79 replies to this topic

[NCthompson]

Has anyone here basically had to teach themselves how to fish? I have been on my friends boat a few times and my grandpa lives on the sound but my dad never liked fishing much. He was more of a sports guy, which also has helped me tremendously, but I never had any guidance on bass fishing or really any kind. I tried out fishing when i was in middle school and loved it and still do it now and im 17. I try to read a lot into bass fishing on here but the success never comes. Has anyone here ever basically had to teach themselves and gather information here and there rather than someone actually teach you?


I think me trying to teach myself is why I never catch anything.

[mdgreco191]

I taught myself, and it was hard.  I just read everything i could, asked questions, and fished a lot!

[rdneckhntr]

Well to start with READ everything you can then go out and try it. It really helps if you find some people around your age that likes to fish as much as you do and fish with them.

Im 16 and my best friend is 18(weve known eachother since we were 11 or 12) and hes pretty much the only person I fish with anymore. He's taught me a lot and Im sure I have taught him a lot of things I knew too.   I had fished since i was little but it was him who really got me into bass fishing...ive caught my PB with him there too.

[Raul]

I taught myself how to fish, my dad was most certainly not the "outdoorsy" kind of guy, my grandfather was a rancher but knew squat about fishing ( even though I learn from him how to saddle a horse & milk a cow ) my maternal grandfather was an asphalt rat ( city guy ) and the closest he had ever been to a fish was when he ate fish bought in the market.

Thankfully, thanks to the Internet and people like Glenn we have places like this one where you can find everything that has to do with bass fishing in the home section ( tons of articles ) and if you need help then there 's the forums. Read first there, then come and ask questions here, somebody always has the answer.

[bubbler]

the story of my life.
my dad dosn,t like fishing no one will teach me so im left to teach my self.
I read every thin i could find and have little success. however i found a friend that loved fishing and his whole family loved it.
so I went with them and cought 12 my first time out with them.

my advice to uo is to find someone on this site or at school that likes fishing and basicaly pick their brain for every thing they know.
go fishing with them and study the sport well and you will soon be successful.

if you dodn't have a boat find someon who has one. Im only 13 and same with my friend. FIND A FISHING PALL

hope this helps. it helped me

[wagn]

I have the same problem. I started fishing a little over a year ago, and unfortunately none of my friends fish and the few who have gone fishing with me, know less then I do. I end up being the one doing the teaching.  So i've basically had to teach myself. What's hard is that some techniques I pick up on quickly, like Senko fishing, or walking the dog with stickbaits, and I know i'm doing them right (cause I'm catching fish of course).
However for me fishing a jig seems impossible, and no matter how much i'm reading on the forum hear I don't actually know if i'm choosing the right jig or doing the right thing with it, cause I have no one to critique me and help me learn more.
I tried joining a local bass club, and I go out and fish tournaments with a partner. Unfortunately this so far has only been somewhat helpful. I do get to see other techniques and other anglers styles, but because of the pressure of a tournament there really isn't time to try new things and pick the other anglers brain. Instead because i'm trying to compete, i still fish the same techniques that i do on my own, because I have confidence in them

[NCthompson]

The difference between you guys and me is you dont know what your doing or didnt, but you still catch bass here and there. Ive caught 3 bass. 2 on bobber and worm and a 1 pounder on spinner bait.

[AlanM85]

There is no other way to learn really, than to fish. No one else is going to hold the rod for you, and retrieve for you. One piece of advice is to not try to learn too much too fast, when you're reading about a particular technique go out and try it, learn it. When you're comfortable with it, learn another one. Also, pick a good spot to learn. A smaller, out of the way type of place where you're not having to not only learn technique, but learn where the fish are going to be.. Pond or creek, something like that where you don't lose confidence thinking there aren't any fish here or something like that.
Get a good lure, one that's simple to learn to build confidence. I'll not try to give advice on lure selection as it would just be an opinion, but if you're hearing of a lure that is super productive in your area, give it a shot. Ask a lot of questions, etc.  Good luck... and don't get discouraged.

[flukemaster]

I taught myself untill I found this website. I caught fish but only because a picked one lure or rig at a time and spent days, weeks, and months fishing with it. I asked questions where I could but I didn't have a whole lot of people I knew who fished. I was very good at trout fishing but bass fishing was a whole different world. I wish I could remember how long it took me to catch my first bass on my own knoledge I was probably at Scout Camp and throwing a spinnerbait. That was the first lure I used. You are very lucky to have the internet at your disposal. This website is the best there is for learning the art and skills needed to catch bass. Read the articles a little at a time and ask as many questions as come to your mind. We don't mind answering as many as you can throw at us. And most importantly you have to just be patient and go fishing as much as you can. It will come.

[John J.]

I taught myself. My dad and mom use to bass fish, but that was way back then. I am 18. I searched information online and luckily joined a bass fishing club in my school. My very first tournament (first time ever fishing!!) I caught 1 bass and 3 warmouths and I came in 4th place. Which wasn't bad for a first time!!

Since then I've been getting tons of 4ths a couple of 3rds and 1 second. But I just couldn't make it to 1st for some reason...

Oh well, I taught myself and I am still learning every day!  ;D

[BoroBass]

I've always had a general idea of how to fish since I learned as a kid, but I didnt do much fishing up through high school. My first year of college I got back into bass fishing with a buddy of mine who isn't exactly an expert but pointed me in the right direction.

Then I found this site, read it for a while, eventually registered, and even later started posting. I've learned TONS from BassResource and I think I've caught a lot of fish I wouldn't have if I hadn't found this site and learned what I have.

Nowhere to go but up.

[Red]

dont sweat it man, it will come, take all these guys advice....i have fished for years, but not for largemouth bass....i moved to texas and found this site....and thanks to all the great info and people here(especially avid ;D) i catch bass almost everytime i wet a hook..like they said, read, ask questions, and before you know it you will be posting a thread called "my personel best"

good luck
Cliff

[roadwarrior]

Great advice already, but I know you NEED to catch a bass.

So...

Buy a pack of 5" Senko (not knock offs) and some 4/0 EWG Gamakatsu Offset Worm Hooks. Rig them weightless and weedless (look it up). Make a long cast parallel to the bank, out from the shoreline 5-15 yards. Let the bait settle to the bottom and sit for 1 minute. Move the bait 6-12" and let it settle again for another 10 seconds. Continue moving the bait EXACTLY as I have described until you are out of the "zone." Move up ten steps and repeat. If the water you are fishing holds any bass in the general area (around the shoreline) you will catch a fish...GUARANTEED!

If the store you shop has Fat Ika, buy a bag of them, too. AFTER you have lost 5 Senkos, fish the Fat Ika on the same hooks EXACTLY the same way. After you fish 5 of the Fat Ika switch back to the Senko, but do NOT change lures in between. I want you to FOCUS on the bait you are fishing.

YOU WILL CATCH FISH if you follow my instructions explicitly...GUARANTEED!

[NCthompson]

thanks roadwarrior. I already have some fat ikas but not sure what kind of hooks to use and how to rig them. ive used them like once

[Fishing Buds]

did it myself also,  

I still mostly fish by myself, my son has been going with me more this year,

since I started fishing by myself it has been hard to fish with others now. I'm use to doing it my way. Being easy to get along with helps. I've fished with some big headed fisherman that would've turned me off to fishing if I met them first. >

But, the biggest teacher has been the wide world of the Internet ;D

Challenge yourself! You are your best competitor