So Many Lures So Little Time...

[kfelton0002]

I am still relatively new to the sport of bass fishing with artificial lures.  When we go out I throw a texas rigged plastic (worm or creature) or a topwater frog and that is what I catch bass on.  My question is, when are lures like spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, and chatterbaits useful and more productive than a texas rig?  When (what time of year/time of day) do bass prefer faster more horizontal presentations over a slower moving worm or creature bait?  I have heard that faster presentation work better when bass are prespawn and are loading up for the spawn and when they are chasing shad, otherwise during the spawn and post spawn they don't like to chase lures.  If some of you could please give me some insight and share their wisdom with me so I can hopefully learn how to use these lures and above all be productive using these lures it would help me a lot.  I've thrown smaller spinnerbaits with a colorado blade with no bites, and I've thrown a 3/4 and 1/8 ounce chatterbait later in the evenings with no bites.  I tied on a buzzbait yesterday evening just before dark just to see how it would run in the water before we left.  No bites.  The waters I fish are generally lightly stained to murky ponds 1/4 acre on up to 1 acre plus.  Some have heavy grass cover, some heavy wood cover.  Crappy bottoms that hang lures easily so crankbaits are pretty much out for me until I get a boat and go out to the lake.  Help me out guys..

[einscodek]

There are general rules of thumb which lures are better than others under certain conditions and seasons.. Ill not reiterate them here as you can look that info up easily.

This said, I carry most of my tackle because on the water I make adjustments to figure out what they are likely to hit and what they are hitting and them certain lures get tied on for good where other rods get trial lures.. its a figuring out process.

Not only that some parts of a lake are different.. near the creeks and weeds the water is generally less stained.. calls for different lures

Other parts of the lake is stained and calls for other lures.

Regarding your spinnerbaits, I dunno what water conditions were during the evening where u fish but I just no longer waste time with spinnerbaits in clear open water.. can you catch them.. sure.. but I have other better high percentage options for that.

This thing about faster presentation after the spawn is a general rule of thumb.  For example this morning I went out and its clearly weeks past prime spawn and were in post spawn the fry are out in schools and nearing an inch long.  The fish were not aggressive.. faster presentation was getting no takers so I went finesse and landed a bunch with some patience.

Adjust..

[kfelton0002]

I'm not sure if spinnerbaits and all the like are for me.  I may give them a try a time or two more, but if I don't see any results I will likely phase them out of my tackle bag.  I've read and re-read all the info but when I try to apply that and use it in the waters where I fish, the fish just don't seem to want to bite them.  Same with chatterbaits and buzzbaits. 

[einscodek]

Spinnerbaits should work in stained to murky try to vary your retrieve and make sure the spinnerbait is running true.

Run the spinnerbait thru gaps in the grass and along grass lines starting at just below the surface and if no bites run them deeper and deeper.

Alil cloudy surface chop from wind conditions helps as well.. and I find spinnerbaits peak in spring and fall..

I wouldnt forcefeed spinnerbaits if they dont want them.. if they are taking plastics, feed them plastics

I was killin them on spinnerbaits from spring to alil over a week ago and just like that theyve fallen off so i move on..