When to switch to a CB or SB

[Sharkicane]

So I fish off the bank in a very clear water local pond. It’s fairly deep used to be a sand pit till they hit a natural spring and it filled up with water. I think it’s like 15 - 18 feet down. The ledges off the bank don’t go to far out before dropping off. 

 

Ive been having some luck with a zoom green pumpkin fluke or baby brush hog around vegetation and stuff. I’m just wondering what conditions should I be looking for weather wise or maybe time a day. To switch to my spinner bait or crank bait. I’ve got a black/white shad rap #5 and a white/chart double willow spinner bait.

[Graham]

I like to use moving baits when it’s windy/overcast.

[Bluebasser86]

I'm guessing the water is pretty clear? Just me personally, I've had zero luck with cranks in the types of lakes you're fishing. I'd try the spinnerbait if it were early/late or overcast though. 

[Graham]

6 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I'm guessing the water is pretty clear? Just me personally, I've had zero luck with cranks in the types of lakes you're fishing. I'd try the spinnerbait if it were early/late or overcast though. 

Good point on the water clarity, wasn't thinking about that!

[camman]

I use to fish a lake similar to what you described.  It was a small rock quarry that filled with water.  Super clear water.  I could get fish on plastics but not on cranks (never tried a SB).  I did find early in the mornings I would crush them in the summer time on a Lobina Rico.

[Sharkicane]

8 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I'm guessing the water is pretty clear? Just me personally, I've had zero luck with cranks in the types of lakes you're fishing. I'd try the spinnerbait if it were early/late or overcast though. 

 Cool I’ll try the SB when it’s windy. That was as a struggle I was having maybe the SB will be my wind counter lol

[NorthernBasser]

If the water is clear, try more natural-looking cranks. And if the place is highly pressured, try silent or very faint rattle cranks.

 

For really clear water I like ghost/clear colored cranks like the MJ Ghost Minnow color:

 

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Lucky_Craft_LC_Silent_Deep_Diver_Crankbaits/descpage-LCLCDD.html

 

http://img.tacklewarehouse.com/watermark/rs.php?path=LCLCDD-MGM-1.jpg

 

[WRB]

If I were you my 1st goal would be to deterime what the prey source is the bass are looking for. Start by setting a crawdad trap and looking for small baitfish by broadcasting oat or corn meal in areas that have weed beds. Always good to know what the bass are eating.

Terrestrial critters like mice, rats, birds, lizards, insects like dragon fly and Darner nymphs, frogs, worms and crawdads all contribute to the food chain.

Big flashy spinnerbait may alarm those bass if no big flashy fish live there.

Use lures that represent the size, movement and coloration of the prey source.

Keep you shadow off the water and try to stay quite with a low profile with dull clothing.

light winds create surface waves that break up your profile and the bass can't see surface details well, underwater lures the bass see very good.

Tom

[Sharkicane]

2 hours ago, WRB said:

If I were you my 1st goal would be to deterime what the prey source is the bass are looking for. Start by setting a crawdad trap and looking for small baitfish by broadcasting oat or corn meal in areas that have weed beds. Always good to know what the bass are eating.

Terrestrial critters like mice, rats, birds, lizards, insects like dragon fly and Darner nymphs, frogs, worms and crawdads all contribute to the food chain.

Big flashy spinnerbait may alarm those bass if no big flashy fish live there.

Use lures that represent the size, movement and coloration of the prey source.

Keep you shadow off the water and try to stay quite with a low profile with dull clothing.

light winds create surface waves that break up your profile and the bass can't see surface details well, underwater lures the bass see very good.

Tom

I see a lot of insects and the guy that works the park says the bait fish are yellow perch and possibly brill. So I would want something with a touch of yellow in it?

[WRB]

Rapala minnow size 11 jointed in Fire Tiger, use as a wake lure or just under the surface.

Roboworm  Zipper Grub 3 1/2" in Bold Bluegill, fished on a split/slip shot rig or 1/8 oz stand up plain jig, like a Ned rig weedless.

Both look like the baitfish in you pond.

