Hey Everyone,

I'm not new to fishing but I just started bass fishing. I fished a bit last summer but not much luck. I live in Colorado and even though it is not known as bass country, I take what I can get. There are plenty of little lakes and ponds that hold bass for me to learn on and that's where your tips come in. I've read many books, seen many videos but am still unclear about soft plastics retrieval techniques, such as rod position and retrieval speed. When you guys say twitch here and there, how much do I move the rod? I know it's a lot of questions and maybe I wasn't specific enough but any tips are greatly appreciated to get me started in this great sport.

Welcome to the forums!

When Im fishing worms, I keep it simple.

1. Start with your rod at the 2 o'clock

2. Move the rod up to about 12:30. Should be able to get in 1 mississippi while moving the rod up

3. Drop back down to 2

4. Wait about 5 seconds after the worm hits the bottom and then repeat.

A lot of times bass will hit the worm on the fall so when you put the rod back down, reel up a little of the slack line to feel the fish better. As for twitching, just means quick little movements with you rod to make the worm jolt a little bit. Watch for your line making any kind of jump or moving off. If you start to move the rod up and feel some extra weight, set the hook. Hooksets are free and soon you will learn the difference between a bass and some weeds.

Try finding some weeds and fish the worm parallel to it right along the edge.

And be patient. Fishing a worm is not something to rush.

Ask away. We're all happy to help. Also read some of the articles we got here.

Good luck!

Thanks for the quick replies and great tips scorcher. I will take all of your tips and make sure to put them to use next time out. I do have more questions if I may. When fishing worms do you guys keep the line really tight or is there a bit of a bow in the line and from all the previous reading I have done they all say to be super quick because the bass picks up the bait and spits it out before you even know it. Do I need to be that quick or does the fish hold on to the bait at least long enough for me to know it's there? I mean the last thing I wanna do is gut hook fish if I have to have lightning quick reflexes to hook them properly. Thank again and tight lines.

Ya bass will pick it up rather quickly, usually a quick tap. Guy used to post on here used the 3 tap system

1st tap - bass picking up the worm

2nd tap - bass dropping the worm

3rd tap - Me tapping you on the shoulder asking why you didn't set the hook

As for the line, you never want slack line fishing worms or jigs. Keep it taught so you can feel the bite. I also use scent and think it helps bass hold on longer as well as helping attract fish. Specifically megastrike. Easy to apply and not terrible smelling either,

Ya bass will pick it up rather quickly, usually a quick tap. Guy used to post on here used the 3 tap system

1st tap - bass picking up the worm

2nd tap - bass dropping the worm

3rd tap - Me tapping you on the shoulder asking why you didn't set the hook

As for the line, you never want slack line fishing worms or jigs. Keep it taught so you can feel the bite. I also use scent and think it helps bass hold on longer as well as helping attract fish. Specifically megastrike. Easy to apply and not terrible smelling either,

LMAO...thats great I've never heard about the 3 tap system...its so true though, the past couple seasons I really started practicing setting the hook on the first hint of a fish & my hook up rate went up a good 20%-50%

That 3 tap system sounds great I will keep that in mind. Thanks all for your great replies. I'm sure I will have lots more questions to come as I think of them.

That is what this forum is all about.

If you think about it, next time you post, give us specific info on the equiptment you are using as well, ie baits, weights, rods etc..., we can get a little deeper and give you more detailed advise on what we can help you with also.

Good luck and be safe !!!

Dont feel bad im in the same exact spot as you are in. Ive fished for years without luck so im going back to the basics also. Lucky for me im in a bass hotspot but i still have a lot to learn.

Hey Rookie...What part of Colorado are you in? I'm in the Denver area if you want to PM me I might be able to help you out. Colorado might not be a bass hot spot but there are plenty to be had around here. My first advice to you would be to stay away from the higher pressured State park lakes and concentrate on smaller neighborhood ponds. Pretty much any small ponds you see while driving around will hold bass. They don't see nearly as much pressure and are great places to learn. Some buddies and I were even able to pull some through the ice on the smaller waters this year.

CoBass, I also live in Denver and I agree with you on not fishing larger waters. I tend to fish smaller ponds as well. Started fishing for bass last year and had a bit of success but it was a hit and miss type of thing and I think it may have been my technique or something. I have heard so many good things about senkos and senko style baits but I have yet to catch anything on one. Is this a good beginner bait to try or am I moving too fast with trying this style of fishing? Would maybe spinners be a better choice for beginners? As always, any help is greatly appreciated.

Senko style baits are a really good beginner bait. The biggest problem most people have at first is fishing them too fast, especially at this time of year. Most of the local waters are just now thawing out and some still have ice on them. Water temps are still in the low 40's and the bass are pretty lethargic. If the water you are fishing is clear, use natural colors (green pumpkin,watermelon), if the water is stained, use darker colors (junebug,black). I prefer fishing them weightless and Texas rigged. With the water as cold as it is, throw it out, let it sink to the bottom and let it sit for 30 seconds or so. Drag it a few feet with maybe a small hop and let it sit again. In the summer when the water warms up you can speed that process up but right now with the cold water temps, slow is the key.

The one good thing about bass fishing in Colorado is that not a lot of people do it. There's a lot more folks out there targeting trout and walleye so the bass aren't nearly as pressured as they are in other states. Another thing to remember is that we have northern strain bass here. They don't grow as big or fast as the Florida strain bass but they do tend to be more aggressive and a little easier to catch. Experience will be your best teacher, so don't get frustrated. Keep at it and keep trying different techniques and before you know it you will be catching more and more fish every time you go out.

On a side note, I think you have to have a certain number of posts (10 or 20) before you can send or receive PM's on this site. When you get there PM me and I can give you more info on the local bass scene.