Raleigh, NC Brim / Bass / Catfish

Question
Hello, I am a new fisherman, looking for some advise. I never was really taught by anyone on what to use on what fish and how to hold and release them once you do catch them.  I do know that where i want to fish has brim, bass, and maybe catfish.  I have my dads old tackle box with some bobbers, feather bait with at hook (dont know what they are called), some fake rubberlike black worms, and some weights to attach to the line.  Could you give me tips for what to use on these type of fish and how exactly to hold them and realease the hook once caught?  Much appreciated,

Ryan

Answer
Ryan; First may I suggest that you put most of that old tackle of your dad's in a nice box and keep it.  Some of it may be worth quite a bit of money.  If you are going to learn to fish for bass you will need a good outfit.  If you are going to fish only for brim then a cane pole or one of the collapsable fiberglass poles will work fine.  Catfish may or may not be available for catching on a cane pole.

Let's start with the brim because they are the easiest.  All you need is a pole the longer the better up to about 20feet.  Some 10lb monofiliment line just a few inches longer than the pole.  Don't use old mono as time deteriorates it.  You can buy line at a tackle shop or Walmart for $150 for 100 yards. You can rig several poles with that.  Next you will need hooks. Buy yourself some #6 or #8 thin wire hooks.  These don't have to be expensive but not the cheapest either.  You might be able to use one of your dad's old bobbers if they are small and light weight. Many of the old plastic ones are too heavy to work well. A two inch long styrofoam bobber with a hole through the center and a little plastic stick in one end.  A pack of split shot will finish out the rig.

Tie the line to the pole carefully.  If the pole has an eye tie an overhand knot in the end of the line and cut off the tag end sticking out.  put the knot through the eye and then tie another overhand knot around the other part of the line pulling it tight. The knot in the end will keep it from slipping and coming off. If no eye use the same thing but tie the knot back over the other part of the line making a slip loop.  Put the loop over the end of the pole and pull tight. A tiny bit of Elmer's woodworker's glue will hold it on the pole.  Next thread the line through the bobber and push the little plastic stick in the hole to hold the bobber on the line.  There are many knots for tieing a line to a hook but the same one you used to tie to the eye of the pole will work. But thread the line through the hook eye before tieing the knot in the end or it will not go through. A better knot is the polimor knot.  To tie this on a small hook is a little difficult to explain without showing you but I will try.  Run the line through the eye about 6 inches. Now take the end and pass it back through the eye the other way but don't pull it all the way.  You will now have a loop  one one side of the hook eye and a bit of doubled line sticking out the other side.  Take the loop around the doubled part tieing an overhand knot.  Now take the loop and push the whole hook through it including the eye.
Make sure you are working with doubled line all the way. Now pull the knot tight.

Brim like small baits like little worms, crickets and other bugs.  Set your bobber down the line so that the hook is about a foot less than the depth of the water. Clamp a split shot about 8inches above the hook and you are on your way.  Toss it out in weeds or around a brush pile or where you know brim to be.
When you catch a brim hold the line and let him hang down. Next take your other hand and encircle the line above the fish. Slide your hand down carefully around the fish (unless he is too big to hold this way) pushing the back fin down.  Grasp him snuggly and with the other hand take the hook out.  If you want to keep and eat the brim that is perfectly ok.  No need to release these fish as they are often overpopulated in most lakes and they are very tasty, even the little ones.  My wife makes me keep anything even if it is only two or three inches long.  She fries these real crisp and eats bones and all. Not the head and entrails of course.  The easiest way to handle a brim thatis too big to wrap your hand around is to take your thumb and push the back fin down (this is the one that can hurt you)and grasp him around the belly with your fingers to remove the hook.  

Now as far as bass are concerned, many books and thousands of articles have been written on how to fish for them and nobody yet knows completely all the answers.  However I have caught quite a few in the past 70 years so I probably can give you a few ideas.

You can  catch bass with a cane pole just like you did brim except you will need a little heavier line, a slightly larger bobber more weight and larger baits such as live minnows from two inches to 10-12 inches.  Of course your hooks must be bigger too.  I like a  #1 or 1/0 while lots of people like 2/0-5/0. Crawfish also make good bass bait at times.  If you can get them night crawlers make excellent bait but I don't know if you have them in NC.

