how to fish

[coolguy147]

well my cousins come every fourth of july and they bring there nice bass boat and we go fishing on my lake every year.

cuz caught 5 fish... i got a 1 1pound bass. i had like three hits that day missed em and i missed the monster fish for the day. porbably 4-5 pounds really. i had it on top of the water then it like spat out the hook and lure.

using worms the whole day. some black some red i dont know whether it makes a difference. probably about 8-10 inches long. he said that i never set the hook right? i mean like does like a 180 with the rod and it sometiems swings the whole lure out the water and aroudn the boat

i likes his rods and reels. they go pretty far out. mine r not so much. maybe 10-15 feet... his goes like possible 2-3 times as much and its smooth and i liked it alot. he said it costs a lot of money. i said get me a fishing pole like that at christmas

he has a i guess a good size hook and a weight at the top that u slip on.

 

[Shizzy]

Re: how to fish

with those topwaters you need to give the bass a second after they hit it before you set the hook. I lost many Largemouths on my Frog before someone told me.

with the worm, if you feel that "tink tink" dont think about it. give it a slow pull and if there is resistance give it a good tug.

 

[coolguy147]

Re: how to fish

omg i missed another fish yesterday right after i posted this!!!! well i went to the diving platform and just sat there i was just about to go in then my fishing pole wouldnt close by turning the reel. i got bored and just turning it. maybe for like a minute or less. the i just closed it by hand. then starting reeling in slowly then all of a sudden my pull jerked foward i was like oh boy i got one. i pulled back then started really in as fast as i could. the fishing came up to the surface. pretty decent size. then it like spat out the lure i guess. i lost another fish... i was using a worm

 

[coolguy147]

Re: how to fish

with those topwaters you need to give the bass a second after they hit it before you set the hook. I lost many Largemouths on my Frog before someone told me.

with the worm, if you feel that "tink tink" dont think about it. give it a slow pull and if there is resistance give it a good tug.

i remember that tink tink cause i caught the one pounder that way from the foruth.

 

[gonefishie]

Re: how to fish

OMG this guy needs to be save! No offense but it's apparent that you're very clueless about fishing and you got a lake. Quickly get in your car and drive to the nearest Bass Pro Shop and spend at least a week there. Seriously, buy yourself some instructional videos that illustrate the fundementals and then move up to more advance techniques when you're ready. You're in Fl, there are countless bass clubs there, JOIN ONE! Invite the guys over for beer and lessons.

 

[quackaddict1]

Re: how to fish

Topwater bass and worms are the hardest types of fishing to get lots of good hooksets. The plastic worms inhibit good hooksets and as was said earlier topwater requires you to wait a second to get em. When you set the hook on a bass give em hell, I use a 6.5ft baitcasting rod in medium heavy action for most of my fishing and I absolutely look to rip the lips off of every fish when i set the hook.

IF your using a topwater rig (popper,skitter, whatever) wait two seconds then hammer em.

 

[scipper77]

Re: how to fish

I could write a book on how to catch bass (couldn't we all) but as a beginner let me hit a few points.

1) It's pretty easy to set the hook with a proper Texas rig.
2) Try a spinning rod if you need distance. Bait casters are good for pitching and flipping and trolling, but you can get a pretty mean backlash trying to cast too hard. It's an acquired skill.
3) Treble hooks are your friend and enemy. Frogs are the best option for thick vegetation but something with treble hooks like a rebel popper will practically set the hook for you, of course now you will snag on every weed so there is a tradeoff.

 

[coolguy147]

Re: how to fish

wish i had a camera...

ya i got a spinning rod right now

ive been doing a texas rig on my worm except i go weedless and dont let the hook puncter the worm.

ya i cleaned up my rod the loops and holes the line goes through had some corrosion on them so i took sand paper and a file cleaned it up.

now i get some more distance i might get like 23-28ft now. i just dont understand how my cuz so far must be his rod. i must invest when i get the money.

maybe i shouldnt go weedless?

gonefishie im under age lol only 14 and dont feel like having a guy over to show me what i already know i just dont have experience

 

[jakebrake]

Re: how to fish

i agree with scipper. also make sure your hooks are sharp. practice a hookset. remember to pull the rod tip up, not back. practice your casting! what sort of equipment are you working with?

a little pointer if it's a spinning reel when you cast, reach up a close the bail by hand. when you crank the handle to close, you add 1/4 line twist to the line. it may not sound like a big deal, but that huge clupm of line that gets stuck in your first guide, snapping the line and sending your terminal tackle to parts unknow is probably being caused by this.

distance casting isn't the holy grail. accuracy is. learn it live it love it.

learn how structure works....

aw hell, just watch an outdoor network on sat and sunday morinings

 

[coolguy147]

Re: how to fish

i agree with scipper. also make sure your hooks are sharp. practice a hookset. remember to pull the rod tip up, not back. practice your casting! what sort of equipment are you working with?

a little pointer if it's a spinning reel when you cast, reach up a close the bail by hand. when you crank the handle to close, you add 1/4 line twist to the line. it may not sound like a big deal, but that huge clupm of line that gets stuck in your first guide, snapping the line and sending your terminal tackle to parts unknow is probably being caused by this.

distance casting isn't the holy grail. accuracy is. learn it live it love it.

learn how structure works....

aw hell, just watch an outdoor network on sat and sunday morinings

ya i guess accuracy is a big deal my cuz kept complaining cause he couldnt get the pole where he wanted to

would a heavier line im using 20pound line be a reason y i cant get far. my cuz was green and thinner and i guess lighter

im good at casting cause i always have to do it cause i cant catch anything. i think sometimes it just might be i never get any bites.

