If you are reading this column, you have some form of access to the Internet. Whether it is on your PC, tablet, smartphone, or laptop, you have a ridiculous amount of bass fishing information available at the tips of your fingers.
The first step in your online education should be to search for quality bass fishing-related websites. From there, see if the sites have a newsletter you can subscribe to. Read as much as you can about different tactics and techniques.
Do not be concerned that you see five, ten, or even twenty different variations of the same technique. There is not one single correct way to do anything. Just as there are a dozen ways to fish a Senko, there are other ways to fish a crankbait, a worm, a spinnerbait, or a jig. Just choose the method or variation you like the most and have confidence in.
Another priceless learning tool is the Internet forum. One of the all-time best forums I have ever seen is on BassResource.com. With tens of thousands of members, there is always someone available to answer any question that you could come up with. Even if you never post questions, answers, or anything else, you can still browse the forums and search for threads on whatever topic you are interested in learning about. Whether it’s how to fish clear water, flip a jig, get a sponsor, fish a drop shot rig, or join a bass club, you can find the answer in fishing forums.
If you are browsing a website and not visiting their forums, you are not getting the most out of the site. Doing this is like reading only the first two chapters of a ten-chapter book. You are only being exposed to a portion of the available information. You don’t have a reason for not joining. It only takes a minute to sign up for the forums, and it does not cost anything.
Other valuable online tools for fishing are the how-to videos on YouTube and social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. They allow you to get a large amount of information in a short amount of time. To become a better angler, you need to learn as much as possible. Absorb everything that you can and put it to use on the water.
So log on today and begin improving your knowledge of the sport of bass fishing. It is straightforward and well worth your time.