How to grow confidence and find your best techniques 2024
Jcost2131 reply :
Hey Yall,
As of this year, I really started getting into bass fishing but have been having some trouble. Every time I get out on the water I end up spending more time tying on different lures and fidgeting with my gear in order to catch fish. I think I need to find a plan or process so when I go fishing I am not wasting time to switch lures when I could be catching tanks 
. So my question is, how do you find that confidence bait you always catch fish on and how do you find a general process you follow when you get on the water?
Thanks for reading this post and tight lines!
ThePolkFolk reply :
The first step is finding where the fish are and what kind of mood they are in. Do you have a few spots that you feel confident will produce fish?
Catt reply :
Go fishing!
Can't catch if ya line aint wet 
Damn Yankee reply :
Start with a bait for the area you have selected.Maybe run a spinner bait infront of a weed line.try different depths and cadence. Don't put the lure down for at least 1 hour! Good luck
Tom
RichF reply :
Best bit of advice I can give you (and I rarely follow this myself because it's downright difficult) is to simply not bring a lot of tackle with you. The fewer baits you have, the fewer you're going to be trying during the day. Pick a technique you'd like to learn and just do that for a few outings. If you don't do well, pick another bait or technique and try that a few times. Eventually, you'll figure out what's right for you.
BassWhole! reply :
On 4/3/2017 at 9:45 PM, Jcost2131 said:Hey Yall,
As of this year, I really started getting into bass fishing but have been having some trouble. Every time I get out on the water I end up spending more time tying on different lures and fidgeting with my gear in order to catch fish. I think I need to find a plan or process so when I go fishing I am not wasting time to switch lures when I could be catching tanks
. So my question is, how do you find that confidence bait you always catch fish on and how do you find a general process you follow when you get on the water?
Thanks for reading this post and tight lines!
Where upstate are you? As a kid, we spent a lot of time in the Catskills (I can native brookie with the best of them) I'm trying to talk my brother on going pike fishing in the Adiorandacks. In the next couple of weeks, you'll have willing fish shallow at most lakes. A smallish spinnerbait, square bill, swim jig and some t-rigged plastics, and maybe a straight tail or fluke is really all you need. You should start to see clearings made by the males in the shallows, so that's a good hint too. Find the flats where they will spawn, and fish the transition to deeper water, and work your way shallower, they are in there somewhere. When you get a bite (or bump, follow or swirl) Make a mental note (or write it down and enter it into a spreadsheet) as to the conditions, soon you'll get an idea as to where the fish are and what they are doing. Nothing builds confidence like hooking a fish. Fish only really do a few different things, so once you have enough data points you'll be able to figure out what to do or not do. Of course every time out on the water (and not time spent on the InterWeb®) you'll have to add that information to the mix, so short answer is go fishing with a few lures, and listen to what the fish want. The only short cut I have found is to go fishing with someone who can and is willing to show you the ropes.
Jcost2131 reply :
On 4/3/2017 at 9:49 PM, ThePolkFolk said:The first step is finding where the fish are and what kind of mood they are in. Do you have a few spots that you feel confident will produce fish?
Yeah, I have a few spots but yet to get any luck. The fishing in my area is kind of poor right now so hopefully it will pick up soon!
On 4/3/2017 at 10:37 PM, reason said:
Where upstate are you? As a kid, we spent a lot of time in the Catskills (I can native brookie with the best of them) I'm trying to talk my brother on going pike fishing in the Adiorandacks. In the next couple of weeks, you'll have willing fish shallow at most lakes. A smallish spinnerbait, square bill, swim jig and some t-rigged plastics, and maybe a straight tail or fluke is really all you need. You should start to see clearings made by the males in the shallows, so that's a good hint too. Find the flats where they will spawn, and fish the transition to deeper water, and work your way shallower, they are in there somewhere. When you get a bite (or bump, follow or swirl) Make a mental note (or write it down and enter it into a spreadsheet) as to the conditions, soon you'll get an idea as to where the fish are and what they are doing. Nothing builds confidence like hooking a fish. Fish only really do a few different things, so once you have enough data points you'll be able to figure out what to do or not do. Of course every time out on the water (and not time spent on the InterWeb®) you'll have to add that information to the mix, so short answer is go fishing with a few lures, and listen to what the fish want. The only short cut I have found is to go fishing with someone who can and is willing to show you the ropes.