Most bass fishing today is done using artificial lures.  There are hundreds or more likely thousands of different kinds of these but there are only a few general types.

Basically bass lures fall into one of the following groups.
Crank baits, spinnerbaits, topwater baits, plastic worms and other critter baits, jigs with trailers, and spoons.

Before you can use these lures you need a fairly good rod and reel to cast them.  If you are just learning I would recommend that you get yourself an open face spinning reel and a rod of 61/2to 7 feet with medium action.  You can get one of these combos from Bass Pro catalog for anywhere from $29 to $1000.  You don't need an expensive one.  The one I saw in my catalog for  $29 looked good enough for one just starting out.  Don't be fooled by one of these things at Walmart or Kmart  etc done up in a package for $10-$20.  They are junk.  Either order from Bass Pro or Cabellas or go to a tackle store where you know someone or find a fisherman you trust to help you find one.  I still use one I bought several years ago from Bass Pro for under $30.  Later you will likely want to learn to use casting gear but for a beginner what I recommended is easy to learn to use.

I  would get a reel without line on it or probably take it off right away and replace it with 8lb test Trilene XL or Stren.  These are a little more expensive than some of the other lines and much less  expensive than some of the highly touted lines.  I have used Trilene XL for years and I have had good luck with it.

Once you have a rod and reel you will want to start collecting some lures in each category.  I would not recommend going out and spending a lot of money on lures. Try getting one of each category except the plastic worm & critter type.  I would recommend two or three colors of worms some 6inch and a few 9-10 inch.  A couple of lizzards black or chartruse have been best for me.  In worms I like black, purple, dark blue, and junebug.  

You might look for one deep diving crankbait like a bomber deep diver and one shallow runner like maybe, a 1minus. Color of these, try to get several different colors in each lure, some yellow, some green, some silver,some black and a touch of red somewhere.  Again later you will be adding to these.
I suggest at least one lipless crankbait such as the rattling rap or the  Rattletrip.  I like a shiny one with chrome and black or blue back but many other colors work.
The first two can be cast out and just reeled in but they work better if you reel with starts and stops or use the tip of your rod to make them jump.  Try different retrieves and let the fish tell you what they want that day.
The lipless ones are made  to be cast out and reeled very fast back but I use mine in other ways. I may rip it a few feet then stop it and let is sink then before it hits bottom or weeds rip it again a few feet then let it drop again.  I also like to cast it up against a standing tree stump and let it fall right beside the stump.  If it reaches bottom I rip it up and let it sink again.

Spinnerbaits are just what they sound like, lures with blades of some sort that spin when reeled in.  They come in all sizes and colors but for a beginner I recommend one with a big Colorado blade (almost round) at least as big as a quarter and one with two blades, a willowleaf (long and narrow) and a smaller willowleaf or a colorado blade not bigger than a dime.  Color probably isn't as important as blade size and brightness.  One light with a little green or chartruse in it one dark with dark blue, grey and some black are good.
Cast the spinnerbait past the place where you think the bass may be hiding and bring it back past him.  If he does not hit it the first time try casting the other side of the stump or rock, dock piling or whatever, bring it up to the object and kill it and let it fall a ways then rip it away a foot and let it stop again before being reeled in.
There are lots of ways of using these lures, in weeds, over weeds, in brush piles, tree tops, rocks etc.  Use different speeds and depths.  The big blade usually works best in stained water the willowleaf in clear water but not always.  Remember there are no rules in bass fishing.

