What's The Best Search Lure?

[nascar2428]

Catt.......there has been an occasion or two when I actually do catch them on the spinnerbait. It's my routine, spinnerbait or swim jig(if there is a lot of vegetation) then the Senkos or t riggs. Makes feel like I'm following some sort of bass fishing protocol .LOL

[Catt]

Catt.......there has been an occasion or two when I actually do catch them on the spinnerbait.

& that's good enough for ya

[RoLo]

The best search bait is the gray matter between the ears.

 

Roger

[Hyrule Bass]

i dont believe in search baits. if the fish dont want your "search bait" then you just wasted a bunch of time. i understand you gotta start somewhere, but theres no magic bait to start with thats gonna find you fish just because you label it a search bait. if the fish dont want that spinnerbait you can throw it till youre blue in the face with no bites, yet toss a slow falling worm out there to the same spots and you might get bit and catch fish. you can also say the exact opposite and change up the lures and it be true.

[Brian Needham]

yall are getting mired down in what "covers water"....... when you need to be thinking "what catches fish" and that is the right bait for the right times added to the confidence you have in that bait.

I own 4 spinnerbaits...... does that mean I cant cover water???NO

but then again I don't "cover water" I try to fish where they live from the get go.

[Hyrule Bass]

yall are getting mired down in what "covers water"....... when you need to be thinking "what catches fish" and that is the right bait for the right times added to the confidence you have in that bait.

I own 4 spinnerbaits...... does that mean I cant cover water???NO

but then again I don't "cover water" I try to fish where they live from the get go.

i agree about the covering water thing. fishing is about more than just covering water. what good is covering water if the fish dont want that bait at that time?

[Catt]

i agree about the covering water thing. fishing is about more than just covering water. what good is covering water if the fish dont want that bait at that time?

Or you're covering water that doesn't hold fish!

To me covering water with "search lures" is targeting specific structure & cover with high precentage lures.

[Bassun]

I hate to sound contrary; but I absolutely disagree with the concept of not using search baits... but it may be more about what we are calling "search" baits vs what you are actually doing.

 

To fish a 2' diving crank search bait over 30' open water is obivously not a good solution.  However, fishing a "reaction" bait over good cover is obviously a great idea.  What's the difference... how I said it. 

 

We ALL use search baits when we first start the day.  It may be something in which you have recently had success on, or something that historically works in the specific situation you are in; but a search bait is just that - a bait you use to help find the fish and what they are keying on.  You can use a worm for a seach bait if you want; but generally speaking that is not time nor cost effective.

 

If you only fish your home lake, then you are less likely to use "search" baits as you know that in Snookers Cove, in June you can catch a ton of fish at that second drop off if you just drag a trick worm and let if drop off the edge.  Not exactly a normal tactic, but hey it's your lake and you have figured that out over the years you have fished it.  That's all fine and dandy if you are fishing water you know; but what happens when you fish new water?  Are you going to look for a similar cove, and try draging a trick worm off a ledge?  Probably not.

 

But, you will look for the basic things a fish needs.  Most notabaly a good place to forage and hide.  Once you find good cover what are you going to do?  We are all going to do the same thing... probe the area.  Some will use jigs, some cranks, some spinnerbaits, etc.  But the key is we are all looking for those first clues to hone in on.  Are they hitting short, are they following and turning, are they hitting from below or behind, are they hitting and turning or hitting and holding?  These are all things (and more) that we should be looking at when we catch a fish.  Each fish tells a tail, and its our job as anglers to read between the lines, and begin to figure out what the fish wants.  You have to start somewhere... if you are on water you don't know, I would (and DO) start with reaction baits.  Sure you may not start out on the largest fish in the lake, but you can get a quick idea of what they want (and dont want) if you take the time to read the fish.  To me, this is using a search bait to begin to identify the days pattern.

