The Bass Fishing Guide For Beginners | Lures, Strategy & Tips

By: Dylan Hayward

Bass Fishing is one of my favorite things to do during spring and summer. Most of the hunting seasons are over, and the water temperatures are heating up, much like the bass activity. When you first start bass fishing, it can seem like information overload. There are so many rods and reels to choose from, so many bait selections to decide between, and then you have to find the damn things.

If you can get a good basic set up down in terms of gear, and have a baseline of knowledge on how to find a good bass fishing spot, you’re on your way to learning from in the field experience, which will teach you way more than you could ever read about. I’ll give a few of my basic tips and setups that will give you nothing left to do but load the truck up and start casting.

Bass Fishing Rod & Reel For Beginners

If you’re just now starting to get into bass fishing, you really can’t go wrong with a Spinning Rod and Reel. Honestly, I’ve been bass fishing for over a decade and it’s still my preferred method to use for a good variety of fish species. Sick Stick makes a great lightweight outfit option that is pretty hard to beat for the money. They also make a baitcaster model that is extremely solid if you’re looking to go that route.

If you’re like me and will pretty much make any excuse to break your fly rod out, even when it isn’t necessary, Toadfish makes an awesome 8WT fly rod outfit that I can say from experience works incredibly well on smallmouth. Fly fishing can take a little more practice to become proficient, but it’s worth it when you experience how different the fight is.

Bass Fishing Line

Choosing the right fishing line is one of the most important decisions, although it is quite often overlooked. While the factory line that came with your reel might in fact be good enough, I don’t like to risk the possibility of hooking a monster bass, only to have the line break before I get my hands on him.

Toadfish makes some really great braided line options that are strong while also being soft handling enough cast where you want to without losing any control. They offer line strengths out to 30 pounds, which may seem like overkill for midwestern fishing, but it just goes to show you the versatility of the line itself, and there is a convenience aspect knowing that you’re safe for most fishing trips.

Bass Fishing Bait & Lures For Beginners

I think one of the most overwhelming parts about fishing can be bait and lure selection. With there being millions of lure options available, it can be hard to wrap your head around which one works best. If you don’t know the difference between crankbait, jerkbait, spinners, swimmers, etc. Don't feel bad. You can often get by with only a few reliable lure bait setups, especially for your first couple of times fishing.

I like to always keep a few packs of “soft bait” when I am bass fishing here in the midwest. That generally consists of some ribbon worm style baits, some creature baits, and some flukes. The Texas Rig Bundle is a great way to get introduced to soft bait as it has the entire rig setup that you need to start fishing.

If you’re interested in trying out some crank or jerkbait, Googan Squad has a ton of different options that I have had amazing success with. The bass will respond to different bait depending on the area that you’re in. All ponds are not created equal, so don’t be afraid to switch up your bait selection and have a few different options handy.

From my experience, most of the information that I have learned from bass fishing was from getting out there and seeing first hand how the fish react to their environment. With this basic understanding of selecting an ideal setup, you’ll be able to have an amazing time catching some bass and learning along the way how these fascinating fish behave.