Pre-Fishing, Developing A Pattern

[Bassic Training]

I've heard poeple talk about "methodically" working a bait, or "methodically" working a point or laydown. So, I have to assume that they have developed some type of "method" for doing this. What is your method for developing a pattern? Lets say that you understand seasonal patterns and have done your homework on the lake and have narrowed down the specific areas that you want to fish. What are the steps that you take to develope a pattern once your boat hits the water? For example, if your going to fish a main lake point, do you start at the deep end of a point using a crank bait, then move in shallow and flip laydowns? And how much time do you give yourself before you change baits, color, or location?

[gulfcaptain]

First, start with a seasonal pattern.  Where are the fish likely to be, what forage base is in the lake, what kind of cover is available.  What has worked for you in the past there.  Start out there, when you get a fish, what did it bite, where was it, what kind of structure.  You get another fish and on the same bait, was it in the same area or cover as the last.  Then you start to see the pattern develop.  What the fish are keying in on....could be timber next to broken rock on a deep point, Thing is to always be observant to your surroundings and never put blinders on.  Always be willing to alter you game plan if needed and change on the fly.  Start with your strongest techniques that you have confidence in.  But always read the conditions and understand how fish relate to whatever conditions are at hand by reading as much information as you can as well as each time you catch a fish review in your head all the conditions and area that fish was in.  Put the pieces together and you will start to see the pattern that you can duplicate on areas that have the same conditions or structure.

[papajoe222]

You're asking three questions. I'll address the first.  How do you methodically work a piece of cover or structure? It depends on the bait. With some baits you can not cover something completely, but enough to develop a pattern if you are consistantly catching fish.  With others you can.  Once you decide how you plan to attack that cover or structure you continue that approach until you've covered it completely.  Let's say it's a laydown and you decide to methodically work it from the outside in with a tube. Starting at the outermost visible parts and working your way in toward the trunk on one side and repeating that process on the other side, you have worked that piece of cover methodically.

Now, if you catch a fish, say on the on the outermost part of it that happens to be on the shady side and at the next laydown you catch another fish on the shady end, you have the makings of a pattern.

[Bassic Training]

Maybe I'm asking the wrong question. What steps do you take to narrow down what type of bait or presentation the fish are wanting. Lets say that you know where on the lake your going to fish, either from experience on the lake or from your research. Your probably going to start with a fast moving bait to try to locate the fish. However, if you stick with the fast moving bait the entire time to try to find the fish, its possible that you hit all of your spots and not catch a single fish. Its probably not because they are not there, but because they dont want a fast moving bait. Soo.... What method do you use to find the fish and narrow down what they are going to bite on? Do you have a system in place to do this?

 

Example:

Go to deep end point. Make 10 cast with a buzzbait. Make 10 cast with a popper.

Work your boat into a cove, but stay out from the bank. Make 10 cast with a crankbait. Switch to a swimjig. Make 5 cast burning you jig. 5 cast with intermittant pauses. make 5 cast with a slower retrieve.

Go back toward the point, but this time closer to the bank. make 5 Pitch to laydown with a jig. Make 5 with a creature bait....and so on.

 

Obviously, the more you catch, the more your going to narrow down what the want.

[Catt]

This is what Ole Catt takes into consideration!

A pattern is nothing more than something you can duplicate or something that can be duplicated. You CAN NOT develope a pattern with out catching fish!

First your 5-10 cast per lure theory, yea that aint gonna work!

Catching bass consistently is about putting the odds in your favor or being a high percentage angler. The simplest way to put a high percentage of the odds in your favor is to fish your strengths.

My strengths are a Texas Rig and a Jig-N-Craw; with these two techniques I can effectively cover water from bank shallow out to 35-40 foot of water. I don't care what the seasonal pattern is, what the weather pattern is or what the water conditions are I'm starting with those two techniques.

Trying to be versatile is good up to the point where you spend too much time changing lures; I'll normally change locations first.

How long will I stay with those two techniques? All day!

As I'm reading my graph and the water, I will pick up a spinner bait, crank bait, or top water if I feel they will be better suit to cover a spicific target/area. If I see a laydown I'm gonna run a spinner bait down it long before I get into pitching/flipping distance.

Ya have to determine what works for you

[Fish Murderer 71]

I think Catt said it best, Find which bait and rig works best for you...  I try to be versitile until I find what seems to be working best and then hammer out the rest of the season with it.  example:  during the prespawn this year- jerkbaits in shallow waters off a long slow point in early evening...  This is the basic pattern I would start with, I would modify bait colors and retrieve rates per weather and water conditions.  This is the "how and when" I would be most effective during the pre-spawn season.  Now that summer patterns are here - my basic mentality is, bass stay to cover and take short trips to eat.  So I look to areas that..  A. have a creek close by, B. have grass close by, and C. have some kind of cover in 15- 25 FOW.  Water temps are in the 80's so I need to find where the thermocline is at, which is about 18'.  This is what is referred to as a seasonal pattern.  Nothing more than an average starting point.  Now that I have a basic idea to start, I have to choose a bait- soft plastic swim baits T-rigged  have been most productive so far this year for me.  I fished a tournament Thursday night from 6 to 10 which I call evening. so the pattern would be- Swimbaits  in tall grass close to deep water cover in the evening.  Colors and retrieve rates depend on weather and water clarity.  Thursday, it was 9 mph wind right after a rainstorm, water clarity was 2-3' (which is clear for this lake so I'm looking for a natural color)...  So I used a Havoc Swamp Gas swimbait and was stroking a 1/2 oz T-rig with it.  I went to several different locations with those conditions and did the same thing and caught fish at all of them.  Caught some out of the grass and some out of the brush. I'll replicate this pattern until conditions change or the fish dont bite on it.  JUST TRY TO KEEP IT SIMPLE!!! Its not rocket science, it more about organizing a system in your head that works for YOU! 

