Preamble
Bass angling in North America is one of the most common types of angling, and has its own following of die-hard fans, with its own dedicated tournaments and websites. There are a lot of different species of bass, both fresh and saltwater, and the name comes from the Middle English ‘bars’, meaning ‘perch’; and catching them can use either fly fishing methods, baitcast fishing or by the use of spinning kit.
General Notes
A lot of fishing sages recommend beginners to start with a combination set of rod and reel to begin with; and some will go further and suggest buying two combos – one baitcast and one spinning. This isn’t always a hard-and-fast rule however, as many fishermen prefer to purchase rod, reel, and terminal tackle seperately.
The use of baitcast and spinning tackle grew significantly during the 1950′s and 1960′s due in no small part 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 around a 6-7 foot 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 ‘starters’ line but again, a lot of with more experience 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 considering serious bass tackle might want to go for the latest in fluorocarbon lines such as Trilene. For those thinking about a seperate rod and reel as opposed to a combination 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 a variety of fish, not least bass.
As for bait well, that is a subject of a post (if not more) all to itself. The number of baits available is now extraordinary, 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 tackle suits whatever conditions he or she faces.