 

[scipper77]

Re: how to fish

20 lb mono will not cast well at all. If you need strong line try 20lb braided. I personally would recommend 10lb fireline. Either option will give you longer casts. Also if you want to cast far get yourself a rattletrap. It's a lipless crankbait that cast a mile. Just cast far and retrieve fast with this thing. There's really no technique to this lure and it produces fairly well here in NY.

Back on the subject of line, up here in NY we have big pike with sharp teeth. If I can get those in with 10 lb fireline then there is no reason why you couldn't use it on those giant Florida Largemouths.

Coolguy, I wish you lived near me. I'd love to take you out fishing, seeing a young guy with your kind of enthusiasm to learn to fish makes my day.

Remember, all you need to be a good fishing partner is to truly love to fish. That's it in my book.

 

[coolguy147]

Re: how to fish

20 lb mono will not cast well at all. If you need strong line try 20lb braided. I personally would recommend 10lb fireline. Either option will give you longer casts. Also if you want to cast far get yourself a rattletrap. It's a lipless crankbait that cast a mile. Just cast far and retrieve fast with this thing. There's really no technique to this lure and it produces fairly well here in NY.

Back on the subject of line, up here in NY we have big pike with sharp teeth. If I can get those in with 10 lb fireline then there is no reason why you couldn't use it on those giant Florida Largemouths.

Coolguy, I wish you lived near me. I'd love to take you out fishing, seeing a young guy with your kind of enthusiasm to learn to fish makes my day.

Remember, all you need to be a good fishing partner is to truly love to fish. That's it in my book.

ya i got my sisters boyfriend hes a pretty cool guy lol coolguy147. he pretty good at fishing.

i dont want to cast to far. just my distance is too darn short im good with the worm and hook right now. ya i think its the line its kinda too thick i guess

 

[Shizzy]

Re: how to fish

the line makes a huge difference. I can even tell the difference between 6lb and 8lb line when casting. you need to match the line with the lure. Thats how its so easy to end up with 10 or so rods in your boat. I usually have these three in my boat at all times.

UL spinning rod with 4lb mono (for bobber fishing or small jigs)

Medium spinning rod with 8lb mono for worms, small spinners and some of my top waters.

med/heavy baitcasting with 50# braid for spinner baits and crankbaits.

In reality I could have 5 more rods with different line types and weight, but I found this works for me.

 

[gonefishie]

Re: how to fish

gonefishie im under age lol only 14 and dont feel like having a guy over to show me what i already know i just dont have experience

Sorry, I was under the impression that you're older.

 

[crxess]

Re: how to fish

Going weedless is smart. More time fishing and less time fighting snags.

Pick up a pack of laser hooks, maybe 1/0. they are sharp out of the pack.

When you set up your rig punch through the worm and just catch the hook tip back into the surface of the worm. When a fish hits it will pop out and make it easier to set. Still works great for running weeds, logs, rocks, etc.

At 56 years, I just started learning to fresh water fish. I do land several fish on most trips out, even with the dis-advantage of a fast moving river and tons of rocks to hang. Got (2) nice smallies yesterday.

Be patient and enjoy nature.

 

[flydown]

Re: how to fish

Coolguy, as a rule, 20 pound line is too heavy for a the average spinning real. If you have a real that is large enough for 20 pound line, it would be hard to cast a worm with the typical worm weight. Are you using a weight with your worm? This post is about to get long, so settle in for it.

First get a smaller line, maybe 10-12 pound Stren XL and make sure you get it on your reel smoothly. As you are filling your reel, hold a little tension on the spool so that it goes onto the reel smoothly. If you are fishing a worm by bouncing it off the bottom, the line will end up getting twisted on the reel. Before each fishing trip, try this, hook the end of the line onto something stationary and open your bail. Holding onto your rod, walk away slowly pulling out all of your line, keeping it straight but keep it tied to the spool on the reel. After you get all the line pulled out, start walking toward the object that it is attached to and reeling at the same time. Keep a little tension on the line as you reel and it will get on the spool smoothly. With this, you should be able to get more casting distance from the rig that you have.

