Lure Selection Flowchart

[clemsondds]

Has anyone found a really good flowchart that takes into consideration most variables and most major lure options?  I’m somewhat new to bass fishing and the more research I do, the more overwhelming the lure options are various situations.  I am still trying to learn all the various rig/options and it’s hard to learn them all, let alone learn when is the best time to use them (Eg ned rig, carolina rig, Texas rig, senko, dropshot, spinnerbait, chatterbait, a-rig, lipless/square bill crankbait, jerkbait...) 

Any help would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks

[scaleface]

 Just select  lures that  allow you to effectively fish the cover or structure you encounter . Its that simple . 

[OkobojiEagle]

Do you think anybody uses every presentation option... NOT!  Cover the water column with 4 or 5 options taking into account water temp and time of year and you've got a pretty good start.  After that, fine tune your selections with experience.

 

oe

[clemsondds]

It would be nice to have a flow chart for beginners to reference (ie if the water color is this at this time of year, at this depth then use...) 

 

[OkobojiEagle]

It sure would be nice... but fishing isn't that structured.

[WRB]

Anyone can do this with the lures and presentations they are skilled at using. The newer you are to bass fishing the fewer lures and presentations your are skilled using, the smaller the flow chart tends to be.

My personal flow chart extends over 60 years of bass fishing experience, so I use the grey matter between my ears as a flow chart and intuition followed by trail and error.

Tom

[Bankbeater]

Everything else being equal I look at water clarity.

[fin]

It wasn’t that many years ago that the only way to learn was through word of mouth, learning from your father or family and friends. Someone might teach you something after you buy them a case of beer and fill up the gas tank of their truck and boat. Now you can go on the internet and come to a site like this and learn anything about fishing you want and even watch a video that demonstrates how to do it.

 

And that’s not good enough? You want a flow chart that tells you what to do in any possible conditions? Wow.

[MIbassyaker]

1 hour ago, clemsondds said:

Has anyone found a really good flowchart that takes into consideration most variables and most major lure options?  I’m somewhat new to bass fishing and the more research I do, the more overwhelming the lure options are various situations.  I am still trying to learn all the various rig/options and it’s hard to learn them all, let alone learn when is the best time to use them (Eg ned rig, carolina rig, Texas rig, senko, dropshot, spinnerbait, chatterbait, a-rig, lipless/square bill crankbait, jerkbait...) 

Any help would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks

You would be better served by not trying to learn them all, but picking a few to use that cover a small number of important bases. Think top, middle and bottom of the water column, fast vs. slow, and horizontal vs. vertical presentations.  You could do most of that pretty well with a wacky-rigged senko, a texas rigged worm or other plastic, a spinnerbait, and a topwater popper.  Newbies are also better served, not by researching lures, but by researching bass behavior and location.

[fishwizzard]

1 hour ago, MIbassyaker said:

 You could do most of that pretty well with a wacky-rigged senko, a texas rigged worm or other plastic, a spinnerbait, and a topwater popper.  Newbies are also better served, not by researching lures, but by researching bass behavior and location.

This is the best advice I think you could give someone starting out, especially the last part.  Learning about bass was what got me over the hump from "casting a lure into the water with high hopes and little else" to "fishing".  The first  times I manged to look at the water, make an informed decision on exactly where to make my cast, and then to catch a bass was an amazing feeling.  

It was not taken that day, but this is the spot. I had fished it a few times before but never had much luck as I was just casting into the middle of the channel over and over as to not snag my lure. 

[clemsondds]

Cool thank you! Appreciate the helpful post. I’ve been fishing for 25 years but this is the first time I’m getting a little more serious about it. Disappointed with some of the other responses...try to be helpful and supportive of new fishernen. I’m just trying to find a way to have a quick reference guide to how and when to use certain rigs/lures. Not trying to be lazy or anything...just trying to be a better fisherman. Appreciate the help! 

[Oklahoma Mike]

https://basssmasher.com/blogs/news/the-ultimate-lure-selection-chart

[Jigfishn10]

I wrote this in another thread but it's worth repeating.

 

My son is a pitcher in baseball and can throw a lot of different pitches...curveball, slider, 2 seem, 4 seem, change-up, splitter, cutter...I asked him 1 day, if you have a 2/2 or 3/2 count how many of those pitches do you have confidence in throwing? He said 3. "Why don't you work on those 3 for now, get really good with them and then add another."

