I tried something different today...

[YaknBassn]

I've been fishing all of my life.  It's only been in the last couple of years that I've started to exclusively target bass.  Despite reading, buying quality gear, and spending time in the water, I haven't progressed as much as I think I should have.

 

It occurred to me that I've never taken the time to really learn to fish different lures.  I've always had a habit of switching up quickly if something wasn't productive.  

 

Today, I challenged myself.  I took out three rods, along with two lures to use on each.  I've read about how Fall can be very productive or very slow.  I wanted a productive day.  I brought out lures that I thought would work best in the conditions.  Instead of constantly switching lures and techniques, I was forced to adapt, slow it down, and pay closer attention.  

 

I ended up having the most productive day of my fishing life.  I didn't catch huge fish, but I caught numbers.  I landed 13 in six hours on the water.  In doing this, I learned more in six hours than I have in years.  I think this is something I'll do occasionally throughout each season, just to learn to fish specific lures more effectively.  

[davecon]

Years ago I decided to learn how to use spinnerbaits. Took one rod and reel, 4 spinnerbaits and spent 7 hours in the boat by myself. 

 

Learned to fish spinnerbaits in one day.

 

Did the same thing with a baitcaster. It was a frustrating first few hours but by the end of the day I had learned how to use one pretty well.

[BuzzHudson19c]

It pays to do this. Sometimes you have to force yourself out of the comfort zone and it pays big dividends down the road. It's another tactic in your knowledge arsenal to draw on.

[Way north bass guy]

This couldn't be more truthful. I was always a crankbait "buyer" but never fished them much, just left them in the tacklebox. One day I decided I'm only gonna throw a crankbait, man did I catch em! All it takes is one day to greatly improve your confidence in a lure type, now I always have a squarebill and a deep diver tied on a couple rods.  

[Bluebasser86]

That's how I learned to fish a jig. Took 1 rod and reel and a box of jigs and trailers. It took some time, but now they're one of my favorite things to fish. 

[Stalking bass]

Taking the time to actually master a lure type is the most important part of fishing I believe. It made me alot more proficient as an angler. I started this 2017 season working on jig and hollow body frogs. Though I do not consider myself a master at either yet. I have beaten my PB twice. And I owe alot of thanks to the fisherman on this sight for their helpfull posts.

[NHBull]

My dad taught me how to play golf in a similar fashion .

he waould allow me to take 1club and a putter for the better part of a summer when I was in 6th grade.  While I don’t play much now, the knowledge base is still with me

 

[Oregon Native]

Football jigs have stood the test of time.....as well as spinnerbaits

[TnRiver46]

One time I only took a spinnerbait to the lake. Fished it exclusively for hours and hours and didn't get a bite. I still hate spinnerbaits 

[scaleface]

One of the best bass fishing articles  I ever read as a young angler was by Rick Clunn on lure selection in which he describes lures as tools and select the proper tool for the job . It had  me thinking about choices and has guided me through several decades of bass fishing . Before selecting a lure think about what  you need a lure to do .

[tander]

9 minutes ago, scaleface said:

One of the best bass fishing articles  I ever read as a young angler was by Rick Clunn on lure selection in which he describes lures as tools and select the proper tool for the job . It had  me thinking about choices and has guided me through several decades of bass fishing . Before selecting a lure think about what  you need a lure to do .

I remember that article, Rick was the best back in his time.

[Deleted account]

17 minutes ago, scaleface said:

he describes lures as tools and select the proper tool for the job . 

It never ceases to amaze me why this seems so foreign to some. Its how we got our start in the surf. The old timers would only let you use one lure until you "got it" then move on to the next one. It reenforces the fact that they aren't different presentations or techniques, its just fishing.  I think having too much information in combination with a lack of experience on the water is what leads most astray.

[geo g]

That is a great technique to learn to use any lure, reel, or rod.  I have done it several times over the years, the last time with a new bait caster.  I went out with one rod and reel until I was comfortable with the new set up.  It is  a crash course!

[primetime]

I have been fishing like ever since Moving to Florida. I used to try a new technique, take maybe 7-8 casts and then put it down. After fishing a few tournaments I realized that the only guys winning for the most part were the guys who would stick with a plan, and being in Florida, If you can't Pitch & Punch, Understand weeds and bottom composition, or effectively fish a trap in grass, and especially learn to fish the open water out in deepest parts, it was hard to compete or always have a chance.

 

I spent an entire year doing nothing but Pitching heavy weights to learn how to catch better quality fish, I am still improving but after doing that for almost a full year, I noticed that my confidence went way up when trying to figure out other techniques. Being well rounded is not only important but also makes fishing more fun. I love nothing more than learning how to fish deeper water and struggling on every trip, then all of a sudden you catch a few fish and a light bulb goes off and then you realize what you have been doing wrong. 

 

It still pays to always have a go to technique to catch fish, but even a bait as "simple" as a spinnerbait is a technique you can always improve with, same with any technique. I stopped worrying about colors and brands and not changing lures all the time and that helps. Good Job, If you look at the best guys, they all have 1 technique they are known for, but most of them can pick up a drop shot or a Jerkbait etc. and still catch fish if necessary. 

 

Right now I am trying to learn the Neko Rig, and even though it looks easy, I have not figured it out yet, so its been a bait and rig I try all the time & force myself to stick it out instead of grabbing another worm. I like to first practice in ponds or places I know have fish in front of me to learn, this way you know if you start catching them it is most likely not luck. The guys down here you have been doing well seem to be fishing this Damiki Stinger worm on a Neko rig, you would think it is simple, but I think figuring out the right weight, line, & speed is harder than just letting a wacky rig sink on slack line.

[islandbass]

14 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

One time I only took a spinnerbait to the lake. Fished it exclusively for hours and hours and didn't get a bite. I still hate spinnerbaits 

X2 for me, lol. But the lessons learned from the OP is gold. It’s how I got the hang for drop shotting. Just need to translate that to jigs and spinnerbaits.