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Since you are
interested enough to be reading this, I'll assume you're currently doing
some amount of
fishing on your own, (or at least intend to), and familiar with the
basic rod and reel. We'll kind of take it from
there and look at the various steps of involvement from your first
artificial baits up through your first boat or
two, and maybe even your first tournament if you get that far.
Why Fish?
I can
think of thousands of reasons to fish: getting outdoors, enjoying
wildlife, the excitement of the chase,
the mental puzzle of understanding the fish, and later competition and
comradeship. Virtually none of these
reasons have anything to do with Bass Masters or money. If you have
visions of taking up an easy sport and
running off to make a living at it, you're probably better off to set
your sights on the NBA or the PGA Tour, and
more than likely a better chance to make it. Tournament fishing has
become a part of the sport, but only one
part and not everyone needs, wants, or likes it. If you're getting into
fishing just because of tournaments,
you're very likely to be disappointed.
Most bass fisherman I
know come from an inside job, (not necessary, but an observation.) They
either sit
behind a desk or work indoors and rarely see the sunshine other than
weekends. An unusual number of them
are designers, engineers, or other such "professional puzzle
workers." They like mental work and are good at
it. They bring that same analytical thinking, (some say just
"anal"), to their hobby. Just about all bass
fishermen like the outdoors, love watching wildlife, have the patience
of Job, and much rather accomplish
something in catching a fish than actually landing one.
That last point seems
peculiar but is none the less true. Bass fishing has very little to do
with actually
catching bass, at least what you would think of having a fish on the
line. Turns out bass fishermen do a
whole lot more fishing than catching. So if dinner is on your
mind, you probably want to look at easier prey.
Very few times will you find yourself "on fish." "On
Fish" means you can land 1 legal size bass every hour or
so. Chances are pretty good it's closer to one fish a day rather than
one fish an hour. Sure you have the
occasional great day where you catch 4 or 5 an hour, but that's one day
in 50 or 100 for most fishermen.
Unless your lake is a
bass factory, you'll spend a lot more time looking for fish than
catching them. So, if
you're taking up bass fishing, you'd better like to watch birds and
squirrels because you're going to see a lot
more of them than you will bass, at least for a while.
Now, this is not to
say it's boring. There are days when you have a wonderful time and
rather hope the fish
don't interrupt you. But this is about catching bass. When you do
lay into one, it's an adrenaline rush like few
others. The excitement of a big bass on the line, especially after all
the work you've invested in getting him
there, makes for racing hearts and sweaty palms. It can make you giggle
like a teenage girl or want to cry like
someone ran over your puppy depending on the outcome, and sometimes
both. Most bass fishermen agree
the absolute top of the line is fishing top water lures. To work a top
water for an hour or two with out reaction
then, out of the blue, have a giant fish blow up on it like someone
threw in a bowling ball is a thrill like no
other. If that doesn't get your attention, then you don't have a pulse.
Your First
Equipment
Unless
you're independently wealthy, you start off fishing on the bank, not a
$25,000 bass boat. All of the
rest of your equipment, your approach, and your expectations must
adapt to that fact.
Now, understand before
we get started here we're assuming you're pretty much stuck on the bank.
This
suggested equipment list and approach will give the bank fisherman his
best shot. Oddly enough, I wouldn't
necessarily recommend starting off for bass. A black bass is a member of
the Sunfish family which places
them along with crappie, perch, and sand bass, all of which should be
your first targets. Many of the other
members of the family also prefer the same habitat and forage as the
black bass, and when getting started,
you can use the practice.
The first thing you'll
need (other than a license) is a rod. We've got articles out here on
specialty rods and
your local tackle shop will have a bewildering array of rods of every
size, weight, and price, which for you is
merely interesting. For general purpose bank fishing, it's hard to beat
a medium length, medium action
spinning rod, (yes, for you purists, a spinning rod.) There is a raging
battle amongst the more experienced
fishermen on just what roll a spinning rod plays in bass fishing, which
for you, again, is merely interesting.
After a while, you'll
look at a spinning rod perhaps with contempt, certainly as a specialty,
so why in the
world would you start with one? It solves a number of problems for you
getting started. First, it's pretty easy to
use. Unlike bait casters, you'll find you can cast easily, even into a
wind with a pretty light lure. Second, it will
throw lighter lures than your typical bait caster and getting started
small and light lures will be the ticket.
Third, when using modest size baits, it will throw them a mile. After
you get into this a while, you'll find long
casts, far from being an achievement, actually causes several problems.
But for getting started, it's something
you'll likely want in your tackle. Fourth, a relatively short spinning
rod will work pretty well as long as you stick
with the lighter action rods.
You're going to be
fishing around shore cover which normally translates into avoiding
limbs, cat tails, the
occasional rock bluff, and all of those other things that will interfere
with your back cast. When fishing in tight
quarters, a short spinning rod will allow you to fish where a bait
caster only makes you look for another spot.
Since good spots are hard to come by, you'll want to take full advantage
when you do find one. It also turns
out one of the things you'll look for in a good bank is some
interference. The same thing that thwarts most
fishermen with also thwart most other predators, a fact that doesn't
escape the fish. And probably the last
good reason is a fairly good spinning outfit is quite a bit cheaper on
average than the same quality bait caster.
