[lawngrrl]

Hey all, I just got into fishing very recently, this past summer on vacation in Vermont. I didn't want to get a fishing license, then kept going with my brother and cousin and got very excited when they were pulling in fish. So, I caught a nice bass on a 50 cent lure..I'd like to post the pic but it won't let me..

Since August we've been trying to go at least once a week (sometimes twice, can't help it, I'm addicted). Now I'm catching fish that are uhh..quite small, but still a lot of fun.

Sooo I wanna step up my fishing game here and try some lures and such but there's so many of them out there I don't know where to start. What would you recommend I start learning? Through some searching on the web I thought I'd try a Texas rig with a plastic worm since that seems easy enough. I'd like to start catching bigger and more fish. Any tips would be much appreciated!

[Michael]

Welcome to the site and to the world of fishing.

With there being different species of fish, from small sunnies and perch to big pike and carp, and weather effecting the fish's eating, it requires the right lures and bait. Time of year having to do with water temps is another thing.

If you were to do a study on reports put on the site withing the past 6 months to a year, carefully read them to see which lures people were using and if there was a certain retrieve that caught them fish.

[AfternoonFisher]

Learning how to fish bass, and specifically targeting the big ones are two different things. But, I'd say that the most important lures for any new fisherman or fisherwoman to learn are the worm, the jig and the spinnerbait. I would start smaller sizes in all of them, as it will likely keep you setting more hooks and get you the practice you need. That would be around 1/4 oz for each. Experiment with the different things you can do with each. A worm can be rigged Texas, Carolina, Wacky, Drop Shot, Split Shot, on a Jig, and many more techniques. You're right with starting out with the Texas Rig. Try some Yamamoto Senkos with that, and you should be setting some hooks. If you really want some big ones, I'd say fish at dusk. Anything big and black with a slow steady retrieve works here.
_________________
PB LMB: 4lb 13oz
PB Pickeral: 6lb 8oz

[lawngrrl]

Heh, maybe I should amend my expectations then. I guess first, I'd just like to catch more bass. I've only caught them using bait because that's the easiest way to fish. The one I caught in my photo was just beginner's luck on a super cheap swimming shad lure. I do have a jig, I tried it out a little bit to get the feel of it but I'm not sure I was using it right at all so I need to do a little more looking into that one. I did a Texas rig with some stuff we already had, 3/16 oz bullet weight on 15 lb test with some cheap looking worm-- incredibly easy to do and I was thrilled it was semi weedless/weedless and I got some nibbles on it but no dice. I wasn't sure I was doing anything right with that one either but I gotta say, it did look really good and lifelike coming through the water, maybe they just didn't like my crappy worm.

[Michael]

When you feel nibbles on the worm, let it sit there to let them play with it for a bit before giving it 1 or 2 small twitches

[avidangler]

[Michael]