Introduction: Pro Angler in the making!

PokeFAn · 10-28-10, 10:03 AM

This is the reason I go fishing as much as I do!

Toby is my oldest, loves to go fishing and he ALWAYS pulls out more fish than his daddy. It's frustrating but very satisfying at the same time to see him pull out so many fish when we go out. It seems like he's a little backwards from most kids though. While he enjoys fishing and reeling them in his favorite part of fishing is picking out what lure he's going to use next. What's even more frustrating is he does so well that I usually end up stealing them when he moves on only to find the fish don't seem to care about what I throw at them when I've got the same lure! lol I think he's going to be a fishing genius one day when he realizes how much fun the fishing part is as well.

I'm mainly here to find all the advice I can on pond fishing and shore line fishing since I don't have a boat. I've pretty much fished all my life but it was always something we would go do when we got bored and I just picked out what tackle looked good or was fun to fish with. I have no idea what I'm doing and have recently taken to using nightcrawlers almost exclusively so I can try to get a bit of a feel for when to set hooks and what it feels like when a fish takes the bait. My setup the last couple months has been nothing more than Berkley 6lb fluoro an octopus hook and a nightcrawler. It's been pretty challenging so far but a lot of fun to get to know what's going on rather than tossing something out and praying.

I know this is lengthy but I thought I'd throw out some background so you know where I'm coming from and how little I know!

I plan on moving to plastics soon, (Crawlers aren't exactly fun to fish with all the time) but figured I'd start back at the basics first and get a grasp on everything before I complicate it too much. Like I said, no boat. So I'm looking for tips and tricks for shore line fishing mostly. If I can find a good jon boat or sport canoe sometime I might pick one up but I'm in no hurry.

Here's a buddy of mine with a LM we pulled out of another friends pond. We've seen a lot this size around here lately so that makes the trip a bit more exciting.

Oh yea, the introduction part, sorry! The name is Gavin. I live in Stillwater, Ok

and am a graphic artist for a small studio in town. Grew up in western Oklahoma, joined the Marine Corps than made my way back here to settle down. That's pretty much it in a nutshell, I'm excited to see what I can learn here and hopefully have a little more fun on my weekend outings.

BigBassin144 · 10-28-10, 11:00 AM

Welcome to the site!

To get started, go out and get yourself some 3/0 EWG (extra wide gap) worm hooks, some 1/4oz bullet sinkers, and some 4" and 7" Berkley Powerworms in a few different colors.

You'll then want to Texas Rig the worm with the bullet weight in front of it.

Cast it out and let it sink to the bottom. Slowly drag it back to the shore.

Also, I'd recommend getting a few shallow crankbaits like the Bandit 100. Simply cast these out and reel them in.

These couple things should get you started on the right path. Once you've built up some confidence, you can move on to other techniques.

BB

WaffleJaw · 10-28-10, 11:04 AM

Nice introduction,and welcome to the site!

Your about to get a bad bait monkey as a pet.

PokeFAn · 10-28-10, 11:50 AM

Thanks BB, I'll have to gather up some supplies for my next outing.

Thanks Waffle, after looking at your customs I don't think it's the bait monkey I'm worried about. That's some beautiful work you've done!

walkeraviator · 10-28-10, 11:55 AM

Welcome to the addiction. Listen to BB. He has a good grasp on fishin. I too say T-Rig some berkley power worms, try some cheap shallow cranks, and also consider small spinnerbaits and inline spinner baits...

Jrob78 · 10-28-10, 12:19 PM

Welcome to the site! I do a lot of bank fishing as well. Combined, there is a ton of experience on the site and everyone loves sharing that experience. Ask away!

WaffleJaw · 10-28-10, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PokeFAn

Thanks BB, I'll have to gather up some supplies for my next outing.

Thanks Waffle, after looking at your customs I don't think it's the bait monkey I'm worried about. That's some beautiful work you've done!