[Sam]

The above answers are outstanding. Each is correct.

The problem is the bass.

First, they don't read our posts and second, every day is different.

Weather conditions can destroy all prefishing patterns.

Fishing pressure; boaters taking your favorite spots before you get there; clean water becomes stained due to overnight rain; and a lot of other things that can and will happen on the water can destroy a great prefishing experience.

I have been there and know it can happen. Baits and techniques that work on a Thursday or Friday don't produce one strike on Saturday.

That's fishing.

[Catt]

The pattern that needs developed is the angler

[WRB]

Totally agree with Catt on this. Tournaments are about winning money, stay what works for you, catching bass is the only pattern you should be concerned with.

Tom

[Bassic Training]

Thanks for all of your responses. This was helpful. I wont waste my time trying the 5 - 10 cast method.

 

This is the basic pattern I would

start with, I would modify bait colors and retrieve rates per weather and water conditions. 

 

I think I have a good idea on bait colors, but what about retrieves. How does weather and water affect your retrieve.

[Sam]

The bass will tell you what retrieve speed they want and at what depth and distance from the bank or structure.

 

It is your responsibility to determine what the bass want.

 

Throw what you have confidence but with the understanding you have to be flexible and throw other baits if necessary.

 

Remember, choppy water means spinnerbaits. 

 

Good luck.

[Fish Murderer 71]

Thanks for all of your responses. This was helpful. I wont waste my time trying the 5 - 10 cast method.

 

 

I think I have a good idea on bait colors, but what about retrieves. How does weather and water affect your retrieve.

I kinda jammed it all together on that to keep it short.  Sorry if it caused confusion, and Sam hit the nail on the head.  Example:  If your fishing really stained water with a bright noisy lure, your not going to slow roll it is what I meant... not trying to be a but head, but It's kinda a common sense thing.

[Mr_Scrogg]

The bass will tell you what retrieve speed they want and at what depth and distance from the bank or structure.

It is your responsibility to determine what the bass want.

Throw what you have confidence but with the understanding you have to be flexible and throw other baits if necessary.

Remember, choppy water means spinnerbaits.

Good luck.

I thought choppy water meant the wind was blowing!

I just try to catch fish. The lakes I fish aren't big enough to pattern anything. But I do have confidence lures for each. Could be the same lures/presentation or not as other lakes in the area.

[Catt]

Developing a pattern is not about lures & techniques!

It is about the angler & the bass!

Everybody reads the water differently, here is a good example.

Pre-spawn, manmade reservoir, 10' of water, water slightly stained, water temp mid-50's, feeding flat with brush. 5 pound bass in an isolated brush.

Denny Brauer goes by that brush what does Denny do to catch that bass? Black-Blue-Jig!

Kevin VanDam goes by that brush what does Kevin do to catch that bass? Spinner Bair!

Larry Nixon goes by that brush what does Larry do to catch that bass? Plastic Worm!

Mark Davis goes by that brush what does Mark do to catch that bass? Crank Bait!

The key was not the lure that caught the bass; it was were the bass was located & the angler's abaility to read the water.

[Mr_Scrogg]

Here I thought patterning was deciphering the day on the water to be able to eliminate "bad" water. Figuring out where the fish are, what mood they are, what colors they want, what presentation they want of a bait.

So I can go to said brushpile with a crank telephone, drop a couple wires over and turn the handle. That would be my pattern?

[Mr_Scrogg]

What if the fish don't want to chase a Spinnerbait, or a Crank?

Would Kevin and Mark not be on a pattern? What if they figured out the fish wasn't chasing, switched to a jig or 10" Black Grape Mag Worm TRigged, and then caught the fish. Would they be more apt to toss the jig/worm at the next piece of isolated brush on a flat or a moving bait?

[Catt]

Here I thought patterning was deciphering the day on the water to be able to eliminate "bad" water. Figuring out where the fish are, what mood they are, what colors they want, what presentation they want of a bait.

So I can go to said brushpile with a crank telephone, drop a couple wires over and turn the handle. That would be my pattern?

Your pattern would be where the bass was located!

Location is not just structure, but where on the structure. Next is cover but not just cover but where in the cover.

Some of us understand that, some of don't ever, ever get it!

They are to busy with lures & techniques

[BuckMaxx]

I have found I am alot better at figuring out non productive water then I am at finding productive water. I hate prefishing cause when I show up tx day they dont bite my bait and I stay with the plan and I have a big goose egg.

