Stuck in a Rut

[38 Super Fan]

I just can't seem to catch much of anything unless I'm throwing a hard jerkbait. I'm not complaining, I think I caught over a dozen bass yesterday, and it's been working great for me since January, but I really wanted to become more versatile this year. So far though, I'm more one dimensional than I've ever been.

 

I have managed a little topwater action this year though, this used to be one of my strengths, but was just awful for me last year. So that's been a bright spot, but the jig, spinnerbait, crankbait, and swimbait bites have been almost non existent for me. I even brought a spinning rod a few times this year, but I never did catch a fish with any of that finesse stuff, so I tucked it back away in the garage.

 

I just thought I'd share that, I find it interesting that in 80 degree water, the jerkbait is still my go to lure. Any advice or similar stories of one dimensional anglers are welcome!

[N Florida Mike]

I have always been kind of one dimensional with soft plastics.And there's always been one soft plastic I used most of the time and I would fish that bait all day.

• 1975-80- Mann's jelly worm

•. 1980-2001 - Culprit worms 

•   2001-13  Zoom flukes

•   2014-17 - senkos

Not saying These were the only baits I fished but  used them at least 90% of the time. I have caught more fish progressively down the list with each bait.Whats interesting is that I caught my pb on the Mann's, my 2nd largest on the fluke,3rd largest n the senko,and 4th largest on the culprit. I've caught many fish in the 4-6 pound range on all these.I have decided not to fish with flukes or senkos in my home lake for a year because I'm not catching as many now on them,because the fish have seen them so much.Going back to culprits some this year cause they haven't seen them much in recent years.

Just recently began diversifying baits.

I've caught more fish on spinnerbaits in the last 6 weeks than I have in all the years before put together! And I'm catching more on frogs than ever ! And I have caught a few on hard jerkbaits this year.

So I guess you can teach a middle aged dog new tricks!

[jr231]

Spinning rod doesn't necessarily have to be finesse... just the other day I had my girlfriend catching bass with a spinning rod on a small jig and rage chunk. Using braid. 

[38 Super Fan]

2 hours ago, Yeajray231 said:

Spinning rod doesn't necessarily have to be finesse... just the other day I had my girlfriend catching bass with a spinning rod on a small jig and rage chunk. Using braid. 

Aren't small jigs also known as finesse jigs?

 

I got a couple on a jig yesterday, and a few on a buzzbait, so I'm managing to get away from the jerkbait a little bit more. It still caught the majority of my fish yesterday though, and also the biggest fish.

 

Jerking those dang jerkabits hard all day sure can get old!  Any change of pace is very welcome.

[jr231]

Yessir I suppose you are right. It was a finesse jig... I have heavy duty spinning rods too for catfishing and they work great. Also have a couple MH spinning rods that I use for topwater poppers, crankbaits, heavy t-rigs and spinnerbaits . However I only use it for bank fishing on a not so rod friendly bank. 

 

I could go all spinning and don't think my catch rates would change at all ! 

 

But I'm just a blue collar, recreational fisherman. 

[pondbassin101]

Ive honestly never jerked a jerkbait. 90% of my fish have somehow been caught on Texas rigs. I really need to try fishing some other lures

[38 Super Fan]

20 minutes ago, Yeajray231 said:

Yessir I suppose you are right. It was a finesse jig... I have heavy duty spinning rods too for catfishing and they work great. Also have a couple MH spinning rods that I use for topwater poppers, crankbaits, heavy t-rigs and spinnerbaits . However I only use it for bank fishing on a not so rod friendly bank. 

 

I could go all spinning and don't think my catch rates would change at all ! 

 

But I'm just a blue collar, recreational fisherman. 

I heard that! Back when I bank fished a lot I used my spinning gear a lot more. Now I just think of it as gear for anything too light to throw well on a casting reel. But clearly that's not the case for everyone.

 

I'm just not very accurate with a spinning rod, also they take up more space in my little Bass Tracker.

[38 Super Fan]

 

Dang jerkbait just keeps on working, I think I'll just start leaving the rest of my stuff at home!

[Spankey]

11 hours ago, 38 Super Fan said:

 

Dang jerkbait just keeps on working, I think I'll just start leaving the rest of my stuff at home!

Absolutely. You don't need anything else by the look of it. Nice fish man. 

[TnRiver46]

Whoa, nice fish! Is that on Norris???

[38 Super Fan]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

Whoa, nice fish! Is that on Norris???

Thanks! That one was on Cumberland. These lakes all look the same don't they?

[TnRiver46]

7 minutes ago, 38 Super Fan said:

Thanks! That one was on Cumberland. These lakes all look the same don't they?

Hahaha yep only this year Norris is way more full than normal, and I guess Cumberland is similar 

[38 Super Fan]

2 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Hahaha yep only this year Norris is way more full than normal, and I guess Cumberland is similar 

Norris was crazy high back in late April, I was down there when it was 7 foot above summer pool, I've never seen it even close to that.

[TnRiver46]

11 hours ago, 38 Super Fan said:

Norris was crazy high back in late April, I was down there when it was 7 foot above summer pool, I've never seen it even close to that.

Last years "drought" is officially over hahaha

[TheRodFather]

I too have been doing the best on a jerkbait, I have this Lucky Craft pointer 100 in a bluegill pattern that just keeps working, I must have caught 20 on it so far in just a few outings.  Caught a couple on senkos, and one on a spook, one on a spinnerbait, one on a paddletail, etc, etc.  The jerkbait is just flat out outproducing everything.

 

 

[shimmy]

I remember seeing a fishing report from el salto where all the anglers were struggling to catch an 8 to 9 pounder and this one group was only throwing jerkbaits that hot summer week and had an absurd amount of bass over the 10 pound mark. Apparently, this group did well year after year sticking to jerkbaits in the summer. To each their own.

[Ktho]

I don't really consider it one dimensional if you're roping em like you are. You gotta fish what the fish want to eat. For me each season there's usually a dominate lure/pattern. Right now it's all about the lipless, in the spring the jerkbait was the go-to and before that in winter a jig was the ticket. If you only ever throw the jerkbait whether you get em or don't year round then that's one dimensional to me. 

[CroakHunter]

The good news is Youre a fan of an awesome caliber!

[Ratherbfishing]

I tend to get stuck in a rut depending upon season.  For the past two years, early spring has been jerk baits (usually shadow raps) but prior to that it was lipless rattlebaits.  In the summer I fish texas-rigged worms and crawdads almost exclusively.  In the fall, it tends to be spinnerbaits.  But I do what works best for me and this has been it.

[JustJames]

I trend to not fishing the same lure over and over. I will change lure or plastic or technique to something new or old but hardly catch anything for me.

[scaleface]

Sometimes a lure stays hot . 

[38 Super Fan]

10 hours ago, scaleface said:

Sometimes a lure stays hot . 

The ole jerkbait has finally slowed down the past few trips for me, it sure stayed hot a lot longer than I expected. Now I'm onto the best buzzbait fishing I've seen in years, this is a rut I wouldn't mind getting stuck in, I love buzzin'.

[Boomstick]

At least you are catching something. There's been many days where I have been lucky to catch anything at all, so try and see the glass as half full.