Thanks Gavin I appreciate it!
Take some time to jump on the ''search'' feature to find older posts on different subjects....Kevin's videos and line guide are also very,very helpful for answering questions.
But again,if you cant find the answer,post away!..The best fishermen I know are on this site.

keithdog · 10-28-10, 06:38 PM

Welcome aboard Gavin. First I want to say I love your pics, especially the one of you boy. Thats precious! Good idea on not rushing out and getting a bunch of different types of tackle and lures. Slow and easy at first is the way to go untill everything starts to click and you know whats going to work well in your area, and how you like to fish. My best advice for you is to go get yourself a pair of knee high rubber boots or hip waders for stalking along the shore. It will let you get out from the bank a bit to cast parallele to the bank and around shoreline obstructions. I agree with the above plastic t rigged worms and spinnerbaits. Those are baits that will be able to be worked off of shore easily and both catch lots of bass. Plastic worms fished weightless are also deadly!!! Secondly, I'd also get a couple floating topwater baits like a baby torpedo or a popper like the an Excaliber or Rebel Pop R. They have always worked well for me both from shore and in a boat. Glad to have you around, so pull up a chair and hang a while. And good luck on your next outting!

Tavery5 · 10-28-10, 06:40 PM

Welcome Gavin, I usually try to steer people just getting into fishing towards the Yamamoto Senko, it is a plastic worm. Go to any reputable tackle shop, ask them for a bag of Senkos and some 5/0 EWG hooks. One of the easiest and most productive baits on the market. Try it in watermelon, or green pumpkin color.

Jrob78 · 10-28-10, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tavery5

Welcome Gavin, I usually try to steer people just getting into fishing towards the Yamamoto Senko, it is a plastic worm. Go to any reputable tackle shop, ask them for a bag of Senkos and some 5/0 EWG hooks. One of the easiest and most productive baits on the market. Try it in watermelon, or green pumpkin color.

Great advice, a proven fish catcher and not really a wrong way to fish a Senko.

PokeFAn · 10-29-10, 12:46 PM

Picked up a few different worms and supplies for T riggin last night as well as a shallow crank as per BB and some others here.

Went out and worked the worm last with no luck. I finally got my nicer pole restrung last night as well so I'm going to take a quick break at lunch and see what I can find in the lake down the road. Luckily I work about 5 minutes from a pretty well stocked small lake so I'm going to run down and play for a little bit with the crank.

WatterBoy · 10-29-10, 01:13 PM

Hey Gavin, welcome aboard.

After 10 years of bass fishing, almost exclusively from a boat, I finally caught my first 5-lb bass last fall...and it was while shore fishing! Then I added another 5-lber and two at 6+ lbs, all from shore this summer (I finally got a 5+ from our boat this year also).

Keep at it, have fun, and keep us posted with reports and pictures!

Dean

CMorg · 10-30-10, 09:28 AM

I like the Senko's as well , caught my fair share from a weightless senko. However , I have been catching more fish this year on a shakey head. I prefer a Bagley shakey head hook , and a Gander Mountain finesse worm , I forget the color , its a two tone watermelon green on top and a junebug color on bottom. Killer combo in either clear water or stained. Fish it on light line , like 6# flouro. I may also recommend a great crankbait that has worked well for me recentley , its a Spro Lil John crankbait. Silent tungsten weight , casts far and resists snags like a champ. But they are a bit pricey.

Old Hooker · 11-01-10, 01:32 AM

Welcome to the addiction Gavin!

I'm from East Tennessee, but my bass fishing addiction started for me in the mid 80s while I was in the Army and stationed at Fort Sill. Western OK had some awesome bassin' back then and I'm willing to bet they still do. In fact, my personal best largemouth was caught at Sill on a 1/4 oz buzzbait just after full dark. 7.5 pounds of PO'ed bass!

Ask away with any questions you may have. Somebody will give it a try.

bamabassman · 11-01-10, 10:41 PM

welcome to the best fishing site on the planet gavin! and that first picture is the BEST reason to fish my friend. keep at it and he'll be your retirement,lol.

PokeFAn · 11-02-10, 11:01 AM

Thanks for all the tips and welcomes, I appreciate all the help I can find.

I'm thinking I might take a day off this week and should get in a trip sometime this weekend as well before the weather starts to get bad. I'll be looking forward to trying out some of the tricks I've picked up already. Hopefully you'll see me on the brag board soon!

