Overusing a bait?

[Quarry Man]

My home lake is man made and spans about 50 acres, proportional to the size of a football field (twice as long as it is wide). The lake is probably 600m long and 300m wide. At one end is a dam with rocks. the max depth is 11', as you go further back, it gets really shallow. There is a channel that is slightly deeper that goes through the middle. There is no shore cover/structure. mostly open water with a few boulders and stumps throughout. water clarity is 4' when bright sunny. Average bass is 2 lbs, average pickerel is 18" Those are the only predators besides stocked trout. I had lots of luck this year on spinnerbaits, chatter baits, and keitechs. 

 

If i only use those three lures, will i catch less at the end of the year? I don't want the fish to get used to my same lure choice before tournaments come around, and end up catching nothing.

[LionHeart]

Many people believe bass get lure shy, and I agree.  I've also read that every time a bass gets caught,  it gets more suspicious of every meal.  Is this true? Dunno but it certainly makes sense.  Anxious to hear more replies on this one. 

[CroakHunter]

We catch hundreds of bass on the same lures in the same spots every year in a few 90 acre strip pits. A lot of these fish get caught and re caught every year. We tag them so we can keep track of how often they are caught and what they are eating each time. With that said, if you stand in the same spot, everyday, with the same lure them yes they will get conditioned. But if you have that large of a body of water and can fish it all them no I don't believe they will. Also 3 baits aren't the best for year round fishing even if you are getting bites, most likely what's working in the spring isn't going to work as well in the late summer. Example: if you are on a good swimbait bite shallow, in the heat of the summer I'd guess you'll catch some fish But not the potential you would if you fished deeper with a big jig or worm. My last tourney we weighed in 23lbs of Bass. 6lb,5lb,5lb,3lb,2lb,2lb. The 4 biggest had been caught over 5 times a piece with the second 5lber being caught 3 times that year. 

[WRB]

Bass tend to get conditioned to faster moving lures than slower moving soft plastics.

If you are using the same lure as everyone you are competing agianst everyone else.

Tom

[Deleted account]

I think they use a spreadsheet to track non edibles...

[scaleface]

I think  they get conditioned to lures . Early  spring in area lakes  you will see a  chartreuse spinnerbait in almost every boat because the bass are hitting them . A week or two later that spinnerbait bite is dead . Other lures like a squarebill still catches them. On one small lake I see a lot of anglers switch to beetle spins .

[Sam]

Quarry, you can overuse anything including your favorite baits.

 

However, you have to have confidence in the baits you use. Therefore, you will continue to use your favorite baits in your favorite colors presented in your favorite technique. It is human nature to do this.

 

Some guys, me included, will continue to use a bait far too long than we should have used it but we don't change to another color, bait or presentation. Why? Confidence. We have confidence in the presentation and darn it, we aren't going to change when the bite or pattern changes.

 

As for the bass, they are sneaky animals that can be condition to a specific bait. It takes time and lots of being caught and released. But they will, sooner or later, know that a crazy looking spinnerbait or trick worm is something to avoid. Not all bass have the capability to do this but it happens.

 

Personally, I would not be concerned about the bass becoming conditioned to your baits.  There are way too many bass in your pond and since they are aggressive animals they will continue to hit your presentations.

 

I would focus on weather conditions, water temperature, time of the year, the spawn, deeper water, the dam area and using different baits to find the pattern for the day or hour.

 

At my double secret pond, I have clobbered them on Rat-L-Traps, crankbaits, Senkos, spinnerbaits, trick worms and jigs/pigs.  No problem with the bass avoiding these presentations even if I use one for most of the day.

 

Go figure.

[fishballer06]

16 hours ago, Quarry Man said:

My home lake is man made and spans about 50 acres...

 

...I don't want the fish to get used to my same lure choice before tournaments come around...

 

A tournament on a 50 acre pond?

 

[Bankbeater]

If it were me fishing I would keep mixing up the baits. I would use my confidence bait only if nothing else is working. 

[Quarry Man]

1 hour ago, Bankbeater said:

If it were me fishing I would keep mixing up the baits. I would use my confidence bait only if nothing else is working. 

That is a great idea

[bigbill]

In using the same baits all year long I notice the fish learn our baits. What is a hot bait this year will catch less fish next year. I fish the same smaller places every year. It’s good to change baits like a baseball pitcher throws a different pitch. If your not getting any action I change my scents too.