For getting started, low bucks is a plus. Expect to pay around $40 for a
good quality spinning rod, and about
the same for a good quality entry reel to go on it. I'd look at about a
5 ½ foot rod that is rated for about 1/8 oz
up to 5/8 oz lures, give or take 1/16th.
The line you choose,
like many other things, should be relatively inexpensive, because you're
going to be
making some mistakes early. One of the knocks on a spinning reel is it must
be nearly full of line to perform
properly. So, first good snag you hit on which you bust off 20 or 30
yards, it will be time to respool when you
get home. Also turns out spinning tackle is relatively tough on line
since the very nature of the spinning bail
will tend to put some twist in the line. And even though it's more rare
than with bait casters, the first time you
start reeling and it leaves a loop out the front of the spool, you'll
find out spinning gear will back lash after all.
Combined with the fact
you're fishing around shore cover that will beat up your line pretty
well, you should
be getting the idea line is something to change out every couple of
trips. For general purpose use with smaller
lures, I'd try around 8 lb test. No reason at this point to buy the
copolymers, fused, or braids. Stick with the
fairly low cost standard line, Stren, Trilene XL, or Excel. All will
work just fine for getting started and are easy
on the pocket book.
Now that you've got a
rod and reel, time to pick a few lures and something to put them in.
Remember we're
going to be bank running here, so no need for a suit case full of deep
running lures to use once a season.
Oddly enough, let's
start with the tackle box. I'd recommend one of the small
"pocket" tackle boxes, about
8" long, 4" wide, with storage on both sides. This little box
will hold at least ½ day's worth of lures, can be
slung on your belt out of the way, is light to carry, and will limit our
lure selection. Should cost substantially
under $10 and will serve our purposes well. There will be a selection of
different size trays available. You'll
want the one with the larger size trays, adjustable if you can find one.
While we're in the
accessories department, find a small hook sharpener, preferably one you
can store in
your tackle box. Most all of your hooks will need sharpened, even right
out of the box. We use the "thumb
nail test" to tell if the hook is sharp. Lightly drag the point of
the hook over your thumb nail at about a 45
degree angle. If it tries to bite in and stick, it's sharp, otherwise,
it will need some sharpening. For hand
sharpening, we normally use the sharpener on the two upper and outer
sides and flatten out the bottom side
of the hook. Imagine a triangle arrowhead and you're getting the idea.
Even when you're fishing with a hook
you sharpened before you started, check it every once in a while. Those
weeds and wood you're dragging
through will do an number on a point.
Basic Lures
You'll
quickly learn there is no magic lure that catches fish all of the time.
You'll need a few different lures
depending on where you're fishing and the mood of the fish that day.
After you're in this awhile, you'll collect a
huge assortment of lures that worked just great for a day to two on one
particular body of water. I've got a few
hundred. But for getting started, we can pick out 4 or 5 that will work
most of the time in most of the water
you can get to from the bank.
First stop will be the
pan fish department. Pick up two Beetle spins, one of the larger models
and one of the
mid-size models. Both can be the standard Black/Chartreuse color with
the small silver blades. These will be
your "bird dog" lures, or the lure you use to search new
water. This little bait has several advantages for you in
addition to the fact it will catch anything that swims. You can fish it
a number of ways and it's a down sized
version of a larger bait you'll use later, the spinner bait. The trouble
with the regular spinner is it covers more
water than you need to from the bank and it's a "power" bait,
or a bait for fairly big and aggressive bass,
something you only occasionally run into.
Later on when you
start fishing from boats, the spinner bait will replace your Beetle Spin
in most situations,
but for now, use the down sized version. For warming or cooling water,
in the spring and fall, it will work well
retrieved fairly quickly just under the surface. And occasionally, it
works just chunkin' it out there and bringing
it back with a steady retrieve. But most of the time, you want to
"feel" the bottom with it. Retrieve it just fast
enough to keep it off the bottom. With a little practice, you'll be able
to feel submerged weeds, stumps, or
rocks as the bait bounces off of them. This little thing is practically
snag proof and will give you a lot of
practice in "seeing the bottom", something that will become
extremely important later.
Next over to the hard
bodied lure department. You're looking for a very old lure called a
Midge-O Rena. You
may have trouble finding it in any except the best stocked stores, but
it's worth finding. Like anything else you
have trouble finding locally, you can always turn to Bass Pro Shops
which is the largest fishing tackle retailer
in the world. The phone number is easy to remember, 1-800-BASS-PRO. They
don't carry everything made,
but they are way closer than anybody else. If you're going to get into
bass fishing, get on their mailing list.
Anyway, back to the
Midge-ORena. You want the 3/8 oz size in a shad pattern. This lure works
great as a
top water or just under the surface. It throws a mile and has rather
smallish hooks so it comes through cover
well. Twitch it on a slack line, and it will kind of dip and pop right
back up, great for working slow around
isolated stick ups. Twitch on a tight line and it will act as a fairly
good chugger, making a splash in the water
then setting still. Use the chug to call them in stained or dirty water.
