes clear the water as the take this lure.
Minnow:
Minnow lures are lures that are usually made out of rubber and shaped like a small fish or minnow. When retrieved the minnow “swims” through the water and bass attack it thinking it is a small fish.
Soft Plastic Lures | Worms:
Soft plastic worms have a hook imbedded in them which adds weight to the worm and makes the worm sink to the bottom of the water. Usually good for fishing along the bottom of sandy areas of the lake or river they are meant to be fished very slowly so that the fish grub it up as they would a real worm.
This is a very basic range of different types of fishing lure that no beginner fisherman should be without. From this basis you can add the more specialised (and more expensive) fishing lure as you need and have the money.
There are many different types of fishing lure that are available and a lot of different brand names (Rapala Lures come to mind). Once again though, I am going to say that you shouldn’t buy the big expensive brand names yet. This is because being a beginner fisherman and not having much experience can be a very costly exercise if you are buying expensive lures. You will lose a lot of lures in the weeds, reeds, rocks and even in the trees and bushes along the bank. ;-)
So start off with a selection of cheap lures. You will be able to buy more of them to start off with and this will enable you to collect a wide range of different styles of artificial fishing lures.
I have put together a list of some of the better styles of lures for a beginner fisherman to have in his or her tackle box.
Spinnerbaits | Spinner baits:
These are artificial lures that are bent at a right angle with a hook on one end and a flashy spinner on the other. It has a frilly rubber skirt that disguises the hook. Spinnerbaits are made to be retrieved fairly fast in order to make the spinner spin through the water. The spinnerbait is a surprisingly effective lure and I have caught quite a few good fish on this lure.
Fishing Poppers:
Sometimes called a floating popper, this is a plastic fishing lure that floats on the surface of the water and is pretty effective in the very early morning (dawn) and in the late evening (dusk). It is meant to be fished very slowly. Cast it out and leave it floating on the surface of the river. Every so often give it a tug and the scoop on the front will scoop the water creating a distinctive “popping” sound. This makes for exciting explosive strikes as the bass sometimes clear the water as the take this lure.
Minnow:
Minnow lures are lures that are usually made out of rubber and shaped like a small fish or minnow. When retrieved the minnow “swims” through the water and bass attack it thinking it is a small fish.
Soft Plastic Lures | Worms:
Soft plastic worms have a hook imbedded in them which adds weight to the worm and makes the worm sink to the bottom of the water. Usually good for fishing along the bottom of sandy areas of the lake or river they are meant to be fished very slowly so that the fish grub it up as they would a real worm.
This is a very basic range of different types of fishing lure that no beginner fisherman should be without. From this basis you can add the more specialised (and more expensive) fishing lure as you need and have the money.
Lure Fishing Beginners | Bass Fishing Gear
I will initially focus on bass fishing gear and spinning equipment in particular and in later posts I will move on to the intricacies and the art of fly fishing.
In the previous post for the lure fishing beginner I suggested starting out by visiting a local sport or fishing shop in order to browse what type of rod and reel combos they had in stock. Although most will stock a wide range of combinations, when starting out you don’t have to worry about the upper end of the range.
These cheaper models are just as good for a newcomer to bass fishing as the more expensive versions; indeed a beginner fisherman will usually not even be able to tell the difference between the top end and middle of the range. Generally the ones that the store has available are the most popular and are for general use in many different conditions. Sometimes you can get discount fishing tackle; I paid half price for one of my fishing rods, just because of a few scratches in the paint.
The disadvantage with these all purpose spinning rods is in the strength and durability of the rod. This can be overcome by being particularly careful with where you are casting, what might get snagged and how tight the drag is set on your reel. There is nothing worse when you hook into that elusive largemouth bass and your rod snaps as you try and set the hook!
Make sure you keep your reel clean and well oiled. Test it before fishing to make sure that it is spinning easily. Lessening the drag on your spinning reel will allow the fish to take the hook and swim the line off the reel. You can slowly apply more drag. Alternatively you can attach your reel to the rod, feed the line through all the eyes, take the line in your fingers and gently pull the line down, bending the rod. Set the drag to give just before your rod bends to the right angle mark. This is generally the best position for the fish to set the hook by itself as it takes the lure and doesn’t require you to strike aggressively.
Of course, if you can afford more expensive rods and reels, by all means buy the brand that you want. The more expensive rods will give you a better strength to weight ratio and should last longer in general. The weight of the rod is especially important when buying a fly fishing rod.
Always make sure to check and clean your equipment according to the manuals that come along with the items.
A good idea is to buy some sort of rod bag, or hard cover for your rod. This will protect it when it is packed amongst all the other stuff in your car or truck, or if you inadvertently dump your tog bag on top of the rod. The rod eyes are very easily crushed and although they can be replaced, it is a pain to do. If your rod snaps though, it is a different story. Prevention is better than cure.
The purpose of this post has been to help you with the basic care of your bass fishing equipment and hopefully you can keep these points in mind when you are packing for and going on your fishing trip.
In the previous post for the lure fishing beginner I suggested starting out by visiting a local sport or fishing shop in order to browse what type of rod and reel combos they had in stock. Although most will stock a wide range of combinations, when starting out you don’t have to worry about the upper end of the range.
These cheaper models are just as good for a newcomer to bass fishing as the more expensive versions; indeed a beginner fisherman will usually not even be able to tell the difference between the top end and middle of the range. Generally the ones that the store has available are the most popular and are for general use in many different conditions. Sometimes you can get discount fishing tackle; I paid half price for one of my fishing rods, just because of a few scratches in the paint.
The disadvantage with these all purpose spinning rods is in the strength and durability of the rod. This can be overcome by being particularly careful with where you are casting, what might get snagged and how tight the drag is set on your reel. There is nothing worse when you hook into that elusive largemouth bass and your rod snaps as you try and set the hook!
Make sure you keep your reel clean and well oiled. Test it before fishing to make sure that it is spinning easily. Lessening the drag on your spinning reel will allow the fish to take the hook and swim the line off the reel. You can slowly apply more drag. Alternatively you can attach your reel to the rod, feed the line through all the eyes, take the line in your fingers and gently pull the line down, bending the rod. Set the drag to give just before your rod bends to the right angle mark. This is generally the best position for the fish to set the hook by itself as it takes the lure and doesn’t require you to strike aggressively.
Of course, if you can afford more expensive rods and reels, by all means buy the brand that you want. The more expensive rods will give you a better strength to weight ratio and should last longer in general. The weight of the rod is especially important when buying a fly fishing rod.
Always make sure to check and clean your equipment according to the manuals that come along with the items.
A good idea is to buy some sort of rod bag, or hard cover for your rod. This will protect it when it is packed amongst all the other stuff in your car or truck, or if you inadvertently dump your tog bag on top of the rod. The rod eyes are very easily crushed and although they can be replaced, it is a pain to do. If your rod snaps though, it is a different story. Prevention is better than cure.
The purpose of this post has been to help you with the basic care of your bass fishing equipment and hopefully you can keep these points in mind when you are packing for and going on your fishing trip.
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