Start Bass Fishing With These Tackle Basics

You want to fish the freshwater lakes and ponds in your local area for largemouth bass, but you have no idea what kind of bass tackle basics you might need to get started. No worries friends, it’s easier to pick out the bass tackle basics than you might think. In fact, there are a number of versatile rod and reel combos on the market these days that work well for beginners.

If you want to learn more about individual rod and reel models, along with the features and benefits of each, I’d suggest taking a trip to your local tackle shop or outdoor retailer to check into the options below. This way, you can get a feel for the individual components while gaining a long-term understanding of features such as rod weight, rod action, gear ratio, drag settings and line capacity.

Consider these three important bass tackle basics, and then just upgrade your gear as you gain more experience.

Fishing Rod

A 6-½ foot medium action graphite spinning rod is a good length and weight to start with. My favorite graphite spinning rod is the St. Croix Avid Pearl, but you may want to start with a rod at a lower price point until you have more experience with casting.

Fishing Reel

The Bass Pro Shops Johnny Morris Signature Series Spinning Reel or Shimano Stradic CI4+ are two quality reels that offer versatility.

Fishing Line

8 to 12-pound test monofilament fishing line is a good basic line weight range to start with if you plan to fish for largemouth bass. Monofilament line in this weight range will handle a number of lures and techniques when fishing areas with light to mid cover using smaller crankbaits, lures and soft plastics like worms, craws, and frogs.

Do you want to learn about other freshwater rods and reels that can be used for different types of fishing? Visit the freshwater gear pages at TakeMeFishing.org for an overview.