I currently am going to school up near Albany.
I appreciate the advice and will absolutely follow it. I just bought a Booyah Pond Magic spinner which is on the smaller side so I will definitely give that a go!
I am starting to keep a journal of bites and catches and the data will definitely be useful once I begin to catch more fish.
Once again thank you for the detailed response and tight lines!
On 4/3/2017 at 9:58 PM, Damn Yankee said:Start with a bait for the area you have selected.Maybe run a spinner bait infront of a weed line.try different depths and cadence. Don't put the lure down for at least 1 hour! Good luck
Tom
Thanks for the quick response, I think I need to tell myself I can't pick another lure until I used the first one for at least an hour!
On 4/3/2017 at 9:58 PM, Damn Yankee said:Start with a bait for the area you have selected.Maybe run a spinner bait infront of a weed line.try different depths and cadence. Don't put the lure down for at least 1 hour! Good luck
Tom
Thanks for the quick response, I think I need to tell myself I can't pick another lure until I used the first one for at least an hour!
ThePolkFolk reply :
Catt and Reason are spot on. Gotta start by getting the line wet, especially if you already have some spots in mind. From there I have a little note tracker on my phone that I can track conditions, locations, and presentations.
Hopefully it warms up there soon!
Fish the Mitt reply :
All these answers are good answers. A confidence bait is less about how confident you are in throwing it and more about your confidence in it catching fish. You can be the best jig fisherman in the world but if you're jigging dead water, what's the point. Its about getting out and wetting a line. Then, find the fish. Dabble in bass patterns and behaviors. @reason has a really good post. Its early spring in your area (as it is mine too). The water is still cold but warming daily. Find the deeper water, find the flats, and fish the transition area. Start on one end of the transition and fan cast to the other. Moving your lure up and down the water column while trying different retrieves (burn it, slow roll it, twitch it, etc..). Don't put that lure away until you've made it through the whole area at every depth level with various retrieves.
A lot of people's first confidence bait was a spinnerbait because it covers lots of water and can be used essentially All season (plus its easy to fish). Again, a confidence bait; to me anyways, is one that I know will get bit. For me, it's a bladed jig.
Good luck! And most importantly, have fun and enjoy learning.
RoLo reply :
I don't know of anyway to grow confidence without catching fish.
Roger
Catt reply :
On 4/4/2017 at 12:38 AM, RoLo said:
I don't know of anyway to grow confidence without catching fish.
Roger
Ya can practice casting in the backyard!
The fishing is easy...it's the catching that's hard
blckshirt98 reply :
One thing to help with the time spent re-tying is to start using a quick snap like Norman Speed Clip/Decoy V-Snap/Gamakatsu G-Finesse Tournament Snaps. For reaction baits a quick snap will save you tons of time, but I wouldn't use a quick snap when changing finesse presentations.
Montanaro reply :
Tying new lures on is the first mistake
Time tying is time you arent fishing and wasting casts on a lure you didnt have confidence to start with!
If you are changing lures....know why you are changing! Switching colors to get swiping bass to commit? Switching to a lure that wont snag as much? Those are reasons to switch
"I think they would eat a banjo minnow like on tv" is not.
That said, I have no confidence lure. I like them all and Ive learned that from sticking with them until bass tell me otherwise.
Bassun reply :
I would not even consider trying to find your "best technique" yet. No offence at all, but, there are so many different techniques out there that one simply cannot find their best in a few months. You will likely find that your "best" changes with time... both seasonally, and in the long haul.
