Beginners Guide To Bass Tackle

The sport of fishing sees new members coming into the sport all the time. Who knows what attracts a person to fishing, especially Bass fishing. Yet, each year, numerous noobs go out and buy their first fishing equipment in hopes of landing a stringer full of tasty Bass.

If you are planning on learning how to fish, or you're thinking about doing something similar, then here's a simple List about what you really need versus obtaining something that you don't need. Catching Bass is not hard. They're a predator fish so they're generally hungry.

Gear to catch Bass doesn't have to be expensive or complicated. Simple set-ups work best for Bass unless you have many years of experience under your belt. I remember a Bass fishing trip a Buddy and I took to a local lake many years ago. The weather was hot that day, even for June. We knocked off around noon and was loading the boat on the trailer when this Old Man and 2 kids came motoring up to the boat ramp.

It was very humbling to be done in by an Old Man and Kid with basic tackle. But it goes to prove that you don't need complex gear to catch Bass. These two people simply went out and found the Bass and gave them what they wanted. Food!

The basic fishing equipment you'll need to start catching Bass is a Rod and Reel, line and bait. That's all there is to it. As for rods and reels, your local sporting goods store or Wal-Mart has an excellent selection. I'd suggest a Rod and Reel combo like the Zebco 33 and a matching rod. This should set you back about $25 or so.

Leave the Spinning and Bait Casting reels such as the ABU's and Shimano's for a little later. They take some experience to use. For now, you just want to focus on catching Bass! A spincast reel is an excellent reel to start with.

Next on your equipment comes the fishing line. If you bought a rod and reel combo, chances are it came with line already on it. If not, or you want to change the line, then I'd suggest a 10lb line from either Stren or Trilene. There are other manufacturers out there, but these two have been around a long time and manufacture quality fishing line.

You're going to be looking at bait selection now. Start with live bait and work your way up to artificials. You'll catch more Bass and bigger ones on live bait. When you're in the Fishing Dept. of your favorite store, look for Eagle Claw live bait hooks in the 1/0 to 3/0 sizes and get a few packs. Next try and find some weights. You can generally find the ones that come several sizes to a package. Split shot is a great weight for beginners. Next, check out the floats. I like to use the Balsa wood floats. I use the slip floats. These slide up and down the line for easy adjustment. They're held in place at the top by a knot or bobber stop. You're now ready to head out to your fishing hole!

And that's all you really need to get started Bass Fishing. This set up should cost you less than a $100 and once you have some experience under your belt, you'll find it's pretty easy to outfish the local Pro's. The commercial fishing companies have made it seem like catching a Bass is nearly impossible unless you're using the latest and greatest gear on the Market. Nothing could be further from the truth. Catching Bass is easy and doesn't take a lot of sophisticated equipment!