Just started fishing. Was given some zebco 33s from a family member. Been out to Lake Phantom in Abilene Texas about 8 times. Morning and Evening. Haven't caught anything. Not even a bite. Any Suggestions?


I've been putting a plastic worm or lizard(blue or red) on a worm hook(usually texas rigged) with a bobber(too rocky to fish without bobber.) about 12-18 inches from the worm and casting out from the bank. I've tried everything from letting it sit in the water for 10-15 min to casting out then slowly reeling it in. Nothing. I've probably spent a total of 15 to 16 hours out there and haven't gotten so much as a bite. At this point i don't care what i catch. I'd just like a bite. Here is the TPWD link for the Lake: http://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/recreational/lakes/fort_phantom/ Fishing area is the at the north and northeast/west area of the lake.

Any suggestions?

Your doing it wrong. Live bait goes under a bobber. Fake bait needs to be made to look alive and dangling it from a bobber doesn't do that. If your not going to catch anything then you should do what the TFF pros do and buy the most expensive rod, reel, line, and swimbait you can find, then you will look cool not catching anything.

Go buy some shallow crank baits,and Google Carolina rig.or MOJO rig.Use a light weight and drag it slow.fish both of them in the nearest cove you can find

Crankbaits, rattletraps and spinner baits. Three easy bait that require little skill. Cast them out and reel them back slow. Loose the bobber. Worms go on the bottom. Hop on YouTube and watch one of the 586 million fishing videos for beginners. Wealth of info on there. Good luck.

TX rigged weightless plastics similar to a senko. Plenty of cheaper brands out there. Best bait IMO to get bites on when looking for bass. Cast it out and move it a foot or two every 10 seconds or so.

Not to go off topic but I can remember my mom taking me fishing at a neighbor's pond when I was really young. She would sit and read in a chair with a worm dangling under a cork a couple feet. I would fish all over the pond and eventually get bored. She always caught fish on that rig, she would move it occasionally but mostly just let it float around lol

If your bobber is one of those that have brass hooks on the top and the bottom then just use the bottom hook on your string. Give the hook a 180 turn and it should pinch down but still slide freely on your line.

I would buy some rooster tails from Wal-Mart and cast around.

You can tie the road runner with the bobber on it using the bobber technique I just explained and jig it up and down under it.
If it is made out of plastic fish won't bite it unless you are moving it. If you leave it sitting there for 15 minutes you won't catch anything but a hard time.

The way I fish a lizard is let it fall down then slide my pole sideways "crawling" it on the floor. I wind in the slack take a second then repeat. If a bass is hungry it will eat it.

Here are some other things:

Road Runners
Paddletail on a Jig Head.
BuzzBait
Jerkbait

loose the bobber its keeping you from using the bait the way it needs to be used get done in the rocks its where the fish are keep your rod tip high when bouncing it off the rocks and you will get hing up a lot use the methods in this video it will help you get un stuck easier if you start yanking in it as soon as you get hung up its going to get stuck worse you will get better at getting un stuck as you do this more https://youtu.be/5XKhBWfvyAc

Throw some fresh shad off the dam. Under a bobber the hybrids are hitting pretty good right now. Just need a cast net to get some shad.

Buy some Beetle Spins or the little Booyah Pond Magic spinnerbaits, or any 1/8 oz. spinnerbaits. That 33 will launch them a mile. Try different speeds of retrieves. You can also vary your retrieve by stopping reeling every couple of turns of the reel handle. Many times the fish will hit the lure when you stop it and it starts to fall. I suspect that if you will try one of the little spinnerbaits for 15-16 hrs. you should get bit. If not, I would find another place to fish. This is how I started out fishing when I was little. Back then, I would fish either the Beetle Spins or the old H & H. Those older lures will still catch fish. I think I remember reading quite a few years ago now where Gary Klein said that when he needed a 5 fish limit, his go to lure was the Beetle Spin. Good luck my Friend!

You didn't say where you are fishing from but you might give consideration to the time of year and look for places that are shallow and protected from the wind.

Water Gremlin Rubbercore Sinker

I suggest you lose the bobber, Google "Carolina Rig", and buy a few packs of these sinkers. These will come through the rocks, timber, grass, everything, very easily! I guarantee you'll catch more fish if you try the Carolina Rig. These sinkers also have a rubber insert so they don't tear up your line. The best thing about these sinkers is they're inexpensive, so if you lose em', you can buy more and it won't hurt your wallet.

Tight lines and good luck!