Bass Fishing 101 - Introduction

by Henry Diep August 23, 2020

New to bass fishing?

Why is bass fishing on ESPN?!

It's a great sport that requires a variety of knowledge and skill that most people do not understand.

Weather, temperature, cover, and bait fish all plays a role into finding and catching these fishes.

Let's start with a little bit of bass knowledge:

Bass are generally a warm water species.
Bass like to eat and chase their prey.
Many species of bass originated from the North America (Canada, United States and Northern Mexico)
Due to popularity, they have been widely introduced around the world.
They thrive in temperature ranging from 65-75F.
They are a predatory game fish and will try to eat anything that moves.
Bass love to be around aquatic vegetation. Vegetation provides the bass with plenty of oxygen as well as a way to conceal themselves for ambushes.

Let's talk about gear and fishing setups:

If you're new to fishing. We would start you off with a spinning gear setup.

Rod: 6'6" med power rod.
Reel: 2500-3000 spinning reel.
Line: 10-12lb mono-filament or fluorocarbon line. (150yards)

What bait to use?

Now this is a tough question as many different types of baits will work for different weather, water, season, etc.

However, our Number 1 Go-To bait for beginners will have to be a plastic worm. You cant go wrong with a 6 inch black or green pumpkin straight tail worm with a size 4/0 or 5/0 hook.

This basic rig is called the Texas-rig. One of the most easiest and most versatile rig you can use to catch bass in a number of situations.

Thread the line through a bullet weight (1/4-1/2 oz. depending on how far and deep you plan to fish) Always use as light a weight as possible for your conditions.
Tie the line to the hook.
Insert the hook through the nose of the worm and out the side just a bit, pull the worm all the way through and insert back into the worm. (you should have a straight worm when done correctly.)

Texas Rigged Worm

Our favorite method of fishing this is usually a nice slow reel with a small twitch here and there. There are many methods to fishing texas-rigged worms. It all depends on what the bass wants. Start off faster and slow down to find the speed they like that day.

"How fast do worms move?" You will have to mimic that at times.

We usually plan to catch & release our bass as we do bass fishing for fun. Check out how to safely remove a hook or deep hook here. We typically like to keep our fingers as far away from the hooks as possible so we would use a hook remover. It's worth it.

Where are they?

Think like an ambush predator. You have to hide behind something, rocks, logs, vegetation are the most common areas to look. See more about Bass & Cover.

Many times when you find one, there are more near by. We love to catch & release bass but releasing a fish right away can spook the others nearby. We often use a Fishing Bucket to hold our fish until we're done with the area. It's great to keep them alive and helps with the multiple bass photos to impress your friends and family.

Bass fishing isn't always easy. When the bites get tough, that's when you need to be able to think on your feet. What type of lures would work better for these conditions? What colors? Presentation? There's always more to learn, and practice makes perfect. Fish smarter!