With practice, you can get a good chug
and hardly move it at all. The kind of lure you can work all day in a
coffee cup. Works on top the best when
worked slow. Crank it in with a slow retrieve, and will sway slowly just
under the surface. A fast retrieve will
make the bait go unstable and dart all over the place under water,
staying less than 3' deep or so. It's a great
little all around bait will catch the biggest bass cruising the
shallows. Use it for serious hawg hunting in the
spring, fall, and early morning.
While we're there,
we'll pick up another hard bait that's the same thing but different. Get
a medium size
Rapala minnow, silver with a black back. This is another lure that works
great as a top water twitched around
emergent weeds or isolated cover, but needs calm water and pretty clear
as well to work the best. Twitch this
one and it will dart down just a touch, then pop back up to the surface,
hardly making a ripple. Very subtle
and non-threatening to the fish. It also works great as a hard jerk
bait, (see the Hard Jerk Bait article in this
section for more information about that one.)
On the way over to the
soft plastics, you need to pick up some worm hooks. Get the Owners 2/0
Offset
Worm Hooks. These are pricy, but will be well worth it. Fortunately,
we're not going to go through too many of
them. Expect to pay close to $4 for a package of 7. These are cutting
point hooks, no sharpening needed and
you can tear up the point even trying. If you look at the point under
magnification, it looks for all the world like
a little razor point hunting arrow. These hooks are extremely sharp,
which we will need, and are well worth the
price for our application.
Now to the soft
plastics. Ignore all of the hundreds of sizes, types, brands, and colors
of plastic worms.
You're looking for soft jerk baits. Find Lunker Lure's Slug-O. Most of
them will be the big 7" size, but you're
after the smaller 4" model. Try for Silver Shad with a Blue Back. Don't
take them out of the bag and put them
in the tackle box to get ruined. The bag is the best place for them and
stick the whole bag in your pocket.
These will be your #1 option for sticking bass. One of the larger bass
I've ever caught, (right at 13 pounds),
came on this bait in 2' of water. You'd like to fish these either really
fast or really slow, and very little in
between. Get the Soft Jerk Bait article in this section and read it
ignoring the equipment check stuff and
trust me you have the right rod and size of bait for what you want to
do.
That's plenty to get
started with. Even buying very good quality gear, you should be out of
there with
change from a $100 bill. Other than line and replacing lost baits, you
should be ready for the season. As you
get better, (or bored) with these lures, broaden your arsenal with small
tube jigs, (you'll want HP High
Performance Hooks for those), and maybe a few small plastic grubs on 1/8
oz jig heads. Ask the tackle store
for instructions on rigging and fishing these. The only other thing
you'll need for your tackle box is a small
cheap pair of nail clippers for cutting line, (get them at the drug
store, there is no such thing as cheap clippers
at the tackle shop.)
A couple of things to not
buy. Don't worry about fish attractants yet. Don't start any bad habits
by using
snap swivels, just tie directly to your line, (swivels not only loose
fish by breaking at inconvenient moments,
but kill the action of most small baits.) Forget the crank baits and big
spinner baits because they are good for
cover large areas of water, but from the bank, you aren't. Don't worry
yet about worms, jigs, or other bottom
bumpers, their time will come and you don't have the right rig for most
of them. Wait until you get out on the
water before you worry about fishing deep.
Bank Locations
Before
we get into the particulars of where to fish from the bank, a couple of
general notes. When fishing
from the bank, you'll need to be quiet. That doesn't mean you can't
talk, it means don't stumble around on the
bank and make a racket. A bass has an extremely sensitive lateral line
which he uses to detect prey (and
your lures) along with potential predators, of which you're only one.
You're stomping around on the bank
sounds like bombs going off to the fish and he'll make a quick departure
to some other area of the lake the
first time he "hears" you coming. Along the same lines, if
you're fishing clear water, wearing a red sweat shirt
probably isn't the smartest thing, (unless it's deer season of course.)
Although a bass can't see through
refraction like some fish, he'll still likely notice that unnatural
color flashing around near the surface, so
greens or browns are the dress code of the day.
Bass relate to cover,
or someplace to hide. Find good cover and you're likely to find at least
a few fish
hanging around. Cover can be weeds, stumps, pilings, rocks, anything a
fish and use to hide in or around.
Something that casts a shadow is always nice if you're a fish, (they
lurk in the darkness and attack things
blinded by the light.) A deep water escape route is always welcome. Even
though you find yourself constantly
struggling around shore cover, you'll find in most waters, there isn't
all that much cover actually in the water.
Another thing to look
for is some type of current. Unlike a lot of other fish, bass don't
generally hang around
directly in the current. Bass like to suspend beside cover that breaks
up the current and simply nab anything
floating by. Eddies are always a magnet for bass and a good eddy can
hold several fish. It's not necessary to
have a constant flow like in a creek or river, a current caused by the
wind will work in still water. This should
tell you given a choice, you want a strong wind to be blowing from one
side or the other rather than at your
back or in your face.
Now the following list
is not meant to be all inclusive, but should give you a pretty good
start. Look for other
locations as you gain experience, but if you happen on one of these,
don't overlook it.
Rip
Rap - Probably the single best shot you have at fishing even with
the boaters is around heavy rip rap.
