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