Jake – Glade to hear your son is interested in getting into some bass fishing. For someone his age just getting started out here are a few techniques I’d have him start with:
The wacky rig you already mentioned is a good choice. This is usually fished on what they call a stick worm type of plastic, but almost any straight type of worm will work. It involves hooking the worm in the middle of the bait. It is usually fished weightless with a 1/0 or 1 size hook. There are many different type of hooks sold for fishing them, some even have a weed guard to help it in weeds. Because it is normally fished weightless it is best used in shallower water in places like, along the bank, next to docks, on the edge of reeds or pads. He will need to learn to watch the line for movement or learn to feel the weight when the fish moves off with the bait. To much of a delay in detecting the bite will have many deep hooked fish. bass then to really take this bait in deep.
The Neko rig – Is nothing more than the wacky rig with a small nail weight inserted into one end of the bait, normally the fat end. This allows it to be used in deeper water situations. Its best used along weedlines in deeper water or out on rock humps. It can be a great summer time bait when many fish move to deeper weedlines and start to school up.
The Texas rig you said you fished when you fished bass earlier in your life is another great choice.
The Jigworm – This to me is the 1st bait a new bass fishermen should learn to use. It is nothing more than a 1/8 or 1/4 oz jighead with some type of plastic worm on it. It great start is a 7″ berkley power worm but almost any plastic worm will work. This bait can be fished in many different locations. You just need to adjust the weight of the jighead based on depth of water and wind conditions. The deeper the water and winder it gets increase the jighead weight. Fish this over weed flats, along deeper weedlines, almost anywhere there is not heavy weed cover. Because of the exposed hook it will not fish well right in weeds but is great on the edges.
For more of a chunk and wind reaction style of fishing its hard to beat a good old spinnerbait or the newer chatterbait. The spinnerbait can be fished fast or slower, it can be fished shallow or deeper. Once again just need to change the weight of the lure and speed up or slow down the retrieve.
These are all good baits to get him started. Once he starts to get more into it there are a ton of different techniques he can move onto.
Youtube is a great source of Info. There are a ton of videos on all the techniques I’ve listed. Have him sit down and watch a few and get out on the water and try them out. I hope he learns to really get into the sport. Its a great way for kids to spend time and use their minds to figure out solutions to things. If you can learn to catch bass on a consistent basis you can learn just about anything. Best of luck to him and you and go have some fun together.
