Do All Anglers Fish Differently?

[nickjames1310]

Alright, First off I have fished my whole life, but I just recently started to only fish for bass I have 2 Bass pro johnny morris carbonlite rod/reel combos and I plan to add to my collection once I understand what lures/baits to use and when to use them. There are so many to use that its crazy. What I'm trying to figure out is do all anglers use every type of bait. Like does everyone use cranks/spinners/jigs and all plastics? Or do most have a preference what they will use when. What I'm trying to ask is example I dont like senkos I do most of my fishing from banks and I cant get a good cast with a weightless senko I prefer to use a weighted curly tailed worm is thera big difference. Will some people prefer to fish the same spot differently or will most people fish a laydown the same way or cover the same way. My main thing is there are so many types of plastics out there that I dont know when to use what plastics. Like whens it best to use worms or senkos or craws. I'm sorry for such a long post but I'm trying to figure this out. thanks for any help.

[fishva]

I'd recommend you start with one bait that will work pretty much any time. If you can get over your hatred for senkos, that would be a good one. But there are others too.

Gain confidence with that lure, then start working on another one. Maybe it's a crankbait or a spinner or a jig whatever. Just pick one, and use it until you have confidence in that one too. You don't need a huge tackle box starting out, just do some research and find some all purpose colors for each lure and you'll be ok.

Repeat over and over again until you have a feel for what works for *you* in different situations.

Nobody knows for sure what will work on any given day. There are certain assumptions you can make, but they aren't always right and there's no substitute for just throwing stuff out there that you have built confidence in and seeing what works.

 

Edited to add this: Don't get angry or frustrated, no matter how angry or frustrated you might feel. I've never caught a bass while mad. Embrace the failures.

[Brian Needham]

welcome to the boards!

 

everyone does things a little bit different.

 

myself, I am mainly a jig and shakeyhead guy. I am trying to branch out to throw cranks and Carolina rig....texas rig more... I just for the first time fished lizards this weekend.

 

When I first started I bought anything and everything that looked or sounded good, so my advice to you is read read read, and fish fish fish..... then piece it together over time adding a new bait here and there, a new color here and there. Be simple, do the basics and try to do/fish them well. I wish would have when I got started.

 

you are in the best place on the 'net to learn new things, colors and baits, so enjoy it!

[nickjames1310]

Thanks for the advice.. lol I sadly have bought TON's of cranks/spinners/plastics because a good buddy of mine is a very serious angler, but its hard to get any serious answers out of him because he is set on his ways and how he does things. He pulls 6-10 lb bass out all the time and I'm not catching anything. So I guess I'll just start with learning my plastics just because I have always caught bass on them before.

Is there any types of plastics that you would run in open water? Kinda like a crank bait? Or are most plastics made for fishing laydowns/stumps/cover?

[Bruce424]

I can tell you that lures are not for everybody. My dad seriously only uses one bait right now and its a zoom z nail. Haha. And he catches fish successfully with that one bait. He texas rigs it, carolina rigs it, and weightless wacky style. You use what you have confidence in. Me I only use plastics, jigs, crankbaits, and spinnerbaits. Maybe a frog. Alot more than my dad, but he outfishes me when finesse is the key. But reaction strikes are my deal. But to learn whatlure to use when... I would read the articles on this site alot of info. Or maybe youtube KVD or aaron martens to learn. I know I didnt answer all of your questions but I still hoped I helped a little.

[jhoffman]

Buy something, fish it for awhile and if it doesnt work sell it. Prepare yourself that youre going to lose money along the way here. Not everything will work out. Dont go out and buy ten of the same crankbaits till you know you can catch fish on them. Not all colors work in every lake or even in the same section of the lake. Dont be affraid to change colors but dont go crazy with it either. Fish can give off hints, like if they follow or look at your bait and wont commit theres some minor detail thats off. Maybe its color, maybe its action of the bait or action you imparted.

 

Soft plastics can become a nightmare theres litterally 10,000 different baits out there in 100,000 colors. Pick a couple tried and true and if they catch fish, dont worry about the grass being greener. When it comes to hard baits and physical gear, you get what you pay for more often than not. There are exceptions to that rule, its up to you to research and find those exceptions on your budget.

[Wbeadlescomb]

I usually try to put my bait in the nastiest cover no matter where I'm fishing. I'll throw a squarebill up in a bunch of grass or in the middle of a lay down because a lot of people won't throw a 7-10 dollar bait in there. Most of the time you'll get your crankbait back because they run shallow anyway.

[gulfcaptain]

yes we all fish differently.  I have a friend that fishes 3 lures, a IKA, a shallow crank, and his homemade rat lure.  I've fished with him for 3yrs and only now am I working on the IKA, but then I punch grass, fish big swimbaits, use cranks, frogs, and dropshot.  He fishes 3 rods, well I have a collection.  But the main thing is he fishes his strengths and it works for him.  I like to better round myself and each season I pick a couple new techniques to try.  I've decided I don't like lipless cranks(although I have them) and I don't like jerkbaits.  Have not caught a fish on one so I just don't use them.  So pick a couple things and get good with them before moving on to new techniques and have fun.  

