Really Need Help For Spring 2024

bassinnoobie reply :

As my name implies I am a noob to say the least, and I need some help...... A LOT of help mainly lure selection, how to fish them,when and where. I live in Missouri, lake norfork and bull sholes area and I am 12 so I don't have I boat but I do have a kayak. My tackle consists of 5 lipless cranks 2 are strike king chrome sexy shad and gizzerd shad color.3 are BPS chrome black back, chrome chartreuse back and a Tennessee type color. A luck 'e' strike copper green shad square bill crack and a BPS splatter back square bill. 2 jerkbaits luck 'e' strike 4.5 cosmic shad color and a silver colorerd husky jerk. A bunch of rooster tails and a couple chartreuse finnese spinner baits and a PB&J jig and a black and blue. For soft baits yum pali craws, Z-MAN diezel minnowz, twin tail grubs, and bait fish flukes. That all being said I fish smaller 60- acre lakes and an upper creek channel that is about 20 feet deep and has lots of brush and stuff about 15 feet down. And remember I don't have fish finder but fish with a few guys that boats and fish finders and you are probably saying "talk to your Dad" I would but dosnt bass fish. So if you are still reading this PLEASE HELP!!!!

Captain America reply :

There are plenty of great articles on this website to get you started. I would start in the bass fishing for beginners section. The people on this forum are great, so if after reading you need some clarifications many would be happy to help. Good luck.

Matthew2000 reply :

Basics

Jigs

Green pumpkin

Black and blue

Lipless I use Xcalibur

Sexy shad

Red craw

I believe I use the 50 size

Squarebills

Spro and Xcalibur

Sexy shad

Some type of blue gill

Soft plastics

All rage tail baits

Zoom trick worms

7 inch power worms

5 inch senkos

Top water

Poppers go with rebel for a easy and cheap start

Spook just hebdon super spook.

Boo yah pad crasher

Linker lure buzz shad

Mid cranks

Wiggle warts

Rapala DT-6 and DT-10

Terminal tackle

Learn shakey heads and Texas rigs

Wacky rig

That's just a start for some confidence baits that will help you get an idea. See what works for you the best and continue to fish that.

bassinnoobie reply :

I thought about using an 8th ounce weeless tube jig head for wacky rigging in that brush

Matthew2000 reply :

You don't want to do that. It's way to heavy one. That will not fit the lure one bit.

Just use a octopus hook and let it sink very slowly. That the best way to fish a Senk with nice light taps. Don't rush it just slow down and twitch it.

bassinnoobie reply :

At 20 feet?

hawgenvy reply :

You could get a senko down there nicely on a little shaky head jig. Shake it but keep it subtle, on some fluoro line.

bassinnoobie reply :

On 2/24/2015 at 11:42 AM, hawgenvy said:
You could get a senko down there nicely on a little shaky head jig. Shake it but keep it subtle, on some fluoro line.

do they come weedless

Crank Bait Nut reply :

Hey Noobie

I'm Mike Prine , Talk To Your Mom and Dad , Tell Them I'd Like To Send You Some Tackle , No Charge. Need For You To Get There Permission. If They Need My Phone Number To Touch Base That's Fine. Once That's Done , Send Me Your Address And I'll Get Some Tackle To You. Hope I Didn't Break Any Site Rules , If I Did (Sorry).

Mike P.

Angry John reply :

Pay it forward badass. Helping the younger generation is where our sport rules.

paul. reply :

all the lures you mentioned will catch fish just fine. concentrate on learning seasonal movements and patterns and find a good solunar table to determine when you should be out there. there are 3 important W's in fishing - where (location), when (timing), and what (bait selection). people often want to focus on the last variable, but really it's the least important as long as you have a bait tied on that will work effectively in the given fishing situation.

i would start my search by looking at the articles on seasonal patterns and movements on this site. you gotta figure out where the fish should be before you can catch them.

also, pick lures that are proven fish catchers to help boost your confidence. a senko is a great choice for just flat catching a bunch of fish as is a rooster tail. build on successes. learn from failures. go with someone who is better than you every chance you get and pay attention to what they do. a good rule of thumb that came from one of the best fisherman ever on this site - "you become the sum of the 3 best fishermen you go with". don't overthink things and remember, this is supposed to be fun so don't stress about it. dedicate yourself to it and the knowledge and skill will come. don't try to force it.

