Welcome Broncoboxer - great post!  this is a feel good thread.  Don't hesitate to ask questions:  You know the old saying - the only stupid question is the one not asked!  

Thanks, hydrillagorilla2.  Yeah, I know the old saying well: "There are no stupid questions, just stupid people who ask questions."  

So call me stupid--how long do you guys wait before changing lures if you're not getting bites?

well, if i'm fishing a sertain area, i make sure i cover all the water well with a lure before swicthing it. (aka cast about everywhere)

then i switch to a lure simular to the first, and cover the area with that.

(like a lure that runs at the same depth, with the same action, but with different color/rattle/ext.)

if nether of the lures gets a bite, it means:

A. im not fishing it right.

B. The fish arn't in the mood for this lure type.

C. their are no fish that will take the lure.

regardless the reason, i then switch to a diferent lure type. (a deeper diver, a shallow diver, plastics, spinnerbait, ext)

and repeat.

sooner or later, if  there are fish big enough, and your fishing the lure correctly, you will get a hit.

Welcome aboard!

how long do you guys wait before changing lures if you're not getting bites?

well, if i'm fishing a sertain area, i make sure i cover all the water well with a lure before swicthing it. (aka cast about everywhere)

then i switch to a lure simular to the first, and cover the area with that.

(like a lure that runs at the same depth, with the same action, but with different color/rattle/ext.)

if nether of the lures gets a bite, it means:

A. im not fishing it right.

B. The fish arn't in the mood for this lure type.

C. their are no fish that will take the lure.

regardless the reason, i then switch to a diferent lure type. (a deeper diver, a shallow diver, plastics, spinnerbait, ext)

and repeat.

sooner or later, if there are fish big enough, and your fishing the lure correctly, you will get a hit.

Thanks for the detailed response, bucketmouth. And congrats on the recent $400 worth of tackle loot you bartered for yesterday!

Cool story Bronco.

Kind of a similar thing hit me late ( minus the father problem ). Fished on and off all my life where I grew up but had very little success. The problem didn't change where I am living now for a while. Then one day around age 43 or so I got bit by the bug. I started catching fish and have had a ball. Just like you some days even without catching fish. I Have caught more fish in one day than in my prior total lifetime. Won't be joining any tour soo though lol ( not that good and won't be). I am 100% hands down hooked on BASS fishing. Enjoy it and even better that your wife seems enjoy it as well. 95% of what I've caught so far has been from the bank so hang in there it can be done!

You hit THE most important part on the head; you had FUN. Good luck and if ever in central IL give me a shout.

I didn't get bit by the fishing bug until 39. Now I think it was actually the bait monkey that got me. I love fishing! I'd probably love it even more if I actually caught a bass!    But, even though I have only managed to catch one little 7" bass, I still enjoy being out there and trying new lures. I just bought my first spinner bait. Along with Yum frogs, a tiny torpedo and something called a zarra puppy. I'm hoping one of them will get me a fish, but it's still good to be out there watching those baits swim.

 Hang in there Bass_Rep it will come along. I started out like you late and didn't catch a lot. This time of year can be very tough depending on what area of the country you live. I don't do well when it is blazing hot. I fish almost esclusively from 1/2hr before dusk ( generaly around 8pm) till 10 or 11 pm. I catch more from 8pm til 9:30 than any other time. That is on one lake but on another lake I go to night fishing is very slow. I haven't figured that part out yet. To give you an idea of what's to come last night I fished for 2 hrs and averaged a bass every 12 minutes. None of them were huge ( all less than 1.5 lbs)and some big time fisherman would be bored with that size but I cannot get enough of catching LGM Bass!!!  I can't explain why I'm so into it much but man it is fun.

Fishing update:

Visited my parents this weekend and fished a creek behind their home. It was a small creek, probably no more than three feet at its deepest. The water was pretty brackish.

Anyway, like I said before, my dad is a live bait guy so we caught a coouple crickets and grasshoppers and then marched down to the creek.

Within seconds of putting her grasshopper-baited line in the water my wife pulled up a little bass. Then another. Then she pulled up a brim. Then a sunfish.

I caught nothing. :-?

After running out of live-bait, I rigged a plastic grub and toyed with it for a bit. Something nibbled at it a couple times but then stopped. My wife didn't have any luck with the plastic grubs, either.

All told, we only fished that creek for maybe 30 minutes. She walked away with four fish for her efforts. I walked away with a few mosquito bites.

Hey Bronc, welcome from Al.  Sounds like you're having fun and that's the bottom line.

Welcome aboard the best fishing site around!  

