Change bait or location.

[snicholson101010]

If you're not getting bit, do you change baits first, or keep the same bait and change location?

[slonezp]

Have you determined whether or not there are fish where you are fishing? If there's no fish, you can change baits a hundred times and never get a bite.

[scaleface]

No set rule . I always  make an educated guess on what to do next . 

[CTBassin860]

Are you fwishing a small pond or a lake?

[Spankey]

If I'm pretty sure or know fish are there I will switch up baits. I'm alone for the most part while fishing and really don't hammer the heck out of a spot anyway. Some time I'll troll out of that immediate area let things die down a bit while throwing baits above or below that area. Than after a bit I'll stealth my way back in.

 

A typical scenario would be where I would throw a topwater, maybe catch a few or not and switch up to couple different cranks. Maybe all will go well, than again maybe not. At that point I'm pulling back for a bit. Letting things settle out. I probably just chilling a bit myself going over my tackle, listening to the radio a bit, getting ready to go at them with soft plastics. Then I move back in. A grub is ready, something set up with a senko, drop shot w/ a Roboworm, split shot rig w/ power worm and a texas rig w/ a craw of some type. I'll fish slow, real slow and try to make something happen. Usually I can make this happen. If not, well maybe its time to move on. Like Ike "never give up".   

[IgotWood]

I like this thread, and I'm interested in everyone's thoughts. My question is, on lightly pressured water, do you think fish spook when they see a bait several times without biting it? I often feel like a fish will only tolerate seeing a bait once or twice before it gets annoyed ad leaves the area, except when they're bedding, of course. 

 

However, if I'm fishing a large piece of structure, like a tree, I'll fish it as slowly and thoroughly as possible. Once I've covered the whole area, I'll switch to a different bait, and then maybe repeat. Once' I've canvassed the area 2-3 times, and with different baits, I'll move. 

[Attila]

6 hours ago, snicholson101010 said:

If you're not getting bit, do you change baits first, or keep the same bait and change location?

 

I always change baits first; sometimes a different lure profile will get a bite as it matches whatever the forage is in the area.

 

As a shore fisherman, I'm usually certain that the areas I frequent hold fish and so I make sure I fish them thoroughly even if the presentation doesn't make sense. For example, I found a hole in a weedbed that was about 6' deep and after everything else had failed I took out a perch patterned #9 shad rap and that's what they started biting on...maybe two cranks of the handle and boom!

 

Anyways, just my thoughts.

[wdp]

Typically, I switch baits before trying new locations. But I fish pretty small lakes & ponds that I'm familiar with. I pretty much already know the prime locations. If I'm not getting bit, I'll switch it up to using something completely different. If still no bites, I move on to another prime spot.

 

I might keep this up for a few hours until I work my way back to the original spot. Sometimes, they start biting then and it's all about timing. 

[Yakalong]

Depends on how I am fishing, if I am fishing something slow, like a senko, then I would probably change colors. However, if I am fishing something fast, like a buzz bait, then I'll move on.

[Snipe Hunter]

I figure that I wouldn't be on that spot unless I thought there were fish there. 90% of the time, I work the spot. I usually have all the basics already tied on. It's a lot easier putting down what didn't work and picking up something else. If I don't get bit on the top, bottom or middle I leave unless there's some overwhelming reason to stay... like a six pound sow sitting in front of the boat.

[Raul]

8 hours ago, snicholson101010 said:

If you're not getting bit, do you change baits first, or keep the same bait and change location?

 

Not being rude but what makes you think you are in the right location ?

[A-Jay]

First off - Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~

 

Your question in one that has been posed here a number of times. 

I'm using baits that can effectively cover the portion of the water column I expect the fish to be in. (top. middle, bottom).

I may change a bait / technique / presentation to modify speed with these areas.

After that without any feedback I relocating and this may mean a new lake.

 

A-Jay

[MassYak85]

If I feel the conditions dictate their "should be" fish in the area, I will usually stay and try to figure out what bait they want. Or if I see definitive fish action. But if I am clueless and just looking for fish I will usually stay with something versatile and move around. 

[Catt]

Next after location is timing; just because you don't get bite does not mean the bass aren't there or you tied on the wrong lure.

[soflabasser]

9 hours ago, snicholson101010 said:

If you're not getting bit, do you change baits first, or keep the same bait and change location?

There is not a perfect answer to this question since changing lures or fishing location depends on many variables. I will often fish the same spot for hours with the same lure if I feel the conditions are right for me to catch a big bass, which I often do.Other times I stay on the same general area and change my lures/retrieve until I find what is working at that moment. When going for large numbers of bass I often change lures/fishing locations to continue catching lots of bass.

[OCdockskipper]

Keep in mind that you can catch bass with the "wrong" lure in the right location, but you can't catch any with the "right" lure in the wrong location.

 

For me, when I am starting the day, I am switching up lures & locations at the same time pretty quickly.  As the day progresses and I have figured some things out, the process changes.  I typically will have lure selection down to one or two and will move away from locations if they don't produce.

