bass tackle basics

[mrpike1973]

hi my wife told me she would like to go for bass. she likes to use a popper mostly. however what would be some good basic lures to use. we have limited time with plastics but willing to learn any suggestions

[corncob]

Frog type lures in pads and weeds, senko type sinking plastic baits on an unweighted hook,fluke baits unweighted twitched around weeds, crankbaits that dive 2 to 10 feet.....That should keep her busy for awhile....LOL

[apegs]

If she is just starting out and you would like her to catch some bass I highly recomend a senko. I still use them, you cant beat them especially for a beginner. Also texes rigged worms are always great, spinner baits, bullet wieghts, off set hooks. Zara spooks are always fun.

[mrpike1973]

thanks guys what is a senko and how do you use it

[Hester]

A word of caution. Starting with the basics can lead to this.

And these are just my backup cranks that don't go in the boat.

And not included are my couple hundred new still in a box.

[delmuts]

"thanks guys what is a senko and how do you use it"

Think of a very fat crawler.( also called stick baits and other names depending on brand)They come in 4,5,and 6 inch lengths. Are heavier than most plastics.Rig them either as a "texas" or wacky rig.(search you tube to learn about these) Bites CAN be very suttle so pay attention when fishing them, but can be a dynamite bait!

[Deitz Dittrich]

senko

[apegs]

All you need is some gary yamamoto senkos, some gamaktsu worm.hooks or something similar. Texaa rig it and cast. Its a do nothing worm that bass cant resist. Watch your line for a twitch or starts moving in a different direction. Sometimes they bite light so its hard to tell. They sink very slowly and fall horizontal so you fish it somewhat slow. They are a little spendy and destroy easy when getting bit. They seem to last longer if you wacky rig em.

[RawHog]

They seem to last longer if you wacky rig em.

You sure about that?

[EBass]

What size O-rings for the 4" and 5" senkos?

[RuddyDuck]

You couldn't go wrong with using a standard white or chartruese spinnerbait as a starter lure. It's an easy to use bait and you can cover alot of water with one. Work it around shallow weedy cover. Once she gets hooked on bass, there is no turning back! Good luck.

[apegs]

Yup

[mrpike1973]

what size hooks and styles do i need for texas and wacky rigs thanks. shes watching this post closely

[smalliehunter]

I use a 4/0 ewg hook. But you can use smaller...

[EBass]

I may have to show MrPike. Are you still on Washta?

[mrpike1973]

not sure what you mean by washta. i live in darwin

[Deitz Dittrich]

Bass fishing can be as expensive or inexpensive as you want it to be. You can probably find a hook assortment kit and a sinker assortment kit as well.. and probably a plastic worm assortment and have spent less than $50 for it all.

For me growing up(when I first got started) all I really needed was a 2/0 hook, an 1/8th oz sliding worm weight and a 4" purple worm. Done!

Now days, yes a senko or senko type imitation is great. I may also add some mushroom head jigs in 3/32oz... wacky rig hooks are nice, but a 2/0 offset worm hook will work just fine.

Most of all keep it fun. maybe consider getting a guide for a day.. or beg a good friend who is well versed in bass to take you out.. You may learn a ton and be on the right path to learning the sport.

[Bobby Bass]

If I want to get someone into bass fishing my lure of choice is a jitterbug fished at first or last light. I have hooked more then a few friends and kids by giving them a rod with a jitterbug and setting them up casting in quiet water at the edge of a weed or Lilly pad spread. I don't even fish myself I just watch for that bulge in the water that a charging bass makes as it smacks the jitterbug. There reaction is usually the stuff a memory is made of and if they hook up I got myself a new bass fishing partner..

[th64]

The best bass bait ever designed is the safety pin style spinner. It fishes well fast slow and in between, it fishes well very shallow, deep and in between. Where are the bass? you are wondering, well they are in the weeds, this bait is very weedless without covering the business end of the hook. Where are the bass? still wondering, you need to cover alot of water nothing better at that than the spinner. Is the Senko good at covering water? Nope very very slow in fact. Like to catch the pike that will come your way when you fish for bass? If you fish a Senko wacky style you will get bit off more than anything else you could put on- Spinner, no leader, you could get 50 W/O a bite off. Not new or sexy but still the best.

[Stick in Mud]

Another vote for a senko. It's how I got my s.o. hooked on bass fishing. They're not complicated to fish, and they work very well.

[Superduty]

Get some 1/8 oz mushroom head jigs and a few plastic worms. Find a weedline and fish just like you would for walleyes with a jig and minnow.

[mainbutter]

1) Everything works for bass. If you use artificial lures for walleye, pike, or panfish, you have lures to use for bass.

2) Senkos work great for bass. Google "wacky style senko" to do some reading, but really it isn't complicated at all. Hook a worm through the middle and go fishing. I like them because they are simple and equally fishable in 2ft of water around weeds and around a rock pile in 12ft of water, which can't be said for some lures. You just have to let them sink for longer in deeper water.

3) Don't go overboard with trying new things. Use what you already have in "bass territory" and catch a few. Buy one or two new styles of lures for the fun of trying something new, but you don't need to fill a box with dozens of colors of dozens of sizes of every style of bass lure out there to have success. If I only had a few small or medium sized floating crankbaits in the same color, I could bass fish all day. If I had some hooks and senkos in the same size and color, I could bass fish all day. Rarely do I feel the "need" to change lures to have a successful day of bass fishing.

Here are the first 10 things that come to my mind when I think of what I've caught plenty of bass on:

1) jighead and curly tail grub

2) floating rapala, all sizes and colors, jointed and not jointed

3) senko on a bare hook

4) spinnerbait

5) inline spinner

6) spoon

7) all topwater lures in the 2-6'' size range

8) random animal fur wrapped to a hook with some thread, with very little skill and not looking appealing at all. Some might have called it a "fly" but I think that's being generous

9) nightcrawler on a hook with a sinker about 4-6'' up from the hook to give it some weight to cast. Cast, retrieve, catch fish.

10) various live minnows in size from crappie minnow to 6'' sucker minnow on a hook under a bobber

Bass fishing isn't complicated. It's just the opposite, which is why the tackle selection gets so complicated. Manufacturers go fishing for customers

I promise this is my final edit, but I wanted to add - DON'T FORGET THE CAMERA! My pictures of my gf with her first bass are a prized possession of mine and make me smile every day. She wasn't big into fishing, but a few good days where she boats a half dozen 2lb fish are such great memories for us. Bass are very photogenic and easily handled due to the lack of dangerous teeth and being able to be held by the lower lip and supporting the belly.