How Long Until You Change Baits?

[Ersteman]

How long does it take before you abandon your lure and fish a different presentation?

I'm probably at about 45-60 mins.  If I don't get bit, I'm switching.

What about you guys?

 

[Mike L]

If Im sitting in one spot either on shore or in a boat with the poles down, not more than 10-15 min.

If in a boat and working a shore line, maybe 30 min.

Mike

 

 

[fishballer06]

Depends what I'm doing and what I'm fishing. 

 

If I'm coming up on a laydown tree at the edge of the water, I might make a cast or two with a buzzbait or a popper. If no luck, I'll flip a jig or plastic in there once I get closer, for 4 or 5 pitches. If that doesn't work, I'll take a crankbait or jerkbait and drag it by it for 2-3 casts. And if that doesn't work, I'll make a mental note and move on. If it's a spot that I've caught fish at before, I'll probably stop back there later in the day. 

 

Now if I'm fishing a big weed flat, or say a deep ledge, I may fish the same lure for 10-15 minutes or so until I change up my presentation or color. 

[ColdSVT]

Depends on how determined i am lol

A lot of times ill hit a spot with more than one type of bait if i can...usually a jig or t rig, and a hardbait of some flavor and topwater bait depending on what happens with the first two baits...order varies as often as the weather changelol

[Felix77]

I don't have a timetable ... When patterning fish I tend to switch up quite often trying to get a gauge for what is going on.  That could be a handful of casts or much more.  Once I have success on a lure I tend to stick with it.  Changing colors if the bite slows down.

[geo g]

If it is a new bait I don't have a lot of experience throwing I will change in about ten minutes.  If its something I have had lot of experience with and trust as a proven winner,  I may work it for hours before changing.  I may change colors and still work that same trusted bait.   I have a bad habit of staying with a proven bait way to long, on none productive days.  I always think the next cast is the one!    

[J Francho]

Some days, I rotate between 4-7 rigs with different baits on each.  Look up "junk fishing."  Good stuff to know.

[Daniel My Brother]

If I don't get bit in 10 minutes, something's gotta change. Sometimes I'll force myself to slow down. If that doesn't work I'll switch lures, still no luck and I'll change locations.   

[Bankbeater]

Sometimes I leave the same bait on all day. Sometimes I change after 20 or so casts. I change baits when I feel it in my gut. Sometimes it pays off sometimes it doesn't.

[WRB]

Hard baits stay with the color I have confidence with, soft plastics ounce I get bit then make a few changes to dial in what color or size the bass are looking for.

If I know bass are in the area, I don't fish areas that are not holding bass, depth and speed is far more important than changing colors or lure types. Like others I fish with about 4 outfits on the deck before getting into my rod locker.

Tom

[Jigfishn10]

If I'm fishing a reaction type bait, and a fish is hitting and not buttoning up, then I would change presentation before color. If no strikes, and I know the fish are active then lure change. Slow dragging type baits, then I would change presentation then color.

[Djf3864]

I tend to work a  couple spots with a bait before I make a change, so maybe 20 to 30 mins on average.

[Bluebasser86]

Some days, I rotate between 4-7 rigs with different baits on each.  Look up "junk fishing."  Good stuff to know.

Same here. I'll rig up baits on a known body of water that I might only plan on fishing 1 certain spot with or baits that I can tell in 10 cast if they're going to eat it or not. Our lakes don't have enough structure or large enough populations of bass to really pick up 1 bait and fish it all day very often.

[Catch and Grease]

It really depends for me, some days ill never change lures and some days Im changing every 20 minutes.

[PersicoTrotaVA]

It depends.  If I am fun fishing, I usually go out with a plan to practice a certain technique.  I always have my wacky rig with me just in case that doesn't work.

 

During a tournament, I fish what I know and I have 3 or 4 rods rigged up and ready to go.  Jig, crankbait, flippin worm/creature and my spinning rod.  If I can't get a bite on a spot with any of those within 10 to 15 minutes, I move to the next section and repeat.  I don't really have an order but I usually start with a crankbait, then the jig and then flipping the worm/creature and finally the wacky rig on the spinning rod coming in last.

[J Francho]

Same here. I'll rig up baits on a known body of water that I might only plan on fishing 1 certain spot with or baits that I can tell in 10 cast if they're going to eat it or not. Our lakes don't have enough structure or large enough populations of bass to really pick up 1 bait and fish it all day very often.

 

Up here, it's really easy to go from one type of cover and structure to another, even just a a few dozen yards away.  Having stuff ready for what you might confront is handy.  My usual on deck arsenal is a 6-8' crank, a 20' crank, spinnerbait/buzzbait/spook, light jika rig, wacky senko or fluke, and a jig.  Sometimes, there's even a drop shot rod out there.