The best advice I can give about finding confidence is just catching fish. Learning what to use to get that started is where you are now. The advice above on some specifics for your area is a GREAT starting place! K.I.S.S. and stick with a lure long enough to let the fish tell you they don't want it, not the other way around - especially when you are first learning. Regardless of all else, smaller lures generally catch more fish. So, when in doubt, downsizing is usually an OK decision. Right now you are not hunting Moby Dick, you're trying to catch "something". Don't be afraid to toss smaller stuff to learn how they work. A smaller crankbait may entice more, but often smaller, fish. Same with any lure.
2-3" grubs, for example, are a very plane and boring selection to many... but... they flat out catch fish all year round. And, you just about can't fish them wrong. Slip em on a jig (debates rage about tail up or tail down -- pick a side and fight, lol), and cast it out. Pretty much any retrieve "can" work... the fun is figuring out what the bass want.
HeavyDluxe reply :
Put most of your effort into understanding the fish so you can locate them and understand their 'mood'.
Take one lure to the pond. "Today, I'm going to just fish a jig-and-pig."
Fish it slow.
Hawkeye21 reply :
I generally will have a plan for how I want to fish before I go. Then I'll get at least 2 or 3 poles rigged up with different presentations. Once I get out on the water I'll try each of the poles I have to see what's working. Usually one of those will work and I just stick with that. If none of them work then I start to try something different or just a different color.
Key is to be ready to fish right away and cover a lot of water. If that doesn't work then you can start messing with changing lures. You don't want to mess with changing lures right when you start.
WRB reply :
On 4/3/2017 at 9:45 PM, Jcost2131 said:Hey Yall,
As of this year, I really started getting into bass fishing but have been having some trouble. Every time I get out on the water I end up spending more time tying on different lures and fidgeting with my gear in order to catch fish. I think I need to find a plan or process so when I go fishing I am not wasting time to switch lures when I could be catching tanks
Thanks for reading this post and tight lines!
Are you fishing from a boat or a shore fisherman?
Tom
Jcost2131 reply :
On 4/4/2017 at 12:37 AM, SemperBass said:All these answers are good answers. A confidence bait is less about how confident you are in throwing it and more about your confidence in it catching fish. You can be the best jig fisherman in the world but if you're jigging dead water, what's the point. Its about getting out and wetting a line. Then, find the fish. Dabble in bass patterns and behaviors. @reason has a really good post. Its early spring in your area (as it is mine too). The water is still cold but warming daily. Find the deeper water, find the flats, and fish the transition area. Start on one end of the transition and fan cast to the other. Moving your lure up and down the water column while trying different retrieves (burn it, slow roll it, twitch it, etc..). Don't put that lure away until you've made it through the whole area at every depth level with various retrieves.
A lot of people's first confidence bait was a spinnerbait because it covers lots of water and can be used essentially All season (plus its easy to fish). Again, a confidence bait; to me anyways, is one that I know will get bit. For me, it's a bladed jig.
Good luck! And most importantly, have fun and enjoy learning.
Thank you for the response!
I will definitely give those tips and shot and hopefully I will get a few fish!
On 4/4/2017 at 1:30 AM, Montanaro said:Tying new lures on is the first mistake
Time tying is time you arent fishing and wasting casts on a lure you didnt have confidence to start with!
If you are changing lures....know why you are changing! Switching colors to get swiping bass to commit? Switching to a lure that wont snag as much? Those are reasons to switch
"I think they would eat a banjo minnow like on tv" is not.
That said, I have no confidence lure. I like them all and Ive learned that from sticking with them until bass tell me otherwise.
I like your theory on not having a confidence lure, I think as I learn more about bass behavior I will begin to understand what to use where and when.
On 4/4/2017 at 2:37 AM, Bassun said:I would not even consider trying to find your "best technique" yet. No offence at all, but, there are so many different techniques out there that one simply cannot find their best in a few months. You will likely find that your "best" changes with time... both seasonally, and in the long haul.
