My girl friend who has never fished is going fishing with me. I bought her a medium 7 foot spinning rod with 8 pound test mono. We will be fishing for both small and large mouth. Trout and Bluegill also present. Stained to dirty water from 3 to 10 feet deep. Rocky bottom with no wood, some weeds in bays. low 60's water temp. Looking for a bait that is easy to cast, easy to fish, doesn't tangle, and wont snag all the time. Leaving me a chance to get a few casts in. Lots of action with small fish would be preferred over a few big ones. Hopefully. I'm thinking inline spinner, or Kietech swim bait. What are readers favorite bait for beginners?
4 inch senko
Something you can rig weedless like the Keitech Swing Impact would be best. That one is also easy to cast with a weighted hook.
On 5/19/2016 at 10:03 PM, Choporoz said:4 inch senko
Ditto
When I think of a bait that is easy and catches fish - I think crankbait.
That is what I started my son on - it kept him busy, caught fish, and is simple to use - just explain what the bait does, show her how it swims in the water - and make sure she understands it's purpose - IMO can't go wrong there.
I was thinking she might not have the patience to fish a Senko slow enough. I might be wrong, sure would be low maintenance for me. Any readers ever start a new fisherman out on Senko's?
Senko or fluke.
When I take the kids or someone who just wants to have fun, those 2 are the ones I rig first. Tip...Use a swivel when tying the fluke.
Mike
5 inch senko with a 3/0 Gamagatsu EWG hook Texas rigged. Cast it next to the edge of the lilly pads or the weedline to deeper water and hold on.
On 5/19/2016 at 10:22 PM, hezeez@gmail.com said:When I think of a bait that is easy and catches fish - I think crankbait.
That is what I started my son on - it kept him busy, caught fish, and is simple to use - just explain what the bait does, show her how it swims in the water - and make sure she understands it's purpose - IMO can't go wrong there.
completely agree with this.... will be more entertaining than the senko, but the senko will catch fish. not to mention with a crankbait, there's not much of a hookset required.... with sharp hooks, you can just keep on reeling and land a fish.
On 5/19/2016 at 10:56 PM, buzzed bait said:completely agree with this.... will be more entertaining than the senko, but the senko will catch fish. not to mention with a crankbait, there's not much of a hookset required.... with sharp hooks, you can just keep on reeling and land a fish.
buzzed bait - you make another great point about the lack of hookset required
Your inline spinner idea is good for lots of action and multiple species, but it could definitely get hung up easier than something like a 4" senko or a tx rigged/weighted hook swimbait
Beetle spin with a grub or a small spinnerbait. The senko sounds like a plan to turn her off from fishing. Painfully slow and have to detect bites. Stick with a moving bait to keep her active and make her reaction to a bite less important.
Senko.
For the first time I would definitely go with a crankbait or soft plastic swim bait. I wouldn't expect a beginner to be thrilled about slow fishing a senko. When introducing the sport to someone the patient waiting game is the stereotype that turns most people off.
Keep them busy burning cranks.
"Just Getting Started"
Guaranteed To Catch Bass
I just cant catch bass
Learning to fish on your own
The thing about a Senko is that if there is a fish in the area, it will go after one. As a search bait, it is not that effective, but once you locate fish it is necessary to slow down and present them with something that is reliable. Senko.
Texas rigged just about any worm style bait. The smaller size worms or Senko will catch more fish not generally as big though. Show her how to check and keep the point skinned in the plastic. A monster hook set isnt always required when t-rigged either if the hook is sharp.
Open water a crankbait would be entertaining as well. Its just not the best at "doesn't tangle, and wont snag all the time" if she gets it in anything. Another negative she will hate having to untangle the treble hooks from her line (if she gets them wound up) or removing treble hooks from fish.
IMO a dropshot rig is the easiest for a new angler to use and catch fish. Good luck!
If I'm taking out a friend who rarely fishes or never has before (or has just done bobber fishing for bluegills), I always give them some sort of cast and retrieve lure where you really can't reel it wrong. I feel even a senko, while extremely effective, requires some knowledge of how to work it unless they are hitting absolutely anything on that given day. Plus if they aren't able to immediately "feel" bites then they could end up gut hooking fish when they finally realize one is on. I usually give them either a small soft plastic swimbait on a 3/0 hook (like something similar to a 3.8 kietech).or a small spinnerbait. That way even if the fishing is slow they still have something to cast and retrieve.
If you want her to have the best chance at catching the most fish, I would rig up an 1/8 oz crappie jig head with a chartreuse curly tail grub with a piece of live night crawler.
Spinnerbait....Moving bait so maybe not as boring as a Senko as others have said but doesnt get hung up as often as a crank and catches fish ! (probably not as many as the senko though)
Spinnerbait or crankbait
On 5/19/2016 at 10:05 PM, Hog Basser said:Something you can rig weedless like the Keitech Swing Impact would be best. That one is also easy to cast with a weighted hook.
I agree with, I still have little idea what I am doing and I can consistently catch on this, specifically the 3.8" Fat Impact. It is heavy enough to throw weightless, but small enough to catch numbers.
A Ned Rig done weedless on an Owner Ultrahead would be my next choice.
Someone post the link to the senko/fat ika sure way to catch a fish thread. I think the op would benefit
I've always liked a small jig head and grub for beginners. Catches fish of all size and shape. The exposed hook defiantly helps put some fish in the boat for a beginner.
I'd get Wacky with em!
I knew jack about bass the first time I went fishing for them, I caught my first bass ever with an in-line spinner ( Mepps Aglia size 1 ), today with what I know the first lures my son and nephew tried were:
Dropshot a 3-3.5" plastic all day long. It'll catch every one of those species.
Thanks to all the members for the advice. Leaving on my trip tomorrow. I will start her out on a mini spinner bait or Beetle spin first, then a T rigged swim bait. Will try Senko's once she learns to cast and control the speed of the lure. I will be trying everything. Probably starting off with a KVD 1.5 but am ready to fish something slow if need be. I hope she will be proficient in few techniques by the time the trip is over. Don't want her to go the way of the girl friend, I tried to teach to duck hunt. She didn't even give me my shot gun back.
for just catching fish, a little beetle spin is hard to beat.
for bass the senko is also hard to beat, but I understand the hook setting problem. A rattle trap then in her favorite color should be fun, and lord knows they do catch fish
Some food for thought. Several have suggested a crankbait. If you decide to go that route, take a measurement or two first. How long are her arms? Add that to the rod length and add three to four feet for line out. Be 13 - 14 feet. Unless you can stay that far away from her at all times, do not give her a crankbait. This is a very painful lesson to learn.
On 5/21/2016 at 7:02 AM, .ghoti. said:Some food for thought. Several have suggested a crankbait. If you decide to go that route, take a measurement or two first. How long are her arms? Add that to the rod length and add three to four feet for line out. Be 13 - 14 feet. Unless you can stay that far away from her at all times, do not give her a crankbait. This is a very painful lesson to learn.
LMAO! I now know what it feels like to have coca cola come out of my nose, sir.
LC
1. Inline Spinner
2. Beetle Spin
3. KVD 1.0 Squarebill
4. 2'' or 3'' grub on 1/8 oz head
I'm assuming you are wanting bass specifically but ain't nothing wrong with a nightcrawler under a bobber for bluegill and such.