Comfortably Numb reply :

If fish are 20' that is pretty early spring (prespawn)

Once the water warms they will move shallow and be much easier to catch near the bank. I highly reccoimend a weightless wacky rigged stickbait (like a Senko).

PM your address and I will send you some I make

papajoe222 reply :

The equipment and tackle you already have are well suited to spring fishing, including your kayak. I'd target those smaller lakes as they'll likely warm up quicker than Bull Shoals. Read up some on pre and post-spawn habits of largemouth along with the fishing regulations and seasons of your area. Visit a local tackle shop when it isnt busy and ask some questions. If the staff doesn't try goating you into buying something, the information will likely be beneficial. Above all, remember what your main objective is and work toward that end. Good luck and keep us informed in the fishing reports forum.

Ozark_Basser reply :

I assume the twenty foot deep upper creek channel you are referring to is on Norfork? As far as that section of the lake goes, you should be able to find a good deal of fish there as the water starts to warm. I would just fish that whole area starting shallow then work my way deeper toward the channel if i wasn't catching fish. The water isn't as clear back there as the rest of the lake, so I'd pick up some wiggle warts for sure. Finesse jigs with a twin tail trailer and a worm on a shakey head up in the buck brush will get you a lot of bites as well.

scaleface reply :

I fished Bull Shoals once. Had a fantastic week. Beautiful country you live at . You are lucky to have a lot of great places to fish. The wife and I were discussing where we would like to retire too and Bull Shoals was top of my list. I may be your neighbor some day.

The week I spent there , we caught lots of small mouths on tubes with 1/4 ounce jig heads 30 foot deep .

Crestliner2008 reply :

Back about 60 years ago when I started fishing, we were using Johnson Century reels and 5' hollow steel rods, so I know what you are up against. Do a lot of reading up at the top of this forum as stated. And get back to basics a bit. Get yourself some 1/8 oz. ball head jigs and a selection of 3" curly tailed grubs. You can cast and troll the shorelines quite effectively, with these tools, from your kayak and this presentation will catch you fish, as it has for me for many, many years. Once you get confident enough, then you can then branch out into using some of the more sophisticated lures you now have. But if you just go nuts on buying lures, without the basic bass knowledge, you will get discouraged. Don't go down that road!

You say you don't have a sonar. Well that's not a problem. Get yourself a 50' length of parachute cord or similar thin line. Tie a heavy nut & bolt on the end. Then, starting about 10' up from the bolt, tie an overhand knot ever 5', with a short piece of different colored ribbons in each knot. At the top end of the line, tie a simple loop to keep around your wrist. You can use this set-up to "map" the bottom depths you are fishing. If you don't have a map of each lake, then draw one as best as you see it when you are on the water. Then, as you "sound" each spot with depth finder I just described, mark the map accordingly. This is the way we did it way back before I got my first "Green Box" flasher.

And instead of buying a lot more lures, save your bucks up to get an inexpensive sonar. Doesn't have to be one made to be portable, as they tend to cost more. Any cheap sonar can be made portable with a little ingenuity and thought. Hope this is of some help.

bassinnoobie reply :

On 2/24/2015 at 4:01 PM, Toad Mode said:
I assume the twenty foot deep upper creek channel you are referring to is on Norfork? As far as that section of the lake goes, you should be able to find a good deal of fish there as the water starts to warm. I would just fish that whole area starting shallow then work my way deeper toward the channel if i wasn't catching fish. The water isn't as clear back there as the rest of the lake, so I'd pick up some wiggle warts for sure. Finesse jigs with a twin tail trailer and a worm on a shakey head up in the buck brush will get you a lot of bites as well.

it would be stump hole I'm talking about and Tecumseh.

bassinnoobie reply :

OK Tecumseh No on google maps go down to river until you see bridges creek. I fish from the parking lot to about the the second send in lick creek that a couple miles down. If you have the time study the map and tell me about it and remember about 20 feet and vary brushy. the guys that do Friday night tournaments make a 10 or 15 mile run just to get there but still not the most Presser's spot.

bassinnoobie reply :

On 2/24/2015 at 10:29 PM, bassinnoobie said:
OK Tecumseh No on google maps go down to river until you see bridges creek. I fish from the parking lot to about the the second send in lick creek that a couple miles down. If you have the time study the map and tell me about it and remember about 20 feet and vary brushy. the guys that do Friday night tournaments make a 10 or 15 mile run just to get there but still not the most Presser's spot.