The best advice I can give about finding confidence is just catching fish. Learning what to use to get that started is where you are now. The advice above on some specifics for your area is a GREAT starting place! K.I.S.S. and stick with a lure long enough to let the fish tell you they don't want it, not the other way around - especially when you are first learning. Regardless of all else, smaller lures generally catch more fish. So, when in doubt, downsizing is usually an OK decision. Right now you are not hunting Moby Dick, you're trying to catch "something". Don't be afraid to toss smaller stuff to learn how they work. A smaller crankbait may entice more, but often smaller, fish. Same with any lure.
2-3" grubs, for example, are a very plane and boring selection to many... but... they flat out catch fish all year round. And, you just about can't fish them wrong. Slip em on a jig (debates rage about tail up or tail down -- pick a side and fight, lol), and cast it out. Pretty much any retrieve "can" work... the fun is figuring out what the bass want.
Thank you for the detailed response!
I will definitely try downsizing my tackle and changing up my retrieve. Hopefully, the weather by me clears up this week so I can get out there and give your advice a go!
On 4/4/2017 at 2:55 AM, HeavyDluxe said:Put most of your effort into understanding the fish so you can locate them and understand their 'mood'.
Take one lure to the pond. "Today, I'm going to just fish a jig-and-pig."
Fish it slow.
I agree and will definitely work on understanding the fish better!
Thanks for the response!
On 4/4/2017 at 3:08 AM, Hawkeye21 said:I generally will have a plan for how I want to fish before I go. Then I'll get at least 2 or 3 poles rigged up with different presentations. Once I get out on the water I'll try each of the poles I have to see what's working. Usually one of those will work and I just stick with that. If none of them work then I start to try something different or just a different color.
Key is to be ready to fish right away and cover a lot of water. If that doesn't work then you can start messing with changing lures. You don't want to mess with changing lures right when you start.
I will take you up on that advice and I totally agree!
I have a few baits in mind to fish this weekend so I will tie them on before I go.
Thanks for the tips and tight lines!
Jcost2131 reply :
On 4/4/2017 at 3:18 AM, WRB said:Are you fishing from a boat or a shore fisherman?
Tom
Since I am at college I am fishing from the shore, wish I could be out there on a bass boat though!
WRB reply :
On 4/4/2017 at 7:04 AM, Jcost2131 said:
Since I am at college I am fishing from the shore, wish I could be out there on a bass boat though!
OK you are limited to shoreline fishing with whatever tackle you may be able to carry.
Being located in upstate NY the bass are in winter to pre spawn transition, moving from deeper water towards shallower water, ideal uphill lure presentation time period.
Lets focus on 1 outfit you can fish soft plastics with uphill from shore. So tell us what Outfit you can cast effectively a good distance and I will give you a few suggestions.
Tom
Jcost2131 reply :
On 4/4/2017 at 7:54 AM, WRB said:OK you are limited to shoreline fishing with whatever tackle you may be able to carry.
Being located in upstate NY the bass are in winter to pre spawn transition, moving from deeper water towards shallower water, ideal uphill lure presentation time period.
Lets focus on 1 outfit you can fish soft plastics with uphill from shore. So tell us what Outfit you can cast effectively a good distance and I will give you a few suggestions.
Tom
I can cast both spinning and baitcasting but prefer baitcasting.
Thanks for the help!
WRB reply :
Couple of more questions, what type of bass are in the lake you fish; Smallmouth or largemouth?
Your bait casting outfit, MH fast action with what type of line and lb test? Spinning , same ?
Tom
BassThumb reply :
On 4/4/2017 at 2:55 AM, HeavyDluxe said:Put most of your effort into understanding the fish so you can locate them and understand their 'mood'.
Take one lure to the pond. "Today, I'm going to just fish a jig-and-pig."
Fish it slow.
I really think this is the best way to learn and develop confidence in a technique.
Raul reply :
How can you have a "confidence lure" if you don't fish ? 