[CTBassin860]

My pond has a trail that round aound it.I c ghost range poles and setups as I walk around as each location is different.

[geo g]

If I am in an area I know holds decent bass, before changing baits, or changing location, I will change the technique I am using.   With plastics, I may dead stick a bait, snap it off the bottom and then let it fall, walk it along the bottom, jerk it in a frenzy manner and pause occasionally.   If that doesn't work, then I may change baits, and go through several techniques with the new bait.  Then and only then, I may leave this comfort zone and go to another spot I have faith in.  Don't overlook the fact that Bass often want a presentation in just a certain way, and often no two days the same way!

[Megastink]

Follow your gut and never second guess yourself. After about 30 minutes of not catching anything, I start to ask myself that question. Sometimes I think a bait change is best, sometimes I feel a change in location is warranted. Whatever you FEEL is right, do that, and know that whatever the outcome was the best it was gonna be for you.

[soflabasser]

51 minutes ago, Megastink said:

Follow your gut and never second guess yourself. After about 30 minutes of not catching anything, I start to ask myself that question. Sometimes I think a bait change is best, sometimes I feel a change in location is warranted. Whatever you FEEL is right, do that, and know that whatever the outcome was the best it was gonna be for you.

Good advice . Confidence is extremely important in bass fishing, much more important  than what gear you have ,even more important than where you are fishing. 

[Spankey]

I guess if you're fishing a tournament you might run a gun to move on. But if a Saturday am and you feel good about that location. You know they are there by sight, activity, by graph, I'm staying I'm switching up. 

[doyle8218]

11 hours ago, A-Jay said:

 

...change a bait / technique / presentation to modify speed with these areas.

After that without any feedback I relocating and this may mean a new lake.

 

A-Jay

Me too.^

["hamma"]

Keep in mind, that I start my day before I get to the ramp,..

 

  The decisions made are done so by watching the barometer, weather fronts for the week or so prior, the current conditions, seasonal fish location, and considering the lake I'm to fish, forage etc... So, I have a idea of whats to be effective, or not,..before I even splash the boat. But when I do?,.. I again re-access the situation as wind may have kicked up mud, or changed direction, surface temps may vary, etc.,..

 If I feel, or know there's fish there? I will switch up lures and presentations to figure out whats working. If Im fishing a new lake or area? and dont know if there's fish present? I will continue moving slowly along with a search bait for about an hour before moving to another area, or switching up presentation. Which will be determined by my gut feeling

 

  Your question leaves alot of variables. Such as, lake known or not, areas fishability due to weather and seasonal locations,, Bait present or not etc. Are you using a search type power presentation??, or a bottom bouncing targeting presentation, etc. and all of these play out wherever, and whenever I fish. 

 Decisions made on the water,.. for me???, are done so by considering my past experiences, and their results. I follow them diligently, my gut feeling, and confidence in those feelings , usually pan out.,.. Not "always" but usually. Bass, like any fish "can" be somewhat predictable when the variables considered are done so correctly. Miss but one piece of the puzzle?? and your off the game. Its easy to be lead down the wrong path by picking the wrong presentation and lure. But after years of experience bass fishing, a seasoned angler can often make a few casts, and realize their folly quickly. Confidence will clue you in,.. in this instance. If you have a confident feeling about your choice, you will continue on unhindered. But the slightest lack of confidence in a bait or presentation, sticks out greatly, and you'll then stumble along the "what, where, when" series of questions and doubts, till your back on the right track.

  If you are a seasoned angler, and have placed the pieces of the puzzle together correctly? You are in the right area, and usually have chosen the correct presentation and lure to begin with. If the fish disagree? it's usually just a slight adjustment that will produce. Be it a smaller sized version of the lure, speed change, color, or slight depth change. So, I employ these variables as I start my "questioning". I will have a few sizes of like lure already tied on, and ready before I leave my driveway. Things may change when I finally float the boat, and I will adjust if need be, before I leave the ramp area

  This is what typically works for "me", and these steps have become mainstay when I fish alone on my boat and can lay out a dozen rods.

[blckshirt98]

As a shore guy I don't have a set rule but it's a combination of both depending on where I'm fishing.  If I'm at the same local reservoirs/shorelines where I have a history of what has worked before, I'll stick to what I know the fish will bite and change location more often than change the bait.  If it's a new reservoir I'll look for a "fishy" spot like a point or cove, and will change baits first and much more often, before changing locations.

[Mike L]

17 hours ago, OCdockskipper said:

Keep in mind that you can catch bass with the "wrong" lure in the right location, but you can't catch any with the "right" lure in the wrong location.

 

For me, when I am starting the day, I am switching up lures & locations at the same time pretty quickly.  As the day progresses and I have figured some things out, the process changes.  I typically will have lure selection down to one or two and will move away from locations if they don't produce.

Ditto 

 

Mike