Is All This Really Necessary?

[MrTexasRigs]

So as you know us bass fisherman are more a less prone to buying all the new cool items, and try to be more like the pros. For example fishing like them, using special baits for certain fishing, having a rod for every type of bait out there "lol." But me, (being more new to the bass fishing world, since i've trout fished all my life) Have more a less have been overwhelmed with the vast majority of "components/techniques" to this sport. Though my question is more directed to crankbaits, of course you fish the whole water column, and i would assume one of the more productive colors is more silver like baitfish. I was wondering other than baitfish colors, what are productive colors for fishing largemouth. Also when you are fishing (if you don't have a fish finder) Where would be the best place to through baits, and why kind of bait in that area, depth, etc etc. I would really appreciate if you gave me some good information on other things since this whole thing is overwhelming me and i want to buy everything "lol"

Thanks

Also i would like to add, sorry if i posted in the wrong "forum for say"

[jeremyt]

To be honest i havent had too much luck with natural colored cranks. My most productive colors are firetiger ( green, chartreuse, and orange) and parrot ( blue and chartreuse). I usually fish shallow 2-5 ft and move deeper as needed ( generally in the warmer months ). Look at the colors of the forage in the waters you fish, it could be shad, perch, bluegill etc. and go from there. I hope this helps.

[RyneB]

not necessary, but A LOT of fun.

[K_Mac]

Your questions are not simply answered. Crankbaits cover a wide range of styles and techniques. Colors span the entire spectrum. What kind of bait to throw, and where to throw them is just too broad for a simple answer. There are many articles on this site that can help. I recommend starting there.

Whitish, green/chartreuse and red based cranks are generally my go-to colors. Knowing the bait in whatever lake you're fishing will give you a start. Add water clarity and you have another bit of info; clearer water will generally require more natural colors, and often a faster speed; stained/muddy water brighter or darker and more noise...

Not having a depth finder simply means you have to pay attention to details when you find fish, and then find other spots with the same conditions. Nothing to it... Bass fishing can be as simple or complex as you decide to make it. Good luck and enjoy the journey. Welcome to the site.

[Arv]

Bass fishing can be as simple or complex as you decide to make it.

True that!

Start reading as much as you can if you're interested in different lures for different situations. People have already given you solid answers for your crankbait questions. But the answer of what type of bait to throw in a specific area would turn into a book. There are a lot of good articles and videos on here that will help you get started. Then get on the water and try it out! That's the fun part

[LgMouthGambler]

sure you can narrow them down to what works. How do you do that? You buy as many different baits and colors as you can, try them, and then figure out which ones produce the most. The rest of them go in the "collection" tackle box, lol.

[RyneB]

sure you can narrow them down to what works. How do you do that? You buy as many different baits and colors as you can, try them, and then figure out which ones produce the most. The rest of them go in the "collection" tackle box, lol.

Problem is the "collection" tackle becomes filled with more stuff than youd like. I have a whole boat full of "collection" baits. lol

[retiredbosn]

To the OP (original post), the parent website Bassresource has an articles section, there you will find a wealth of info some geared to new bass fishermen. I literally spent hours there gleaning information when I decided to start chasing bass seriously. I think you will find the answers you are looking for, I know it and these forums helped and still do. Good luck

[kickerfish1]

I am far from being a great power fisherman... ie moving baits like cranks but as far as I can tell you have 2 basic questions.

1. What colors to use?

2. What depth should I fish?

For the first question it is difficult to answer. First baitfish color choices are typically good in just about any lakes but there are other forage bases present. Bream/bluegill/sunfish are common in most every lake. They represent a big part of a basses diet so this would be a logical choice. Also perch patterns seem to do well even in lakes where perch aren't present. If the lakes you fish have rock, they likely will have crayfish. There are many crayfish colored crank baits that will work well on rock bottoms. Second water clarity may dictate color choice. The less clarity the more visible the color choice while the clearer the water the more natural colors.

For the second question I would suggest getting a good map of the lakes you fish. Figure out where key pieces of structure are... like points, drop offs, creek channels, brush piles, areas that have rocks, weeds, and brush together etc. Target these areas by breaking down the water column into different layers.

