A Few Notes On Bass Fishing

Preamble

Modern bass fishing has evolved into a multi-billion dollar industry. The sport has changed drastically since its beginnings in the late 1800s. From humble beginnings, the black bass has become the second most specifically sought-after game fish in the United States. The sport has driven the development of all manner of fishing gear, including rods, reels, lines, lures, electronic depth and fish-finding instruments, drift boats, float tubes, and specialized bass boats: -wikipedia, 2010.

General Notes

A lot of wise heads advise newcomers to start with a rod and reel combination to start with; and some will go further and suggest buying two combos - one baitcast and one spinning. This rule is not hard-and-fast however, as many anglers prefer to purchase rod, reel, and terminal kit as seperate items.

The use of baitcast and spinning kit developed significantly during the 1950’s and 1960’s due largely to the development of such as monofilament fishing line; the introduction of fiberglass, and graphite rods, and new artificial lures and baits made of industrial plastics in a huge variety of colors, styles and sizes.

For a spinning set, one might aim for something like a 6-7 feet in length medium action rod, and around 140 yards of line with a test weight of around 8lbs, though this is again not a hard and fast rule. Monofilament line is often suggested as a good ‘beginners’ line but to repeat, many wiser heads will actually recommend using braided or fluorocarbon lines.

That said, a good monofilament line is good for anyone new to the sport; look particularly for ‘Stren’; those contemplating serious bass angling might want to go for the latest in fluorocarbon lines such as Trilene. For those considering a seperate rod and reel as opposed to a combo set, one fairly recent development from Swedish firm Abu Garcia is the Abu Garcia Vendetta: a range of strong, durable yet sensitive graphite trigger rods. Appropriate for going after many species of fish, not least bass.

As for bait well, that is a topic of a post (if not more) all to itself. The number of baits available is now virtually limitless, ranging from crankbaits, plastics, through to jigs, and spinnerbaits. As with most things fishing, the angler has to adapt to the conditions he faces, and the fish he is after. With a choice of baits and possibly a choice of rods and lines as well, the dedicated angler soon learns what bait suits whatever conditions he or she faces.