einscodek

Nowadays, I use a wearable tacklebox and a fanny bag containing a box where I can carry 2-3 giant swimbaits. I have a goal for a trip and anticipate the weather and conditions and select a small subset of lures accordingly. This year its like perpetual early winter with some forays into high 40s degrees so I am still fishing occasionally and I go ultra small and big. This morning caught only 2 in 3 hrs of work(hey its winter), 1 on small crankbait and 1 on 2" curlytail. Swung for the fences alil with the Hudd but did not bring on any hungry gals. Few other guys I met skunked.. gotta size down in winter bros! So yea in late fall/winter, I will bring the Hudd, small crankbaits, small swimbaits, and fill space with jig, spinnerbait, worm but those generally don't see much action.

Water here no ice yet so still catching them like fall but even smaller baits. Caught on mini crankbait and large curlytail grubs. The grubs are getting some crappies too. Threw some big swimbaits slowcrawling but not exclusively and nothing yet on those.

I asked myself one trip this year why I keep doing this sometimes couple times a week after all I'm just catching fish and over and over again every week why do it? I really don't think we would do it if it were easy and weren't like a complex challenging puzzle and for some of us in the back of our minds the biggest fish in the lake and maybe a state record fish one trip. Yes the challenge of selecting from our myriad of lure collections and setups to match the anticipated conditions and mood especially hard if theres no bass-boat deck allowing 8-10 rods and you fish from a small watercraft or from the bank. Getting out there and sometimes having everything off but adjusting and rolling with the punches to recover or salvage a trip with a big fish. Its what makes bass fishing so fun and rewarding! ..and why at least speaking for myself why do it over and over and over ... and over again

I fish in lightning but I'm around alot of forest timber I wouldnt even think about fishing in lightning in the open plains of the midwest..safety first.

If you have electronics follow the baitball and note where the larger arcs are positioned and just follow the ball casting thru to the depths of the larger arcs. Forget about the structure just follow the ball for schooled bass. 3" blade bait bucktail underspin jig whatever your pleasure.

Hang it up around Thanksgiving so still out there. Right now catching on swimbaits & spinners water high 40s. Are you fishing morning or afternoons?

Fish all fronts even cold & torrential rains lightning .. but never in a boat of any kind.

Don't get hung up on the brand of jerkbait. I used to catch them on Rapala jerks then I fell for the talk about how Megabass 110s were even better so I bought 2 and yea guess what I caught fish just like I did Rapalas. I also found what I think is a Megabass knock off stuck on timber in low water and grabbed it and guess what caught fish on it and so on. Now I have like close to 10 hard jerkbaits of varying sizes and colors and they all work some slightly better not on brand but depending on conditions varying mostly on size and color and its dizzying to have to choose between them when you just want to fish... a ... jerkbait. You don't want or need that complexity its not that complicated.

You don't need them all but better to be versatile and master a few. There are baits that lend themselves to multiple techniques. Having a wider repertoire at hand w/understanding when to use them optimizes fishing results.

The guys is unstable I would drop him like a bad habit. Better to fish alone than with a jerk. (this advice applies also to marriage..unless yer the jerk )

Amazing these rules of thumb were compiled in 1974.

Nothing like catching a good fish on a lure to give you confidence in it. Jigs can catch big fish.

I feel for ya.. another 2 weeks and I'm wrapping it up usually every Thanksgiving time is when I pack it in for the year. Still fish caught but they're busting baitballs mid-lake and tough to distract them there and else deeper and finnicky and I hate dropshots. BTW its torture to get lures for Christmas and not be able to go out there to test them right away!

Not bringing enough tackle.. been there done that. Problem with tying on lures beyond losing them and ending up w/ idle rods is that often times you THINK you know what conditions are on the water and weather that day based on forecast etc but often times its different or not exact or you figured something out on the water and need to adjust. May be fine if yer going after dinks but anything more challenging you may end up with nothing depending on conditions. I dont advocate bringing everything but definitely a spectrum of possible lures and backups for tried and trues.

Look, theres all these articles and depressing posts this time of year about slumps and advise and asking for tips. Fishing is not hard if theres fish in there and its harped over and over you need to find them and fall is the worst season for scattered fish. I like that they said go back to catchers like spinnerbait and worm where I would favor the former at this time of year but you need to locate them which means moving around. Alot of guys have a problem with the transition from the aggressive fish in summer to fall.. why? Like bass many men are slaves to habit they like to do the same things until results force them to adjust. I have to admit my numbers are down from summer but hey its fall .. but I'm still catching lots a fish just not as much as summer just working harder for it ..your strategy needs to shift and adjust. Find them and work slowly.