Hello Out There!

[jjjbluray]

I am brand new to fishing and have officially been introduced to the monkey. My family and I live about 5 minutes from West Point Lake in LaGrange, GA. Since moving here, we have been fishing quite alot. Unfortunately, we've managed to catch four fish over the course of maybe a month and a half. A catfish (about 1.5 lbs), a nice blue gill, and 2 bream that were good size, all on big red worms. I have ventured out into lure land and am trying some inline spinners, jitterbugs, hoola poppers, as well as artificial worms. I have had two great bites on inline spinners where they grab it and run, only to break off my hook and leave me in tears... Also understand that we are monetarily challenged so all fishing is from the bank in various locations around the lake. I need help. Is it possible to catch a fish from the banks of West Point Lake? We love fishing but it loses the fun aspect when the only thing we get nibbles from are the annoying babies at the edge of the water. I've solved my knot problems by studying up on them and I believe I am using a decent rod and reel (Zebco Omega Z03 reel and the Omega rod). Where can I go in GA to catch a fish or three from the bank? ANY advice will be absorbed and used! Thanks to everyone!

[Bassboss]

You can pretty much go anywhere to catch fish from the bank. Heck I do it, I've already got more than 100 bass for this year!

Try getting on google maps/earth, and look around your neighborhood for ponds and small lakes. Generally the bigger they are, and more out of the way they are, the more likely they are to have nice bass in their. First of all, I recommend getting a spinning combo. The spin caster you got will work fine for bream and stuff, no one uses them for bass much. However you're better lakes will most likely has some kind of weed growth like lilly pads, reeds, and other grasses. Bass will hide in here and ambush pray, from there. It's also cooler water in the shadows of the weeds.

Check out a Pfleuger president combo. A 6735X size will do you well, with a 6'6" or 7' rod! It's a good spinning combo, my bro has got one, and it's surprisingly sensitive!!

I'd get some, 10, or 12lb P-line CX line on it. You can probably get all this stuff at a Gander Mt, or Bass pro shops, or somewhere online.

Get some Plastic 6" zoom lizards and worms (in watermelon, green pumpkin, or purplish color), some 3/16 oz bullet weights, and a 3/0 wide gap hook. Texas rig that puppy and have fun!

Look around google, or search the forum for info on fishing a texas rig. Fish as close as you can to the cover.

This will get you started off for now, just ask if you need more help! And don't loose hart if you don't catch any, summer can be a hard time to fish for anyone!

Hope this helps!

[keithdog]

Welcome to the madhouse JJ. Bassboss gave you some good advice. Jitterbugs work great for me, but only in low light conditions. I'd suggest getting a pair of rubber knee high boots or hip wadders to allow you to get out away from the bank. I do a lot of shore casting and knee high wadders give me that extra edge that allows me to walk out a short distance into the water to cast around shorline cover you can't cast around from the bank. Also, I'd suggest buying a couple spinnerbaits. Booya, Strikeking, and Terminator all make decent spinnerbaits. I prefer white skirts with gold or silver blades. I've also done VERY well using the Strike King KVD spinnerbaits in the bluegill pattern. Soooooo... the bait monkey already got to ya did he? Well, personally I hate the monkey, but I must admit I've benefitted from his influences!

[jjjbluray]

Thanks for the replys guys! My first question is: why are spincasts so wrong for bass fishing? For now, I have to use the rod and reel that I have. That President combo does look nice. Pricewise, my Omega combo is right up there with that one so I'm just confused. Is it strictly the casting distance on the open faces that make them better? So Keith, you prefer the big spinners over the inline spinners? The waders are an excellent idea that I have thought about but will also have to wait for a short bit. In the meantime, I have a tacklebox full of goodies and a desire to catch some fish and post some pics! Anymore ideas is greatly appreciated.

[walkeraviator]

Id say you have everything you need to start fishing. Make sure you have 10lb test line... go with some Monofilament to save money. And learn teh Palomar knot. That will eliminate breaking off fish... not big fish, but most normal size fish... As for lures... Texas Rig worms, your inline spinners, some smaller spinnerbaits, maybe even beetle spins. And go ahead and give smaller bass jigs a try.

And as they said... remember that it is summer, and these fish are gettin lazy and deep in the hot water. Maybe even research carolina rigs... this is the newest technique i have learned...

Then if you really get to enjoy it, look into a spinning reel combo...

[Bassboss]

Originally Posted by jjjbluray

Thanks for the replys guys! My first question is: why are spincasts so wrong for bass fishing? For now, I have to use the rod and reel that I have. That President combo does look nice. Pricewise, my Omega combo is right up there with that one so I'm just confused. Is it strictly the casting distance on the open faces that make them better? So Keith, you prefer the big spinners over the inline spinners? The waders are an excellent idea that I have thought about but will also have to wait for a short bit. In the meantime, I have a tacklebox full of goodies and a desire to catch some fish and post some pics! Anymore ideas is greatly appreciated.

Well, this is just kind of something you need to find out yourself!

But first of all, you'll look much less "noobish" lol!

And yes, you'll have more distance like you said. It'll be more comfortable to fish with. And typically, you'll get better quality! Spincasters are made for beginners, they don't really put much craftsmanship into them, trying to make a quality stick!

[Abbeysdad]

WELCOME to the zoo (we got some fishermen and lots of monkeys and gorillas) <g>

There are some here that talk up the fancy smancy high priced rods 'n reels and tackle, not to mention the bass boats and such....and if one has all sorts of extry money to devote to the passion, then good fer them.
For us regular people (I was 55 before I got my first boat), it's more like fishing on a budget. Now I won't lie, you can fish from the banks of any river, stream or lake and have very good good results. A boat does get you to places you simply can't reach from the bank, but you can still do fine. You just gotta find the good spots, which may change with the time of year. Biggest advice I can offer is if you're fishing a spot and not much is going on, pack up and find another - bank or boat, you gotta go where the fish are ... and where they're biting. Same holds true for time of day. Some spots may be real productive in the early AM hours, but not the rest of the day.
Also, see if you can get a topographical map of that lake as you might be able to reach some holes or drop offs from shore that you otherwise would never know about.

