What Constitues A Confidence Lure

[Senko lover]

What makes a lure a confidence lure for you?

Catching a fish on it?

Catching your pb on it?

For me, I think the defining factor is that I know that I can catch a fish on it. Having that confidence before the first bite or even the first cast is a big deal.

[J Francho]

I don't find much comfort in the idea of "confidence baits," or that confidence buys you bites.  I become confident through success.  Success is defined in catches.  Good knots, reliable gear, baits that do what you want them to do....that's what I'm confident in.  Everything else is a part of the puzzle.

[Dwight Hottle]

A confidence lure for me is the one I just caught a fish on. End of story.

[Senko lover]

I don't find much comfort in the idea of "confidence baits," or that confidence buys you bites.  I become confident through success.  Success is defined in catches.  Good knots, reliable gear, baits that do what you want them to do....that's what I'm confident in.  Everything else is a part of the puzzle.

 

I agree with you, but there has to be some bait or lure that you like fishing better than others. I'd call that a confidence lure if nothing else.

[J Francho]

Not really, though I have baits and rigs I dislike.... <cough-cough> Carolina Rig.

[fishballer06]

Time of year, location, and conditions can all determine what makes a confidence lure. 

 

Example: I always do really well on jerkbaits in the spring and the fall. I feel confident with those baits at those times. But in the summer, or right now in the late fall/early winter, I don't have much, if any, confidence in one at all. 

[Inflatable Raft Bum]

If it says Zoom Super Fluke

[Mike L]

I have confidence through success also useing some baits but only in some circumstances.

I know that if I use a certain shaped bait in cerain areas I have a better chance of catching a fish over some other bait because I've had success in the past useing it. Which gives me the confidence to use it again if the situation is the same.

Example..

A compact beaver stlye bait (Sweet Beaver) for flipping in the slop over some other plastic with a lot of appendage's (Brush Hog)

I'll throw a frog over pads and through grass first before a walking type top water bait (Spook), then a popping type lure (pop r) along the edges of that same area.

But I do it in that order.

Mike

[Verisimilidude]

A confidence lure for me is the one lure that I know that I can turn to when times are tough.  It's a lure that I know consistently catches fish, and with which I know the subtle nuances of how it works.

[Missourifishin]

A high number of catches on a lure leads to confidence for me. And it helps if some of the fish are good sized ones too. However, I think having confidence in certain lures has actually held me back a little bit when it comes to gaining skill and confidence with other techniques. I'm always trying to learn new things. But I think my tendency to revert to the techniques I'm confident in, in fear of getting skunked, has slowed down my development of skill in other areas just a bit. And I'm sure I'm not the only fisherman to ever get stuck in that rut.

[FunkJishing]

"confidence lures" to me are lures that i put the time in to get good at using. lures that i have many tricks or techniques with. the more ways you can present a bait the more likely you are to get bit. the more you get bit, the more confidence you gain.

[FunkJishing]

in fact knowing that i worked a bait every way possible and more, weather i catch a fish or not tells me that I'm confident in that bait. sometimes old reliable ain't so reliable, but the fact that you gave a lure a good run shows you are confident in it.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I don't find much comfort in the idea of "confidence baits," or that confidence buys you bites.  I become confident through success.  Success is defined in catches.  Good knots, reliable gear, baits that do what you want them to do....that's what I'm confident in.  Everything else is a part of the puzzle.

 X2 

 

 

I believe in confidence leading to bites in as far as keeping you from wasting time retying, changing colors, moving around and throwing random baits all without reason. The confidence bred from success that JF talked about is key in over coming these distracting urges.  

[aavery2]

For me it is predictability, I know that this bait will always behave in this manner on this line in this condition exactly like this and that has caught me many fish.   I am confident in the LC RC 1.5 crankbait,   I am confident in the LC SP 100 jerkbait, and I am confident in the Gary Yamamoto Senko.

[J Francho]

For me it is predictability, I know that this bait will always behave in this manner on this line in this condition exactly like this and that has caught me many fish.   I am confident in the LC RC 1.5 crankbait,   I am confident in the LC SP 100 jerkbait, and I am confident in the Gary Yamamoto Senko.

 

I'd agree with that, too. There are baits that I know exactly what they are going to do.  I guess I always chalked that up to experience, not confidence.  Maybe I'm confident in my experience?  I really dislike the way "confidence" is thrown around as a key factor to catching.  It offers little help in broadening success.  Trust in your equipment, problem solve, trial and error....those are my confidence baits.