If you're unfamiliar with the term, it's the large chunk rock used to
prevent erosion around roadways, bridges,
and dams. What you see above the surface, a jumbled pile of rock with
holes and crevices all through it,
normally continues under water. If it's a bridge, (very common around
lakes), then you'd like to fish the corners
on the down current side, where the current is sweeping free food to the
fish waiting next to the current. Your
Beetle Spin or Slug-O should work great all day, but don't overlook top
waters early, late, or if the day is
overcast. Cast out into the current and let it sweep the bait down to
the fish.
Boat Docks - Almost heaven if you're a bass. Lots of overhanging
shade from the dock, some pilings or at
least anchor lines to guard your back, and an almost unlimited supply of
easy food hanging around for the
same reasons. Few dock owners will let you fish from a dock any more,
but most marinas don't care if you
fish from the bank behind the dock. Target the corners and any piling
rows you can cast to. The Rapala is an
old favor around docks. With a little practice, you'll be able to skip
your Slug-O up under the dock just like
skipping a stone across the surface.
Boat Ramps - A normally overlooked place with little above the
surface to suggest it. Everyone assumes,
(incorrectly), that all of the commotion of boats coming in and out will
drive away the fish. Actually, the fish
get use to it and there are several very attractive reasons to stick
around. By sticking around, you should
remember most smaller tournaments release their fish right at the ramp
and some percentage of those fish
simply take of residence right there. The ramp itself is a deep smooth
surface normally with a lot of algae on
the lower portion which means minnows there to feed. Speaking of
minnows, bass are the only thing released
at the ramp after a day's fishing. And there is normally some rip rap
around to keep the ramp from eroding
from waves and wakes.
Power Dams - Another rip rap stop with a lot of current when they
are making power. There are often lay
downs and snags just below the rip rap line which shouldn't be
overlooked. Again remember to fish out of the
current in any eddies you can find. If there are back water areas like
canals or such leading off the main
channel, a swift current can load these places up like you won't
believe.
Creeks and Rivers - So, if bass avoid current, why look at
flowing water? That's easy, it makes finding the
fish predictable. Quietly stroll along the bank and fish current eddies
behind points, lay downs, channel turns,
etc. Remember the old adage, still waters run deep. If the current seems
to die out in an area, chances are
it's a deep hole in the river channel, not a bad spot to spend a few
casts.
Stock Ponds and Strip Pits - There are a remarkable number of
small bodies of water that receive relatively
little pressure. These waters are normally too small to launch a boat in
yet hold a surprising number of fish,
sometimes BIG fish. Remember to ask permission to fish before doing so
and clean up after yourself before
you leave, (that way you'll be invited back.) For strip pits, always try
to figure out where the old road ramp led
down into the pit. That ramp is a dynamite spot and you can often cast
out to the submerged ledge on the far
side of the ramp that could hold a number of fish.
Getting into
It
If
you roam around on the bank long enough, chances are you'll run into a
day that too warm, and the water
is too inviting, for you to stay out of it. Time will have come for you
to explore wade fishing. Now there are a
few areas of the country, and lots of bodies of water that are
unsuitable for this. Anytime you go into the water,
there is always an element of risk. Wading takes some amount of common
sense. Not only are there always
the deep holes and ledges waiting for the unprepared foot, but broken
bottles to step on, old fishing or trot
lines to get tangled in, rocks that give way under pressure, muck
bottoms that can suck you down to your
neck, and all sorts of other surprises. You'll catch more fish by moving
slowly and quietly, and careful
movement can also save a pleasant afternoon from turning into an
unexpected bath. And please have enough
sense that if lightening is in the area, get out of the water.
Depending on water
temperature, wading could require anything from an old pair of sneakers
to a fully
insulated set of waders. My personal preference is less is better. I'll
use waders only if I have to and then a
light as I can get. If you do use waders, realize that if you do this
long enough, eventually you're going to step
on slime covered rock and take a quick dip. The only things you can do
is: make sure you can swim; make
sure you know how to get out of your waders in a hurry if necessary;
keep a sense of humor when it happens;
and maybe keep an old towel in the car to dry off you and the contents
of your tackle box.
As soon as you start
wading, you're not only closer to the fish, but able to cast to places
next to heavy
bank cover that you couldn't before. Off shore weed beds are now
something to look for instead of avoid.
And the biggest difference is you now have unlimited room for your back
cast. You could go ahead and start
looking at a bait caster now, but I'd probably hold off for a while yet.
You're still not mobile enough for area
coverage lures like Rattle Traps or Spinner Baits, nor are you likely to
have much need of more structured
oriented bottom bumpers like plastic worms or jigs. My number one wading
lure is your old standby 4" Slug-O.
Fishing a Slug-O slowly around available cover goes at just about the
right speed for thorough coverage during
wading.
Depending on what gear
you have stored in the garage, wading can open up a whole new world. If
you're so
inclined, wading is the prefect time to use a fly rod. Your trout rod
will work, but if you really get into this,
about an 8 weight is right for large mouth. Bass Poppers and small
streamers work well. I tie up some little
red ants on #16 hooks that I catch perch on just about every cast if I'm
in the right spot, (use sink tip line for
the ants.)
