How Close Does A Lure Need To Be To Local Forage?

[Tyson Holman]

I'm trying to match my lures to local baitfish. How close do you guys try to match a bait? for example matching a swimbait to bluegill. Do you want the size and color to be exact? or just similar? Does a swimbait need to be the exact shape? Or what about other lures like crankbaits?

 

Thanks

[gardnerjigman]

It's tough to say... Some days fish will eat just about anything. Other days, you need to match the hatch. Bluebasser86 said in one thread where the question was about trout swimbaits in a non trout area, "What does a big bass think when he see's a trout swimming in a body of water that doesn't have trout? I think I can eat that!". I totally agree. 

[DirtyDeuceGoose]

As far as matching the hatch goes, size has been the biggest factor for me. I'll start the day throwing 5" worms and by the end of the day the fish tell me they want 3". I attribute that to smaller forage in that particular area. I usually fish pretty natural colors to begin with so I feel pretty set color wise. Just my .02¢

[ABW]

Not at all...

[stepchild]

I'd say you can try and match the size more than anything, but even at that, some lures like spinnerbaits resemble nothing found in the waters we fish, yet are viewed as consistent fish-catchers everywhere bass are found...

 

What you fish is just part of the equation though. Where, When and How also plays a big role.

[Tyson Holman]

Thanks for the help. I'm trying to find a good bluegill pattern. The lake I fish has an abundance of them, and they should be spawning here soon. 

[scaleface]

I usually dont try to match the hatch.  I have my favorites and will usually start fishing with lures that I know catch fish . If they dont produce I change . Bass are just   unpredictable . 

[Master Bait'r]

You don't have to, all you have to do is mimic something that will trigger their instinct to feed, bully or simply kill.  Sometimes that's a 10" trout, sometimes that's a 2.75" TRD.  It all depends on the fish though!    

[Catt]

Matching the hatch is a misnomer!

If we are to match what just hatched then all our baits would be an inch or two in length.

If we are going to match bait fish then there would be no need to throw any thing but swimbaits.

What does a spinnerbait resemble?

What does a Brush Hog resemble?

A jig-n-craw is to resemble a crawfish, as a Cajun I've eaten 100 of pounds of crawfish & a jig aint close!

[RSM789]

I had an experience the other day where a specific size & color bait was the only thing I could get bit consistently on.  When using other lures & techniques, it was as if I was fishing dead water.  When I used the bait that is a close resemblance to what the bass seemed to be keying on, I loaded the boat.  On that day, there was no middle ground, it was a strikeout or homerun based on matching (or closely resembling) the hatch.

 

I have had other days when the fish were not keyed in on a single bait, they were being opportunity predators and eating just about anything that came into their strike zone.  I have been told by ocean fishermen that marlin act the same way.  If they are keyed in on specific forage, you must use something that resembles it, but if they aren't keyed in, your choices are much more broad.

 

Why bass or any fish key in on a specific forage, I don't know.  The bass in my koi pond went thru a 6 week stage where she began ignoring or spitting out the nightcrawlers that she use to eat relentlessly.  I thought she may be sick until I dumped in some feeder goldfish and it turned into hammer time.  Interestingly enough, during those six weeks, the bass in her previous lake keyed in on baits that resembled small fry and were less interested in plastics & soft craws.  Is it part of her DNA from the lake she used to inhabit that post spawn time is the time to key in on fry & small minnows to the exclusion of all else?  I don't know, but I am curious how she reacts when the Junebugs start appearing in the next few weeks.

[primetime]

Great question, and there is no right or wrong answer, some people like to match color, but I feel size is the most important part of the equation, and I just had an example while fishing a public park while letting my dog run around yesterday.

 

I noticed that Good sized bass (2-3lbs) were rushing the shoreline in less than a foot of water to herd a hatch of tiny 1/2" black tadpoles that just hatched and while I was watching this I remembered that I had my 2 piece spinning rod in the trunk, and I alway's carry a box of soft baits for saltwater and freshwater and one of my favorite baits for all fish is the small 1.5" Bass Assasin Tiny Shad twitch baits as they are awesome in saltwater for Snook in shallow water, but great for days when Bass are guarding fry.

