Bass Fishing

[sweetlou]

Looking for tips and tricks for a beginner bass angler! Never been, don't have any tackle for it. Just kind of want an idea of what I need to get started. anything helps,

thanks

[Curly]

1/4 oz black spinnerbait with Colorado blade, a shallow diving crankbait in perch or crayfish color, and a minnow type lure like a rapala would be enough to get you started.  Plastic worms, lizards, grubs, tubes, etc are good but the others are good for starting in my opinion.

Just get out and fish along side docks and you should be able to catch a few.  Crescent lake near gig harbor is pretty good (or at least was when I fished there quite a while back).

[bassquatch]

If you're proficient with a baitcaster then you could cover dang near everything with 2 rods, otherwise you will want 2 spinning rods, 1 medium action 6 1/2'-7' and 1 med/hvy same length equipped with two 4000 series spinning reels (hopefully with spare spools?)

Spool 1 reel with 8lb mono and the other with 30lb braid (you can always attach a fluorocarbon leader if need be) you can also use a big magic marker to blacken the first 3 feet of line up from your lure to help camouflage the line.

As mentioned above I would use the braid rod for jigs, buzzbaits, frogs, spinnerbaits (over 3/8oz), worms, swimbaits, Carolina rigs and the like. I would use the 8lb rod for grubs, minnow lures, crankbaits, and even drop shots, more of your finesse type techniques.

The bass are still feeding on fry pretty good so early morning with a 1/4oz buzzbait or small floating Rapala style bait twitched on the surface will get bit. Later morning switch to your spinnerbaits and small swimbaits and even jigs. Mid day jigs, worms and the like. Reverse the process as it gets dark ending with the buzzbait, frog or floating minnow bait.

The above will get you bit just about anywhere any time of year. Right now through the end of October you should be able to find something just about any day on any lake!

Jump on Washingtonlakes.com and look for bass lakes in your area. Bass are ambush predators so look for cover like docks, laydowns, rocks, weeds and weed edges. Keep plugging away and switching things up until they tell you what they want and how they want it then just repeat the process! If the bite falls of, switch it up again, change sizes and colors and cadence until they react.

Good luck, enjoy and hopefully you can avoid the bank account draining addiction?!   

[teal101]

7' MH spinning rod.
2500 size reel
30lb braid with a 8lb leader or straight 8lb line
5" Senkos Green Pumpkin
3/0 Gamakatsu EWG Worm Hooks

Rig it weightless weedless texas style.  Cast it and let it fall on slack line.  Reel in tight and pop it up.  If it feels heavy set the hook.  If the line jumps on the fall set the hook.  If the line starts swimming out sideways set the hook.  If the line starts falling faster than normal set the hook.  If the line stops falling early set the hook.  Basically, if the line does anything odd, set the hook!

[andersonjk4]

7' MH spinning rod.
2500 size reel
30lb braid with a 8lb leader or straight 8lb line
5" Senkos Green Pumpkin
3/0 Gamakatsu EWG Worm Hooks

Rig it weightless weedless texas style.  Cast it and let it fall on slack line.  Reel in tight and pop it up.  If it feels heavy set the hook.  If the line jumps on the fall set the hook.  If the line starts swimming out sideways set the hook.  If the line starts falling faster than normal set the hook.  If the line stops falling early set the hook.  Basically, if the line does anything odd, set the hook!

   This is usually my go to setup for largemouth... and remember.... Hook sets are free!   

[h20hunter]

I grew up and cut my teeth on 'gills, cats, and bass. If I could only carry two lures it would be a classic plastic worm and a white spinnerbait.

[cbond3318]

Well...... I rig the hook Texas whacky worm style throw in the Carolina Rig drop shot weight and use an Alabama gator tail knot and POW rippin lip'!!

  J/K get some 4" Senkos and Gama 2/0 offset shank hooks and like said, if the line does anything odd, set the hook, good luck!!

[Fl0und3rz]

Nothing like topwater fishing in the morning with a zara spook or topwater jerkbait on a glass calm morning.  Another fun one is plastic jerk baits in the lily pads.  Or a Colorado-rigged lizard on a deeper shelf on a hot day . . . .

Man bass fishing is fun.

[Netminder01]

I see guys catch more bass on the west side using drop shots than anything else.  It's a hard setup for me to fish because it requires so much finesse and I enjoy success on other lures many of which are mentioned above. 

Drop shots will get you more bites than others - especially if you're a new angler if you have the right line and soft plastic and can feel the subtle bite.  Secondarily, go with a weedless setup like a spinnerbait.

[bassquatch]

My buddy and I were up on Fazon a few weeks back, a notoriously great Senko lake and they wouldn't touch one?! It ended up being a jig bite all day, same spots, same casts just preferred one presentation over the other that day. Moral of the story and the essence to bass fishing, when in doubt switch it up!

 Good luck out there!

[moocher97]

double tail gamakatsu pumpkin worms with a size 3 off shank worm hook. And hold on tight and like what was being said earlier let it sink and set the hook!