A couple of fish on a crankbait ain't exactly nuff to make that crankbait a confidence lure.
..... ahhhh, the good ole days when I was teaching myself how to fish for bass when, for months, the only thing I used to cast was an in-line spinner hour after hour ..... then, after many months later when I consistently caught fish with it was time to try something different, how about a jerkbait ? .......
Zeeter reply :
Weedless rubber worm on the bank, spinnerbait on open water. Those are what got me started.
While a spinnerbait is a good start, it won't teach too much about fishing. The fish hits it and you real it in. There is a little finesse with it, but not too much. It will catch fish if you are on fish. Eventually you learn what to look for with a spinner. If the shiners are causing a ruckus then pulling a spinnerbait through them will produce a bite. Otherwise you're really just guessing unless you have a fishfinder.
Worms are really the first step in going from being a recreational fisherman to a more serious one. They take more finesse, but not much. It will teach you how to feel what is a bite and what is a lily pad.
I wouldn't try anything too advanced yet, like a dropshot or carolina rig.
And there's nothing wrong with changing baits frequently. If something isn't working go ahead and switch up. You'll learn to tie faster and eventually you'll find one that produces hits. I'm not saying every other cast, but give a lure a decent chance and then switch up. When I started out I might have only given a lure two casts before I immediately knew it was wrong. Wouldn't dive deep enough, was too heavy or light, etc...
Jcost2131 reply :
On 4/4/2017 at 10:17 AM, WRB said:Couple of more questions, what type of bass are in the lake you fish; Smallmouth or largemouth?
Your bait casting outfit, MH fast action with what type of line and lb test? Spinning , same ?
Tom
Baitcasting: MH with 30 pound braid and 12 pound floro leader
Spinning: Medium with 8 pound mono
Targeting largemouth in lakes and small ponds.
On 4/4/2017 at 4:32 PM, Raul said:How can you have a "confidence lure" if you don't fish ?
..... ahhhh, the good ole days when I was teaching myself how to fish for bass when, for months, the only thing I used to cast was an in-line spinner hour after hour ..... then, after many months later when I consistently caught fish with it was time to try something different, how about a jerkbait ? .......
I agree! This is just going to be a learning process and I will enjoy every step of it!
On 4/4/2017 at 7:54 PM, Zeeter said:Weedless rubber worm on the bank, spinnerbait on open water. Those are what got me started.
While a spinnerbait is a good start, it won't teach too much about fishing. The fish hits it and you real it in. There is a little finesse with it, but not too much. It will catch fish if you are on fish. Eventually you learn what to look for with a spinner. If the shiners are causing a ruckus then pulling a spinnerbait through them will produce a bite. Otherwise you're really just guessing unless you have a fishfinder.
Worms are really the first step in going from being a recreational fisherman to a more serious one. They take more finesse, but not much. It will teach you how to feel what is a bite and what is a lily pad.
I wouldn't try anything too advanced yet, like a dropshot or carolina rig.
And there's nothing wrong with changing baits frequently. If something isn't working go ahead and switch up. You'll learn to tie faster and eventually you'll find one that produces hits. I'm not saying every other cast, but give a lure a decent chance and then switch up. When I started out I might have only given a lure two casts before I immediately knew it was wrong. Wouldn't dive deep enough, was too heavy or light, etc...
I appreciate the advice!
I have a bag of senkos and just got two spinnerbaits so I will be giving your tips a go for sure!
I totally agree with keeping it simple and that's what I am planning on doing next time I head on the water. I think it's just easy to get overloaded with information and constantly second guess if you are using the correct technique.
I will keep your tips in mind! Thanks again and tight lines!
CTBassin860 reply :
Take one pole and a bag of worms or one hardbait with you.That's it.Don't give yourself the option to keep changing lures.I do this when I hit a slump too.
corn-on-the-rob reply :
You will find that while everyone has their favorites, you must be able to adapt to different conditions, lakes, seasons, etc.. It is important to be at least a little diverse to optimize your chances, so it comes down to developing yourself as an angler.
