Getting back into fishing after about 20 years

I fished a ton growing up, but since graduating from high school and moving away from my hometown I've hardly fished at all.

I decided I definitely need to spend some more time out in creation, so I just bought a 16' 1978 Kingfisher with a 50 hp 1982 Evinrude from someone at work. I took it out to Lake Mineral Wells this afternoon and caught my first bass with the new boat. Not a very large bass, but I'll take it. Hooked another that felt larger, but lost it because I didn't set the hook well on my Texas rig.

Didn't get to the lake until about 4:45 or so. I worked some rocky points with crankbaits early, but had no luck.

Made my way to the north part of the lake and worked the shallow shoreline and some submerged trees with a baby brush hog. Shad were hitting the surface all around me and I tossed shad rap and rapala original right through the school with varying speeds and presentations, but no luck. Felt like a chump. How could there be so much feeding activity all around me but I can't get a bite? Tips are welcome. Rapala original I used swims very shallow and I tried faster retrieve and start-stop. Shad rap I was using dives to about 5' max. Was fishing in about 8' of water. Electronics showed lots of fish at varying depths, mostly in the 4' range.

Anyway, I'm definitely rusty and need to improve my skills (looking forward to more practice), but I'm glad to be getting back into it. I've always been more comfortable with plastics. I need to improve how and when I use crankbaits.

Fish was caught at location 32.8305,-98.035333.

Well, welcome back and congratulations... Not too bad of a trip at all!



I'm no pro, but here's a tip on good tip on crankbaits... If you're not banging them on something... (the bottom, submerged wood, metal, rock, brushpiles, grass, etc)... you aren't fishing them right! The deflection causes a lot of reaction strikes. I like to dredge the bottom with crank baits and stir up the mud!

Good Luck and to the TFF!

to the TFF and back to fishing too!

After a 5 year lay off from fishing I also came back last March. I too bought a used boat and I'm having a blast learning all the cool stuff. Welcome Back
Kevin

And, good luck getting back into it.

First of all get use to it. You are fishing for 5 bites per day in all our lakes. The exception to that will be a few trips per year at prime times of the year and even then you have to be in the right lake at the right spots.
In your case it is about having fun and enjoying the day. In my case, I am done with that. I want to go where I can catch 100 per day, everyday and I want 50 of those to be over 5 lbs. each.
Sounds like a dream to you? It is a dream come true.

"more time out in creation" +1

Catching a fish is just the cherry on top.