How often do you change lures?

[RHuff]

How often do you throw a different lure? Do you fish the same area with multiple lures before moving on? Do you cover a lot of water with a single lure thinking it will turn up in the right spot? 

I have a tendency to start with what I think is the best bait and then cover a lot of water to start. Sometimes I'll throw that bait for an hour in consecutive casts until I finally decide to change. May be I'm just too stubborn. 

 

What are some of your methods? 

[Catt]

 

[juicebass]

If I'm power fishing, I will switch up a lure ever 15-20mins if I don't get a bite. Putting on snaps can help you switch out crankbaits or jerk baits quickly.

If I'm pitching a flipping, I'm usually confident with the lure I pick, I honestly believe that most plastics and jigs will work the same, as long as the colour matches the water clarity. It's just a matter of putting the bait in front of the fishes nose, which can take time and patients.

However, if I don't get bit, I either move on or try something a different. Throwing the same lure for an hour without a bite is an indication that bait isn't going to be hot. Or ur in a spot with no fish.

if you're in a boat and have multiple rods, make sure u have multiple techniques that will work in the spot ur fishing.

if your on shore, snaps can help. 

But ya, all in all switch it up every 20mins until u get bit... Once on a lure isn't a patern. But if u get bit twice on the same lure, that's a patern and stick with it until things dry up, or move on.

 

[Scarborough817]

1 hour ago, RHuff said:

How often do you throw a different lure? Do you fish the same area with multiple lures before moving on? Do you cover a lot of water with a single lure thinking it will turn up in the right spot? 

Depends on what i'm fishing. With topwater i always have a followup ready to pitch if they miss it, When i'm flipping and pitching i only change after 30-40 min if i don't get hit and normally it would be a weight or colour change. with big baits i know it's a time thing so i'm a little less focused on changing colour i would pick it based on the conditions and what i am fishing.

[Catt]

This is what ya get for staying with the same lure all day!

14.16#.

[senile1]

5 minutes ago, Catt said:

This is what ya get for staying with the same lure all day!

14.16#.

Now that's a beast!  

[primetime]

Fishing is for fun, if you enjoy fishing new lures and baits every 10 minutes, then do what you enjoy. If you are in an area that holds fish, I would probably try to use something that is your go to lure or bait and then tinker with retrieve, weight color etc....

I carry tons of tackle but I use the same baits and lures....A weighted hook and a creature bait or swimbait or worm can cover water and also make a nice pitchiing bait if you toss on a senko or spider grub on if you see a clump of weeds etc...Always try topwater as well before leavign an area, sometimes they are looking up, sometimes down, but fish with what you enjoy. You could throw a spinnerbait all day and if fish are active, you will catch a few, and all it takes is 1 cast to have a great day....

The urge to change lures is a tough one. I try to plan ahead with a strategy and force myself to stick with it until I have exhausted at least a few good areas before I go to a totally different lure or presentation....It helps to have at least 2 casting rods and a spinning rod to be most efficient, but make sure you always take your time with knots...All about having fun and fishing a lure that is new is often fun, but I always start with the lures I know work well....Good Luck...

[blckshirt98]

As a shore guy if I don't get bit after about 10 minutes I'll change to a different size/color crankbait or chatterbait.  After about 30-40 minutes of doing that with no bites or seeing any activity in the water (bass or baitfish jumping or feeding on insects) I'll go right back to dropshotting.  I hear guys at the local tackle shop talking about someone recently throwing a swimbait for 8 hours and getting only one bite, but that bass was just a shade over 11 pounds.  I definitely do not have the patience or discipline yet to fish that long for only one bite.

Also +1 to quick snaps for changing out baits quickly.  I use the Norman Speed Clips but may take a look at the G-Finesse Tournament Snaps since sometimes when it's wet or cold, squeezing those Speed Clips can be a chore.

[Spankey]

I know a few guys that will throw a fire tiger crank bait all day long. Spring, summer and fall when they have a boat full of baits. They catch some smallies. But, will get skunked and trailer up and go home when they don't want it. That's one great pattern but I'm not fishing that way. I keep myself rigged up in a way to cover a few water depths and with a few different lure shapes when crankbait fishing. Color DOES means something to me but not everything. Some productive colors have been black, brown, deep purple, olives and deep blues when I'm hunting for a bit when things get a bit tuff. I believe these colors could be natural colors in the bass food chain, not an expert in aquatic forage. Not and expert in anything. Never give up, just try to make something happen.

Did you ever have one of those days when you just couldn't make anything happen? But, you couldn't bring yourself to getting off the water. Than you tie on one of those $1.94 Wally World Specials out of the assortment boxes on the lower shelf, You throw it than nail two fish in three casts. That's what that box of lures is there for. 

[Airman4754]

8 hours ago, Catt said:

This is what ya get for staying with the same lure all day!

14.16#.

Now, you might not believe it, but I've fished the same lure all day and didn't catch one of these. 

[Catt]

7 minutes ago, Mosster47 said:

Now, you might not believe it, but I've fished the same lure all day and didn't catch one of these. 

Yea but were you fishing where the fish were?

[soflabasser]

10 hours ago, RHuff said:

How often do you throw a different lure? Do you fish the same area with multiple lures before moving on? Do you cover a lot of water with a single lure thinking it will turn up in the right spot? 

I have a tendency to start with what I think is the best bait and then cover a lot of water to start. Sometimes I'll throw that bait for an hour in consecutive casts until I finally decide to change. May be I'm just too stubborn. 

 

What are some of your methods? 

It depends on what my goal is.If I want to catch a big bass I will fish the same lure for the whole day.If I want to catch large numbers of bass I will change the lure as often as needed to continue catching bass.

[papajoe222]

I'll switch up for the purpose of covering different depths on a spot and then repeat the process from a different angle.  The only time I switch up say a mid-running crank is when I catch a couple on the tail treble.  That tells me, I'm at the right depth and have a good presentation speed, but they will likely hit something a little different with more authority.

[Bluebasser86]

I'll change baits pretty often if I know I'm around them but they aren't biting. 

[roadwarrior]

I like to have a variety pre-rigged and alternate them every ten minutes or so.

 

[juicebass]

If you're sight fishing for bed bass. I switch a bunch of times until I find something that irritates the bass the most. Then I pop it on his bed and bug him till he bites. But only for bed bass

[A-Jay]

During open water, I'll change it up every hour or so.

During hard water, I'll space it out a bit longer . . perhaps only once or twice a month.

A-Jay

[roadwarrior]

Man, I know you love your dogs, but geez...Just can't get my arms around living so close to the North pole!

[A-Jay]

28 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

Man, I know you love your dogs, but geez...Just can't get my arms around living so close to the North pole!

Yea ~ It's all good Kent.

Someone's gotta do it.

A-Jay