Bass fishing could be the gift that gives forever

SALEM, Va. (WFXR) -- As an outdoors journalist, one of the questions I get asked the most by parents is: "My child wants to get into bass fishing, how do I do that?"

Good thing we have an expert right in our own backyard. John Crews is a Bassmaster Elite Series Champion and the president and owner of Salem-based Missile Baits.

"Keep it basic at first," Crews said. "You're going to start out with a rod and reel, like a spinning rod and reel."

Spinning gear is easier to use for a beginner that baitcasting gear. Crews suggests rigging that combo with eight pound test monofilament. Monofilament is more forgiving that fluorocarbon or braid line. What goes on to the end of that line is very important, too. Crews says soft plastics are the way to go because they can be easily rigged and easily fished, and because they catch fish.

"Soft plastics, most of the ways that you rig them are weedless; you're not gonna be hung up a whole bunch, and the fish will bite soft plastics over and over and over again." said Crews as he pulled a Missile Baits 48 worm out of a kit. "A good place to start is a kit like we have here. You get all the baits and an instruction card telling you how to rig the baits, and it gives you a brief summary of how to fish the baits."

Bass have been a lifelong passion for Crews, and he says if you give a child the gear and instruction they need to fish for bass, it could be a gift that lasts a lifetime.

"You catch a couple of bass and all of a sudden you're going to want to catch those bass more and more," Crews said. "I tell my kids you can do fishing until you can't walk anymore. Then you can sit in a wheelchair and you can continue to fish. It's something you can bond with someone anytime, anyplace, of any age."