10-28-10, 10:03 AM	#1
PokeFAn BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 15	Introduction: Pro Angler in the making! This is the reason I go fishing as much as I do! Toby is my oldest, loves to go fishing and he ALWAYS pulls out more fish than his daddy. It's frustrating but very satisfying at the same time to see him pull out so many fish when we go out. It seems like he's a little backwards from most kids though. While he enjoys fishing and reeling them in his favorite part of fishing is picking out what lure he's going to use next. What's even more frustrating is he does so well that I usually end up stealing them when he moves on only to find the fish don't seem to care about what I throw at them when I've got the same lure! lol I think he's going to be a fishing genius one day when he realizes how much fun the fishing part is as well. I'm mainly here to find all the advice I can on pond fishing and shore line fishing since I don't have a boat. I've pretty much fished all my life but it was always something we would go do when we got bored and I just picked out what tackle looked good or was fun to fish with. I have no idea what I'm doing and have recently taken to using nightcrawlers almost exclusively so I can try to get a bit of a feel for when to set hooks and what it feels like when a fish takes the bait. My setup the last couple months has been nothing more than Berkley 6lb fluoro an octopus hook and a nightcrawler. It's been pretty challenging so far but a lot of fun to get to know what's going on rather than tossing something out and praying. I know this is lengthy but I thought I'd throw out some background so you know where I'm coming from and how little I know! I plan on moving to plastics soon, (Crawlers aren't exactly fun to fish with all the time) but figured I'd start back at the basics first and get a grasp on everything before I complicate it too much. Like I said, no boat. So I'm looking for tips and tricks for shore line fishing mostly. If I can find a good jon boat or sport canoe sometime I might pick one up but I'm in no hurry. Here's a buddy of mine with a LM we pulled out of another friends pond. We've seen a lot this size around here lately so that makes the trip a bit more exciting. Oh yea, the introduction part, sorry! The name is Gavin. I live in Stillwater, Ok and am a graphic artist for a small studio in town. Grew up in western Oklahoma, joined the Marine Corps than made my way back here to settle down. That's pretty much it in a nutshell, I'm excited to see what I can learn here and hopefully have a little more fun on my weekend outings.

10-28-10, 11:00 AM	#2
BigBassin144 BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Toledo, Ohio Posts: 9,463	Welcome to the site! To get started, go out and get yourself some 3/0 EWG (extra wide gap) worm hooks, some 1/4oz bullet sinkers, and some 4" and 7" Berkley Powerworms in a few different colors. You'll then want to Texas Rig the worm with the bullet weight in front of it. Cast it out and let it sink to the bottom. Slowly drag it back to the shore. Also, I'd recommend getting a few shallow crankbaits like the Bandit 100. Simply cast these out and reel them in. These couple things should get you started on the right path. Once you've built up some confidence, you can move on to other techniques. BB __________________ As of June 14, 2014 the members of the BF.com forum have moved to basschat.yuku.com!

10-28-10, 11:04 AM	#3
WaffleJaw BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Dallas,TX (DFW) Posts: 2,212	Nice introduction,and welcome to the site! Your about to get a bad bait monkey as a pet. __________________ [nelsoncustomrods.com]

10-28-10, 12:19 PM	#6
Jrob78 BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 4,671	Welcome to the site! I do a lot of bank fishing as well. Combined, there is a ton of experience on the site and everyone loves sharing that experience. Ask away! __________________ There are 3 kinds of people in the world…those who can count and those who can’t. HRN4L

11-01-10, 01:32 AM	#14
Old Hooker BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Shadow of the Smokys, East Tennessee Posts: 249	Welcome to the addiction Gavin! I'm from East Tennessee, but my bass fishing addiction started for me in the mid 80s while I was in the Army and stationed at Fort Sill. Western OK had some awesome bassin' back then and I'm willing to bet they still do. In fact, my personal best largemouth was caught at Sill on a 1/4 oz buzzbait just after full dark. 7.5 pounds of PO'ed bass! Ask away with any questions you may have. Somebody will give it a try. __________________ To fish or not to fish. What a stupid question! -Jim

10-28-10, 11:50 AM	#4
PokeFAn BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 15	Thanks BB, I'll have to gather up some supplies for my next outing. Thanks Waffle, after looking at your customs I don't think it's the bait monkey I'm worried about. That's some beautiful work you've done!