There is one other
place you can go here without a boat, and that's tube fishing. The old
"belly boat" is an
option for those that have very limited storage space, only fish small
waters, or on a budget such that a few
hundred dollars might as well be a million. You can buy these from a
variety of sources, (Bass Pro Shops
again for one), and spend from under a hundred to close to the price of
a small boat, depending on the
features and strength you need. When I was a kid, I use to make them out
of tractor tubes, a little rope, and
a piece of 2 x 12. Not very comfortable, (and certainly not something
you'd like to use a crank bait around),
but effective and practically free. You'll need to pick up a cheap pair
of diving fins, (flippers), in order to get
around. It's most inadvisable to try it with them. On of the great joys
of tube fishing is hooking into a big fish
and letting him pull you all over the pond during the fight. It's a
great joy unless he wears out or gets off when
you're right in the middle of the pond without your flippers. You can
paddle around with your arms, (in fact it
will become normal), but it's certainly not the preferred method of
propulsion. And make sure you sit down far
enough in the tube. Tipping over in a tube, particularly in waders, goes
past ruining your day. It's down right
dangerous. Although you no longer have to worry about stepping off in a
deep hole, wrestling around and
tipping over or getting your feet tangled may get you into something you
can't get out of, literally. With
common sense, it's a tremendous way to spend the afternoon and puts you
in touch with the fish better than
any boat.
If you are tubing,
consider yourself a small boat skip on down to the more advanced tackle
and techniques.
Getting On The
Water Instead Of In It
If
you enjoy bass fishing and have access to water over a few acres, then
sooner or later you'll get the urge
to buy a boat. This is certainly the biggest commitment you've so far
made to bass fishing and therefore you
first real opportunity to screw things up. Your first boat will be your
greatest source of pleasure and frustration,
often more of the latter than the former. You can tie up anywhere from a
few hundred dollars to around $40,000
with another $35,000 or so for a towing vehicle. If those upper numbers
seem ridiculous now, believe me when
I say if you stay in it long enough, you'll find yourself trying to fit
them in the budget.
Although I have seen
some folks, (with more dollars than sense), jump straight into the
professional
Cadillacs, I can't urge you enough to make all of your learning mistakes
with a small boat. There is a
tremendous amount of assumed knowledge in owning, maintaining, and
operating a big boat, and I don't know
of any other way of gaining that knowledge other than experience. Do
this one right and it will lead you down
a life long path of enjoyment. But I've seen more than one aspiring
angler give up the sport entirely because
they couldn't cope with their first boat.
The next few
statements are going to be very odd, and you'll certainly find those
that disagree. But since I
have to put my name on this article (and they don't) this is going to be
my best advise on the subject.
First, stay away from
used fishing boats, particularly used bass boats, like the Black Plague.
An
inexperienced owner with a used bass boat is the world's quickest ticket
to Bass Fishing Hell. With any boat,
you'll find there are an amazing number of things that are attached or
go into it, all of which tend to break just
about every time you put it in the water. That's why you get the old
adage "a boat is a hole in the water you
pour money into."
Used fishing boats
normally have a large number of things like pumps, aerators,
electronics, cables, and
such which constantly need repair and maintenance. Without the necessary
attention, they will break just
sitting on the trailer. You're probably not yet at the stage where you
need most of this stuff and you'll find your
weekend hobby is fixing the boat instead of fishing out of it. A good
used boat, particularly from a friend where
you know the history, is an excellent option for the next step or two,
just not for the first one. Stick to worrying
about fishing for a while and worry about boat maintenance in a year or
two, (you'll want a bigger better boat
by then anyway.)
Your first boat should
be small, light, and not, (let me repeat that), NOT have a
gas motor on it. You're
going to have plenty of things to worry about and learning to be a 2
cycle mechanic should not be among
them. Gas motors are used to get you to where you want to fish, and with
a small boat and a little homework,
you can slip it in the water where you want to fish in the first place.
Once you're fishing, a gas motor, (and
tank, and hose, etc.) is only expensive extra weight that is in the way.
For bass fishing you want an electric
trolling motor, (and oddly enough hardly anyone uses them to troll), and
that will be all of the power you will
need.
Depending on budget, a
new or used small boat can come in many forms. Even for the top of the
line, it
should be difficult to tie up $1,000 in your first boat. A canoe is a
very good option, as is a 10' or 12' flat
bottom john boat. For those more committed or with a better day job,
those pontoon style 1 or 2 man
mini-bass boats really are all they're cracked up to be. Regardless of
style, make sure to check the weight
rating on the mandatory safety plate attached somewhere on the hull.
You'll need a capacity of at least 100
pounds more than you weigh, (batteries are heavy things.)
Next you'll need your
trolling motor. You want a 12v motor, (small boats rarely have room or
capacity for 2
batteries), and the cheaper transom mount is all you need, (the big
retractable brackets are used on the glitter
boats.) Buy about as much power as you can afford within reason, (the 42
lb thrust will quickly drain your
battery and just about put your small boat on a plane, not necessarily a
good thing.) The $100 low end version
will work for most applications, but it's hard to have too much
available power if you find yourself in trouble with
unexpected wind or current.
