Bass beginner asks advice

I responded to a bass beginner at a forum at The Fish Sniffer. He is just getting into bass fishing at lake Chabot and wanted some advice. Not that I am an expert but here's my response.

I like this site http://www.bassresource.com/ they have a good page with answers to your questions http://www.bassresource.com/beginner/beginner.html

At Chabot plastic worms will work fine. Be slow and take your time. Ask at the fish store there where to go so you don't waste time. Maybe rent a boat and you can try some more stuff like crank and rip baits. They are hard to fish from the shore.

At Chabot if you are on shore find a point you can fish from. If you can find a way to cast along the shore you'll present your lure in the strike zone longer than just casting out to the middle of the lake and bringing it back in. Try to cast at an angle with the shore not just straight out.

Normally I like to tell people to pick a lake you like to fish and try to find a guide. Save a little money and plan a trip. It might cost a little, but you get to use their gear and it really isn't that much compared to how quick you can spend 100 dollars at a tackle store. You will learn what to buy and how to use it. It prevents you from buying lots of tackle you will never use.

A good guide will teach you a lot about fishing. You will come away knowing more in one day than some people learn in years. Guides spend lots of time with beginners so don't let that scare you off.

That said start simple you don't have to start with a guide. A spinning rod with 8 lb test mono and a small tackle box will definitly get you going. I say you can catch lots of fish with a few techniques. Find out about drop shotting. You have to tie your line a special way to make it work, but it works great. Learn how to carolina and texas rig for worms and "creature" plastics. A worm and a baby brush hog and drop shotting are 3 ways that will catch fish all year at Clear Lake and will also work at Lake Chabot.

Follow the fishing reports for your favorite lake, you'll start to see what works where.

Here is the Lake Chabot report (scroll down)

Somebody got a big fish on a Senko! Cool!

Every place is different but also getting good at just a few techniques will pull fish anywhere.

Stay away from the wild extreme colors in tackle to start.

Beware of the really good deals on sale bin tackle at the stores. Nobody else bought it for a reason. But on the other hand ya never know...

If you keep fishing you'll use all kinds of things but this will give you a good foundation and you will catch fish. (the best part)

Oh last thing get a hook sharpener and use it.