hello i am kindo of new to bass fishing. i took it up as a hobby on the weekends as a kind of "relaxation" typle of deal, away from my corporate job, but caught a good 3-4 pounder and got hooked, now i'm out there every weekend, but just not cathing much or anything at all regularly

i don't have a boat but i fish in 2 spots so far 1 being a big boat dock we have in Beaver lake, AR. and 2 being a much smaller stock lake/pond by where i live off of a dock they made. but i have only caught about 5 fish total in about 3 to 4 weekends. all the fish i have caught have been off watermelon/red flake wave worms/tiki stick at dusk. i have gotton strikes off poppers, but that is about it. people keep telling me they have caught monsters in the stock lake that i have been fishing but i really don't catch anything at all

the majority of the time i only fish in the middle of the day cuz that is the only time i have. several times  i have fished into dusk/night and at that time is the only success i have had, i know the fish are there, but i just don't seem to be able to catch them, i fish for 4-6 hours at a time and i'm just not productive at all, i am very patient with the soft plastics. i throw t-rigged wave worms, spinner baits, crank baits, buzz baits, and poppers.

what can i do to help me be more productive? especially in the stocked lake (which i fish more), i see fish jumping every where, shad being chased and coraled (sp?) and all the signs of activity i just don't seem to catch anything

Fishing early mornings, and dusk are my favorite times to fish. Middle of the day is typically a very slow time, although you can still catch fish.. Try and get there early morning or dusk, if not some people will have suggestions here what to throw during the day..

Senkos, SuperFlukes, DropShotting maybe, or topwaters are always fun in the summer. In general, especially this summer, it's very hot, and bass are a bit more sluggish especially during the hottest hours.

Hope that helps a bit, there's great advice here.

WELCOME!

Hopefully someone can suggest good daytime stuff, I never fish the hottest times of the day so I can't help there.

Goodluck!

Since discovering the Kinami Palm Tree, it is my go to bait for whenever bass are keying on shad.  Pick up a bag and fish it like you do those tiki sticks, nice and slow.  Also, be sure you are watching your line.  Often times on tiki sticks or many other baits you dont feel the strike, you see it first.  You could be missing many fish and not knowing.  Also, focus on late/early in the day if you can... thats the way to go most of the time.

It has been a long time since I last fished Beaver Lake but as I recall that lake is fairly clear. I would suggest smaller line diameters and fishing shade. The bass tend to lay up in shady areas to make themselves less visable to the forage species they feed upon. When you're fishing those docks, try getting your lure under or on the shady side of them or any other cover you're fishing. I fish from a boat but long ago discovered that I catch many more fish from shady areas than in direct sunlight. That is not to say that you won't catch any in the sun, but I think it improves my odds. Remember also that objects under the water also have a shady side. If the only time you have available to fish is mid-day, make the best of it.

First of all welcome to BassResource. You have come to the right place to increase your knowledge and abilities.

When I first joined this site I was much like you. I need more knowledge so I could catch more fish more often. I read the boards and got confused by all the technical verbiage and I got frustrated. Then Glenn suggests that I start from the very beginning. He told me to check out the stuff he had for Beginners in the Fishing Articles section at the top of the forums. I couldn't believe that he was telling me this. I had been bass fishing for most of my life and I was past the beginner's knowledge. So I reluctantly started reading. I will tell you that was the best thing I have done. I still read that section at the beginning of each year. It is a jump start for me and I know it will help you and anyone else needing to learn more about bass fishing.

Welcome aboard!

http://bassresource.com/beginner/beginner.html

Stick around here and you will be catching a few bass in no time.

WELCOME ABOARD!!!!!

You will do well reading all the info on this site and the guys and gals here are good at answering your questions good luck.