# First time fisher help needed!



## MATT FRALEY (Jun 25, 2018)

So I just got into fishing only because my 7yr old wants to fish. We bout alittle 14ft jon boat and we have been out on the water 3 times. We fish at clear fork reservoir. So far we have only been able to snag some blue gill and 1 crappie. So we aren't doing very good. LOL!

We both would like to catch bass. So, we have tried spinner baits, buzz baits, plastic worms, and jigs. I know we have to be doing something wrong. So that why im here. What should I start with first and how should I fish it. Looking for any and all info I can get. 

Thanks


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## cincinnati (May 24, 2004)

Has anyone warned you about all the muskies in that pond? First time one appears, @ boat-side, w/its mouth open, you may forget all about bass. 

Have only fished muskies there, but hear there are a lot of nice bass, too. Try fishing the weedlines during low light - early, late, or overcast. 2 of my faves are a floating surface bait, that you can fish stop, & go & a #7 Rapala floating minnow that can be twitched. Dad always said, "If we get to Heaven, they're all biting on top."

And don't be shocked if you meet something w/teeth!


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## MATT FRALEY (Jun 25, 2018)

Thanks.

Lets hope we don't get any muskies on our bait. I may just throw the whole pole and all in. LOL!


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

My five year old daughter was lifting a small perch into the house boat when a musky almost got it in mid air. Good thing my older daughter was next to her as the little sister was on her way out screaming "JAWS"


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## bustedrod (May 13, 2015)

I don't mean to laugh but that's funny. its happens a lot , down on Cumberland lake fishing when I lived there I watched a house boat go by and the woman was at the back and her little dog went in the water , she was yelling and trying to retiieve the little guy when SLURP SPLASH......something big ate it... wow watching carp slurp down baby ducks is a trip also...


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## ristorap (Mar 6, 2013)

Pick a spot that has different kinds of cover and try different baits. Shade areas use buzz baits.
Let the 7 year old use a bait and you use different bait. Let the fish tell you what they want.


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## BMustang (Jul 27, 2004)

I would start and keep it simple, until you gain some confidence.

A chartreuse twister tail grub on a 1/8 ounce jig head is a great place to start.
The brighter the better for the grub. Yamamoto makes a 4 inch Chartreuse/Black Spec that is perfect for what you want to do. If you feel the 4 inch size is somewhat large, simply bite off part of the tip and you should catch some fish.

Throw it out, and reel it back in slowly, stopping occasionally to let it drop if the water is deep enough.

This is my go-to lure to locate bass and for when they have lock-jaw.

Where you fish might be a factor as well. I think I would start at a farm pond, where the fishing tends to be stratospherically better than public lakes, using the grub/jig combination, a Pop-R surface bait, or simply a lizard or artificial nightcrawler with a single hook or jig through the head.

Good luck!!!


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## 1basshunter (Mar 27, 2011)

There is also a Lotta good information and videos on YouTube I personally like the KVD Videos but by far there is also a lot of experience anglers on this form


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## Wow (May 17, 2010)

I don't think you should expect a 7 year old to have the patience to work for a summer bass. May and June would be better, Stick to the pan fish. A 12 foot crappie pole dipped into Lille pad holes are a good bet if you approach quietly. --Tim


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

Don't take this the wrong way but fishing is an "evolutionary" process! You started correctly with the little guys(panfish). (I started at an early age fishing river suckers and rockbass with worms on a hook with a sinker on the bottom.)! Then you took on bass with a "shotgun approach"! You mentioned trying rubber worms-along with a lot of other, specialized baits. Go back to the rubber worms and do that til you get really good at it. Probably every successful bassman( including the Pros!) started with rubber worms(some, if not all, still use them occasionally)! Try purple or black, rigged "weedless" on a hook(check Utube) with a light enough weight to cast and sink the worm to the bottom. Reel back slowly, maybe pumping the rod slightly occasionally to make the worm appear "alive"! When a bass picks up the worm, they will suck in into their mouth and run away with it several feet. Give them some slack line after a pickup or they will feel the resistance and spit it out. After they have taken a couple feet of line, hit them hard! This is the best/most basic approach to bass fishing I know of. It worked for me, my kids(younger than your's), even my wife who never fished before but caught FIVE the first time out trying it! As you get proficient with this method, then move on to other presentations. Evolve!


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## multi species angler (Feb 20, 2006)

It doesn't get much easier than in-line spinner such as rooster tails or mepps or a crankbait. First though you have got to be fishing where the species you are after are within casting distance.


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## Whaler (Nov 16, 2004)

Speaking of Muskies,back years ago all I fished for was Bass until I hooked my first Muskie on a Purple worm. That did it ! No more Bass. Muskies are a lot more fun only they are a little harder to catch than Bass. Keep on trying and you'll catch plenty of Bass.


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