[Bassic Training]

Your pattern would be where the bass was located!

Location is not just structure, but where on the structure. Next is cover but not just cover but where in the cover.

Some of us understand that, some of don't ever, ever get it!

They are to busy with lures & techniques

Catt,

 

Are you saying that you can always get bass to bite on your T-Rig or Jig? All you need to do is figure out where the bass are located on a piece of cover or structure.

 

If so, what is your "method" for trying to figure out where on the structure or cover the bass are located?

[WRB]

How to approach points depends on where the bass on the point are located. If the bass are up in shallow water on the point you want to be positioned to make cast, catch bass without spooking them. The shallow bass got to where they are by traveling along the sides or ridge of that point and that is where they will go when spooked or done feeding shallow. If the bass are holding on the sides, on a saddle or on the deep end break you need to be positioned to cast to those bass with lures that the bass are interested in eating.

The isolated structure elements that the bass have found and are located on become a pattern for other similar points.

You don't want to start fishing by spooking active feeding bass, they will shut off unless they are in deep water and not pressured.

Tom

[Catt]

What are we trying to pattern, Lures or Bass?

Until we have caught multiple bass we can not pattern anything, well other than we aint caught nada.

There are hundreds of lures available to be fished & dozens of techniques created to fish em.

Do we want to try & fish alk of those in a single day?

I aint! I'm gonna select 3-4 high percentage lures/techniques & stick with those.

"Catt are you saying that you can always get bass to bites your T-Rig or Jig?"

The #1 & #2 most productive techniques for both quaility & quantity are T-Rigged Plastics & the Jig. Both are my strengths which increases my level of confidence, which also raises my odds of catching with them.

This is where I start, why would I want to fish to my weaknesses?

Next after location is timing; just because we didn't get bit does not mean the bass aren't there or we tied on the wrong lure!

[Bassic Training]

What are we trying to pattern, Lures or Bass?

Until we have caught multiple bass we can not pattern anything, well other than we aint caught nada.

There are hundreds of lures available to be fished & dozens of techniques created to fish em.

Do we want to try & fish alk of those in a single day?

I aint! I'm gonna select 3-4 high percentage lures/techniques & stick with those.

"Catt are you saying that you can always get bass to bites your T-Rig or Jig?"

The #1 & #2 most productive techniques for both quaility & quantity are T-Rigged Plastics & the Jig. Both are my strengths which increases my level of confidence, which also raises my odds of catching with them.

This is where I start, why would I want to fish to my weaknesses?

Next after location is timing; just because we didn't get bit does not mean the bass aren't there or we tied on the wrong lure!

OK,

So we have established that location is key and that I should fish my strengths. T-Rig and Jigs are my strengths as well. What I'm still wondering is what is the best way figure out where on structure the bass are. What is the best way to work a piece of structure? How long do you fish it until you come to the conclusion that either the bass are not there, or your timing is off?

 

I would think that this would be an easier process if its a lake that you fish on a regular basis. You know which areas hold bass. So it would be easier to conclude that your timing is off rather than they aren't there.

 

BTW,

Thanks everyone for your responses. I'm getting a lot out of this.

[WRB]

Sonar is your friend when working deep structure, you can meter where the fish are relative to the structure.

Fish in shallow water, less than 5' are more difficult to use down looking sonar, side scanning sonar helps.

You can determine a lot by knowing what active feeding bass look like verses inactive suspended bass on sonar.

Big mistake most bass angler make is the belief that you can catch inactive bass, the bass are there but not biting anything at that moment in time, the angler keeps trying various lures and gets frustrated. Leave and come back an hour so later and give those bass another try, this often saves the day. Location and timing with the right lure at the right place and time.

Tom

[Bassic Training]

Sonar is your friend when working deep structure, you can meter where the fish are relative to the structure.

Fish in shallow water, less than 5' are more difficult to use down looking sonar, side scanning sonar helps.

You can determine a lot by knowing what active feeding bass look like verses inactive suspended bass on sonar.

Big mistake most bass angler make is the belief that you can catch inactive bass, the bass are there but not biting anything at that moment in time, the angler keeps trying various lures and gets frustrated. Leave and come back an hour so later and give those bass another try, this often saves the day. Location and timing with the right lure at the right place and time.

Tom

Thanks Tom,

 

That is one big area (one of many  ) that I need to improve on. I dont have a nice sonar, but even if I did I wouldn't know what I was looking at. Do you know of any good resources that are available that can help me with sonar.

 

How much do you rely on your sonar?

[WRB]

Thanks Tom,

That is one big area (one of many ) that I need to improve on. I dont have a nice sonar, but even if I did I wouldn't know what I was looking at. Do you know of any good resources that are available that can help me with sonar.

How much do you rely on your sonar?

Bruce Sampson, doctor sonar, is a good source for instructional DVD's for Lowrance units and Don Iovino's book on Finesse Bass Fishing and the Sonar Connection ( dated info ) handy little book.

I rely on my sonar whenever fishing deep structure, which is most of the time.

You still want to give a good area a try even if you don't see fish the sonar signal return area is same and fish move.

Tom