I really like this description of junk fishing.
This an example of how I currently perceive pattern and junk fishing.
Pattern fishing example: Fishing an type of structure/cover pattern with the same bait. Fishing windblown rocky banks with a crankbait. Skipping all of the laydowns and ledges in an area to get to the next windblown rocky bank or hammering the same bank over and over with ONLY with the crankbait and ignoring the other presentations.
Junk fishing example: Thoroughly fishing an entire area with multiple structure/cover and presentations. Pulling up to an area and picking every aspect of cover/structure apart with every bait tied on. Ripping blade/spinner baits through grass and timber, sliding a jig or worm into every laydown or pocket, running a squarebill over all of the chunk rock and timber, tossing swimbaits at fishing breaking the surface.
In other words, I perceive pattern fishing as choosing and sticking with one option/presentation on one condition of structure/cover. A pattern could consist of a couple different structure cover/presentations (45 degree banks near docks and under docks), but in general it is very focused.
I tend try to find a pattern by junk fishing. In other words, I will find an area that would seem to hold fish and run that area thoroughly with one presentation at a time until I get bit. Once I get bit on something I force myself to hold that rod as long as possible. Usually, I will stay at the same spot for a while, because I have found in the past, that many times there is more than one fish there. Then I will go find a couple different areas of that body of water that present similarly and cast the same bait at what looks like similar structure/cover. Eventually, I will return to the place I caught the first fish to see if it is "loading up" and make a high number of casts. Sometimes I will throw a different type of presentation near the similar structure/cover just to keep myself interested, but I know I will return to whatever presentation I caught the first fish.
A specific example of this "pattern" fishing occurred for me last weekend. At the lake I was fishing, there is a channel swing that comes very near a bank with lots of timber and some nearby chunk rock. The channel is 11-14 ft deep and the nearby bank is 0-6 ft deep. Most of the timber is in the 0-6 ft water. There were also 30-40 mph winds. In past experience I have caught fish from this area and many others report that this area holds fish. The question of the day was what were they relating to and what was an effective way to get those fish from the water and into the boat? They could be relating to the timber and want a jig or worm, or being on the timber, they could want a crankbait or spinnerbait bounced off of the wood. They could also be hanging out near the chunk rock waiting for some kind of crawfish (imitation) to get stunned of the rocks. It is very possible that fish could be caught from all of the described cover, and fishing such, I would consider, 'junk fishing'. However, on this particular day, I got bit on a crankbait on the windblown rocks. After catching a fish, I made hundreds of casts with the crankbait and eventually caught 4 nice ones on the same small stretch of bank (I would have sought out other rock banks but a tracker TXW 175 with a 45-lb Minn Kota doesn't do so well in 40 mph winds). I was fishing a pattern. Could I have caught more fish had I thrown different presentations (flipped the timber) in the same area? Maybe. In fact, last fall I caught a fish flipping a beaver in the same timber (and my partner caught one on a T-rigged worm), but instead of wearing those baits out last fall, we threw everything we had tied on (junk fishing) into the little channel swing bank and didn't catch another one.
Of course, all of the fish on a lake are not going to be doing the same thing and can probably be caught with multiple presentations on any given day. Personally, however, I subscribe to the thought that if I catch one on a bait, if I cast that bait enough times near similar structure/cover, I will be more likely to catch another than if I were to turret through my rods on the deck.