 

I said i used Cranks and spinnerbaits as search baits, which I generally do start out with (cranks 90% of the time) but when things get really tough and I'm just trying to buy a bite I actually go a totally different direction and begin searching with grubs.  They are one of the most versitile lures we own, and make for a great tool when used properly.  You can fish them deep, shallow, mid-depth, drag the bottom, swim, jig, burn the surface, in cover, over grass, through grass, in rocks, over rocks, dead stick, dead fall, etc etc etc and you can change the size and color in a matter of seconds by just changing bodies - you can also target fish from bluegills and up.  My point is that while I start with a crank, if I'm struggling, I don't go back to a crank - I tie on a grub and figure out where I went wrong.  The grub becomes my fallback search bait because it's so easy to down size and work your way up and into a good pattern.

[Catt]

The difficulty I have come from the terminology,all lures are search lures & all lures are reaction lures.

"If you worry about what might be...and wonder what might have been...you will ignore what is."

Let the conditions & the bass tell you what to throw, when, & where.

To quote nascar2428, "Makes me feel like I'm following some sort of bass fishing protocol."

Y'all are following a bass fishing protocol; problem is there aint no bass fishing protocol!

[Brian Needham]

Y'all are following a bass fishing protocol; problem is there aint no bass fishing protocol!

about sums it up right there!!!!!!

[Bassun]

Oh I completely disagree --- there absolutely is a "protocol".  Not a daily set method that always works - but seasonally there absolutely is.  Are you going to be fishing topwater hard and fast when its January/Feburary, and the water temp is 42 degrees?  No.  Protocal dictates where the fish "should" be based on seasonal migration, and fish habits (and habitats).  Each lake is different, each fish is different; but basic concepts of seasonal fishing remains.

 

Now is there a guarenteed protocol you can follow from minute to minute and day to day; no, I agree.  BUT - if you have a systematic approach that you follow consistently; you will consistently be able to find and catch fish as you will become better at reading their reactions to your methods.  (assuming you are not using a really bad approach lol).  I think one of the worst things an angler can do is toss lures and not know why they are using it.  Look at your situation.  Where should the fish be, but more importantly WHY should the fish be there.  Once you start breaking down patterns based on the fish and not luck, you will generally become much more... lucky...

 

Granted this is just my opinion and I've never won the Classic so take it for what its worth.   

[shawnmc]

Spinnerbait. Can be fished at any depth and retrieved at any speed.  You can cover water quickly as well.

[tcbass]

I hate to sound contrary; but I absolutely disagree with the concept of not using search baits... but it may be more about what we are calling "search" baits vs what you are actually doing.

 

To fish a 2' diving crank search bait over 30' open water is obivously not a good solution.  However, fishing a "reaction" bait over good cover is obviously a great idea.  What's the difference... how I said it. 

 

We ALL use search baits when we first start the day.  It may be something in which you have recently had success on, or something that historically works in the specific situation you are in; but a search bait is just that - a bait you use to help find the fish and what they are keying on.  You can use a worm for a seach bait if you want; but generally speaking that is not time nor cost effective.

 

If you only fish your home lake, then you are less likely to use "search" baits as you know that in Snookers Cove, in June you can catch a ton of fish at that second drop off if you just drag a trick worm and let if drop off the edge.  Not exactly a normal tactic, but hey it's your lake and you have figured that out over the years you have fished it.  That's all fine and dandy if you are fishing water you know; but what happens when you fish new water?  Are you going to look for a similar cove, and try draging a trick worm off a ledge?  Probably not.

 

But, you will look for the basic things a fish needs.  Most notabaly a good place to forage and hide.  Once you find good cover what are you going to do?  We are all going to do the same thing... probe the area.  Some will use jigs, some cranks, some spinnerbaits, etc.  But the key is we are all looking for those first clues to hone in on.  Are they hitting short, are they following and turning, are they hitting from below or behind, are they hitting and turning or hitting and holding?  These are all things (and more) that we should be looking at when we catch a fish.  Each fish tells a tail, and its our job as anglers to read between the lines, and begin to figure out what the fish wants.  You have to start somewhere... if you are on water you don't know, I would (and DO) start with reaction baits.  Sure you may not start out on the largest fish in the lake, but you can get a quick idea of what they want (and dont want) if you take the time to read the fish.  To me, this is using a search bait to begin to identify the days pattern.