Tom

[Bdnoble84]

Ive fished quarry ponds like u are talking about. I’ve had good luck with jerk baits in natural colors. If its overcast, its pretty hard to beat plack and blue. Flukes, senkos, wacky rigged finesse worms, all work great for plastics. I’ve also had a surprising amount of luck with a 1/4 oz chrome rattle trap on a sunny day. I would start aggressive with your spinnerbait burned near the surface just to see how active they are, then go to the #5 shad rap next. If they arent active that day or you are getting a bunch of followers but no takers, thats when i would slow down and work the more finessie type stuff.  No since wasting a buch of time slowly working a brush hog if they are one the spinnerbait or crank that day.

[Munkin]

Generally when I am trying to establish a pattern I start with moving baits. If those don't work I go with soft plastics finesse which has been working for you. Based on what you are saying I would try a weighted flick shake to get down in the water columb to the bigger fish.

 

Allen

[Sharkicane]

5 minutes ago, Bdnoble84 said:

Ive fished quarry ponds like u are talking about. I’ve had good luck with jerk baits in natural colors. If its overcast, its pretty hard to beat plack and blue. Flukes, senkos, wacky rigged finesse worms, all work great for plastics. I’ve also had a surprising amount of luck with a 1/4 oz chrome rattle trap on a sunny day. I would start aggressive with your spinnerbait burned near the surface just to see how active they are, then go to the #5 shad rap next. If they arent active that day or you are getting a bunch of followers but no takers, thats when i would slow down and work the more finessie type stuff.  No since wasting a buch of time slowly working a brush hog if they are one the spinnerbait or crank that day.

Awesome I’ll give it a try in the early morning I hear them hitting the top of the water a good bit. I’ve tried a Black spro frog but I’m just to new to really work it properly to get results. I was thinking of getting a Livingston lures walking boss or popper the ones with the sounds in them. Also entertaining the idea of a black 110 silent whopper plopper. Any advice or suggestions for top water? 

2 minutes ago, Munkin said:

Generally when I am trying to establish a pattern I start with moving baits. If those don't work I go with soft plastics finesse which has been working for you. Based on what you are saying I would try a weighted flick shake to get down in the water columb to the bigger fish.

 

Allen

I’ll try to switch it up. I just wanted bites lol so I keep throwing the plastics even though I wanted to try faster baits. I gotta wake up real early to get in an hour or two before work. So I need them bites lol. 

[frosty]

I fish some strips just like you’re descending that are pretty heavily pressured. One thing that always seems to work well was a jerkbait, obviously varying your retrieve based on their mood. Sometimes when they are particularly aggressive you can watch them attack it. Bad for hooksets, but still fun to see!

11 minutes ago, Sharkicane said:

Awesome I’ll give it a try in the early morning I hear them hitting the top of the water a good bit. I’ve tried a Black spro frog but I’m just to new to really work it properly to get results. I was thinking of getting a Livingston lures walking boss or popper the ones with the sounds in them. Also entertaining the idea of a black 110 silent whopper plopper. Any advice or suggestions for top water? 

Small popper, the plopper is probably a good idea to. If it’s not heavily pressured I’d chuck a chatterbait in there. I fished a very clear quarry that was pretty much left alone, they loved a chatterbait! 

[Boomstick]

On 5/6/2018 at 11:38 AM, NorthernBasser said:

If the water is clear, try more natural-looking cranks. And if the place is highly pressured, try silent or very faint rattle cranks.

 

For really clear water I like ghost/clear colored cranks like the MJ Ghost Minnow color:

 

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Lucky_Craft_LC_Silent_Deep_Diver_Crankbaits/descpage-LCLCDD.html

 

http://img.tacklewarehouse.com/watermark/rs.php?path=LCLCDD-MGM-1.jpg

 

Those are good cranks!

 

To answer the original question, I would usually go for a spinnerbait in conditions where he fish don't get the best look at it, either a cloudy day or a cloudy water. Sometimes a spinnerbait can be quite effective on a sunny day in cloudy water.

 

In clearer water where the fish can see it, I prefer a crankbait. Many of my crankbait fish were caught by fishing areas with abundant schools of baitfish.

 

Spring and fall are great times for both baits.

[Sharkicane]

4 hours ago, WRB said:

Rapala minnow size 11 jointed in Fire Tiger, use as a wake lure or just under the surface.

Roboworm  Zipper Grub 3 1/2" in Bold Bluegill, fished on a split/slip shot rig or 1/8 oz stand up plain jig, like a Ned rig weedless.

Both look like the baitfish in you pond.

Tom

Are you referring to the walking minnow? I was unable to find the #11 jointed in fire tiger on tackle warehouse