10-28-10, 11:55 AM	#5
walkeraviator BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 1,119	Welcome to the addiction. Listen to BB. He has a good grasp on fishin. I too say T-Rig some berkley power worms, try some cheap shallow cranks, and also consider small spinnerbaits and inline spinner baits...

10-28-10, 06:38 PM	#8
keithdog BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: IN Posts: 8,308	Welcome aboard Gavin. First I want to say I love your pics, especially the one of you boy. Thats precious! Good idea on not rushing out and getting a bunch of different types of tackle and lures. Slow and easy at first is the way to go untill everything starts to click and you know whats going to work well in your area, and how you like to fish. My best advice for you is to go get yourself a pair of knee high rubber boots or hip waders for stalking along the shore. It will let you get out from the bank a bit to cast parallele to the bank and around shoreline obstructions. I agree with the above plastic t rigged worms and spinnerbaits. Those are baits that will be able to be worked off of shore easily and both catch lots of bass. Plastic worms fished weightless are also deadly!!! Secondly, I'd also get a couple floating topwater baits like a baby torpedo or a popper like the an Excaliber or Rebel Pop R. They have always worked well for me both from shore and in a boat. Glad to have you around, so pull up a chair and hang a while. And good luck on your next outting!

10-28-10, 06:40 PM	#9
Tavery5 BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Wichita, KS Posts: 2,427	Welcome Gavin, I usually try to steer people just getting into fishing towards the Yamamoto Senko, it is a plastic worm. Go to any reputable tackle shop, ask them for a bag of Senkos and some 5/0 EWG hooks. One of the easiest and most productive baits on the market. Try it in watermelon, or green pumpkin color.

10-29-10, 12:46 PM	#11
PokeFAn BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 15	Picked up a few different worms and supplies for T riggin last night as well as a shallow crank as per BB and some others here. Went out and worked the worm last with no luck. I finally got my nicer pole restrung last night as well so I'm going to take a quick break at lunch and see what I can find in the lake down the road. Luckily I work about 5 minutes from a pretty well stocked small lake so I'm going to run down and play for a little bit with the crank.

10-29-10, 01:13 PM	#12
WatterBoy BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Owatonna, MN Posts: 2,280	Hey Gavin, welcome aboard. After 10 years of bass fishing, almost exclusively from a boat, I finally caught my first 5-lb bass last fall...and it was while shore fishing! Then I added another 5-lber and two at 6+ lbs, all from shore this summer (I finally got a 5+ from our boat this year also). Keep at it, have fun, and keep us posted with reports and pictures! Dean

10-30-10, 09:28 AM	#13
CMorg BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Southern , IN Posts: 1,832	I like the Senko's as well , caught my fair share from a weightless senko. However , I have been catching more fish this year on a shakey head. I prefer a Bagley shakey head hook , and a Gander Mountain finesse worm , I forget the color , its a two tone watermelon green on top and a junebug color on bottom. Killer combo in either clear water or stained. Fish it on light line , like 6# flouro. I may also recommend a great crankbait that has worked well for me recentley , its a Spro Lil John crankbait. Silent tungsten weight , casts far and resists snags like a champ. But they are a bit pricey.

11-01-10, 10:41 PM	#15
bamabassman BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: cedar bluff, alabama Posts: 15,292	welcome to the best fishing site on the planet gavin! and that first picture is the BEST reason to fish my friend. keep at it and he'll be your retirement,lol. __________________ so many lures, so little time.

11-02-10, 11:01 AM	#16
PokeFAn BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 15	Thanks for all the tips and welcomes, I appreciate all the help I can find. I'm thinking I might take a day off this week and should get in a trip sometime this weekend as well before the weather starts to get bad. I'll be looking forward to trying out some of the tricks I've picked up already. Hopefully you'll see me on the brag board soon!

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)