Why Don't We Start With Our "panic Box" Lures?

[Shoop05]

Hey guys, I posted the "panic box" thread, to ask this one. With so many of us having "go to" baits, and alot of us having more than one, why do we wait until we have wasted 7 hours of our tournament to turn to these things???

 

Why don't we start using these to fill our livewells in the beginning? Then experiment once we get our limit?

 

 

Let's hear your feedback!

[Shoop05]

My day usually starts out with at least one of these lures tied on. In the warmer months however, I do like throwing horizontal baits, targeting active fish. I can usually tell how that's going to work out pretty quickly, and will go back and forth until I can pattern the fish. On those tough days however, unless drastic changes occur, I will throw my "panic box" baits all day. Usually this will result in a full livewell.

[Felix77]

I did that last year with a lot of success in one tournament.  Unfortunately it got me numbers and not weight.  That's part of the problem with the "panic box" lures sometimes.  It's focus is generally to fill a limit and not chase the big one.

 

In every tournament I have 2 of them rigged and I will toggle between the more aggressive presentations and these "Panic" ones.

[J Francho]

Because I start my day not just looking for bites.  I'm looking for 5 bigger bites.  That is usually a different pattern, and it can sometimes be a grind.  The question really is, when do make the adjustment, and abandon your plan A, and move to plan-b, c, whatever?  At what point in the plan is it panic situation?  Some days you just scrape.

 

I've had tournaments I've done well in where I've caught 50 fish or more.  Other tournaments I've finished at the top with only 6 or 7 bites.  I've seen tournaments won with less than a limit.  The fish that person caught were just a different class altogether.

[Shoop05]

Yeah, on tough days that is usually my issue as well. I may have 5, but may only have 6 or 7 pounds. So in reality 2 or 3 really quality fish beat me. I don't know, I always set a goal to fill a limit. That's just a personal goal I set for myself in each day of each tournament.

[J Francho]

I don't care about a limit, my goal is convert five good bites into pounds in the well.

[Shoop05]

Because I start my day not just looking for bites.  I'm looking for 5 bigger bites.  That is usually a different pattern, and it can sometimes be a grind.  The question really is, when do make the adjustment, and abandon your plan A, and move to plan-b, c, whatever?  At what point in the plan is it panic situation?  Some days you just scrape.

 

I've had tournaments I've done well in where I've caught 50 fish or more.  Other tournaments I've finished at the top with only 6 or 7 bites.  I've seen tournaments won with less than a limit.  The fish that person caught were just a different class altogether.

I know alot of guys who base these decisions on time. I can't do that. I go with a gut feeling. Sometimes I just don't feel like a certain technique is working, so I will switch. Alot has to do with confidence. I really like to junk fish, so that plays into what I will throw. Different baits work different cover and structure better, so I will use an array of baits sometimes. I just love catching em'. My favorite days are when people ask, " what did you catch your 5 on?" and I get to reply, " I caught em' on 5 different baits!" You have to love that!

[J Francho]

I hear you there!  Look at these two pics.  Which do you think was the better day:

 

 

 

[gripnrip]

Pic #2!

[jhoffman]

Two pixys on that deck?

[ww2farmer]

I don't do the whole "get a limit first than upgrade" thing either. The only time I go looking for keepers is, after 7 + hours of stinking up the place to save a little face.

[DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only]

This year I need to focus more on getting a limit with the panic baits, then upgrading.  I feel like I should be able to get a quick limit that way.  I should be able to get a limit of 14inchers in 30 minutes.  Then I will have the rest of the day to try and find the hogs.  You never know, you may come across a pattern while dink slinging and end up slab grabbin.  The last 2 years I have been hog hunting the whole day and not having much luck getting my limits. This is a new year and time for a new approach during my tournaments.   

 

Jay-

[mjseverson24]

If I enter a tournament I am fishing to win it. So the first few hours of the event I will focus on getting the kicker fish needed to win. If the big ones don't want to play during a tournament. I will bust out the "panic box" mostly reaction baits, covering a lot of water fishing for whatever bites. I need to get some confidence back, and sometimes just junk fishing you can pull one heck of a limit. I feel that the best chance at getting a hog is the early morning and i will not waist my best chance at a big chasing the limit fish.  

[bocabasser]

mentally if you start out with your "panic baits" and they don't work, then what? i approach tournaments by pre-fishing and working with what i find during that time. pre-fishing is the key to success in my opinion. the windows of opportunity must be taken advantage of to be successful. 

[Big239Fish]

I don't fish tournaments (yet), but I visit Okeechobee and Toho ALOT-more than the wife knows about at least. I start with a spinner bait. The same one, every time. It's the crappy little green and yellow one you can buy at Walmart for a dollar. Has a silver willow leaf blade on it. . Everytime. No matter what. I play with the presentation for about an hour until I figure out what they're hitting (fast, slow, bottom, top, etc..) then go from there.

My 5 panic baits? A 1/2 oz KVD sexy shad spinner. A 6" senko in watermelon with green and red flake, texas or wacky rigged. A Spro poppin frog. Some sort of okeechobee craw colored jig with a trailer (usually a YUM craw Papi in some color to add contrast to the actually jig). And finally, a Rapala husky jerk in baby bass color.

And I've never been skunked. Not to say I'm amazing, because I've had days where I've only caught one fish. But I've never been skunked. That panic box hasn't changed in darn near 4 years. And won't anytime soon.

[bighed]

I'm a junker. My panic baits are on the rods and strapped to the deck all day

[200racing]

thats just poor time management and decision making to me.

my"panic box" is not just lures it lighter gear /line, lighter weights,smaller baits, slower presentation and more cast per area.

 

with 8hrs+ of fishing including a hour of prime morning time im not panicked. especially if a had a good practice or previous luck on the lake.

why would i automatically start slowly fish 1 good looking dock for 20 minutes with a 4'' worm, hoping for a dink keeper. while all my competitors cover lots of fresh water catching the most active fish that im am no longer able to have a shot at....

[MichBassMan]

 I never experiment with anything in a tournament. I start out with my strengths and my confidence baits. I have a plan going in, it may be "plan a", and "plan b" . And I probably have my first three spots figured out. The only thing in my "panic box" is bug spray and toilet paper.

[derekxec]

what if you use your panic box first and you catch nothing? what do you do when you start to panic after that haha

[jhoffman]

what if you use your panic box first and you catch nothing? what do you do when you start to panic after that haha

 

Pull back on the trailer