Background:
Started bass fishing seriously about 12 months ago. Most of my fishing is bank fishing shallow ponds in Georgia with stained water.
I typically have limited time and fish in short 1/2 hr to 2 hr trips with my young kids. Our ponds have pretty limited cover (I think) but do have some drop-offs, a turbulent drainage discharge, and shoreline vegetation. I just got a castable fishfinder and already learning more about the conditions.
The good:
I've gotten pretty effective with crankbaits, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, and topwaters. These have been good for covering water given the stained environment and time limitations.
The downside:
I'd like to get good with plastics of various types, but have a hard time breaking out of my own pattern of pattern casting cranks. I've only ever caught a few fish on plastics: a couple on wacky-rigged dingers, and one fish on a texas-rigged trickworm. I haven't honestly used them much, because I've stuck with what has worked. I've read everything there is about rigging every type of plastic, and have accumulated a collection of plastics from craws to worms to creatures and flukes that would make most pros envious. If only I knew what to do with them.
The question(s):
For these conditions - stained water, limited cover, limited time, what would you start with to build confidence? Any and all? One in particular? I know the season and temps come into play, but in general?