Topwaters, are my favorite lures.  I love to see bass come up and whap a  topwater lure.  These come in many shapes and sizes from little one inch Critter baits by Rebel to the huge muskie jitterbug which is nearly 6 inches long and an inch in diameter plus it's 2 1/2inch metal nose that makes it work.  Some are shaped like cigars with a propeller type spinner on one or both ends.  These spinners make a splashing noise when jerked.  Others have hollowed out nozes that make them spit water, or gurgle or pop when jerked.  The sound attracts bass and these catch a lot of fish.
One other of my favorites would do absolutely nothing if I cast it out and just reeled it in.  It has no built in action but when someone who knows how to use it it becomes a very effective big bass catcher.  It is the Zara Spook although now there are several others that do a similar thing.  It takes a little practice to make these lures work but when one learns it they can be made to walk the dog across the water, up to and around a stump and if you are good enough up  to and around another and another stump on one cast.  The way this works is to cast a long ways away past several bits of cover if possible.  When the lure lands carefully take up the slack but be careful not to move the lure.  Now with the rod pointed down toward the water give a sharp but not long jerk and immediately move the rod tip foreward toward the lure putting some slack in the line.  What will have happened is that when you jerked and then gave slack the lure would jump to one sice without moving foreward hardly at all. Now take up that slack again carefully and give another jerk and give slack.  The lure will jump to the other side without moving foreward much. Do this over and over making the lure walk side to side.  To make it move to the right give just a little sharper jerk and slack when the lure is facing left but when it is facing right make the jerk just a little less so it doesn't jump as far to the left. Do this several times in succession and the lure will walk to your  right.  Of course you can make it walk left by reversing the process.  I will admit that I have not become good enough to walk it from one stump to another with great accuracy.
When using one of the  cigar shaped lures with or  without propellers cast it to a good looking spot and when it hits the water let it lie until the circles dissappear then just wiggle your rod tip to make the lure jiggle and wait again a few seconds.  Wiggle it again but a little more this time.  Often this is when big ol bucketmouth will grab the lure.  Often he will grab it while it is lying still after a move.  If he doesn't after the second jiggle give it a sharp jerk and make it jump and do its thing. If a bass hasn't grabbed it by this time start it back with regular jerks and pauses.  I have had bass chase after it and miss time after time.  Sometimes he will catch it but unfortunately seldom.
Another type is the bloop walkers.  The Jitterbug is the most common of these although there are others.  These lures mostly have a metal double kind of lip that when they are reeled in makes them go bloop,bloop from side to side leaving a wake of bubbles.  I love using my big one at night.  I caught my two biggest fish one night on it.  One  was just over 9lbs the other just under 9lb.

Other surface or semi surface baits are the jerkbaits.  These are long thin lures like long minnows.  They float at rest but a little lip  makes them dive a few inches when they are jerked.  After the jerk they pop back to the top for another jerk.  The earliest of these appeared back when I was going to Minnesota every summer.  They were called Rapala minnows and were followed by many many more some of which are still around and some which have dissappeared from the market.  They caught so many fish that first year that they were not for sale in many places. One had to rent one and put down a big deposit to use it.  These are best in relatively shallow water say under 6'. Although they are often trolled using a weight.
They are good around lose clumps of weeds with open water between them and over grass beds.

Finally comes another of my favorites.  The spoons.  There are many types some for trolling, some for casting some for jigging in deep water.  They are good lures for the Pike family of fish.  One has been my favorite though.  The Johnson silver minnow.  It is made with a single hook and a wire weed guard to make it semi weedless.  I like to put a pork (not Plastic)frog on the hook and cast way back into the lilly pads.  With my rod tip as high as I can get it to keep the line from getting under the pads I start bringing it back over the tops of the pads trying to walk it between as many pads as possible.  Often a big bass will simply explode showering lilly pads all over the place.  Now before I go on I must tell you something about using this and most topwater lures.  Do not strike when you see the pads explode.  The same is the case with a popper.  If you strike when you see the fish strike the lure you  will invariably yank it away from him.  Wait (as difficult as it is) until you feel the pull of the fish.  When you feel him pullling strike hard and try to get him headed toward you or he will bury in the weeds and you will have to try to go in and get him if he hasn't pulled off as they often do.

I didn't go into jigs.  I don't think I will at this time. If you use what I have  given you I think you will catch bass.  If you have to fish from bank try casting parallel to the bank where possible.   If wading is allowed and you are careful you might try that but be careful.  You should probably wear a  PFD. and be sure you have someone with you.

I didn't go into catfish either.  If you want more information on them or on anything else give me a follow up question and I will see what I can do.
Thank you for calling on me for your question.  I enjoy sharing what I have learned in 70 years of fishing.

I am

Jack L. Gaither (JackfromSeminole)
Lake Seminole, Georgia