Tecumseh Mo

A-Jay reply :

I Need Help Just Getting to Spring . . . .

A-Jay

bassinnoobie reply :

On 2/24/2015 at 10:50 PM, A-Jay said:

I Need Help Just Getting to Spring . . . .

A-Jay

You said it winter will NEVER end

Miller's Ferry 8 reply :

Once it gets into April you can flip a heavy jig around sandy areas that might be a spawning area or near one. Color is dependent on your water clarity. Black and blue works well in all water clarities. Use a 3/4 ounce jig with a black and blue Netbait paca punch trailer. Every time it hits bottom the heavy jig head kicks up sand much like a crawfish would moving across the bottom. If theres any grass a black and blue chatterbait works well too.

Ozark_Basser reply :

I checked out the map on http://webapp.navionics.com/?lang=en#@36.554441,-92.260065,14zWhat I would do first is try to find some areas with gravel in Bridge's Creek or anywhere for that matter. Bass will use these areas to spawn and will stage in these areas before they spawn. Id start fishing where the bank changes from rock to gravel trying lots of different baits making sure i stay in contact with the bottom. On your first pass, take that square bill, lipless cranks, or spinnerbait and work it back to the boat making sure it grinds the bottom, bottom contact is very important. Cast whichever one you decide to use toward the bank and as soon as it hits the water start a steady retrieve. Don't be scared to reel any of those baits pretty fast. Mix up your retrieves and see what works, but more times than not they will want it pretty fast. It will be easier to keep the square bill on the bottom, but with lipless cranks, I would try more of a yo yo retrieve by ripping the bait up off the bottom and letting it fall back down doing this all the way back to the boat. I'd make a second pass with a jig with a twin tail trailer or Texas rigged soft plastic after that. The spinnerbait is something I would prefer around shallow wood cover, especially if that cover is found in one of those gravel areas. I like to cast spinnerbaits past the cover, if possible, then as it goes through the cover I like to deflect off of it. The deflection is what will get you bit. It will take a little while to get the hang of this before you can do it without losing a lot of spinnerbaits. It helps to keep the spinnerbait high in the water column or close to the surface.

The best looking spot is that submerged bridge with the road bed located around the mouth of Lick Creek. Use the link I gave you to check it out. That spot will hold fish all year long. I'd say it gets fished a lot though. Either way, you could spend all day there. I'd use some bottom contact baits like jigs etc. Learn to feel the bottom. It will be harder to do this in deeper water. All in all, you don't have a huge area to fish so I'd be hitting up every point, cove, or anything that looks different or "fishy."

I know this is a lot of information, but feel free to ask questions about something if you don't understand. Good Luck!!

bassinnoobie reply :

Thanks for help

Ben Eipert reply :

I would definitely look at tubes. They are cheap when you Texas rig them and extremely versatile. As for finding fish I would look in the back of pocket where other places cannot get. I started in a ten foot one and caught most of my fish in places a regular boat couldn't get. Backs of pockets and creeks will be your best friend once the water warms up.

bassinnoobie reply :

On 2/25/2015 at 4:44 AM, Ben Eipert said:
I would definitely look at tubes. They are cheap when you Texas rig them and extremely versatile. As for finding fish I would look in the back of pocket where other places cannot get. I started in a ten foot one and caught most of my fish in places a regular boat couldn't get. Backs of pockets and creeks will be your best friend once the water warms up.

That right there is why I love having a kayak

bassinnoobie reply :

Thanks guys for all your help. Would it be a good idea to learn how to skip tubes and senkos under docks

bassinnoobie reply :

On 2/24/2015 at 2:33 PM, Comfortably Numb said:

If fish are 20' that is pretty early spring (prespawn)

Once the water warms they will move shallow and be much easier to catch near the bank. I highly reccoimend a weightless wacky rigged stickbait (like a Senko).

