Entry 37-1

Mark Rose's Tips for Professional and Recreational Fishing

Teaching Others To Fish

Editor's Note: Up-and-coming professional fisherman Mark Rose, 31, of Marion, Arkansas, is a member of the Strike King Pro Staff, has competed professionally since 1999 and has had several top-20 and top-10 finishes in bass tournaments.

Question: Mark, if you wanted to teach a woman or child or someone who's never fished before how to fish, what steps would you suggest they take in regards to equipment, lures and boats?

Rose: Well, I'd recommend manageable equipment -- maybe not some of the most-advanced rods and reels we use on the tournament trail -- but manageable 5-1/2- to 6-foot rods. Normally, children and women have smaller arms so they can manage smaller rods better. I also try to start them fishing with rods with flexible tips and a lot of action. Then they don't have to use as much motion to cast their lures.

I also suggest they use smaller lures. I try to get them to the point where they are catching limits of bass. You'll get more bites with small-type spinner baits, smaller Bitsy Pond Minnows, small Series 1 crankbaits and all those that we call limit lures.

I also try to get them to fish shallow water and around structure. You'll catch more fish if you fish around logs, trees and banks. You'll catch a lot of small fish this way. You may not win most of your tournaments, but the new angler will enjoy catching the smaller fish and getting more bites.




 

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