One thing to look for,
(which most of them have) is a reversible head. For some reason the
manufacturers
still think you want to push a boat with a transom mount. You don't.
It's always easier to pull a rope (or a
fishing boat) than to push one. You'll have much better boat control in
all conditions by turning the head
around and pulling yourself along instead of pushing. Don't worry too
much about the number of power settings
you get. You'll want a foot switch to control the power. There is a
little water proof "normally off" switch that
you can put in the power line so the motor only runs when you depress
the switch. They usually have a little
locking bar for a constant "on" mode when you need to travel
some distance. For $15, it will be your best
investment, much cheaper and better than the variable power on the
motor. You set the power on the motor
higher than you need and then just kind of bump yourself along or hold
yourself in the wind with your foot
switch while you're fishing. While we're at it, you'll be sitting down
in your small boat so there is no reason or
room to go to the expense of a foot controlled steering mechanism on
your motor. The regular hand steering
will do very nicely.
An electric motor
isn't much good with power, so you'll need a battery. Expect to pay from
$40 to $75 for
one. Since you only have one, it's better to go with the larger 105 amp
hour version for just a couple of more
bucks and pounds. I personally check out the local Interstate Battery
distributor and buy seconds for about
½ price to put in my big boat. I've had pretty good luck with them and
they hold up over a day's fishing and a
long season of recharging. Speaking of recharging, if you don't already
own a battery charger, it's one more
expense of boat ownership. The automatic types are always preferred and
really not that much more
expensive.
Unfortunately, you're
still not finished spending money on your first boat. You need to check
with the local
marine patrol to find out the required safety equipment for your
area. Required or not, most of it is a good idea.
A second mode of getting the boat back to shore, (a paddle), is normally
requested. A small collapsible model
that you can clip to the side does well. A small first aid kit is never
a bad idea when fish hooks are involved.
Some type of light will be needed if you get caught out after dark or in
an unexpected fog bank, (those clamp
on stern lights with a couple of clips installed by your paddle serves
the purpose and keeps things out of the
way.) Some states require a fire extinguisher even on boats with gas
motors (another clip on item.) And, of
course, all states require some type of emergency floatation device.
Although few folks wear a wrap around life
preserver, (unless of course you don't know how to swim), everyone has
at least a throwable cushion, normally
one they sit on for a little added comfort.
Let me point out that
in all of the many boats I've owned over the last 40 years or so, I
can't think of a single
one that I haven't at one time or another, some
way, some how, fallen out of. And while on the subject, a
couple of those little Velcro straps for holding a spare rod, box or
something isn't a bad idea in case the boat
chases you over into the water. About the only other thing I can think
of to routinely carry is a small folded
poncho in case of unexpected rain. You can usually find some out of the
way place to build in or strap in a
small plastic box to hold the first aid kit, poncho, and other useful
small items.
Getting you new boat
to the water really isn't too much of a trick. A pick-up, van, or RV
will normally have
sufficient room for small boats and all the gear. In a car or other
small vehicle, roof top carriers are available
for around $40. Unless your only vehicle is a motor cycle, there
probably isn't a reason to fork over the big
bucks for a trailer. A small trailer may cost as much as everything else
put together and while you can store
your small boat on the patio of your apartment, the neighbors may not be
so understanding with a trailer.
One thing you probably
will want with your new boat is a new tackle box. You still don't want a
suit case,
but a little larger one for the new types of lures you can fish will be
nice. And you'll find it at least more
comfortable, if not safer, to throw your bags of Slug-Os, tube jigs and
grubs in the tackle box instead of your
back pocket.
Just a couple of
things to keep in mind for the new boat operator. When you go out,
always pull up wind or
up current. If you find yourself low on power, it's always easier to
drift back than to wade back dragging the
boat. Stick to protected waters, not only from wind but large boat wakes
as well. A 23' cruiser coming by on
plane can wreck havoc on the small boater's day. Have a least a cup or
something to bail with if necessary.
One of those little battery operated bilge pumps and a little hose might
fit in that small utility box. Don't stray
too far off shore. Even if you're a safe operator, the driver of that
glitter boat flying by at 70 mph might not be
paying attention. Lures and line are fairly cheap. Don't take an
unnecessary risk to retrieve a hung up lure. If
you think about it, you probably wouldn't jump overboard for $3.99 if
offered.
Moving On Up,
More Lures and Bait Casters
OK,
moving right along here, now that you're on the water, all of the rules
of fishing have changed. Since
you can now cover about any near shore water, you can spend more of your
time and effort finding bass. All
of those shore spots you've been fishing will still work, but there's a
brave new world out there to explore.
You can start off
using the rod and baits you already have, fishing the same types of
cover you've been
fishing all along. The Slug-O is probably your best bait up until now,
and a fairly good one for the wider area
you're now covering. Start using the Rapala more like a hard jerk bait
than as a top water. And around docks,
skipping tube baits and Slug-Os will stay your best bet for quite a
while.
