| Bass fishing is a really popular sport that can be | | | | My best advice would be to take a trip to your |
| enjoyed by anyone with the knowledge of a few | | | | local tackle store, and ask for the most popular |
| Bass fishing basics. All species of Bass are some | | | | types for your local area. Start off simple with |
| of the most sought after fish, as they are great | | | | just a handful, which should include a couple of |
| fun to catch, and offer some of the best sport, | | | | (top water baits) a couple of (spinner baits) and a |
| both from the shore and from a boat. | | | | couple of (plastic or rubber lures). As with the live |
| One of the first Bass fishing basics to learn will | | | | baits these should all be retrieved slowly when |
| obviously be the bait. This can be live bait such as | | | | fishing for Bass. |
| peeler or soft back crabs, these are really fine | | | | The next of the Bass fishing basics is the cast. If |
| baits for Bass. A crab is a peeler when it is in the | | | | fishing from the shore you should try to cover as |
| process of losing its old shell, (to test if a crab is a | | | | big an area as possible. To do this you should cast |
| peeler, try lifting the rear end of its shell; it should | | | | in a fan shape, start with a cast to the left of |
| come away easily). A crab is a soft back when it | | | | where you are standing and retrieve your bait, |
| has already discarded its old shell but before its | | | | slowly pausing every ten to fifteen feet. On your |
| new shell has hardened. | | | | next cast aim slightly to the right of the last cast |
| Other good Bass fishing baits include sand-eels, | | | | and repeat this process until you have covered a |
| lugworm, and rag worm. Sand-eels can be | | | | fan shaped area. Try this a couple of times and if |
| collected from wet sand where they lie buried on | | | | you have no luck simply walk twenty or thirty |
| a receding tide. They can be used as a dead bait | | | | yards down the shore and start again. |
| but are more effective as live bait. Both lugworm | | | | Night fishing for Bass can be very productive, |
| and rag worm can be dug at low tide and will | | | | some of my best Bass fishing has been at night. |
| keep for a couple of days wrapped in damp | | | | For this you will need a lure that makes a lot of |
| newspaper. You could also try what is called a bait | | | | noise in the water when being retrieved. You can |
| cocktail, which consists of both crab and worm on | | | | get some great lures which bass find very difficult |
| the same hook. | | | | to resist - just visit your local tackle store. These |
| Other popular baits are artificial lures, and these | | | | are just a few of the Bass fishing basics, you will |
| should be part of any Bass fishing basics kit. | | | | pick up more as you go along, but the best |
| There are so many of these artificial baits | | | | advice I can give is to get out there and have a |
| available that you could spend a fortune on them. | | | | go, I guarantee you will soon be hooked. |