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