Why Do You Fish What You Fish?

[YourBassIsGrass]

New to the forum, but have lurked for a while. I have been fishing more and more seriously for the last few years and have slowly been acquiring the bait monkey problem I hear some (most) of you guys are plagued with. 

 

My question is, why do you throw the bait you throw? Did you catch a fish the first time you tried it? Did the pretty packaging make you want to buy it and now you feel you have to use it? Did your old man show you the technique and it stuck with you? Do you switch lure/bait/technique on a given day/temperature/condition?

 

I am curious as to how many of you guys change technique for condition as opposed to, I throw this bait every time and catch something so if they don't bite it they aren't hungry today. I have acquired mostly every type of lure (not in every color) but at least every style: spinner (inline and safety pin), buzz, jigs, worms, swimbaits, cranks, topwater... But I rarely go through and try em all! It kills me every time I get back that I didn't try them all. I feel like, to be a well rounded fisherman, I should at least know how to use everything in the box. Have you guys tried them all? Or just stick to what works or you like?

 

I want to try more techniques and learn how to use them, when to use them. Any tips for trying learning more?

 

Thanks for any responses. 

[roadwarrior]

The best time to try a new bait/ lure is when you are on a big bite.

Two weekends ago I was fishing Pickwick and got into a BIG bite,

exclusively smallmouth on a thin 3" tube. I threw at least six other

soft plastics on this trip just for trial.

[grumpydog]

95% of the time I will start with some sort of topwater...if I get hit in the first 15 casts I will waste the rest of the day on top.  I just prefer a visible blast to a hidden thump.

Of course, it should be said that I am retired and can fish almost whenever I want (or when my wife lets me). So , I dont feel like I am wasting a day off by catching one fish every 412 casts

If I have company who expects to catch a fish though, almost always spend most of the time with a carolina rig worm. And almost always find fish.

Its a matter of perspective...do you have to catch fish to have fun fishing?

[mcgreggor57]

I start with a worm or fluke almost every time because I have confidence in them.  If I don't get a hit within the first 15 minutes or so I'll change up and try something else.  My confidence comes from landing bass on these within the first 5 casts on many occasions. 

[Mike2841]

I throw a Texas rig 80% of the time just because weeds around here can get out of control. Frogs another 15%, and everything else makes up the last 5%

[YourBassIsGrass]

@RoadWarrior, great idea there! If you know the fish are biting you can actually tell if a new lure is at least 'attractive' to fish. That is a good point.

 

@Grumpydog, I wish i had your free time! But of course I get the standard one day a week ration from the wife, smile and take the day like I earned it. As for pitching the same bait all day, I honestly want to do that one of these days. Take some lures I use only every so often and really learn to work it. Maybe if I get a two day ration for good behavior and time served

 

@Mcgreggor57 & @Mike2841, do you always start with the soft plastics? This is what I mean, I do the same thing. Start with a finesse worm in the shallows t-rigged. I spend so much time trying every stick up and stump around that I feel like a waste the morning with it. Do you ever switch the starting bait? I mean has anyone really logged what they start with every time out and figured out that their 'favorite' was actually not performing as well as we thought it was?

 

I think RoadWarrior has a good idea here. I rarely switch once I start with something for fear that if I'm not getting bites its just that I'm not in the right spot or I'm not working it the way the want it. I really want to try jigging, swim jigging, using a fluke, carolina rig. But I am always torn when I think about trying to use those setups when I have the old trusty t-rig or buzzbait screaming from the tackle box to take it out for a spin.

 

Grumpy is right though, its not about the number of fish caught. Heck there have been days my 'best performers' didn't catch squat for the day. So maybe the attitude of, if the new stuff doesn't catch anything, oh well, would be a good mantra for trying new stuff. And there is always the bonus that I may find a new 'best performer'!

[Chris9999]

I have found that the best way to master a certain type of bait is to when you go fishing only bring that type. So if you want to get better at cranks then only bring cranks with you. This forces you to try and do your best with that certain type of bait.

[einscodek]

Its all about percentages

You try to maximize your odds of catching fish under certain conditions

Based on these conditions you prefer certain lures and techniques over others and adapt/change as needed

Then the fish come.. its not that hard

[David D.]

I generally will start a trip by throwing a topwater frog if it is the early morning and then graduate to a fluke, T-rigged worm or crankbait when the bite slows. If it is windy I'll pull out the spinnerbaits.

I rarely fish every type of lure every time I go out, even if I'm out on the water for 8 hours. I'll try what I think will work based in the conditions, and go from there.