1. Discipline. On days where you want to practice and get better, tell yourself to commit to a smaller amount of lures/techniques, maybe even one all day in order to get better at it.
2. This one might be even harder, but those days you are crushing them on any given lure, find the willpower to throw something you don't have much confidence in while you know they are biting and you can probably catch a few to boost it.
runt4561 reply :
i think that if you are just starting out, you have to find something you are comfortable with. I would recommend to anyone just starting out, you have to define what baits or technique you like the best but, this could be a problem for somebody that doesn't know what they like, they just want to catch fish. here is the deal, if you like fishing a bait, you will fish it more and develop more confidence in it.
I think I speak for most people in that my confidence baits are also my favorites. that seems like an obvious statement but they are different. I have been fishing for a long time and I have said for a long time that my favorite bait is whatever the fish are aggressively biting. however, my confidence would be flipping or pitching soft plastics and lipless crankbaits. these two techniques for me account for most of my fish in any given year. and here is the secret, they became my confidence baits because I liked them.
I think I can also break it down further to the fact that they became my confidence baits because it became more than cast and retrieve for me. I was really interested in learning how that bait worked during every inch of the retrieve. I became obsessed with how different sizes or colors worked and what the bait would do if I reeled it fast as opposed to slow. some baits just don't appeal to me and become more of a mindless cast and retrieve. I tend to have less confidence in those baits because I am not interested in them. they don't capture my attention.
I would choose a bait or technique that captures your attention. something you are interested in. spend time with it and learn what conditions it works best in. once you learn more about it, it will become more of a confidence bait. something you can do, is choose a bait and take only that when you go fishing. it will force you to learn that bait. our minds are our worst enemies some times when fishing. if you have several options or baits to choose from, you don't give yourself enough time to learn a bait.
good luck
Glenn reply :
Well wouldn't know, there's a video on this very topic!
Quarry Man reply :
Fish versatile stuff, Texas rigs, swim jigs, flipping jigs, and keitechs
WIGuide reply :
There's only one way to find your confidence bait, and that's by spending time on the water. The more you fish a particular technique or lure, the more you learn the nuances of it with tweaks and adaptations you can make when conditions change. You learn when it's best and when it doesn't work at all as well. When you find one that's your particular confidence bait, you'll know you can catch fish on it. You'll also realize there's no magic bullet when it comes to fishing. There will be times you'd love to throw that bait, but you know it won't work. Again, the only thing that will teach you what will work the best for you is experience.
soflabasser reply :
Keep fishing a technique long enough and it will eventually become one of your confidence techniques.
BassWhole! reply :
On 4/4/2017 at 7:54 PM, Zeeter said:Weedless rubber worm on the bank, spinnerbait on open water. Those are what got me started.
While a spinnerbait is a good start, it won't teach too much about fishing. The fish hits it and you real it in. There is a little finesse with it, but not too much. It will catch fish if you are on fish. Eventually you learn what to look for with a spinner. If the shiners are causing a ruckus then pulling a spinnerbait through them will produce a bite. Otherwise you're really just guessing unless you have a fishfinder.
Worms are really the first step in going from being a recreational fisherman to a more serious one. They take more finesse, but not much. It will teach you how to feel what is a bite and what is a lily pad.
I wouldn't try anything too advanced yet, like a dropshot or carolina rig.
And there's nothing wrong with changing baits frequently. If something isn't working go ahead and switch up. You'll learn to tie faster and eventually you'll find one that produces hits. I'm not saying every other cast, but give a lure a decent chance and then switch up. When I started out I might have only given a lure two casts before I immediately knew it was wrong. Wouldn't dive deep enough, was too heavy or light, etc...
Zeeter, let's go fishing, I'll bring nothing but spinnerbaits.