1. Shallow cranks

2. Medium cranks

3. Deeper cranks

4. Lipless cranks like rattle traps

5. Suspending jerkbaits

Buy a few of each of theses types to use for different situations. This will get you started with crankbait fishing. Do some experimenting to get a feel for what works best.

However my best advice would be to learn plastics fishing as soon as you feel comfortable with it. I realize this is the area with numerous techniques and confusion exists but 9 times out of 10 I catch more and better fish on these baits. Since you are a former trout angler you will likely have the patience for it just need to get the techniques down.

Also note that crankbaits and the treble hook baits seem to fish best with a rod with medium to medium heavy power and moderate action. This type of rod will have a bit more give in the blank to keep fish pinned in order to prevent the hooks from ripping out.

The other piece of advice would be to read as much as you can. Do Google searches for crankbait fishing and also read as many articles as you can. You can start with this site and go from there.

Good luck

[OkobojiEagle]

(if you don't have a fish finder) Where would be the best place to through baits,

docks, emergent weed edges, standing or fallen timber, bridge pilings, rip rap, current obstacles or restrictions, shallow boulders, points decernable by shoreline, submergent cover visible with polarized glasses. Many others as well if you stop and think for a bit.

oe

[WRB]

PM your email address and I will send you some basic bass behavior information that should help you more than specific tackle.

Tom

[BridgerM]

PM your email address and I will send you some basic bass behavior information that should help you more than specific tackle.

Tom

I would like that information also, PM sent. Thank you

[Bankbeater]

You can also change up your retrieve. Work the bait slow and then burn it, and shake the end of the rod tip for more action.

[jignfule]

True that!

Start reading as much as you can if you're interested in different lures for different situations. People have already given you solid answers for your crankbait questions. But the answer of what type of bait to throw in a specific area would turn into a book. There are a lot of good articles and videos on here that will help you get started. Then get on the water and try it out! That's the fun part

X2 I am a firm believer in gaining as much knowledge as you can, will this complicate matters? sure , but in the long run it will make for a more rewarding experience. I too was raised on trout fishing and though I enjoyed it for many years I find Bass fishing much more complicated, challenging, and rewarding. Sorry I didn't do much for your original question.

[WRB]

So as you know us bass fisherman are more a less prone to buying all the new cool items, and try to be more like the pros. For example fishing like them, using special baits for certain fishing, having a rod for every type of bait out there "lol." But me, (being more new to the bass fishing world, since i've trout fished all my life) Have more a less have been overwhelmed with the vast majority of "components/techniques" to this sport. Though my question is more directed to crankbaits, of course you fish the whole water column, and i would assume one of the more productive colors is more silver like baitfish. I was wondering other than baitfish colors, what are productive colors for fishing largemouth. Also when you are fishing (if you don't have a fish finder) Where would be the best place to through baits, and why kind of bait in that area, depth, etc etc. I would really appreciate if you gave me some good information on other things since this whole thing is overwhelming me and i want to buy everything "lol"

Thanks

Also i would like to add, sorry if i posted in the wrong "forum for say"

Well you say your are a trout fisherman and now want to try bass fishing, shouldn't be too difficult to get started.

To catch trout consistantly you had to know where the trout were located and what the trout were feeding on, same with bass.

If you were a fly fisherman, then you had fly rods, line, flies that worked well where you fished; 5 weight balanced rod, floating weight forward fly line with tapered 2 lb triplet for those dry flies or a weight forward sinking line for those nymphs; specialized rods, feels, line and lure for properly presenting the lure to the fish...same with bass. If you are a spinning outfit trouter that fishes trout lures or bait, the rod, reel, line is specific for that type of lure or bait fishing...same with bass.

To catch bass with any lure you need to know where the bass are located and select lures that work well in those locations. Bass are not trout, bass eat trout! So if the lake you fish has a trout population, then a trout looking lure can be a good choice. Largemouth bass have a big mouth and will eat almost anything that may fit in their mouth, lots of lure choices.

Bass, unlike trout, are warm water fish, actually in the sunfish family, so bass prefer water that is near 70 degrees with good dissolved oxygen levels, water temperature governs where the bass will be located, year around, basic bass behavior. Unfortunately water temps vary seasonally, so the bass change locations to find comfortable water conditions with prey available.

