how do you know where to go and what to use to target different fish species?

In my area the boat landings, at least most of them are privately owned and operated. The guy at the landing can tell you the best information in the world on what is biting, where at, how deep, and what bait to use. He gets his information from the people that fish the area on a daily basis. His information is current, accurate, and it is in his best interest for you to catch fish,

But a bait shop would more then likely be your best bet if fishing off bank or a pier.

It is absolutely an experience kind of thing. The more you get out there and try different things, the better off you will be.

If you're just simply wanting to catch something, I would suggest starting off keeping it simple. A bobber, hook, and worm will get the job done. You will likely mainly catch bluegills/sunfish, but they are capable of catching about anything in a lake.

The most basic way that I can explain is to place the bobber about a foot above the hook. If you don't get any hits at that depth, move the bobber up a little more so you are fishing deeper. I like going deeper by about 6 or so inches each time. Eventually, you should start to get it down where they are.

Where you fish is rather simple for this: find cover, and fish it. This can be the ledge of the dock, stumps in the water, rocks, and so on. Also, points are good areas. A point is basically a strip of land that extends into the water.

If you do want to use lures, rooster tails, Rattle Traps, spinnerbaits, and buzzbaits are all fine lures to use. These are about as easy as anything to fish. Simply Cast them out and reel them in.

This time of the year, nearly all fish should be pretty active and relatively easy to catch. If you want a good read on fishing, there are many good sites online, but I highly recommend getting a subscription to In-Fisherman or Bassmaster. Both of these have a ton of great information regarding fishing. I've been an avid angler for many years now, but I still learn all kinds of great little tips and tricks from both of these magazines. They are priced very reasonably as well.

Good luck to you and your future fishing adventures. Again, the most important thing is to get out there and fish. Don't be afraid to ask questions to fellow anglers, either. Most fisherman are willing to give you great information on various things.

338 is right. a privately owned bait shop is run by, and services the true hobby and professional fisherman in your area. they are going to know what's hot and where because that's all they deal with all day.. but don't go in there expecting a plethora of free information, pickup any supplies you need from them that day, their knowledge is worth your $$

I should put this answer somewhere so i can copy and paste. Go talk to your local bait shop clerks. They will try to sell you stuff but they will also have an idea whats biting and how to catch them. My dad is 70 and he still checks every once in a while to see what they say.

It helps if you can go with an experienced person first. Otherwise you have to learn by your mistakes.

You could start off by using a slip bobber setup.