[bigbill]

Select a ritual of lures to throw. I do this on every trip. I practice with every lure to see how many presentations I can do with each lure. Being on my own when my mentor passed away I found this sight for some guidance and went out practicing with lures. I carried lures in my tackle box for over 3+ decades and never used them or caught a fish on them. I never knew lures worked the way they do till one night while fishing a small road side swamp with open water and stumps. It was in the evening with rain on the way in a few hours away. We were using 12" culprit worms and as I reeled it in I had a strike. Silly but the fish told me they wanted something moving. I just picked up a mepps assortment of bass #3 inline spinners a few days before.

I put on a #3 mepps silver blade and brown tail and started catching bass after bass. My son seen this and says do you have anymore of these inline spinners. I gave him a #3 mepps with a red/white blade and gray tail and we both caught doubles after doubles till it got dark.

It's been lures ever since. I was fishing with two rod setups one with live bait and one with lures. Soon the lures was out fishing the live bait. I was spending $50 on live bait per week.

When my catch picked up with lures I stopped using live bait and purchased more lures. Since we only use lures now I save money so I purchase lures for the whole family. I show or explain to my son's with there gals how to use lures and all of them are catching fish. I have no ego and don't claim to be a pro. I'm a guy who loves bass fishing and I like to see others catch fish too. I give up some of my time when fishing to help kids. The more kids I get hooked on fishing the better.

Now with your fishing get a few crankbaits, a split shot rigged black rubber 6' worm, some mepps inline spinners, a 1/4oz Mann's white spinnerbaits with a trailer and trailer hook, some shad bass scent. Go fishing in the evenings and early mornings. Stay going. Speed is very important with using lures, slow is better.

Read all the tips on bass fishing here, watch all the videos. Ask questions too. We support and help each other here were like family here. There are no dumb questions.

Welcome to the forum. Bigbill

[Djman72]

I would keep it simple at the start, I've been bass fishing for 6 years and all of the lures are overwhelming to me as well.

 

Do what's comfortable and don't over think things. Figure out what style of fishing you like and what style produces and expand from there.

 

Good Luck!

[geo g]

Yes all fisherman fish differently. You have to use what you have confidence in. I throw a senko type bait more then any other bait. I throw it weightless most of the time, and I throw it from the boat and from the bank. It casts a mile if you have the correct set up and the correct line. I use floro most of the time, but if your just starting out I would use Berkeley Big Game. You will have alot less problems and it will cast a mile.

To show you how fisherman are different, I'll give you this example. I fished the Stick Marsh in Felesmere Florida (a place known for monster fish), last year with a new friend. We were in an area with stumps and laydowns everywhere in three feet of water. I was throwing my a big weightless senko with a big heavy #6 gama hook. My new friend pulls out a 2.5 KVD square billed crankbait. For every fish I caught, he caught 4. I couldn't believe this thing could make it through this narly crap without getting hung. He made me a believer and soon we were both throwing crankbaits. I've been fishing 40 years and learn something new almost every trip out. If you stop learning, you have only one way to go, and that's down hill! Keep watching others, and try out some of their techniques when you can. Fishing is a on going process.

[Darren.]

Hi Nick- welcome to the forums.

 

Like others have said, keep it simple. Be careful watching TV shows where they use XYZ bait and slay a ton of monster bass. That's TV, not reality (necessarily).

 

I happen to be a fisherman who primarily fishes soft plastics, and even more specific than that, stick baits or finesse worms in a few different manners:

 

1) Wacky style

2) Mojo Rig

3) Texas Rig

4) Jika rig

 

I get plenty of distance casting weightless Senkos (and off-brand) from shore, but I'm more often in my kayak, so distance is not as important for me. Between senkos and ribbon tails, the difference is in the action. I like to fish ribbon tails on a texas or mojo rig, but senkos can be fished all of the above and more.

 

Above all, be patient, be innovative and don't overthink stuff!

[Bladesmith,]

The other responses have given good advice. Yes, everybody fishes a little differently but they usually stick with the basics. All the different kinds of lures will catch fish under the right circumstances. I would recommend fishing a senko on a Carolina rig if you need the extra casting distance. I do this quite often when fishing from the bank or in deeper water. That will give you the casting distance and will get the senko to the bottom faster in deeper water. I rig it wacky style and give it action by shaking the rod tip a little in short hops rather than dragging it. I have had good success with this method. 

[blongfishing]

I myself am a Crankbait junkie. I have tons of crankbaits so I'm a crankbait fan. Good thing about this is it's something a starter can use and something that can be used year round. The other side is I don't like Jigs. I can catch a bass on a jig but I never want to. Jigs are also a good all the time bait.

In your situation start out using the basics. Go to the local Cabelas, Academy, or whatever tackle store and buy you a few crankbaits, soft plastics (Trick Worms, Flukes, SENKOS, and Craws), and some soft swimbaits.