[Choporoz]

If it is a new bait I don't have a lot of experience throwing I will change in about ten minutes.  If its something I have had lot of experience with and trust as a proven winner,  I may work it for hours before changing.  I may change colors and still work that same trusted bait.   I have a bad habit of staying with a proven bait way to long, on none productive days.  I always think the next cast is the one!    

+1!  I could have written that word for word....lo.

[J Francho]

How do you find new "proven" baits, if you use the same ones?  How is it a "confidence bait," if it isn't working that day? These aren't directed at any one person, just rhetorical questions to think about before automatically picking up your favorite bait.

[geo g]

How do you find new "proven" baits, if you use the same ones?  How is it a "confidence bait," if it isn't working that day? These aren't directed at any one person, just rhetorical questions to think about before automatically picking up your favorite bait.

 

 

I fish 5 or 6 days a week for the last 40 years, so a confidence bait has been tested over time, not just one or two trips.  I will stay with those baits way too long sometimes, but they are tested producers over time.

[J Francho]

I try to avoid confidence in particular baits.  I'd rather have confidence in my location, my tackle, and preparation.  If it doesn't provide success, I keep moving forward - new spots, different presentation style, etc.  Until I catch three or four fish, I really have no preconceived idea of what's up that day.  Don't get me wrong, experience gives me a starting point, but after that - no fish, keep moving forward.  This doesn't always work - some days are a grind, and that guy that only knows to soak a senko kicks your butt.  Such is fishing....

[Ersteman]

Good answers guys.

Very informative.

 

I was thinking I needed to present more variety sooner when fishing.

I'm very stubborn, so I need to force myself to vary it up, not so much color or retrieve because I do that naturally, but mostly varing different lures to hit different depths in the water column.

 

I've been limited in my lure techniques prior to this year, so I'm branching out and experimenting with lures I've never used before. Sometimes it's hard to break away from old faithful, but with a new lure or technique you never know until you try.

 

Thanks,

Erst

[bassguytom]

I keep 6 to 8 rods on deck and try to switch until I find a pattern but sometimes I feel like that guy that can only soak a senko because it has always bailed me out before. I probably need to go to SA "Senko Anonymous" but I'm just not ready to admit it yet.

[Fishes in trees]

I tend to take a "junk fishing" approach so for me, most of the time, changing baits is just a matter of picking up a different rod.

 

My lakes are a little different than Franco's so my start up arsenal is a little different.  Going from memory here's what I generally start with when fishing by myself.  (With another guy in the boat, I will cut back somewhat so that there is some room for his gear in the boat)

 

Finesse Drop Shot rig

Bubba drop shot rig

spinner bait rig

chatter bait rig

square bill rig

deeper diver rig (sometimes this is a bait caster and some times a spinning rod, I got both)

A couple of jika rigs - one with heavier line than the other

tx rig stick bait rig  (a spinning rod with braid)

wacky senko rig (a bait caster)

lipless crank rig

a couple of bait casters with a jig/soft plastic combo that varies quite a bit.  One will have heavier line than the other

A frog rod

a popper rod.

a buzz bait rod

 

I keep a ned rig in the boat but I don't fish with it very often.

 

This is where I start.  Now as far as changing baits on any different rod, I change whenever I think there might be a better option.

 

For instance on the spinner bait rod I generally start off with a pretty generic single colorado half ounce spinnerbait.   I might switch to a tandem blade or a different color, or I might put a spinnerbait on the chatter bait rod.  I might put a wake bait on either the chatter bait rod or the popper rod, they each have different  weight lines and whichever I think is most appropriate at that moment is the one I'll go with.

 

The Frog rod is a 7'9" Heavy action Fenwich Aetos, which can also double as an A rig rod.

 

The jika rigs and the wacky senko rig can all double as jig rods if that is what is necessary

 

So there is some versatility built into this system.  What I like most about my current system is that it offers a choice of instantly available options.  What I don't like about it is that there isn't in infinite variety of options.  That would require a bigger boat, which would require a larger tow vehicle, which would require a larger barn for storage and none of that can I afford right now.  So I compromise - everyone has their lower case "t" to bear.

 

So there you got it - my current opinions on how & when to change baits.

[guitarglynn1]

I typically bring one pole with me and that is it and I bring a handful of lures for the day and I will try different locations/retrieval speed ect..If nothing is happening I might switch. Like I said I only bring a handful of stuff and some days I can run thru everything I brought a couple times over during the time I am fishing. Other days I may just stick with a single lure and keep at it. I tend to move or rotate thru locations and try things with the lure I have much more often than I switch my lures though. Too many times I have had that feeling that things are not happening and to switch it up and pushed past that feeling and next thing you know I have a nice fish on the line. So I tend to stick it out longer with things and just try to keep working with what I have. 

[Smokinal]

About 2-3 minutes. I am constantly changing until I find "the bait"