I am new to bass fishing and have been doing lots of research. I've watched YouTube videos, read books, and talked to locals about a good way to start catching bass. I've tried most of them yet still am not catching bass.

I fish from the bank in water with maybe a foot or 2 of visibility on a good day. I have 2 rods, a 6' medium spinning rod, and a 6'6 medium heavy baitcaster. I want to get 2 lures or rigs and stick with them till I feel I am as close to mastering them as I can. I lack the patience most of the time for senkos so what two should I pick up and stick with? Thanks, Christian

If your only goal is to catch some fish get a few In-line spinners size 4, a few mini whacker spinnerbaits, a few beetle spins, some EWG hooks and 4" stickbaits ( senkos, french fries, dingers ), with those you can literally catch a few bass anywhere.

Go with a spinnerbait or a shallow diving crankbait. The spinnerbait works best when there is some chop in the water or during overcast conditions, the crank will work most any time.

Oh and try a zoom super fluke jr. in white, with a 1/0 EWG Gammy. Go with 8 pound test mono and use it with a slow retrieve, jerking it once or twice every 10 seconds and letting it sink. You'll start putting fish in the boat.

When I started to get back into fishing square bills where my best friend

3/8 oz spinnerbait and a 1/4 oz black/blue jig with a paca chunk trailer. For the jig you'll have to lock down your drag to set the hook on long casts then loosen it up to play the fish.

Though a spinnerbait is highly effective, for a beginner I'd go with a senko or a fluke and just throw that around exclusively.. learn some patience working the bait

esp now that were in summer

If your only goal is to catch some fish get a few In-line spinners size 4, a few mini whacker spinnerbaits, a few beetle spins, some EWG hooks and 4" stickbaits ( senkos, french fries, dingers ), with those you can literally catch a few bass anywhere.

I agree with inline spinners, pick up some ribbon tails like culprit makes they work great for beginners because they catch fish even when fished "wrong".

"Just Getting Started"
Guaranteed To Catch Bass
I just cant catch bass
Learning to fish on your own
 

When I started to get back into fishing square bills where my best friend

^^^This.

 

Just cast it out, and crank it in. Change up the speed and cadence. It usually doesn't require a whole lot of patience. And the only skill it requires is figuring out where the fish are, and how fast/slow they want it.

Buzz baits are also a very good bait to start on. Fairly easy to use and is a blast to catch fish on.

Just get some Senko's and that will get you started fish them wacky or T-rig then! If you can't catch bass on that take up Golf!

You are receiving great tips from everyone. My question is are you fishing in the ideal time of the day to maximize your fishing experince? I am not familiar with NC but I know down here in South FL, right now the summer is pretty hot and humid. You can throw all the baits mentioned above, but if the time of day, and locations are not right you will be very disappointed. Read over what RW recommended if you haven't done so already to give you a solid baseline to start with. Good luck!! 

Thanks for all the great tips guys! I've rigged up some senkos, spinnerbaits, and square bills and am just going to try all your advice until something works!

If you are beginning fishing and from the bank, I would at first stay away from lures with treble hooks and even spinnerbaits. I would only cast Texas rigged soft plastics, split shot soft plastics, and weightless Texas rigged soft plastics. Great thing about the Texas rig is that it's weedless and you have a good chance of not getting it snagged, unlike crank baits. And, soft plastics are mostly cheap and affordable.

First fish in the early mornings or evenings.

Next your best purchase you can make if there is no topo maps available is a hummingbird portable cast out fish finder. I use it to learn the bottom structure and where the droppoffs, flats, holes. This tells me what to use where.

What lures?

Get a 6" creme black rubber worm on a split shot rig.

Cast it out and as it falls watch the line for right or left movement on its own

When in doubt set the hook. Let it sit, in a few minutes move it a few inches and let it sit again. Repeat till you need to cast it out again. The strike as you move it feels like you bumped a log. If you miss it cast again and set the hook the second you feel something.

Topwater,

Rebel pop r in blue

Rapala orginal floater in blue size f7

Check out the ned rig - ned kehde's blog at in-fisherman - guarantee you will catch fish - maybe more than more experienced anglers. It doesn't require anything other than inexpensive light to med spinning outfit, a handful of jigheads and some cut down stick baits. That's the rig I start children/and beginners out with - it is fool proof. It has saved many a day whilst I was guiding.

I used to recommend the senko but now the bite around here has died down tremendously on them. My next recc would be some sort of swimming fluke or paddle tailed swimbait based on success.

Soft craw on a rage rig. It's a weighted keel hook. Pretty snag less and a really good producer

Lip-less cranks (rat-l- traps) are easy to fish.