So my family and I moved down here about a year and half ago and thank the Lord we are close to water (Ray Hubbard)
Now I've been fishing most of my not-so-lengthy seventeen years on this earth but I've never been that serious about it. We moved from Washington where all we did was trout fish on creeks and rivers so Bass fishing on a lake is a whole new monster (or should I say toad) to me. To further my incompetence on this sport, my father and I have never really bothered to spend more than about 30 bucks on a rod and a reel and he (not I) fishes religiously with live worms.

Now my school is putting together a competitive Bass fishing team and I was asked by the coach putting it together to join as he knows I love to fish. But I am clueless as to what a decent rod and reel would run me let alone the model of either, or what lures and bait to use for this style of fishing.

So I come to y'all, any suggestions?
Thank you in advance

Hit a tackle shop and they can give your legitimate advice and suggestions. FUn N Sun or APT.

Mettle with 15lb big game and an
6'6"med hev all star classic combo would be hard to beat. Then just grab a few basic things like cranks,spinnerbaits, and TX rig things. Research your technique and learn it. Time on water is key. You'll learn most when you figure it out yourself and I'm sure your coach will point you in the right direction. Welcome to the sport and good luck! Always remember it's fishing not catching and have fun.

+1 pretty much explain it good luck with everything!

Thank y'all so much for the help! That rod and reel combo (all star and mettle) was a lot cheaper than i expected it to be which is great as this will all be coming out of my pocket lol.

And don't be afraid to come on here and ask questions. There are some really good guys on here that truly enjoy helping guys like yourself out.

Have fun on the journey. Just remember to enjoy it!

Check your messages

First, I am glad that you are interested in fishing. I would start out by using soft plastics, like a simple Texas rigged worm. Another thing that will catch fish almost year around on any lake is a shakey head. Check out my shakey head video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s78_BByMhiY&feature=c4-overview&list=UUwOZ-cxNhdbHw6CIvPuK8tw

If you have any questions, I'd be glad to help you out.

Cass

Ben, I would be more than happy to take you out on Lake Fork sometime. I fished in college at Western Kentucky University and Texas A&M University, and those experiences have made me want to get more involved at the high school level. I will eventually offer to take a different high school student out each month to discuss what fishing on a college team is like and give them some tips and pointers (hopefully useful), but that is a work-in-progress. If you're interested, send me a PM.

If you know your team schedule--let's say most of your competitions are on Ray Hubbard; use the search function to find what techniques/baits/lures have worked there and purchase accordingly.

We fish Hubbard a ton in the marina if you want to join let me know

What school do you attend. I am on the board for the NTHSBA and we are starting our season November 2. Message me for mo re details. Always room

Fishing is fishing. You know how to match the hatch. And you know you have to put the bait in front of the fish. Bass are kings of the lake down here. They are the highest predator on the food chain (sorta), and they will eat any live thing they can get in their mouth. They like cover just like a trout does. They prefer to ambush their prey instead of chase it. And they aren't ever very far from a food source. You'll want to learn how to find them. That's the key. You can chunk the hottest bait around until your arm falls off and not catch anything if you aren't putting it in front of them. The best place to start looking for fish is around docks that are "deep" on the end. You will almost always find a few fish around docks. They will more than likely be under the big part of the dock in the shade nudged up next to something. But you may find them on any piece of cover around the dock.

The rod and reel combo that has been suggested is a perfect combo for you. I would suggest getting spinning tackle first--less of a learners curve on casting and you can throw smaller baits. Throwing the smaller baits will get more smaller aggressive fish, and help build confidence. FWIW, if you get a ttttttap, and you set the hook to nothing. Probably a sunfish of sorts. They will drive you crazy until you learn the difference between what they feel like compared to a bass.

I go to Rockwall-Heath
and once again thank y'all so much for the help! If I'm ever in the area I'll give y'all a shout.

Just to let y'all know,
Went to academy today and the one near me was out of the MH all star classic rod so I went with a camo H20 xpress MH and an H20 mettle reel. The team officially starts next week so I've got some time to learn the ins and outs of it.