Very quickly you'll
figure out there might just be a reason for all of those other baits
they sell at the tackle
shop. Most of them either are for working particular spots you'll find
on the water or for covering a large amount
of water searching for fish. Unfortunately for your budget, you'll find
before you quite recovered from the boat
purchase, it's time for a new rod and reel, (is this a quickly
degenerating downward spiral or what?) This time,
we're looking to throw larger, heavier baits into some heavy cover. I'd
recommend a 6 ½' Medium Heavy bait
caster to complement your spinning rod.
You can always go to
the Bass Pro Shop house brands, or a Berkley is a pretty good
inexpensive rod.
Expect to pay around $40 for this rod, which is a lot of rod for only a
little money. For a reel, a low profile
medium to high ratio should be about right. If it's in your budget, a
Shimano or Diawa would be my first
choices, at somewhere around $60. A Quantum, Ambassador, or Lews can be
had for a little less. So the
combo should be somewhere in that $80 - $100 range.
For line, I'd
certainly cheap out to get started. Bait Casters have a peculiar
property to casting them. You
set one up to cast with a certain amount of force, and if you use either
less or more force than it's set up for,
you get the dreaded "professional overrun", or backlash.
Everybody backlashes, even after years of
experience. As a new user, you'll backlash more often and they will be
worse. Expect to spend ¼ to ½ of
your day picking out backlashes the first few times out. You'll find out
a backlash will crimp the line,
sometimes break it, and always weaken it. This means you're going to be
changing line an awful lot for the
first few trips.
The line I'd recommend
is 12 lb Trilene Big Game. You buy this stuff by the pound rather than
the yard.
About $4 will get you 1100 yards, or about 15 spools worth at Wal-Mart.
It's really not all that bad of line. My
regular partner used it for tournament competition up until he switched
to braid only a couple of years ago. It
has some stretch to it, but will take a surprising amount of abrasion
around heavy cover, ties a pretty good
knot, and casts well for monofilament. It's a little larger in diameter
than some of the premium lines, but at
1/10th the cost, you can live with it.
OK, now what to throw
with the new rod. Let's start by picking up some hooks and sinkers.
We'll need
some 3/16th oz bullet sinkers, (if you're into colors, get black.) We
also need some hooks. For our new soft
jerk baits we need Owner 4/0 Wide Gap Offset Worm Hooks, (about $4 for a
package of 6.) We also need
some hooks for worms, (I'd still recommend Owner but they are pricy), in
4/0 Offset Worm, (not Wide Gap.)
Then it's off to the
soft jerk baits again, this time for a couple of colors of Bass Assassin
brand Shad
Assassins 5". Get one package of Crystal Shad for bright days and
clear water and a package of Gold/Black
Back for overcast days and stained water. The reason for the brand
switch is these baits, while still not too
long, are relatively heavy and cast very well even in the wind. The
4" Slug-O you've been using is an excellent
come back lure for either Shad Assassin if one rolls on it and misses.
Remember to review your article on
soft jerk baits before heading for the lake.
Next, off to the hard
baits. Pick up a ½ oz Bill Lewis Rattle Trap, Chrome with a Blue back.
This is a great
area coverage lure for any type of off color water or over the tops of
submerged weeds. It makes a ton of racket
on the retrieve and should be worked fairly fast just over the tops of
any cover. While you're there, you might
also want a ¼ oz version in Tennessee Shad for schooling fish or as a
comeback lure for the ½ oz version. If
you're clueless about an area and want to cover it in a hurry, the
Rattle Trap is the way to go. You can also
cast this lure a mile into even a very stiff wind with your heavy rod.
Now we're going to
look for something you probably can't find, a ½ oz single willow leaf
blade spinner bait.
Most of the spinner baits will be tandem (two blades) and lighter. About
your best bet out of most stores is a
Strike King Pro Model single Colorado Blade which is 9/16ths, or close
enough. You want a Chartreuse/White
skirt and head. Pick up a pack of #5 Willow Leaf blades and switch out
the blades from the stock bait when
you get home. While you're there, loose the silly little rattle they
attach to the hook shank. Download the
article out here on spinner baits and understand what it says very well.
A spinner bait will
let you cover a lot of strange water better than any other lure you can
throw in a fairly
quick yet thorough manner. If you really get into this sport and start
having dedicated rods for specialty baits,
the very first one you'll buy will be for your spinner bait. This is
really just an overgrown version of the Beetle
Spin you've been using all along and should be fished pretty much the
same way. Use the bait to feel along
the bottom looking for aggressive fish hanging around submerged cover.
If you catch one, slow down the boat
and work the area with a point bait like a plastic worm.
Stop by Wal-Mart at
some point for your plastic worms. Their house brand, Renegade, is my
preferred
brand for just about any conditions. If I bet money on a bread and
butter bait like a plastic worm, you can bet
money that it works real well. I only use two colors of plastic
worms, Junebug during the day and Black/Blue
Tail for night or dark water. You want the 6" curl tail. Rig it up
on a Texas Rig with your 3/16 oz sinkers and
those big old 4/0 hooks and you're ready to go.
