what should i buy to start

[BigDawgz]

I'm new to this whole bass fishing thing and i am finding myself hooked. I've been buying a few things here and there but not really sure what i need. I have to spinning reels on pflueger medalist with a 1 piece med 6'6" rod, also have bought a Team diawa 3500 with a med heavy 7" rod. Next went out and bought some different rapalas, and Powerbait tube, worms, lizards and power hawgs in a variety of colors and sizes. So i guess I could use some advise on wether I should go out and buy some spinnerbaits, colors, types of hooks and sizes for the tubes and worms, style and sizes of weights. Anything will help me. Most of my fishing will be from docks, and shore on local lakes in Eastern PA.

[javlin2]

Welcome to the forums and the world of bass fishing. One of the things you should do is to read over what people have already posted. I know there are 103 pages of posts, but a quick skim over the first 10 pages or so could show you what you need to know. Regardless, you asked a question and I'll give you an answer.

I'm getting my girlfriend into fishing so we can share interests and time outdoors together. As such, I wanted her to catch fish her first time out, rather then getting skunked. So I gave her the worlds easiest lure to catch bass on. The Wacky Rig. I personally use Zoom's Salty Centipede in a pumpkinseed color. I like to use this over a Senko, because I don't fish deep lakes and the Salty Centipedes fall alot slower. Slower fall times means it has more time in the strike zone, and it takes longer for it to reach the bottom in the shallows near shore. I fish this lure with a size #1 drop shot hook. The weight is light enough that it doesn't pull the lure to the bottom, it just kinda floats it's way down. There are pictures on this site that show the proper way to rig it, but it's easy enough to just tell you. Bend the worm so that the ends are touching. Take the hook and push it through the middle. That's it. The lure will now make a "U" in the water when you twitch it.

To fish this, just cast out near cover. When the lure hits the water, close the spool, but don't reel in the slack. Give the lure a short jerk to make it "U" and let it sit. You'll usually get a hit right about then, but it's sometimes hard to tell. After I twitch, I lower the rod time from the 11 o'clock possition, to about the 9 o'clock possition and reel in the slack without moving the worm. If I feel the worm move, I set the hook. It's as easy as that.

For her first time fishing, even with a cold front blowing through, she was still able to land 2 largemouth bass, and missed a hook set on another. Not bad for someone who's never even caught a blue gill. Enjoy your stay at this site and heed my words of advice. With just alittle bit of digging, you'll avoid alot of flaming. Also, welcome to your new addiction.

[jglassguy]

Seeing how many started fishing for "anything" with a earthworm, I think the transition to artifical bait is a real natural when you start with the plastic worm..

[Rich]

Welcome to the forum!

Take a look here-there is a lot of great info for someone getting started:

http://www.bassresource.com/beginner/beginner.html

You are on the right track with those baits. Â*For hooks it depends on the bait. Â*The bigger the bait, the bigger the hook you need. Â*I use 1/0, 2/0, and 3/0 size the most. Â*The bigger the number the bigger the hook size.

Definitely get a couple spinnerbaits. Â*White and chartreuse/white are good choices, and I would get what is known as a tandem setup-a small Colorado (tear drop shaped) blade and a bigger willow leaf blade-so named because it looks like a willow leaf ;D

[jglassguy]

Reb,
You ought to be out ther sellin baits...Your a Natural! ;D

[Rich]

;D ;D ;D

[BigDawgz]

thanks for the answers so far, i've been reading the past forums all week when i have the time and read back to page 35 so far. I just joined, didn't want t be one of those guests asking questions. So much info its hard to take it all in. I've got pages of notes already.

[Rich]

If you have a question don't hesitate to ask, especially if somebody throws out a term you don't know. Â*The only dumb question is the one that isn't asked ;D

[okefenokee010]

I would add a couple of spinnerbaits to your arsenal. Maybe a couple of black ones and 2 lighter ones, maybe one each of chartruese and white.

[jglassguy]

Throw in a couple of my fav top water plugs,
REBELs Pop R
Â*Zara Spook by Heddon
Â* Tiny Torpedo
Â* Â* Â*Hula popper
Â* Â* Â* Â*Chug bug
Â* Â*Plus don't forget top water stick bait,
I tend to get Bagley's bang o lures or Rapalas
good luck fishin an let us know

[keeb]

hula poppers, spinners, crawfish plastics, and jitterbugs are good to.

[mallard]

Reb,

What color is a pink flamingo? Â*???

For plastics, I recommend starting with Zoom. They are cheap and work very well.

Plastic worms are the lure I learned on, and gradually shifted to use some cranks and spinners. However, I still catch about 95% of my fish on plastic worms and soft-jerkbaits.
I just have a lot of success with these. I usually begin the day with a soft plastic and finish with one. I only try a switch once in awhile if the conditions seem right (for info on conditions, check out the articles on the front page.)

[Rich]

What color is a pink flamingo?

[glow=maroon,2,300]MAROON![/glow] ;D

[ketchmorebass]

Not to get off topic but you say you live in eastern PA, my grandmother lives in Berwick, i enjoy fishing around there alot, theres a lot for real good spots,I definatly prefer it to massachusetts where I live now, probly pretty muddy waters where you fish right? most of you guys have a lot more expirience than me but i'd always reccomened the classic pumpkin seed shad, i prefer the bass assasin brand

[Jim_Symcox]

My son has a friend that has been just getting into fishing. Over the past 2 years I have put together two different lure packages for his birthday. The first year was what I consider to be the essentials- A shallow shad rap, 1-, plastic worms and lizards, a roostertail, and beetle spin. Last year I added a safety pin style spinner, buzzbait, senkos, plastic grubs, jig-n-pig, and a popper. Everybody has their own confidence baits and favorites, but it's a rare day I can't get fish on one of these.