[roadwarrior]

Lures that are consistantly successful: Rage Bug, MegaStrike MegaTube Craw, Rage Tail Cut-R, Sworming Hornet/

LFT Live Magic Shad trailer, Norman Fat Boy, Cotton Cordell Gay Blade, Megbass PopMax, Chatterbait/ Rage Bug

trailer, LC Pointer and DD22.

 

 

 

[aavery2]

Lures that are consistantly successful: Rage Bug, MegaStrike MegaTube Craw, Rage Tail Cut-R, Sworming Hornet/

LFT Live Magic Shad trailer, Norman Fat Boy, Cotton Cordell Gay Blade, Megbass PopMax, Chatterbait/ Rage Bug

trailer, LC Pointer and DD22.

 

 

 

Some good choices there RW

[*Hootie]

Not really, though I have baits and rigs I dislike.... <cough-cough> Carolina Rig.

Same here, also the A-rig and I can't seem to work up any love for swimbaits.

Hootie

[BassSlayer71]

If it says Zoom Super Fluke

Agreed here.  To me a confidence lure is one you know inside and out. How to fish it, where to fish it, the color, action etc.  And it can change.  You might love the Rattle trap but you won't in the dead of summer or dead of winter.  Not a fan of spinnerbaits if the water looks like ice and the sun is up.  But other times, I love those lures.

The Super Fluke though... or a trick worm on a drop shot rig. 

[Catt]

My confidence is in a technique not one particular lure, that technique is Texas Rigged plastics. It may be a worm, creature, lizard, craw, fluke, or bug; these could be weighted or unweighted.

[BassSlayer71]

My confidence is in a technique not one particular lure, that technique is Texas Rigged plastics. It may be a worm, creature, lizard, craw, fluke, or bug; these could be weighted or unweighted.

 

I feel this way with the Drop Shot rig.  

[A-Jay]

I believe if an angler fishes an array of fishing conditions, it really pays to have at least one confidence bait or techniques for each one. Several baits & techniques seem to cross over and be effective during a couple of different season and different fishing situations.

 

 If you think about the fairly wide variety of situations most bass fisherman are faced with, having a "confidence" bait for each is a pretty tall order.   Usually takes YEARS of trial & error.

 

Clear water, dirty water, rising water, falling water, cooling water, warming water, windy, raining, calm, bait saturated, highly pressured, light cover, heavy cover, full moon, new moon, barometer crashing, barometer rising, ice out, holy smokes that's a lot of stuff.  Looking for ONE bait or technique that's effective for all of that is simply not happening.

 

Fish it all and find out what works the best during that time - but you have to know  - it will change from day to day, week to week, and season to season.

 

So the reality is - there is no such thing as a bait that works all the time - but there are fisherman who through years and years of trial and error have the ability to make a really good guess at where to start . . . .

 

A-Jay

 

 

[BasshunterJGH]

I feel this way with the Drop Shot rig.

X2. Dropshot with roboworm is definitely a confidence lure. Gitzit tubes are also one of my go-to lures.

[Catt]

I believe if an angler fishes an array of fishing conditions, it really pays to have at least one confidence bait or techniques for each one. Several baits & techniques seem to cross over and be effective during a couple of different season and different fishing situations.

If you think about the fairly wide variety of situations most bass fisherman are faced with, having a "confidence" bait for each is a pretty tall order. Usually takes YEARS of trial & error.

Clear water, dirty water, rising water, falling water, cooling water, warming water, windy, raining, calm, bait saturated, highly pressured, light cover, heavy cover, full moon, new moon, barometer crashing, barometer rising, ice out, holy smokes that's a lot of stuff. Looking for ONE bait or technique that's effective for all of that is simply not happening.

Fish it all and find out what works the best during that time - but you have to know - it will change from day to day, week to week, and season to season.

So the reality is - there is no such thing as a bait that works all the time - but there are fisherman who through years and years of trial and error have the ability to make a really good guess at where to start . . . .

A-Jay

Very good A-Jay!

The first Pro Angler to reach $1,000,000 in career earning was Larry Nixon, he is also know for his ability to quickly adjust to changing conditions.

Larry's technique of choice is Texas Rigged plastics 80% of the time!

Works for me