Need help

[Bassinsince98]

I've been fishing high school tournaments for 6 months and I've not caught any keeper fish. I've never fished much before this and I don't know how to catch fish like everyone else on the team. I just need to know how to catch fish. I'm needing to know this because I'm just wondering if it's worth the time or money anymore. Can anyone help

[Castin_A_Jig]

Hey buddy keep your head up. But it does help when you have someone to kinda teach you the ropes. Do you have a coach for your team? What lakes do you fish? What high school so you fish for?

[kevinb2035]

Check out wired2fish.com and bassresource.com. they have good articles on them. Also, check out stuff on YouTube from the pros like kvd, ike, or any of them. There is a ton of info out there if you look

[Jtmeador21]

keep your line wet. dont give up. i started just like you knowing nothing about fishing had to teach myself a lot. watch the pros but dont stop there practice what they tell you dont get hung up on high dollar baits they try to sell u though lol cheaper ones work to. be careful and have fun you will catch one. if you live close to barren your welcome to go with me i dotn know a whole lot but well find a few fish

[stripernut1]

First off, congratulations for asking for help and not just giving up....proud of you for that. Secondly, go to the nearest reputable sporting goods store and politely ask if they can out you in touch with someone who might be willi.g to let you tag along on bass fishing trips.....if you do find someone keep your eyes and ears open, ask questions, if your new partner doesnt have time to answer your questions.....get a NEW partner. Also, if you ever fish cumberland pm me, i will help you anyway i can....

[JUSTINHALL]

Bass fishing can be very discouraging but can also be very rewarding and when you throw in the tournament factor that multiplies by 10 plus. Until you are a pro and have to make a living at catching that big fish and it makes a difference whether you can feed your family or make it to the next tournament you have to get out of the tournament mind set. You fish because it is fun not because you can win a tournament. So just focus on fishing for fun even when you are in a tournament. Getting all stressed out because you have not caught a fish for the live well only makes it harder to catch the next fish to put in there. Just relax and fish as if it was fun and you may be surprised at how many more keepers you do catch.
Outside of that it really helps if you fish with someone that is willing to show you the ropes so to say. Many different guys will be more than willing to show you everything since you are in high school and wanting to learn. Stop in your local bait stores and talk to people and ask around. If not, just keep fishing and you will stumble upon the right person that will teach you a lot. The days you learn the most may not be the day you caught the most fish though. Just because you didn't catch a fish doesn't mean you weren't doing the right thing, some days are tough and can get aggravating, just keep at it and I promise you it gets more fun.
I am in the Cumberland area and more than willing to show you everything, I mostly striper fish on Cumberland but I have bass fished all my life. I will even make a drive and take you fishing if you want just PM me if interested.

[elnutsmalljaws]

Study and learn about the BAIT, not the fish. The more you learn about the BAIT and the seasonal patterns of the bait the easier it will be to eliminate non-productive water. Dave Stewart once asked me had I rather fish where 85% of the fish are or 15%? The 85% will be following the bait. Remember the KISS theory, Keep It Simple Stupid. Don't get caught up in trying to learn to fish every new bait or technique that comes out. Maybe pick a few and learn them first. Jig, Crankbait, Spinnerbait, Carolina Rig and Texas Rig you could probably get away with 90% of the time. Learn these inside and out fishing around the 85% and guarantee you will catch more keepers. Determine what type of lake you are fishing, deep clear like Cumberland, Laurel, Dale; shallow more stained river system lakes like, Ky, Barkley, Rough, Nolin or somewhere in the middle like Green or Barren. Then determine main source of Bait for that lake. Eliminate water based on the seasonal pattern of the bait. Fish where the 85% with a technique that you have confidence in and weigh in limits. Good Luck

[hairball]

NEVER stop asking questions. It's entirely possible that you could go fishing 10 times and catch them on 10 different patterns. If someone told you each time what bait to use, what color, where to fish, how deep and how to work the baits, you might catch fish every time but what do you know? Absolutely nothing! As with so many other things, the most important question is WHY. Until you understand WHY that bass hit your crankbait as it sped along the edge of that coontail or WHY you couldn't get bit on that jerkbait until you slowed it down and paused it longer, you don't really know anything. When you understand why you're doing what you're doing, then you have something to work with - something you can use to start putting patterns together for yourself.

[roadrunner]

The hard part is not catching the fish but finding the fish, just like elnutsmalljaw said find the bait and you will find the fish. I would start fishing shallow as the are the easiest fish to catch if not successful then start going deeper. One of the hardest things to do when you are fishing especially if your partner is catching fish is to slow down it is easy to fish to fast. when I am having trouble catching fish I switch to smaller baits and slow down the bait especially on water that sees a lot of fishing pressure.

Also look for visible cover to fish such as trees in the water weeds boat docks. If you find a few fish try and find the same water depth and cover in other parts of the lake and try those spots. For instance if you find some fish shallow on wood cover look for other wood cover that is shallow. when you catch a fish try and figure out why was this fish here was he in weeds, stumps, brush was i fishing on bottom with little bait movement or was I off the bottom with bait moving at a slow, moderate or fast retrieve.

good luck and use your head think what you are doing.

[Bassinsince98]

Firstly I'd like to say thank you for the advice it really means a lot to me. I've fished tournaments at big places like barren and cumberland and small places like woods creek and lake linville. I guess my main issues are the "tournament mentality" and probably changing baits too often. I do love fishing and won't be giving it up altogether but the tournaments for my team are surprisingly competitive and can leave me a bit disappointed. My next tournament is at Dale Hollow and I'm hoping to catch my first smallie there but I know there are somethings different about how to catch them any advice would be much appreciated. I am very thankful to be a part of the community and the forum. Thank you very much for your help,I'll be using your advice soon.

[elnutsmalljaws]

When is your Dale Hollow tourney, what ramp is it out of?

[Fishin is life]

Read, read, read. I'm assuming being in high school you dont have a boat and cant put in much time on the water. Read every article on the internet you can get your eyes on. Learn why bass do what they do during the different seasons. Learn why they go shallow in the spring and deep in the summer. Understand at what water temps fish move to different areas. Just like elnut said, keeping yourself around the fish is the best way to become a better fisherman. Understand why theyll chase a spinnerbait or crankbait in cooler water but wont be as likely to chase it in the dead of winter or the heat of summer. If you have access to a pond spend as much time as possible trying to hone your skills while trying different techniques. Everybody on here has given you good advice and i promise none of us that tournament fish were successful when we first started. Fishing is just like any sport, youll most likely take some knocks until it starts to click