Most importantly, fishing, much like life, is more about the journey than the destination - catching fish is just icing on the cake

[Backwater Charlie]

Spincast (push-button) reels normally have lower drags and less line capacity, which ISN'T a big deal when Bass fishing. As long as you're not catching a lot of 20lb plus fish or pulling 10lb bass out of 10lbs of salad, then it will work fine. The Omega is a fine reel.

In-line spinners, beetle spins, plastic worms, these all catch a lot of bass.

[Cavs1123]

Everyone has given great advice so I'll but in my 2 cents. Get a pack of 4 inch Yum Dingers in a color like Ozark Smoke. Then get pack of Gamakatsu Split shot/ Drop Shot hooks in the 1/0 size. Then rig it wacky style(Hooked thru the middle. Google it for a pic)
Let it fall to the bottom and give it short little jerks upwards. Let it fall and repeat. You'll eventually a *tick* or a *donk*. When that happens, wait for 5 seconds then give a hard jerk upwards. Remember: Dont let the line go slack and keep reeling. You will catch tons of fish this way! Good luck!

[Jrob78]

I am a bank fisherman as well. I normally try to avoid fishing lakes, just too much water and not enough fishable shoreline. I would advise that you look for ponds and creeks. The fish will be much easier to reach.

As far as gear, what you have is fine for now. If you get into it more than you already have, you can upgrade your rod and reel then. In-line spinners are a really good bass bait. Make sure that the blade is spinning on the retrieve, you should feel the added drag when the blade is turning. Jitterbugs are good baits too, I would recommend using topwater baits in lower light conditions. The general rule is an hour or so before sunset and after sunrise. This isn't set in stone but they normally won't work real well in the middle of a bright day. Wacky rigged dingers, as Cavs suggested, are productive shallow water, bank baits as well.

Look for cover to target and make long casts. Good luck!

[jjjbluray]

Excellent! I am definitely looking for some ponds around my area. It is so irritating looking for spots at this giant lake where the fish might be. I know there are some whoppers in it but without a boat I just feel like I have no chance of getting to them. The whacky setup is one I have not tried yet. This is next on my list to try. It seems like fishing a pond from the bank is much more satisfying than fishing a 30,000 acre lake from the bank. We've tried probably 15 different spots with no luck. I am so thankful that so many have chimed in to help. It has put some hope back into this old chap! lol

[BigBassin144]

I believe the most basic bass rig (and the first I learned) is the Texas-Rig. It works great in many situations. If you haven't already, pick up some PowerBait Powerworms. The 7" ones in any natural color - watermelon, green pumpkin, etc. Also get a pack of Gamakatsu 3/0 or 4/0 EWG hooks. I'm going to try to post some pics up later on how to rig some of the basic rigs, but I'm sure you can google it and find some pictures on how to do it.

Also, if you have any small mom and pop tackle shops where the people are actually going to know what they're doing, don't hesitate to go in and talk to somebody. Tell them you're new to bass fishing and ask what works well in smaller ponds around your area. They should also be able to show you how to rig stuff. Just don't go to a big box store like BPS, Cabela's, Gander Mtn for this kind of stuff. They hire anybody, and most don't know what they're talking about.

BB

[WTL]

I just took a couple minutes to glance at West Point lake on Bing maps (google it if you havent already) and one thing about it is there are tons of causeways. A causeway, in bass fishing terms is a type of bridge created where the majority of the bridge is filled in rocks or dirt, but with an opening that is smaller to allow boat traffic and water to pass through.

This is very important, because even a little current is a key thing that can make fishing easier. Since the openings of causeways are smaller, it creates more current when they push water through the dam. Often you will have anglers fish the causeways (a couple examples to check out 219 mooty bridge road, cameron mill road, 27 new franklin road) these will all have fish under and around the bridge.

One thing we all do when fishing, is we look for areas that have higher concentrations of fish and that have more active fish and the causeways are a good place for a bank fisherman to start. I also do recommend scouting creeks that are deeper than 4', especially if they have rock cover and are wider than 20'. You can wade if you wish in some of these areas, although be respectful of private property in georgia cause the laws tend to rest on the side of owners. Dam tailwaters are also a great area to catch fish, but caution must be exercised. Never wade below a big dam. The best sides in dam fishing are normally the side where the current comes out of, known often as a powerhouse, but in your case the powerhouse might be in alabama - find out from a local tackle shop if you would need an alabama license or if a georgia would do (on second look, the powerhouse looks to be barely in georgia but it doesnt hurt to ask). The east side might offer some pretty good fishing also. Do be very careful anywhere near current.

[jjjbluray]

Well I fond a sweet pond to try out some of the new tricks on! I definately got some hits on my texas rig with Berkely Powerbait but none took the worm to the hook. I did, however, find my stroke with the catfish! My son however, has busted onto the scene and caught 20 assorted fish already lol. My cats varied from 2 lbs to almost 4! The one in the first pic was fat but the fourth pic was a monster to me! Danny King's punch bait! I'm going to try the causeways soon but I'll be practicing my bass techniques at a pond or two first. Keep slinging ideas my way and I'll keep absorbing! Thanks everyone and sorry for dropping some catfish pics but theyre really my only catches so far. Hope I don't get flamed too bad...

[Jrob78]

Looks like you guys had a great day, nice job!