PM your address and I will send you some I make

They stay there almost all year except for fall

Ozark_Basser reply :

On 2/25/2015 at 6:43 AM, bassinnoobie said:
Thanks guys for all your help. Would it be a good idea to learn how to skip tubes and senkos under docks

Definitely. Kind of hard to skip out of a kayak though. Practice in a parking lot with a small jig.

On 2/25/2015 at 7:27 AM, bassinnoobie said:
They stay there almost all year except for fall

They'll be there in the fall as well as long as there is bait. It would be the first place I'd check. Fish can be hard to pattern in the fall on our lakes. I've always approached fall with more of a run and gun approach. Sometimes it pays off. Sometimes it doesn't.

bassinnoobie reply :

It can't be much harder then working a jerkbait

At stump hole in summer there are balls of bait every way u look

bassinnoobie reply :

Is that it?

Comfortably Numb reply :

Wiggle Wart cranks are known to be killers on those lakes too

WRB reply :

Welcome to bass fishing young man.

Question so I can help you; what type of outfit do you fish with, rod, reel, line?

Tom

bassinnoobie reply :

On 2/26/2015 at 8:43 AM, WRB said:

Welcome to bass fishing young man.

Question so I can help you; what type of outfit do you fish with, rod, reel, line?

Tom

Well I just got into bass fishing my only setup for bassbass is an old 6 foot FLW spinning with a Pfluger GX7 (the older Trion) and 8# mono hoping to get some floor soon. And what rod do you use for t rigging

OntarioFishingGuy reply :

Instead of flouro, I would HIGHLY recommend going with a 10-20 pound test braided line like Power Pro. It will not come off the spool in loops, has no stretch, and is extremely sensitive. If the water you fish is fairly clear, you could also tie a 2-3 foot piece of the mono you already have to the end of your braid, as some people believe that fish can see braid, and that it deters them from biting. Good luck in 2015!

bassinnoobie reply :

Isn't braid expensive and bad on your guides

Comfortably Numb reply :

Not expensive when you consider you wont need to change it for 2 years. Mono and flouro you change multiple times a year.

I feel spinning gear is easier to use from a kayak. 6'6"-7' medium graphite is what I use.

bassinnoobie reply :

That makes more sense

bassinnoobie reply :

Rod for t rigging?

Comfortably Numb reply :

I prefer the medium for weightless Senkos, t rig, shakeyhead, drop shot, crankbaits etc in fairly open water. I step up to med heavy for heavier wire jigs or heavier cover.

everythingthatswims reply :

My best advice would be to fish some ponds so you learn how to work the baits. Fish in pond only have so much space to travel so you won't have a hard time finding them, this leads to more time for figuring out how to get bit. Once you have some confidence baits, head out and apply your knowledge on a bigger body of water.

Cameron211 reply :

Just subscribe to the BassResource channel on YouTube. So many videos to explain everything you'd like to know. Very educational.

OntarioFishingGuy reply :

^^^^
Definitely watch some of his videos, they are some of the best out there.

Bruce424 reply :

find fishing articles. whether on this site other sites, magizines or books. read read read. soak up all the information you can. the articles and videos on this site will help you man.

bassinnoobie reply :

Thanks will do.

bassinnoobie reply :

Do you think I could t rig on a cranking rod

Sam reply :

On 2/24/2015 at 12:01 PM, Crank Bait Nut said:

Hey Noobie

I'm Mike Prine , Talk To Your Mom and Dad , Tell Them I'd Like To Send You Some Tackle , No Charge. Need For You To Get There Permission. If They Need My Phone Number To Touch Base That's Fine. Once That's Done , Send Me Your Address And I'll Get Some Tackle To You. Hope I Didn't Break Any Site Rules , If I Did (Sorry).

Mike P.

Mike, like the capital letters.

And you are a special guy to make the offer and include the parents.

I don't take kids fishing with me unless my wife and I meet the parents.

12 yeas old is the right age to get into bass fishing.

Comfortably Numb reply :

An actual cranking rod has a softer tip and are all or at least parcially fiberglass.

For T-rig, jig, etc where you need to set a hook fairly firmly you will want a graphite rod with a fast or extrafast tip.

bassinnoobie reply :

OK thanks

6594

Really Need Help For Spring 2024

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