You have no idea what you just started. I feel bad for you...your so vunerable. Its like your a little rabbitt and you just got thrown in front of three hungry wolves. Before you know it that bait monkey will sink its jaws into you and you'll have so much stuff you'll look at all of it and be like....what the hell?? ;D ;D ;D

Good luck with fishing. It really is something else when you get that first fish topwater...or that first bass on a new lure that you've been having a hard time with.

P.S. Right this down. In no more than a year you'll think back and realize that this site taught you how to fish. Right that down or remember it. And if it happens tell me

You have no idea what you just started. I feel bad for you...your so vunerable. Its like your a little rabbitt and you just got thrown in front of three hungry wolves. Before you know it that bait monkey will sink its jaws into you and you'll have so much stuff you'll look at all of it and be like....what the hell?? ;D ;D ;D

Yeah, the bait monkey has already kicked my tail. I've spent over $300 in fishing "stuff" since I got the bug. And I'll be spending more...

Good luck with fishing. It really is something else when you get that first fish topwater...or that first bass on a new lure that you've been having a hard time with.

Thanks, I'm looking forward to it. This weekend I'll be buying Fort Bragg fishing licenses for my wife and I. Bragg has a bunch of lakes. I'm sure one of them will offer some good shore fishing.

P.S. Right this down. In no more than a year you'll think back and realize that this site taught you how to fish. Right that down or remember it. And if it happens tell me

You bet. I've already learned a ton. Now all I need to do is actually catch a fish...

Welcome aboard the best fishing site around!

No joke.  This truly is the best site around.  

I'll toast to that!

                                                 Welcome to the sight and Welcome to the sport.

 Just keep tring you will be a old hat at it soon. Its so cool that yor wife is going with you

                                                Welcome to the sight and Welcome to the sport.

Just keep tring you will be a old hat at it soon. Its so cool that yor wife is going with you

Yeah, my wife has been fishing since the time she could walk.  Literally.  The first fish she ever caught was an 18 inch trout.  She landed that when she was 18 months old.  Crazy, huh?

I caught my first fish since catching the fishing bug today!

It was a little bass (couldn't tell you if it was a small mouth or a large mouth), probably no more than a pound. Caught him with my ultralight Rapala Original Floating Minnow.

That minnow works. I watched several smaller fish follow the minnow into shore.

Anyway, I'm stoked about the fish and even more stoked that I found a small lake to fish right across from my house! I'd thought it was a private lake. But it's not. Now I have a place to fish after work.

Good stuff.

<----jealous!

Great job man, and gratz on the local fishin hole!

Get any pics?

Nah. I didn't take a pic of it.  Just before I caught it a trio of teenagers showed up and decided to go swimming.  Though I was excited about catching the fish and I truly wanted to jump up and down like a child, taking pictures of it from every angle, I restrained myself, tried to act like catching fish was old hat, a foregone conclusion, and simply pulled out the hooks and released the little guy.  

Didn't want to make a public spectacle of myself.  

Though I was excited about catching the fish and I truly wanted to jump up and down like a child, taking pictures of it from every angle, I restrained myself, tried to act like catching fish was old hat, a foregone conclusion, and simply pulled out the hooks and released the little guy.

Congrats. You've pulled off your first fishing bluff. You're really a fisherman now.

Good going nohing looks siller than a grown personn dancing around with a fish. But I know the feeling I laugh every time a catch one  ;D don't know why just do  

Caught my second fish yesterday.  And on my first cast, too!  It was midday, hot as can be, and I had just attached a Jitterbug to my line.  That's right, a topwater in the heat of the day.  I'm crazy.

So anyway, I tossed that critter just past some lillypads, started my retrieve and watched as a 1 pound bass snaked through the water and popped that Jitterbug.  He hooked himself so all I had to do was reel him in.

Lot of fun!

Tell you what though: since I'm shore fishing, I find myself throwing bait into weeds and lillypads along the bank and I keep getting snags something awful.  Guess I'm gonna have to go weedless.  Maybe some Super Flukes Texas rigged or some weedless jigs.  

What do you think?

Welcome!

Welcome!

Thanks!

Welcome bronco!

This is the best place to be if you just getting back into bass fishing.

We are ALL BASS..ALL THE TIME!!   sorry just thought that would be funny to say.(Ill try to refrain from stupid statements in the future)LMAO

Hey Bronco,

I just read your thread for the first time.  Welcome to the site and welcome to the great world of fishing!  I saw that you live in Lillington, NC.  That's about two hours away from where I live, close to Williamston.  I go to Church with a guy who has an awesome pond, several acres and full of nice bass that are pretty easy to catch.  I've caught my PB three times this year (7-5; 7-15; 8-9).  It's not unusual to go out there and catch 25 bass just messing around.  It's a great place to go and try out new lures and tactics.  If you ever feel like driving a couple of hours just PM me and I'll give you directions and we'll go catch a few.  Bring your wife too as long as she promises not to embarrase us too much!