Getting into Bass Fishing

[Buckhunter123]

Hi, I am new to bass fishing, but I have done lots of fly fishing and some bait fishing. I am now going to be actively targeting them, primarily in Lake Washington, Sammamish, and surrounding lakes. I really am just looking for any sort of advice. Tactics, lures to use, timing, etc. I would particularly like to know about what things like when they spawn, and also good lures to spend. I have a couple of spinner bass rods also. I am really not wanting to spend more than $100 on tackle not including line. If any of you could give me advice specifically for this area, that would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

[angry john]

I would look into the drop shot. This is a great tactic for the deep clear water we have here and the only new thing you will need is some hooks and baits. I like kietech but there are a ton of good baits out there. Go to tacklewarehouse.com and they have a section dedicated to it.

[Bigbass Dez]

Be sure that you check out all of the Bass video's here on the site . They contain a valuable source of information for many of the lakes you mentioned above. Our members here on the site are very good about helping out new anglers in general so dont hesitate to ask more questions on the threads . Welcome BTW

BBD

[Amx]

Limit Out Performance Marine in Pacific will be having seminars/clinics again this spring. Be sure to keep up on WaLakes to see their posts on when the clinics will be held. They also have great Bass fishing equipment and lots of knowledge.

http://www.limitoutmarine.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Lots of info in lots of threads here on Bass fishing. The fishing reports on Bass can have lots of info also.

[Buckhunter123]

Thanks! This helps a lot. I was also told to fish senkos. I know generally what they are but don't know what to get, length, with or without swimming tail, color.

[Amx]

And that is where the people at Limit Out can help LOTS. They can show you instead of just typing here. I generally like the darker colors like pumpkin, and browns, and others I call 'christmas tree', but forget the real name. lol

And they don't have 'swimming' tails. Kinda like a cigar with tapered ends. They can also show you what hooks to use and how to hook the worm onto the hooks for texas rigged, and wacky rigged and so forth.

What town do you live in? Seattle it looks like, so north south east or west Seattle?

[angry john]

Any of the robo worms are money, and there is a ton of video's on utube that show how to fish them. You need a fast or xfast rod to do well with weightless plastics and drop shot. I run 6lb mono or flouro. If your running braid with a leader you can look for a more moderate speed.

[PokeyPrasch]

And they don't have 'swimming' tails. Kinda like a cigar with tapered ends.

Yamamoto does sell a swimming senko, it has a boot tail. (But we know this isn't what people are referring to when they "fish a senko"). I think part of the issue is that everyone says "Senko", which doesn't necessarily mean a Yamamoto Senko. There are a multitude of Stick baits out there.

I do agree with Angry John, dropshot is a great place to start and it is affordable even for a beginner who may lose some tackle, I would say that of most of the plastic bait techniques- they are easy to learn and affordable and most are just fine on spinning rods that you mentioned you have.

Also, if you want to youtube some videos check out "Flukemaster", this guy shows just about every technique and gives a lot of easy to understand info. Plus he's actually on the water, fishing so you can see and understand- not just talking about it indoors.

[clarkhess122]

Welcome! AMX is spot on about Limit Out, I've not found a tackle shop that has a better selection for Washington bass. Everything in the store will catch fish at one point or another, and the owners are very knowledgeable. I used to do a bunch of fly fishing before I switched over to bass and one of the hardest things I had to learn was not being scared to throw big baits. A normal flipping jig doesn't seem big to me now, but when I started, I couldn't believe a fish would eat one. The bigger lures are harder to throw with a spinning rod. At some point, if you're very serious about bass fishing, you'll want to grab a bait casting setup. 3 Rivers Marine in Woodinville had a fantastic deal on Daiwa rods last time I was there, which was about a week ago...

As far as baits go, I don't fish very much for smallmouth, but all of the fish I have caught have been on dropshots. For green, flipping jigs are probably my go to bait, but come summer I won't put down the frog rod.

Good luck and stick with it! I felt like I was banging my head against a wall for the first few months, but its only gotten better from there. (even though I still put in my fair share of skunks) If you put your time in you'll be successful.

[Buckhunter123]

What town do you live in? Seattle it looks like, so north south east or west Seattle?

I am 14 and I live on Mercer Island

[Amx]

Do you have a boat of any kind? Or access to a boat?

[Amx]

Weather report on tv just said next Sat. is supposed to be clear and sunny. It would be a good day for your parents to give you a ride down to Limit Out in Pacific to check out the Senkos and other baits. But you should call them first to see if they are going to be in the store or taking a couple boats to the sports show in Eastern Washington.

[Amx]

Russ and Chris might be going to the Bass tourney this coming weekend, so you'll have to call them Fri. morning to see if they'll be in the store.