Bass are always near their food source, so take some time and deternine what the bass are eating and at what depth the bass are located., then choose a lure the bass are looking for.

Crank baits or diving lures appeal to active feeding bass and bass are only active about 10% of the time and crank baits work well only in open water areas with few weeds, not yor highest % lure choice. Crank baits are used to cover a lot of water fast, you can troll them effectively.

The higher % lures are those that appeal to bass feeding nearer to the bottom like soft plastic worms, that can be fished nearly everywhere with a wider variety of tackle options.

To keep your tackle choices simple would be to focus on soft plastics like Plastic worms, Senko's and Fat Ikas, you only need a hook that works well for those lures and rod, reel, line combination that can be a spinning or casting outfit is medium heavy standard bass action; 6 1/2' to 7' with 10 to 14 lb FC line. You can start with green pumpkin with black and red flakes, 2/0 Owner weedless Senko style hook.

Tom

[Hi Salenity]

10% of the tackle in my boat catches 90% of the fish I catch

[SirSnookalot]

So as you know us bass fisherman are more a less prone to buying all the new cool items, and try to be more like the pros.

Many do but not me. Pros don't fish where I do and I don't fish where they do, I've learned what works for me in the environments I fish.

I don't seek out magic bullets or use specific rods, reels, lines etc. As Salenity said 90% of his fish are caught on 10% of his tackle, pretty much the same here. I fish techniques and lures that are fun, anything else is just for a bit of variety, that would be hard jerkbaits and topwater poppers for open water and flukes rigged weedless for weedy areas.

[bait__Monkey]

10% of the tackle in my boat catches 90% of the fish I catch

Wassup!

We gots some good response here, you think? This one i point out causea lot of guys

tell me this, too. I think we keep buyin like 10X more lures we have almost everything we

need. u check my math...10 X 10% = 100%...so we need to get to shoppin, right?

Now we b pacific. U go read dat "Best Of Bass Resources" n da "General" section. We gots

sum threads 'bout all kins of lures and baits for fishin da water colum. Sum them baits move,

sum lazy and lik to sit on bottom. Bobby Megastrike make me a Cavitron for top, Seibert

Outdoors and NorthStar make jigs, sum swim sum lazy. dat Big O make stuff called Rage

Tail do everything.

Used guys always want talk 'bout color. All mi friends makes lots of colors, maybe you just

pick ones u lik. dat Big O guy, liks crazy shorts and all kinds of color. He gits credit, but those

all mine. we just buy ones u lik, i hep.

[LgMouthGambler]

I just peed myself laughing.

[OkobojiEagle]

I just peed myself laughing.

... that happens with Shimano guys. Very little self control.

oe

[LgMouthGambler]

... that happens with Shimano guys. Very little self control.

oe

Haha, soo true.

[Frogman13]

Please read the latest issue of Bassin' Magazine; under the Weekend Angler section I wrote an article on narrowing down the amount of tackle needed; its a great article and offers some very good advice. I used to be so overwhelmed with everything that was out there; but now I carry alot less in my tackle bag and I am certainly a much more confident fisherman. Its really amazing how little you actually need in your tackle box.

[OkobojiEagle]

Frogman... is the article available to read on-line, or would you post it on-line somewhere? I don't want to spend any money to buy a Bassin' Mag copy. My "working" tackle bag may be as small as any multi-species angle.

oe

[SirSnookalot]

Please read the latest issue of Bassin' Magazine; under the Weekend Angler section I wrote an article on narrowing down the amount of tackle needed; its a great article and offers some very good advice. I used to be so overwhelmed with everything that was out there; but now I carry alot less in my tackle bag and I am certainly a much more confident fisherman. Its really amazing how little you actually need in your tackle box.

I've been fishing that way for years, couple of lures in pocket and pack of flukes with 1 rod, that's pretty much it. However there is nothing wrong in carrying a lot of gear to experiment and have fun.

[Frogman13]

There's nothing wrong with experimenting (so I agree with you there), I actually tackle one new technique or type of lure each year. I just dont go nuts with too much tackle; I would rather have two options for a specific situation than 20. I just try to keep it simple and not become overwhelmed by having too many choices. I think when there's too many choices anglers tend to switch lures way too quickly.

OkobojiEagle; I will send you a PM with the article.