 

I said i used Cranks and spinnerbaits as search baits, which I generally do start out with (cranks 90% of the time) but when things get really tough and I'm just trying to buy a bite I actually go a totally different direction and begin searching with grubs.  They are one of the most versitile lures we own, and make for a great tool when used properly.  You can fish them deep, shallow, mid-depth, drag the bottom, swim, jig, burn the surface, in cover, over grass, through grass, in rocks, over rocks, dead stick, dead fall, etc etc etc and you can change the size and color in a matter of seconds by just changing bodies - you can also target fish from bluegills and up.  My point is that while I start with a crank, if I'm struggling, I don't go back to a crank - I tie on a grub and figure out where I went wrong.  The grub becomes my fallback search bait because it's so easy to down size and work your way up and into a good pattern.

What is this grub you speak of?

[bmac31]

Spinner then crank

[bmac31]

Spinner the cranks

[Bassun]

What is this grub you speak of?

 

Here is an example of a grub.  This happens to be a good quality PowerBait version:

 

http://www.basspro.com/Berkley-PowerBait-Original-Power-Grub/product/15723/?hvarAID=shopping_googleproductextensions&om_mmc=shopping_googleproductextensions&kpid=15723%26adc=pg_315_11128_530bae48e4b021b76fd3c94a_41411118751

[tcbass]

Here is an example of a grub.  This happens to be a good quality PowerBait version:

 

http://www.basspro.com/Berkley-PowerBait-Original-Power-Grub/product/15723/?hvarAID=shopping_googleproductextensions&om_mmc=shopping_googleproductextensions&kpid=15723%26adc=pg_315_11128_530bae48e4b021b76fd3c94a_41411118751

O. lol. I thought you meant grub like maggot for icefishing. I was like I've never heard of that for bass.

[Bassun]

It actually is based off a larve insect as well.  Just a larger version, and they (maybe Mr. Twister was the original?) added a tail.  If I remember right the grub was the larve of a junebug.  But I am not positive.  But, either way, some concept just upsize a bit and add a curly tail, lol.

[Basspro87]

Cranbaits (preferable lipless)

[Catt]

Oh I completely disagree --- there absolutely is a "protocol". Not a daily set method that always works - but seasonally there absolutely is. Are you going to be fishing topwater hard and fast when its January/Feburary, and the water temp is 42 degrees? No. Protocal dictates where the fish "should" be based on seasonal migration, and fish habits (and habitats). Each lake is different, each fish is different; but basic concepts of seasonal fishing remains.

Now is there a guarenteed protocol you can follow from minute to minute and day to day; no, I agree. BUT - if you have a systematic approach that you follow consistently; you will consistently be able to find and catch fish as you will become better at reading their reactions to your methods. (assuming you are not using a really bad approach lol). I think one of the worst things an angler can do is toss lures and not know why they are using it. Look at your situation. Where should the fish be, but more importantly WHY should the fish be there. Once you start breaking down patterns based on the fish and not luck, you will generally become much more... lucky...

Granted this is just my opinion and I've never won the Classic so take it for what its worth.

Problem with your protocol is bass aint read it!

[FishTank]

Crankbait and depending on the water, 3ft or 6ft diving depth.  I try to cover as much water as possible when I fish this way.

[greentrout]

Lipless cranks by Cotton Cordell and Bill Lewis. Wood, brush, stumps and other cover the spinner bait leads the way.

[RoLo]

If we're looking for a lure with fast area-coverage, the 'crankbait' has few rivals.

Nevertheless, if your chucking crankbaits when bass are groveling on the lake floor,

your "search" is predestined to fail. This takes us full-circle,

back to the gray matter between our ears      

 

Roger

[Chris-W]

As a bank angler, I use a spinnerbait as a wake up call to get their attention. I run it through an area a couple of times and then I switch to a Senko or T rigged worm to actually catch em.

Had never thought of this approach, will have to try that!

[Catch and Grease]

I'm surprised that not a single person put a vote in for the C-Rig, during the summer its a game changer on most lakes...