Trying to learn to fish

[Nitekast]

Okay - this is rather embarrassing, but I've been trying to fish for two years now and the only thing I've ever caught is a buzz. I mean seriously, I'm awful at it. You couldn't be as awful as I am if you tried. Ive considered giving it up completely, but I do rather enjoy sitting on a river, having a beer, and taking in the natural beauty. I dont know any experienced fishermen/women to take me out either.

What would you experienced guys and gals reccomend for someone like me to improve my fishing, without the resources of a knowledgeable individual? Are there classes? A good online repository of knowledge? Am I hopeless? Any and all advice is appreciated.

 

[rustneversleeps]

What kind of fish are you trying to catch ?

 

[TwistedSage]

Where are you located and what is your target species?

Are you more interested is soaking bait or fishing with lures?

If you are just fishing for anything that will bite try a couple spinners, retrieving at different speeds. Try some floating or suspending minnows or jerk baits and learn to retrieve them.

If the meticulous approach I'm trying is not working I'll try the above and can usually at least get a pickerel or pike to strike.

 

[Nitekast]

What kind of fish are you trying to catch ?

Bass and catfish at the lake we normally go to. For catfish I've tried the cat nuggets and let them sit at the bottom of the lake. For the bass I've used worms with a bobber.

And I'm in Phoenix AZ. I've been told before my problem is I'm fishing in Phoenix... but I've seen other people feel them out of the water 50 yards away from our boat.

 

[TwistedSage]

I've never had much luck and soaking bait is way to slow for me. For the cats I'd suggest getting your own bait from the lake where legal. Use those worms and bombers to catch some breem or bluegill shad ect. Try whole bait and cut bait with them. Cast to a place up river of where you think might hold cats.

For the bass especially they are predators and defensive fish. I've had way more luck getting bass to strike lures than any bait. Soft plastics 90 percent of the time for me. I've had 8 inch bass hit 10 inch worms. Learn the texas or weightless rigs and try different retrieve techniques. I like to contrast the water color so that i can see the bait and what it is doing in relation to what I'm doing until I get the hang of it.

Read about fishing and what type structure to look for or what your target species likes to be in.

When I lived in the northeast I would keep a rod in my truck and 3 out of 5 days I'd stop on my way home from work to fish. I'd fish for anything any time.

Where I am now in new Mexico is about 1.5 hours from any lake or river besides the city stocked pond. damn I miss fishing I need to start making dedicated fishing trip lol

 

[Salmonchaser]

Alaska; a few who never fished before;
Seriously though, I’m sure Phoenix has shops that cater to rookies, invest a little time. I would guess there is some water close enough to you that someone is guiding on. Invest $200.00 in a day with them, you’ll likely learn enough to then have fun on your own. I’ve been guiding for 20 years, fishing for 60. We go on vacation I take a fly rod. I’m not allowed to fish for three days but then I hire a local guide to get dialed in, fish on my own after that.

 

[christopherwatkins]

I think that soon there will be more than one fisherman in this world because fishing is a great activity, I really like to sit on the Bank or on the bridge and watch how the float moves on the water and the rod is already moving because someone swallowed the hook along with the worm. I have been fishing for more than six years and this is my hobby which I try to do more often. I have heard that in large lakes there are bobbit worms that are dangerous predators for fish, so I try to save them by catching them

 

[2rocky]

AZGFD

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/...atchery-Program-Stocking-Cal-2020_05-5-20.pdf

 

[LuketheDog]

Find the closest shop with a guide service and hire them for a day, specifically tell them your goal is to learn...

 

[3855WIN]

Use a plastic worm for bass. They work everywhere I’ve tried them. Look on utube.

 

[3855WIN]

 

[Brittany Chukarman]

One of my very best catfish clients relocated to the Phoenix area. He fishes the canals for cats and does well. Fishing on the bottom with shrimp. The cheapest farm raised shrimp you can find, 31-35 per pound.

 

[brymoore]

Drown worms.

 

[smw110136]

As others have mentioned find a good bait shop/sporting goods store/somewhere that makes money from selling fishing equipment. It's in their best interest to see new anglers be successful. If a certain place or employee gives you information that turns out to be valuable, be sure and give them some repeat business. Most of those people are interacting with local anglers on an hourly basis and can have a plethora of information to provide. They may not give you everything, but they will give you enough to be dangerous if they want to create and retain another customer.

 

[BuzzH]

For bass in the phoenix area...I'd suggest 4 and 6 inch plastic lizards, watermelon seed color is what I've done the best on. Both small and largemouth will hammer those things, work them across the bottom. I've had some awesome days on Bartlett and Roosevelt from the bank...20-50+ bass a day. Have also pounded the white bass in the aqua fria when its running and they're spawning. Have done "so-so" in pleasant on largemouth, never really pounded them...you have to work a bit harder on that lake it seems. Tube jigs can be a good bet too...in particular for small mouth.

White bass out of the aqua fria:

Another batch:

 

[brnsvllyjohn]

Watch a few videos from Gary Senft. He is a well known angler from your area. He is on You Tube as well as Amazon.
He does fish from a boat but most of his methods can be used from the bank. He typically uses a soft plastic bait and in most applications maintains contact with the bottom of the lake. I would suggest a soft plastic on a drop shot or a spit shot rig and a lizard is a great choice. Can't go wrong with green pumpkin or watermelon.
You can also go to a bait shop and ask what colors are working now. I fish a lot and the best bait color can vary based on water clarity and what the bass are feeding on. Example for 3 weeks I was doing very well on a green pumpkin Hula Grub (crawdad imitation). Today I could not get them to eat a green pumpkin crawdad. Today I used a Roboworm in prism shad on a drop shot set up. I drop shot a lot. The lakes around here are similar to the ones in Arizona. Gary will drop shot a baby brush hog as well as a plastic worm. A brush hog is similar in action to a lizard.