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

[Moveon]

The only problem is that it's hard to find good information about the bait and it's life cycles on the lakes we fish.

Bait like Gizzard Shad are easy to located on KY lake with a good Depth Finder like a Lorrance or Humminbird Side Scanning device but they cost thousands of dollars and are not in the budget of most high school kids.

But you can do google searches on Gizzard Shad or Threadfin Shad or Crayfish and get an idea of their life cycles.

Bas will follow the big schools of Gizzard Shad but there are a lot of gizzard shad in most big lakes like KY lake. So you also should learn about how the lakes topography affects the bait fish and their lives. Also currents can have a huge affect on the small micro organisams that the bait fish feed on.

Light levels (day vs night and overcasts conditions vs clear sky) also have a profound affect on the microorganisams that the bait fish feed on. Most light sensitive microscopic creatures tend to swim down deeper with a bright sky condition and little waves to break up the light entering into the water. Overcast skys and windy conditions that produce the waves at the surface of the water keep light out of the water better. More light is reflected back to the sky by waves and dirty or cloudy water. Light penetration is the key to how high or how low in the water column (depth) microscopic animals inhabit in a lake.

Early morning and late evening with the sun low in the sky tends to start the migration of these microscopic animals towards the surface and high noon and clear skies in a clear water lake make these creatures dive deeper to avoid the sunlight.

The minnows and Shad will follow their food source and so will the bass follow the shad.

But bass will eat practically anything that they can get in their mouth. So they don't all just feed on Shad. They feed on small frogs, snakes, tadpoles, mayflies and a lot of other creatures.

Small mouth bass really like crayfish. Figure out where the crayfish are hanging out in big numbers and you may find some small mouth bass hanging around.


Other than having someone take you fishing with them and teaching you how to catch bass you can read a lot to learn how to large mouth bass.

In-Fisherman has many books and magazines that are devoted to how to catch various type of fish.

Don't give up and don't think that just because you entered into a few bass fishing tournaments and didn't catch a fish that fishing is too hard. Fishing should be done for fun.

If you find that you don't enjoy fishing then don't fish. You need to figure that out for yourself. I was lucky in that my father took me fishing and mentored me in the art of bass fishing at an early age. The rest I learned myself because I wanted to learn more. I developed an interest in the sport of fishing at a very early age.

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

[GeoFisher]

The only problem is that it's hard to find good information about the bait and it's life cycles on the lakes we fish.

Bait like Gizzard Shad are easy to located on KY lake with a good Depth Finder like a Lorrance or Humminbird Side Scanning device but they cost thousands of dollars and are not in the budget of most high school kids.

But you can do google searches on Gizzard Shad or Threadfin Shad or Crayfish and get an idea of their life cycles.

Bas will follow the big schools of Gizzard Shad but there are a lot of gizzard shad in most big lakes like KY lake. So you also should learn about how the lakes topography affects the bait fish and their lives. Also currents can have a huge affect on the small micro organisams that the bait fish feed on.

Light levels (day vs night and overcasts conditions vs clear sky) also have a profound affect on the microorganisams that the bait fish feed on. Most light sensitive microscopic creatures tend to swim down deeper with a bright sky condition and little waves to break up the light entering into the water. Overcast skys and windy conditions that produce the waves at the surface of the water keep light out of the water better. More light is reflected back to the sky by waves and dirty or cloudy water. Light penetration is the key to how high or how low in the water column (depth) microscopic animals inhabit in a lake.

Early morning and late evening with the sun low in the sky tends to start the migration of these microscopic animals towards the surface and high noon and clear skies in a clear water lake make these creatures dive deeper to avoid the sunlight.

The minnows and Shad will follow their food source and so will the bass follow the shad.

But bass will eat practically anything that they can get in their mouth. So they don't all just feed on Shad. They feed on small frogs, snakes, tadpoles, mayflies and a lot of other creatures.

Small mouth bass really like crayfish. Figure out where the crayfish are hanging out in big numbers and you may find some small mouth bass hanging around.


Other than having someone take you fishing with them and teaching you how to catch bass you can read a lot to learn how to large mouth bass.

In-Fisherman has many books and magazines that are devoted to how to catch various type of fish.

Don't give up and don't think that just because you entered into a few bass fishing tournaments and didn't catch a fish that fishing is too hard. Fishing should be done for fun.

If you find that you don't enjoy fishing then don't fish. You need to figure that out for yourself. I was lucky in that my father took me fishing and mentored me in the art of bass fishing at an early age. The rest I learned myself because I wanted to learn more. I developed an interest in the sport of fishing at a very early age.

A 50 dollar USED 320c is plenty enough to find and see schools of baitfish. I used this unit for YEARS and still use it up in Canada when fishing for lakers.

Multiple thousand dollar side scan and down imaging units are not necessary.

Later,

Geo

[Bassinsince98]

thanks again for the advice, but i have been wondering what are some good low budget rod and reel options more towards a baitcaster unless a spinning reel is just fantastic

[hairball]

thanks again for the advice, but i have been wondering what are some good low budget rod and reel options more towards a baitcaster unless a spinning reel is just fantastic

You would be hard pressed to find more bang for your buck than an Abu Garcia 5500C3. They are inexpensive, simple to use and maintain, and very reliable because they're built like a tank. For me, their only downfall is they don't cast very well with really light baits. If you ask ten different guys their opinions, you could very easily get ten different answers. In the end, it comes down to personal preference - just like the ages-old Ford versus Chevy debate.

[zx150]

You may have said in another post but what school are you with? If there is anyway you can hook up with Dave Stewart by all means do it. He will help you more in a day than you will know.