 

It's fun to be able to fish with multiple lures, presentation and techniques but if you don't know how to fish with any of the lures you mentioned then you're just casting and not fishing. The advice you've been given has been great advice by fisherman who had to develop their own flow charts. I would work on something that can be fished on top, middle and bottom. Get good with those then add something else. You can develop your own flow chart from your experience instead of someone elses.

 

For me:

Topwater: Walking bait like a Spook Jr

Middle: Lipless Crank

Bottom: Texas Rig Worm

 

EDIT:

13 hours ago, MIbassyaker said:

You would be better served by not trying to learn them all, but picking a few to use that cover a small number of important bases. Think top, middle and bottom of the water column, fast vs. slow, and horizontal vs. vertical presentations.  You could do most of that pretty well with a wacky-rigged senko, a texas rigged worm or other plastic, a spinnerbait, and a topwater popper.  Newbies are also better served, not by researching lures, but by researching bass behavior and location.

Sorry @MIBassyaker, I completely misread your post about top, middle bottom. Great post

[Jaderose]

You are setting yourself for a lot of frustration AND a lot of money spent on lures and bait you will ultimately never use.  Everybody else has said it but it bears repeating over and over.  Research bass behavior and conditions.  Weather, water clarity, blue sky vs. overcast, dawn/dusk vs. mid-day, etc.  You've spent 25 years fishing for whatever, what's another 25 learning how to bass fish?  Relax and enjoy the journey.  There is no destination.  You will find that as you get better and better that super highway of info, techniques, equipment, etc., you are on will become a nice country lane.  Ain't nothing wrong with color charts and such but when I'm in my boat and the sun is shining, the coffee is hot, and the bass are biting, I sure as hell don't wanna be studying charts.  Just my .02.

 

If you want to buy an entire dresser full of baits and technique specific stuff I bought 10 years ago that have never seen the water, let me know! 

 

[scaleface]

There are so many  different lures that making a chart on when to fish what is a big under taking . Lets say you are fishing a bank that has a lot of lay-downs and brush with many small limbs . Instead of thinking what are the bass biting on   think what will fish these high percentage spots thoroughly . For me it would be Texas rigs , jigs ,spinnerbaits , buzzbaits.. because of their ability to be fished in snags   . Then you come upon a riprap bank . What lures will fish it well ? Crankbaits come into play . Fishing a deep point choices would be sinking lures and deep diving crankbaits ...Stumps , standing timber ,vegetation , flats , channel banks ,beaver houses ,gravel , mud , silt , docks ... all have characteristics that favor certain lures over others . I'll tell you this , the two most versatile lures I throw are texas rigs and spinnerbaits .

[primetime]

The reason I find Bass Fishing so addictive is because there are no "Absolutes" right or wrong way for the most part. If you were to ask the 10 best Pro's on Tour to draw up a chart to help simplify color, lures, water color etc....You would end up with 10 different charts.

 

The best way to learn in my opinion is to read a book or articles online to get an understanding of the basic habits of Bass, and then you just need to get on the water and practice. Having someone show you on the water is even better, and you quickly realize that it is impossible to know everything and what worked yesterday, may not work the next...

 

I guess I didn't really help, they do have charts online, but the videos that Glenn puts up on this site are really good to learn from. He does a good job simplifying things, because yes, Lure companies have done a good job of making you think you need every lure and color etc...

 

 

[Tennessee Boy]

I went through a similar experience in the 1980s when I bought my first boat.  I had been wading creeks for bass for years and fishing with my grandfather for catfish but fishing from a boat for bass was a new experience.  I started reading everything I could about bass fishing which just slowed my learning down due to information overload.   Most of the stuff you read about bass fishing is designed to sell you stuff.  The advice I really wish someone had given me then is to learn to do one or two things very well and then add new things slowly over time.  If you are in the south fishing water with low visibility,  I would start with spinnerbaits and plastics.  Learn about all the different ways you can configure and fish a spinner bait.  Learn how and when to use different blades and trailers.  This can take years to master.  Spinnerbaits will be your technique for covering water fast.  For slower fishing,  become a master with plastics like worms,  lizards, creature baits, and trickworms/sinkos.  Learn the texas rig first.  Try the many other rigs later.  Weightless trickworms are a blast to fish post spawn around here.    Learning to master everything you can do with plastics will take a lifetime. These are the tools you will use to catch the fish you locate.  Learning to locate them is the real key to success as others have stated.