[PersicoTrotaVA]

Confidence is number 1 reason why I throw the baits I throw.  The 2nd is ease of fishing.  I love crankbaits because all I have to do is cast and reel it back and it catches fish.  The 3rd reason is action.  I chose baits based on the action they have and if I think it looks realistic or crazy enough that a bass would bite it.  I never get on the boat without my cranking rod and my wacky rig rod.  Those are my go to always catch fish for me baits. 

[YourBassIsGrass]

I guess everyone has their own comfort zone. Their go to lure/bait. It is hard to move away from the tried and true. I must push myself though. I want to have new tools to try out on the water. I think experience will play a large part in what bait I reach for the more I get out. As of now I just go with a 'hunch' that some fish should be there. Never really knowing if baits don't work because there is no fish, I am using the wrong bait, or just using the bait incorrectly.

[BigKev77]

Well, I guess I choose my lure depending on where, when, and what I'm fishing. My favorite lure is a jig but it isn't going to be great for everything. You have to make the choice for the situation. You aren't going to pitch a zara spook deep into a bush and I can't walk the dog with a jig.

 

If you want to really learn a technique the only way is to ride it out.

[SirSnookalot]

I have a small arsenal of lures, putting my lure where I think the fish should be works best for me.  I don't change too often and generally only have 2-4 with me.  When I do get a hot bite I like to change lures after each fish, I find in those cases the lure makes no difference, they all work.  On a hot bite you can fish on your mother's old garter belt.  On a dead bite, go home and take your wife out to lunch.

[RAMBLER]

I fish what works for me.  I've watched the pros fishing and listened to them tell what they use.  I've read this forum and tried most of what I've read about.  I've bought more tackle than I will ever use, although, I have tried all that I have bought.  What worked, I use, the rest, well I should just dispose of but for now it's dead weight in my tackle boxes.

Fishing for pike, in Wisconsin and Michigan, I never heard of T-rig, C-rig, A-rig, chatterbait and a whole lot of other stuff, most of which is designed to catch dry land suckers.  But, it's all fun to try and some actually works.

[jignfule]

Many times I find myself fishings what is fun for me. I love jigs and of course frog when a top water bite is on. I know that I could probably catch more fish on a senko or plactic worm, but I fish what's fun for me.

[Mccallister25]

This is a good topic. 90% of the time I fish, Im throwing a jig. I guess the reason I use it so much is the quick confidence boost I gained when first trying them. That, and I am in love with the fact that sometimes you can feel fish slam the mess out of a jig, and other times its pitching to a certain spot only to reel up your slack and watch your line swimming away.

[hooah212002]

I have found that the best way to master a certain type of bait is to when you go fishing only bring that type. So if you want to get better at cranks then only bring cranks with you. This forces you to try and do your best with that certain type of bait.

 

I certainly need to do this more often because all too frequently, I forget to vary my retrieve and end up switching baits after only one type of retrieve, chalking the lack of production up to the bait alone. for example: sometimes when fishing an inline spinner, the only way to get bit is when I pop it a few times (reel - pop - reel). I only do that because I use them so often. Other baits I use less frequently, I give up on before trying different ways.

 

Good tip.

[WVbassin87]

I have a similar problem to yours. i have a half dozen or so lures sitting in the tackle box waiting to be tried and still buy a new one about once a week now. my first cast of the day fluctuates. lately i've been trying a jitterbug (to no avail so far) if it's before daylight, but if the sun is rising i always use a Mister Twister. Glenn said it best tho in one of his videos (and i'm paraphrasing here) if you wanna build confidence in a lure, go out and fish that lure. Take just that one (or one type) and fish it: experiment with retrieves, stop and go, pop it. find what works and what doesn't for your style and area.

[SirSnookalot]

Well it's summer here in South Florida which means I don't target bass at all.  I am fishing for peacock bass nearly everyday, despite the fact I have caught them on a wide variety of lures over the years I'm only 1 lure now.  Not only is this lure as successful as anything else I've used, I'm making them myself so there is a reward factor.  I probably have 10-12 made up, but always making new ones with different materials and profiles.  They don't catch any more fish but it's a labor of love.

[YourBassIsGrass]

@Zach, I feel you on the first love situation. With plastics and rapala's those seemed to just 'click' the first time I used them. Since then it becomes hard to drag yourself away from the old tried and true.

 

@ho0ah212002 I fall victim to exactly this, tie something new on and don't try all the tricks before putting it back in the box. Then if I head back to the familiar stuff and catch something the new item was probably defective

 

@WVBassin87 That is exactly what prompted me to write this. I am buying things left and right because they look good, but never try out the stuff I bought the week before! The go to baits get tons of game time but the new stuff only gets cycled in for a couple of casts at best.