Now get a notebook, pen, and a computer. Take notes on videos you watch. Look for videos with your bait and your season. I still use this before every tournament.

The best bass fishing channel on YouTube is Bassresource. He is on here too. Go check him out. He has turned me from a 1 fish a day to 15+.

Best of luck to you!

[WIGuide]

Yes everyone does do things differently. That's the beauty of fishing, you can fish how you want and you aren't wrong. Someone might catch more doing something else but that doesn't mean what you do won't work. The ultimate goal is to become as versatile as possible and learn what works for you in different situations. Talking to other people can be a good starting point to find out what works for them, but everyone has different strengths and weaknesses.

[Felix77]

Different strokes for different folks.

 

Have fun experimenting with various lures.  Give them a chance to work.  You will find those which appeal to you under certain conditions in time.

 

Don't quit on the weightless senko.  It catches fish when nothing else does.  One little tip for casting them far is to make sure the senko hangs about a foot from the tip of the rod before casting.  That adds extra leverage to get weightless lures some more distance.

 

Good luck.

[roadwarrior]

This is a simple explanation:

 

There are basically two types of presentations: moving lures and bottom contact.

Moving lures are a bit more complicated because of the variables: speed and depth.

For the most part this can be broken down in the water column: topwater, shallow.

mid level and deep.

 

Much more important than your lure selection is location. You may need to do a little

research regarding structure and cover. These concepts are fundamental in determining

where the fish are holding. In fact, this is the key to success.

 

So some practical advice: Points are the most obvious structure and usually hold some fish

Think of cover as grass or vegetation. Fish will sometimes be in the cover or along the edges.

When you find a combination like grass on a point, you may have discovered paydirt!

 

Let's keep it simple and think spring. In low light start with a Zara Spook (topwater), Rattlin'

Rogue (jerkbait), Norman Fat Boy (crankbait) and Red Eye Shad (lipless crank).With just

these four lures you have cracked the water column from the top to about 10' deep.

 

Again, let's keep it simple and look at bottom contact. My first two suggestions are weightless

presentations: 5" GYCB Senko and Fat Ika. Next is weighted, Rage Tail Baby Craw. Two more

that are red hot for me right now are the Rage Tail Cut-R and MegaStrike MegaTube Craw on

a ShakE2 Professional Series.

 

All of this can be fished on spinning tackle or baitcasting gear. I suggest starting with spinning

gear and light line, specifically Yo-Zuri Hybrid #6. With this small sampling of tackle, I think you

will be on he road to success.

 

Good luck!

[FD.]

The region and specific lake you fish will get you more specific info. Many times the water you fish dictates the style that will be most effective.

[FrogFreak]

Others have given some great advice. Here's mine:

 

1. Watch Glenns videos. He gives good practical unbiased advise.
2. There is a ton of information out there. Try not to get bogged down by all of it.
3. Set your sites on learning a new technique or two each year. This is where Glenn's videos will help. 
4. Try to get a general idea of how to fish with certain conditions, but again, don't get bogged down with too much info. I'm talking general advice like go deep in the heat of summer, shallow during the spawn etc etc.
5. Find the way you like to fish. I love top water and I throw top water when I shouldn't, I just can't help myself.
6. Pay attention to the guys on this forum, they have been there done that. When you see thousands of posts in their profile information, pay attention!

[jeremyryanwebb]

Over time you will develop your own "style" of fishing that will most likely be made up of those baits that work best in your region/ those you have confidence in(which means it was succesful for you in the past).  I started out throwing senkos and had great success.  Since then I would say I have evolved into more of a power fisherman because covering alot of water is what I feel confident in.  You will learn from your experiences and you will create your own style....its good to listen to people in what they have had success on in the past, but never be afraid to experiment.

[VAHunter]

 

Much more important than your lure selection is location.

Everyone is offering great advice. The only thing I would add, and it plays off roadwarrior's theme, is to study seasonal movements of fish. This will also help you determine what to throw. Have fun and, as was stated earlier, don't worry about the failures. It's only a failure if you don't learn from it. 

[Bankbeater]

I have never seen two people fish exactly the same way.  Don't try and master all the baits at once.  Get good with one and move to a second type of bait.  If your like me, you'll really get into some baits, but you're not going to care a lick for others.

[CDMeyer]

Welcome to the sport buddy.  It is a lot of hard work but it will pay off someday.....

First of all I would use a lure you are confident with at first for a awhile till you become really familiar with how it feel, and how fish react to it.  Once you have done that move on to another lure/technique.  Do not stop that technique until you are comfortable with it, regardless if you go weeks on end with no fish, it pays off.

Then to answer if anglers fish the same spot differently, the answer would be yes..... for example if you come up to a tree filled shore line where most anglers will jig or t-rig it, I will fish a shallow Rapala DT - 6 crank bait.  This is because I have confidence in this bait.

As you will learn confidence is the key, believe in yourself and you will catch fish.....