HELP! Need some tips for freshwater fishing.

[jilweri]

Friend invited me to go fishing on a lake by his house in NJ. He has a small row boat we are taking out and he said that there are bass in the lake. I only fish saltwater and know nothing about freshwater fishing bass or any other freshwater fish. applinked

lightest rod i own is 7' Med/Hev that can toss out 1-3oz lures. under 1oz dont get much distance, over 3 oz gets sketchy. spinning gear with 10lb mono. all my lures and jigs are for saltwater, and have no idea about freshwater rigs or bait.

Give me some tips on gear, lures, bait, techniques, what i should expect to catch...anything you think will help. Dont mind spending some money on some gear since i dont own any freshwater stuff and wouldn't mind having it for situations like this.

[GOOD YEAR 71]

Now THAT is a loaded inquiry. I love it… Look, first thing you do is call your friend. Second thing you do is dig around the internet and find some local tackle shops in that area. Call them and ask them. These steps could set you up just right. And while many here would love to offer a buyer guide, the truth is dialed gear takes time, effort, trial, and error. You are obviously comfortable with a spinner assembly, so consider adding another capable of more traditional user range for Bass fishing. It’s a good idea to get a quality option, preferable with a good warranty. Mount a quality reel on it, with quality line supported by test size expressed on both the stick and the reel. And bring some extra line with when you go on that trip for the off chance you flub it up. Hey, happens to the best of us… And in the end, if it was me, I’d figure focusing on 3 types of presentations. Easier said than done given you don’t know what you might be comfortable with, but we all start somewhere. So make some calls, then hit up some local tackle shops in your area and get what you need before your trip. I’d love to suggest a wide variety of options, and there are, but sometimes it’s best sticking to basics. Good luck.

[senksoam]

If you want numbers, light is the way to go meaning light action rod, smaller spinning reel, braid line (8 lb test), light ball head jigheads (1/16, 1/24 and 1/32 oz.). Rig small plastic lures on the jigs and most freshwater species will bite, including yellow and white perch, bass, sunfish, crappie and maybe a catfish or two.

If going strictly for bass, the rod should be a medium action rod for a bit of backbone, the same spinning reel or a baitcast reel and braid 15lb test. Lures you should carry are what I call top-to-bottom lures. Bottom lures include plastic worms with slip sinkers and 3/8 oz skirted jigs with plastic trailers for a start. Senko wacky rigged sticks (hooked in the middle) that are allowed to drop to the bottom have an amazing action on the way down. Crankbaits are chosen for the bill size and depth fished as well as buoyancy. Surface lures include poppers, the Zara Spook and jerk worms such as the Kut Tail worm rigged on a light jig head.

Knowing where fish are is key and though sonar shows some fish, your lure(s) find the fish whether in cover, along a steep bank or in deeper water. Patterns are the thing to look for or IOW, locations that repeat themselves when fish are found.
Today I found small bass along shorelines in 2'. I found crappie in open water 6.5' deep. Those two patterns helped me catch 45 fish even though the wind averaged 15mph, gusting to 20 mph.