It's a point fishing
bait that must be worked slowly. Cast it out and let it settle to the
bottom. After setting a
few seconds, either drag it slowly for a few inches with the rod tip
straight up, (always use just the rod, never
the reel to move a worm or jig.) After a few more seconds, you may want
to snap the worm off the bottom a
couple of few and let it fall straight down on a slack line. Most of the
bites will come on the fall or right after it
hits bottom. Use worms to work small areas where you're fairly sure a
few fish are hanging out. A worm can
be worked through just about any cover, so don't be scared to throw it
into wood, brush, heavy weeds, or
really anyplace other than possibly chunk rock, (the sinker will wedge
up there.) More fish are caught every
day on a plastic worm than all other baits put together, so learn to use
it well. It will be your default lure in
the future when you need a bite from a particular area.
After a few trips, if
your lake has some areas with isolated cover and a hard bottom, you'll
want to add bass
jigs to the tackle box. These are kind of a cross between a spinner bait
and a worm. You always use a trailer
with a jig, and right now I kind of like the Zoom Super Chunk trailers.
Plastic trailers won't pass muster with
some purists, but they are easy to keep and use so are a good thing to
start with. For about 90% of the time,
a Black/Blue jig with a Black trailer will work about as good as any. If
you're looking for a general size, the
3/8 oz works for most water. Fish rather like a fast moving worm keeping
within inches of the bottom at all
times and sitting and resting on the bottom every few feet.
Committed to
the Asylum; Bass Clubs and Tournaments
Strange
as it might sound, right around this point I'd recommend finding a bass
club and fishing a few
tournaments. True, you're probably not in much danger of winning, but
it's about as close to free fishing
lessons as you get.
There are two types of
clubs and tournaments: Partner Tournaments where you're fishing with
your buddy
against other teams; and Draw Tournaments, where you're fishing against
the other guy in the boat. You'd like
to fish Draw Tournaments. If you fish with a partner, even if he has a
nice boat for the both of you, you'll only
learn what your partner has to show you. By fishing Draw tournaments,
you get a new teacher every time out.
You're partner will love
having you as a non-boater for his draw. Since you probably don't know
much about
the lake, where to fish, or what to throw, you'll both be very happy
spending the day fishing where he wants to
fish and letting him run his own boat, (technically, you have the right
in a Draw format to demand the run his
boat for ½ the day fishing your water. But since you don't have any,
keep the partner happy.) Watch what
your partner is throwing and try to have him show you new baits and
techniques. Ask him to explain why he's
fishing a particular location and why he selected that bait to use. Your
partner most of the time will be more
than glad to explain things to you. You can learn more in one day
fishing a tournament with an experienced
fisherman than you can in a whole season on your own.
Try to find a club in
your area to fish with regularly, (once a month is normal.) That way
you'll get to know
the other fishermen and they will know you, (and you're always more open
with a friend than someone you
don't know at all.) It's a good place to learn about bigger boats and
perhaps pick up a good deal on your next
boat. You can get all sorts of opinions on equipment, lures, and
presentations. Plus you get to learn the local
lakes. All it will cost you is your entry fee, (typically $40 - $75 a
tournament depending on how serious they
are), and maybe offer to kick in a few bucks for gas for the boater.
Joining a local club really is the best and
quickest way to learn to fish in your area.
Where to Go
From Here….
Well,
if you follow most of this plan, it will take you a year or two and you
should be well on your way to
advanced bass fishing. You can stop about anywhere along the way, but
it's a slippery slope and if you're
suited to the sport, you'll find it addictive. Out here on the Internet
is a great place to get information all along
the way. Subscribing to some of the bass fishing magazines like
BassMasters from B.A.S.S. is also a good
idea. There are several good TV shows to get information, (just don't
believe it's anywhere as easy as they
show on TV, because it isn't.)
Before you buy your
second boat, I'd recommend buying a Depth Finder for you small boat. A
Depth Finder,
(and there are articles about these things out here too), is your
"eyes" underwater. You can find depth changes, submerged
cover, and lots of other interesting things with a Depth Finder that
otherwise you'll never
have a clue is down there. For advanced techniques, a Depth Finder is a
must, (pick up the articles on
Structure Fishing for more information.) You can buy portable units that
will work very well with your small
boat for under $200. I'd much rather have a small boat with a Depth
Finder than a larger boat without one.
And using a Depth Finder makes for excellent conversion with a
tournament partner. I always ask my Draw
partners to idle over the areas we're going to be fishing so I can take
a look at his Depth Finder before we
start.
If you use common
sense, plan it out, and don't get in too big of a rush, getting into
Bass fishing is easy
and enjoyable even on a restricted budget. Enjoy what ever equipment you
do have and try to make the best
use of it. Have a good time around the water and keep foremost in your
mind that you're out to have fun, not
catch fish. Nailing that trophy fish is just an added benefit. With the
right attitude, you can find a life long
pursuit you can share with friends and family for years to come. Ask lots
of questions (the only dumb
question is one unasked) and keep an open mind. Everyone at every level
from beginner to professional is a
student of the sport and the idea that it can never really be mastered
is one of it's most endearing properties.
But all in all it isn't too hard to learn and there are a ton of reasons
to go fishing, catching is only one of them.
If you have any
questions you can Email me at
pcrawfor@ix.netcom.com or post an open message on
one of the discussion boards, (that way you get several opinions, not
just mine.) So until the next time, Good
Luck and Have Fun! |
