Bank Fishing When to move or just switch baits.

[Sharkicane]

I want to get some feedback on when to switch tactics vs just switch areas from the context of being a bank fisherman. 
So the place that I fish is ultra clear quarry pond, its pretty big lots of water to cover. For the most part I don't switch my baits up that often I tend to just throw weightless or weighted texas rigged soft plastics.  I have 2 colors watermelon red and gp. My issue is trying to determine what parameters do I switch baits/tactics or just move spots.

 

For the most part I just keep moving spots, I try to follow the shade and target different pieces of cover and/or structure. I realized today after 3 hrs of fishing up and back down the bank with little to no bites maybe my approach is wrong. I threw a brush hog w/ 1/4 oz bullet weight which is my go to for this body of water. I have been able to consistently get bites for the past 2-3 weeks with this.

 

So today during my 3 hour fishing hike I really only cycled between my gp brush hog and a watermelon/red weightless fluke. I think I over emphasized trying to find the right place versus trying something completely difference like switching it up to a senko or trick worm or something. I didn't think I was wrong to follow the shade/try and fish the conditions but I didn't land a fish and they were there so I assume I got a part of the equation wrong. 

 

Since in essence I have to sight fish, what things have to happen before you physically move and/or switch tactics? Part of me wants to lean towards stay where the activity is and cycle threw all my various plastics till I dial it in to what they want that day. However I have gotten a lot of bites just targeting cover/structure where I didnt see any activity at all. 

 

How do I develop a better game plan for dialing in on whats going to get me bites? 

[papajoe222]

Change your tactics. You know those baits work there, but I'm guessing you fish them the same way the majority of the time. When that isn't working, I have Two suggestions; First, fish the entire water column. Top, Middle, Bottom before moving down the bank to a new spot. Second, when you get down to the bottom, let your bait sit on the bottom after you cast for at least a count of 30. Then give it a double pop off the bottom.  If you don't get bit, reel in 20ft. or so, let it fall to the bottom and repeat.

If the fish are active, you'll be catching them with a faster retrieve in the upper water column. If they aren't, and you're fishing the bottom, but too quickly, you won't get bit there either. Speed or lack of it and a change in direction, either by deflection or imparted by you, are the two biggest triggering factors you control. Experiment with them before you change baits, or move.

[Koz]

On 6/12/2018 at 4:43 PM, papajoe222 said:

 First, fish the entire water column. Top, Middle, Bottom before moving down the bank to a new spot.

 

^This

 

In the lagoons I fish the water is stained in varying degrees and you rarely see the bass unless they breach the surface or are within inches of the shoreline. We also have very little cover or structure.

 

That being said, we all have times where we throw one bait for too long because it worked well for us on a previous day.

[Eric J]

this morning a buddy and I were fishing a favorite local lake. Pretty pressured. Anyway, I'm running a topwater popper and he's finessing a power worm. There's a guy fishing plastics with no luck.

 

After an hour plus I decide to go with a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver creature. I cast a few times twitching then doing a slow retrieve but I did NOT like the action on this lure. So I figured this thing must need a fast retrieve for that reaction.

 

I cast it out deep and pull it back fast and.... BOOM! Big hit! 4.1Lbs.

 

So yeah... Sometimes ya just gotta move on or switch out...

 

Eric J

[Log Catcher]

I had a fishing day last year that really surprised me. I was catching fish one every now and then on a baby brush hog. I was sure the fish had to be there so I switched to a 6" ribbon tail worm. It was like somebody flipped a light switch. It was unreal how many bites I got and the number of fish I caught that day. Wish I could do it again.