Jcost2131 reply :
On 4/5/2017 at 5:14 AM, WIGuide said:There's only one way to find your confidence bait, and that's by spending time on the water. The more you fish a particular technique or lure, the more you learn the nuances of it with tweaks and adaptations you can make when conditions change. You learn when it's best and when it doesn't work at all as well. When you find one that's your particular confidence bait, you'll know you can catch fish on it. You'll also realize there's no magic bullet when it comes to fishing. There will be times you'd love to throw that bait, but you know it won't work. Again, the only thing that will teach you what will work the best for you is experience.
I totally agree, over time I will get a feel for things.
Zeeter reply :
On 4/5/2017 at 5:48 AM, reason said:
Zeeter, let's go fishing, I'll bring nothing but spinnerbaits.
Respectfully, I think you missed my point. Spinnerbaits are great. Yet to someone just starting out they do little more than cast it out and reel it in. There is finesse to it, but not for a beginner.
I'm suggesting a simple worm setup as a means to learn more finesse. Ideally, he would have both a spinnerbait and a worm rigged on two separate rods. The thing with the spinnerbait is that the fish is either on or off. With a worm you feel the bite and learn when the set the hook. My personal opinion is that you learn a lot more about presentations using a worm than with a spinnerbait. Thus, if he is using a senko or a creature bait or a tube or a jig, many (not all) of the same techniques are involved.
Trust me - my go-to lure is a spinner. In fact I just spent over $200 on a rod made specifically for using spinnerbaits. Yet sometimes a subtler approach is more effective in certain circumstances.
Bankbeater reply :
I learned how to fish with crankbaits and spinnerbaits, after that I started using t-rigs, and c-rigs. Next came jigs, drop shot, etc. After I used all these baits and techniques for a while, I discovered that I like using some more than others. I know all of the techniques will work given the correct conditions, but for me it is just that I prefer to use some more than others.
WRB reply :
Your spinning outfit is ideal for drop shot and slip shot presentations.
Pre spawn and post spawn the slip shot rig is good, bed fish that sight fish the drop shot rig is good. Let's start with the slip shot, what you need;
Hooks, Owner #5133 size 1/0, also works for drop shot.
Weights, Mojo tubular 1/8 oz sinker.
Carolina Keepers.
Roboworms, 6" Oxblood red flake.
The weight goes on the line 1st, the Carolina Keep goes up the line 18"-24", the hook tied on using a Palomar knot.
Drop shot rig;
Hooks, Owner #5133 size 1/0
Weights, 3/16-1/4 oz drop shot weight.
Roboworms, 6" Baby bluegill.
Rig weedless.
Now let's rig the bait caster.
Texas rig;
Hooks, Owner #5100, size 3/0
Weight, 3/16-1/4 oz black bullet weight.
Berkley 7" Ribbon tail Power worms, Camo and Biffle Bug craw, black with blue claws.
Rig weedless.
That it for the next 3 months.
Locate points on lakes and fan cast 180 degrees before moving and repeat until you see bass moving into coves to spawn, then use the drop shot rig in beds.
Ponds, fan cast all around the parimeter, drop shot any beds.
drag the split shot with pauses, hop the T-rig with pauses, jiggle the drop shot.
You will catch lots of bass if to stick to this routine.
Tom
PS, you could carry both rods and use them to determine which is working best at that time. All the terminal tackle fits into a small bag.
Jason Penn reply :
catching fish builds confidence in techniques. if you know there is fish there, it's just a matter of fishing a certain lure until you get bit. once you do, you can figure out how you were fishing it, and then just add that to your list of tricks.
option anxiety can get the best of you also. when you read articles, or watch videos of pros talking about this technique or that one, you want to try it out also. next thing you know, you need a 21' boat to haul all that gear!! chose your gear based on the waters you fish. i only use 2 colors for plastics & jigs, and 2-3 for moving baits, because i know these colors catch fish. i use black/blue or green pumpkin for plastics/jigs, and something shad, something with some chartreuse (bream), or something with some red in it to mimic a craw, for moving baits. generally you'll know what to throw by water clarity, but season can play a part in it also.
