- 1). Select the proper equipment. Many anglers use just one rod and reel for all of their bass fishing. If that's the case, select a spinning rod that is 6.5 feet long and is medium-heavy action. Pair it with a spinning reel (a spinning reel is one that hangs below the rod) and 10-pound test line. If you choose to purchase a second rod and reel combination, select a 6.5-foot, medium-action baitcasting rod, and pair it with a baitcasting reel, which is a type of reel that sits atop the rod. Spool the reel with 12-pound test monofilament line, or a braided line that has a diameter equivalent to 12-pound monofilament. For most anglers, especially beginners or weekend anglers, those two rod and reel combinations should be sufficient.
- 2). Select baits and tackle that will cover a wide variety of bass fishing situations. That means quick-moving baits like lipless crankbaits, diving crankbaits and spinnerbaits, which can be used to cover water and locate actively feeding fish; topwater baits like buzzbaits and poppers, which can be used to locate fish and also to provoke a reflex strike from neutral or inactive bass; and saturation baits like jigs and plastic worms, which can be fished slowly and methodically in areas in which bass are known to be holding. If you have two rod and reel combinations, the quick-moving and topwater baits should be fished on the baitcasting tackle, while the saturation baits should be fished on the spinning tackle.
- 3). Locate the bass. The most important thing to keep in mind is where bass are in their seasonal cycle. As the sun gets higher in the sky and warms the water temperature through the 50s and into the 60s, bass will move to shallow areas where they will spawn. Areas where the bottom is hard, and where there is shallow cover and vegetation, are prime spots. As the water warms through the 60s and into the 70s, some bass continue to hang around shallow cover, while others move to areas like drop-offs and weedlines, where they remain until the water begins cooling again. As water temperatures begin falling, the bass move back to shallow areas, and to any remaining green vegetation (that's where the oxygen is). Bass are generally inactive and difficult to catch when the water temperature drops below about 40 degrees.
- 4). Catch bass. Throughout the year, anglers should begin searching for bass in shallow areas, using a quick-moving bait. Continue covering water and trying new spots until a bass or two bites. Bass are schooling fish by nature, so where there is one bass, there are likely more. Continue casting quick-moving baits until the bass in the area quit biting. Then use a saturation bait and fish the area slowly and thoroughly. If 30 minutes have elapsed and another bass hasn't struck the lure, it's time to move.
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