 

I did not have any in black, but I did have some that were in a black & red color, so I started using them and did not have much luck until I bit off the front half making it look exactly like the tadpoles and after not getting bit for 10 minutes, making the bait under an inch and casting it in the shallows and letting it sit and then twitching it as the bass rushed the shoreline caused it to get bit by the same fish that passed on it minutes earlier and I am convinced it was because it matched size and stood out from the rest of the tadpoles because of the red and every bass that came in to open their mouths and swallow a few hundred tadpoles, chased down my bait right away....Moral of story, it is often size and I use the same approach when I see bluegills at the ramp in the shallows that are 2" long....If I am fishing shorelines, I know that bluegills are going to be the primary forage since the shad are usually in schools and you know when they are on the menu, but for color, you will never have a lure that matches the EXACT color of the bluegills since every fish is colored differently, change shading in different areas of the lake, so I like to simply go with a crankbait  that is 2" long, and in some translucent color (Most Juvenile baitfish are translucent) that has some chartreuse in it. I find a ghost shad color to be the best most of the time and I add some chartreuse with a spike it marker on the side and that usually works, but back to my point, I tend to ramble, go with size, but remember,

 

If Bass are feeding on Tiny 1" baitfish, odds are that smaller bass and crappie and panfish in the 4-5" range are also feeding on them, so that is when I usually look to throw a bass colored bait, or larger size lure to get the larger bass. The biggest bass in the lake is not risking her life by going into shallow water to chase tiny baitfish, she is waiting for the smaller Bass to make that move, and then get them on the way in or way out....You can drive yourself crazy, but to keep it simple, you can never go wrong with fishing a silver lure with a black or blue top, and then adding some chart or orange to the belly.....Bass in ponds that lack shad will still crush a shad pattern, same with craws etc...Just carry baits from 1" to 12" would be my advice. Doug Hannon said it best...."Big Bass like long thin baits as they are easy to swallow and Bass have positive experiences with a 5" long and thin object"...Makes sense, this was before the senko and he loved the Rapala 13 size floaters and even the 7" 18 size as his go to baits before he made his Snakes...Don't buy the snakes unless you collect them, Boggs makes better one's now but Doug Hannon books are great reading.

[WRB]

In regards to crankbaits the depth they run is important, next would be size, color being important but not a critical factor.

The pace, speed, " rhythm" you retreive is very important. White or bone can be very good, doesn't match anything except a albino fish.

Swimbaits are moving slower and bass often take a good look at them. Size and shape are important with swimbait, color is important, but like a crankbait white can be very good. I have several trout colors ranging from very light translucent rainbow to very dark rainbow, some days it can make a difference, other days it doesn't matter. Mid day, bright over head sun, clear water with little surface wave action, color can be important with swimbaits. The lower the light conditions and more surface waves, the less important color is with swimbaits.

Tom

[the reel ess]

Where I fish most there are 3-7" gold shiners. I catch more bass on a 7.5" bubble gum or limetreuse trick worm. There are no such worms swimming in that reservoir. When I fish a minnow or crank, it's usually gold, but not a great match. And craw patterns almost always work anywhere. 

[Raul]

How Close Does A Lure Need To Be To Local Forage?

 

I´ve said it before and will say it again, how close ? ------> not even close !

[F14A-B]

How Close Does A Lure Need To Be To Local Forage?

I´ve said it before and will say it again, how close ? ------> not even close !

Bout time you showed up, hope all is well.

Good to see ya back Raul..

[Raul]

Bout time you showed up, hope all is well.

Good to see ya back Raul..

 

Been too busy, too much work !!! even weekends, haven´t fished for months, hell, I MISSED THE SPAWN !!!!!             

[Catt]

Been too busy, too much work !!! even weekends, haven´t fished for months, hell, I MISSED THE SPAWN !!!!!

Ya could just stop by & say hey

[Sea NaCl]

I look in the water and see what small bait fish are there. If its baby bass I'll use a baby bass pattern, same goes for craws and bluegills.