i would also say buy gear for the waters you fish. the places i fish are all wood cover. you might occasionally see a patch of grass, but generally there is none. i don't own an extra heavy flip stick or a frog rod. those are not techniques that i need to use, so i don't set up for them. i don't fish tournaments, so i don't have to have every tool available to me to make a living.
soflabasser reply :
Topwaters such as Rebel Pop-R's are good lures to build bass fishing confidence with,at least it was for me when I started bass fishing.You can see every little movement the topwater makes and the bass give instant feedback when you presented the topwater well.Most of the time the bass hook themselves when they hit these type of lures, so you don't have to worry about the hookset compared to a hollow body frog,or any other lure that you have to pay alot of attention to when to set the hook.
BassWhole! reply :
On 4/5/2017 at 6:54 AM, Zeeter said:
Respectfully, I think you missed my point. Spinnerbaits are great. Yet to someone just starting out they do little more than cast it out and reel it in. There is finesse to it, but not for a beginner.
I'm suggesting a simple worm setup as a means to learn more finesse. Ideally, he would have both a spinnerbait and a worm rigged on two separate rods. The thing with the spinnerbait is that the fish is either on or off. With a worm you feel the bite and learn when the set the hook. My personal opinion is that you learn a lot more about presentations using a worm than with a spinnerbait. Thus, if he is using a senko or a creature bait or a tube or a jig, many (not all) of the same techniques are involved.
Trust me - my go-to lure is a spinner. In fact I just spent over $200 on a rod made specifically for using spinnerbaits. Yet sometimes a subtler approach is more effective in certain circumstances.
No, I really want to fish Loch Raven, don't know why I've never fished up that way, but would like to hit it sometime.
Fishinggeek reply :
Best advise I can give is trial and error. Still really early in the season for upstate NY. Early season bass will be staging close to spawn areas. Can catch bass a number of different ways this time of year. One key trick is to work the bait very slow. When I hit the water with my kayak I take two or three rods already rigged with what I am going to throw based on the weather, time of day, and water clarity.
scaleface reply :
On 4/3/2017 at 9:45 PM, Jcost2131 said:how do you find that confidence bait you always catch fish on and how do you find a general process you follow when you get on the water?
You dont . Just go fishing and make every cast count for something . If you find cover , throw Texas rigs in the middle of it .
scaleface reply :
On 4/3/2017 at 9:45 PM, Jcost2131 said:how do you find that confidence bait you always catch fish on
You dont . Bass will be in cover . Learn the Texas rig .
Zeeter reply :
On 4/5/2017 at 7:41 PM, reason said:
No, I really want to fish Loch Raven, don't know why I've never fished up that way, but would like to hit it sometime.
Northeast is a great place to go. I was there a couple of weeks ago and my friend caught a 4#er. I like Loch Raven, too, but that gets overfished.
the reel ess reply :
I have access to a private pond where I know fish will almost always bite. They're stunted and staring there. I've caught 50 in two hours there before. If I need to gain confidence with a technique that's the place to do it.
When I started fishing it was the 70's-80's and all I knew was 6" or 8" plastic worms, T rigged. Then I got a second BC combo and put a Rebel Deep Wee R crankbait on it. Those were all I fished for a long time and they seemed to do pretty well at either getting reactions or finessing fish to bite. If those didn't work, I'd switch species or go mow the grass. Next I moved to spinnerbait, then hard topwaters, then buzzbaits, etc., etc. Now the running joke with my family and friends is that I like fishing tackle more than fishing.
Here's a good guide that will give you the basics and a way to catch most bass in most situations.
https://www.bassmaster.com/news/starter-kit-bass
Among these, I use jerkbaits the least, probably because I don't like them much. A couple of spring sleepers that a lot of people ignore are Trick Worms and flukes, both weightless. I went Sunday and got 14 at my buddy's pond. Most were on these two baits.
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