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