To fish a texas rigged worm.
After getting the line onto the reel smoothly, get some worm weights in various weights. ( Worm weights are the small cone shaped weights) If you are fishing shallow water, use a lighter weight and a heavier weight for deeper water.
Slide the weight onto the line with the pointed end toward the rod tip and then tie on the hook. Put the worm on the hook and pull the point all the way through and then tuck just the tip just under the surface of the worm.
When you feel the tick tick of the bite, point the rod tip toward the fish and reel out all the slack. Next, lift the rod tip quickly as far and fast as you can without falling over backward. Hopefully at some point in the lift, your rod tip will bow and you will feel the fish on your line.

When you are fishing a top water lure. Don't set the hook when you see or hear the fish take the bait. Wait until you feel the fish pulling and then set the hook with a quick, short snap with the rod tip.

Two things that I forgot to mention.
Don't overfill the spool on your reel and always make sure you use sharp hooks.

I hope some of this will help you catch more fish.
I also recomend using some spinnerbaits and crank baits.
Remember, if what you are doing is not working, change up and do something a little different.

Change colors
Change retrieve speeds
Change weight

 

[lowkee]

Re: how to fish

... using worms the whole day...
... his rods and reels. they go pretty far out. mine r not so much...

Casting distance all depends on three things:
- How quickly you cast
- Where your rod is aimed as you cast (it should always to pointing exactly where the lure is currently)
- How heavy the lure it (add some weights to it if you need more distance)

Adding a heavier lure will get your casts much further out, but also require you to reel in faster, which isn't always a bad thing as some bass will only latch on if the lure is at cruising speed.

If the rod and reel you are using is a hand-me-down, save your pennies for one of your own. It doesn't have to cost hundreds of dollars. Use the rod and reel you are comfortable with. I use a $10 reel I found at Walmart years ago and wouldn't use anything else. I only wish I bought 15 of them, so I never have to switch. Fishing isn't about who spends the most, it's about what works *for you* to catch fish. Good fishermen could care less about looking cool to their friends or strangers, they care about catching fish. I've had some friends laugh at me when I pull out these ridiculous looking rubber worms (they look like preschool toys), yet they are begging to try one 10-12 bass later.

As for keeping a fish on, don't yank the rod, just pull back enough to bend the tip. If you have a fish on, you will keep it on 90% of the time so long as you keep that tip bent the entire time. The other 10% of the time, you just have a fish which swims faster than you reel, which happens.

If you find you aren't catching any bass and other people are, switch to something similar to what they are using. You arne't being a 'lame wannabe' or anything, they just happened to pick the popular lure of the day. As a rule, if I am having issues catching a bass, I switch between a worm and a spinner bait and just vary colors until one hits, as they always do. I consider those two lure types the easy way to never go home without a catch.

One last thing to keep in mind when out there on the lake, where you cast and how fast/slow you reel in a lure has more to do with catching a fish than anything else. Don't cast where it is easy, cast where it is difficult, as the fish will be hiding where a lure barely fits. Last thing, don't vary your reeling speeds. The lure should have the same speed from the second it hits the water to the second it gets out. Some people jerk the line to pretend a bug is twitching, that is your choice and sometimes helps depending on the lure.

Good luck and practice your cast and reeling. Those two things will make or break your fishing experience. I've fished all my life and I was likely 23 years old by the time I finally got my cast and reeling down to a science. Have patience and have fun.

 

[Shizzy]

Re: how to fish

one more thing that will improve your game by leaps and bounds is to keep a journal.

I just have an old notebook I write in each time I go out. I write down the date and time, air and water temp, wind speed and direction, barometric pressure, clouds, lake, what lures I threw and success/failure. it doesnt have to be complicated, just the basics about the day you had. Its amazing the info you can forget unless you write it down.

this info comes in handy at the same time next year. you can flip the notebook open and see what did or didnt work.

 

[coolguy147]

Re: how to fish

ya thanks for the advice guys. again i need to get out more with more exp

i think ill keep my rod and reel there still good. rod is hamy down reel got out of trash can. ill look into getting 10-12 pound line

 

[tntpoof]

Re: how to fish

STOP Do not go to bass pro and spend a week there.Search the web since you have a computer. You do not need to spend a weeks pay on a fishing reel and pole. a simple Zebco 33 will do like $30 at most any Kmart or Wallmart.. Get yourself online look for fishing technics video many many sites have them for free your hook set is a Major issue from ready point to end of sweep is on 1 foot the tip of the pole will move 6-8 feet also that allows for mono stretch. buy your self some 3 1/2 tube baits with these weights in hooks wide gape 1/4oz 1/2oz 3/4 oz I hold the Michigan state record for small mouth bass so I know what I am talking about also change the line on the zebco setup go with Berkly Big Game 8- 12 lb test tops also get a water chart of your Lake and fish point breaks and drops also the weed edges Have a Good 1 TnTPoof tear apart your reel and lube it with a Good reel lube after you clean it with some carb cleaner on a tooth brush.. then lube that reel wipe off all excess lube mono dont like oil on it eats it up..