 

YOU WILL HAVE MANY DAYS THAT YOU DON'T CATCH ANYTHING.  DON'T LET THAT CAUSE YOU TO LOSE FOCUS ON THE THINGS YOU ARE TRYING TO MASTER.

[clemsondds]

Thanks for the help and advise!  That makes a lot of sense.  

[WRB]

On March 18, 2019 at 3:43 AM, Oklahoma Mike said:

https://basssmasher.com/blogs/news/the-ultimate-lure-selection-chart

According to this chart all you need is jigs, spinnerbaits, jerk baits and crankbaits year around. It's so easy!

Tom

[Tennessee Boy]

15 minutes ago, WRB said:

According to this chart all you need is jigs, spinnerbaits, jerk baits and crankbaits year around. It's so easy!

Tom

Is it easy to master jigs, spinnerbaits, jerk baits and crankbaits?

[A-Jay]

On ‎3‎/‎18‎/‎2019 at 6:43 AM, Oklahoma Mike said:

https://basssmasher.com/blogs/news/the-ultimate-lure-selection-chart

The Umbrealla Rig is mysteriously missing ~ 

 Chart also indicated a very narrow temp recommendation for a drop shot.; mostly 'warmer' water.

The drop shot is an effective presentation for me from the 1st day of open water to hard water- basically all season.

Other than that - I'd say it's decent.

But now who has the "Where to fish chart".

That's the one I need.

A-Jay

 

[WRB]

11 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

Is it easy to master jigs, spinnerbaits, jerk baits and crankbaits?

Define master them. Would my 5 top LMB or a several hundred DD LMB qualify?

I fish hair jigs year around and according to "the" flow chart shouldn't be using them when the water is above 50 degrees. Where I fish the water rarely gets below 50 degrees! 

Location, timing and then lure selection that the bass will strike is what makes the difference, not a popular lure listing.

Tom

[clemsondds]

I think he was trying to be sarcastic...

 

helpful posts are always appreciated. 

Can anyone recommend any good books or sources for me to learn more about specific circumstances for certain baits?  I am trying to learn for example: if I come up on a point with a ledge in clear water mid day water temp 60 degrees...what’s the best bait to start with and then what should/could be my second and third option? I could guess but I would love to have more that just a guess behind my reasoning. I wish I had a dad or friend to take me fishing but at this point I don’t, so I’m just trying to learn on my own right now (and the help of the greatest bass forum in the web ) Thanks for the help! 

[EGbassing]

If you're new to fishing there's no need for a complex flow chart. Just fish Texas rigs, jigs, and other slow moving baits when it's sunny, and fish faster moving baits like spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits, and other fast moving baits when it's overcast.

22 minutes ago, clemsondds said:

I think he was trying to be sarcastic...

 

helpful posts are always appreciated. 

Can anyone recommend any good books or sources for me to learn more about specific circumstances for certain baits?  I am trying to learn for example: if I come up on a point with a ledge in clear water mid day water temp 60 degrees...what’s the best bait to start with and then what should/could be my second and third option? I could guess but I would love to have more that just a guess behind my reasoning. I wish I had a dad or friend to take me fishing but at this point I don’t, so I’m just trying to learn on my own right now (and the help of the greatest bass forum in the web ) Thanks for the help! 

I don't think I have enough experience to help with that, but you can never go wrong with a texas rig or spinnerbait. 

[Tennessee Boy]

7 minutes ago, WRB said:

Define master them. Would my 5 top LMB or a several hundred DD LMB qualify?

I fish hair jigs year around and according to "the" flow chart shouldn't be using them when the water is above 50 degrees. Where I fish the water rarely gets below 50 degrees! 

I thought you were implying that the list was not long enough. While jigs, spinnerbaits, jerk baits and crankbaits would not be my ultimate do all year round list.  I think someone that could fish jigs like Bauer,  Cranks and spinnerbaits like Clunn, and jerk baits like VanDam would have all 12 months covered pretty well and I'm sure they would be fishing a jig when the water temp is about 50 degrees.

20 minutes ago, WRB said:

Location, timing and then lure selection that the bass will strike is what makes the difference, not a popular lure listing.

I couldn't agree more.