How Many Baits do You Throw in a Day?

[dtag31]

I'm curious, I usually fish the evening because of work restrictions, from 6-9pm I will throw maybe 6 different baits in the water. I hit the water with 4 rods and will probably re-tie two of them. To be clear, I don't mean 6 different styles of baits I mean: green pumpkin jig, shad crankbait, perch crankbait, whopper plopper, and 2 different colored texas rigged worms. 

 

So how many different lures are you throwing in a given period of time? Give the number of baits and approximate hours you fish. Curious to see who is throwing the kitchen sink out there and who is only throwing a small handful. I suspect I may be selling myself short. 

 

[Team9nine]

From the bank, 1 rod; 1 reel; 1 bait most all days. Trips are usually 1-3 hours long.

 

From a boat, usually 3-5 rods and correspondingly 3-5 baits, usually for 3-5 hours ?

[Shockwave]

As many as it takes for me to find a pattern.  I give a bait 10-15 casts.  If nothing happens, I'll switch it out. 

[Daniel Abram]

I will take 5-6 poles with me. One or two with top water a frog and WP or buzz bait. One with a jig and craw one Texas rig a wacky worm. And I always have a ned on the spinning rod. I throw them till I find what they like and that it mostly. but most ALWAYS use ever pole at some point. 

[Choporoz]

It depends.   Today I may be fishing shallow pads flats for 6 hours and throw nothing but a Rage Bug, Chatterbait and frog.   Tomorrow I might be fishing a reservoir with ledges, laydowns, deep stuff, and shallow stuff and toss the kitchen sink.  Most of my fishing is from a kayak and I take 6-7 rods most days and if I'm getting bit out the gate I may not use 5 of them.....some days I use 7, trying 15 different things with them.

[JediAmoeba]

Usually more than I intend, but on the other hand, more intentions than executions.  

[A-Jay]

When I've been able to be on the same water consistently (Not once a week) and am fortunate enough to stay with the fish & or the bait as it moves, I may be using a two bait deal; sort of like a one two punch.

If not, and I'm in 'hunt' mode - baits & rig numbers start to climb . . . . . 

A-Jay

 

[Tennessee Boy]

I think @A-Jay said it well.  On good days I use very few.  On bad days I use a bunch.  These numbers do not include different colors and sizes.  I've thrown over 30 different baits in the last year.  Over 90% of the bass I caught were on 6 baits.  That tells me I might be better off with fewer baits in the boat but I'm not sure how to make that happen.  I think we all spend too much time looking for the right bait when we should be looking for the right location.

[A-Jay]

17 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

I think @A-Jay said it well.  On good days I use very few.  On bad days I use a bunch.  These numbers do not include different colors and sizes.  I've thrown over 30 different baits in the last year.  Over 90% of the bass I caught were on 6 baits.  That tells me I might be better off with fewer baits in the boat but I'm not sure how to make that happen.  I think we all spend too much time looking for the right bait when we should be looking for the right location.

X2.

And the right time.

A-Jay

[fin]

7 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

I think we all spend too much time looking for the right bait when we should be looking for the right location.

Even once you've found the right location, you still have to find the right depth, which might require different bait.

 

I throw a lot of different baits when I start getting desperate, or just bored. I think you give your best presentations when you only throw one thing a lot, and really get 'in-tune' with the bait.

 

It varies a lot for me. Some days I only throw one thing, and that thing will be something I've recently had luck with. Other days I might throw 10 things, and that's usually just one rod, using speed clips where possible.

[roadwarrior]

Every year I promise myself I will fish everything I own one time. 

Thirty years later I am 95% behind.

 

I am still going to fish one of those lures...maybe.

 

[BassNJake]

The last few weeks I have used multiple styles of toads, a buzzbait, a Shower Blows topwater and a senko.

I'm all about the topwater bite but cant pass up flipping a bush or skipping a dock with a senko.

 

I usually use these 3 topwaters from about 58 degrees in spring to about 50 degrees in late fall (TN)

Some days I'll get 20+ fish in a 5-6 hour trip, other days it'll only be a couple but if they are topwater blowups I'm a happy guy.

 

I used to tourney fish all the time- most of my practice time was spent idling around marking areas and/or spots

Not so fun but work that has to be done to be competitive.

Now I spend my time fishing in a style that gives me the most enjoyment.

[FishingGeekTX]

If I found the lure I throw two lures.  The lure, and a secondary that's fished slower and/or in a different part of the water column or completely different presentation/action.

 

If I'm still looking for the right lures, I generally throw appropriate lures for the area in the major types - top, middle, deep, some fast moving, some slow.  Unless I'm dead certain fish are there, at this point, if no fish, I figure I'm in the wrong *locations*, and change those up.  If still no fish, only then do I start trying random crazy colors and oddball lures.  And I usually do that just to fish them some   I assume at this point I just don't know where the fish are.

Happened to me yesterday at a lake I have had this happen on before.  I should have moved sooner rather than later, but I just knew they were up in the great bank cover, shady with trees and structure...I KNEW it!  So I was trying lure after lure.  They weren't there.  I jigged the bladed jig deeper at a brush pile and a 6# hit it like a freight train.  Ooops, time to go, I burned all my fishing time beating the banks.

 

I'm having fun with 1/4 oz bladed jigs with a subtle trailer lately.  I can fish them fast, or slow mid water, or I can stop and jig them.  Really let's me quickly find fish rather than having to change up lures/reels.  Lately I fish topwater + bladed jig, and I both swim and "jig" the jig, which gives me all three columns in 2 rods.  But I still bring 5-6 so if I wanted a soft plastic or frog or crankbait, I can.

 

So, typically 2-6 range.

[Mobasser]

I throw less now, than I ever have. Usually not more than 3. Topwater early, and spinnerbait or worm throughout much of the day. 

[Black Hawk Basser]

Three to five different baits, most days.  Most of my outings are 3-4 hours.  I generally bring 4 rods, and don't change  baits often while out.  If I do, it's usually to refine color, not to use a completely different style.

[waymont]

I usually go out with these:

Jig and craw

Swimjig

Weightless Worm or Texas Rig with pegged weight depending on lake

Frog (or some kind topwater depending on the lakes cover)

 

I usually try all at some point depending on the part of the lake I'm in.

 

Wild card:

Ned Rig

Shakey Head

[Deleted account]

No set number, sometimes its one, sometimes its too many. 

[TnRiver46]

Just one about 90+ percent of the time. A plastic worm 

[scaleface]

As few as I can .   I hardly ever throw just one in an 8 hour outing , I guess five is about avg .

[Fishin' Fool]

If you can't get bit on a senko there are no fish to be caught

[Mike L]

4 hours ago, Shockwave said:

As many as it takes for me to find a pattern.  I give a bait 10-15 casts.  If nothing happens, I'll switch it out. 

Pretty much the same...

(Love your avatar!!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike 

[N Florida Mike]

4 hours ago, Team9nine said:

From the bank, 1 rod; 1 reel; 1 bait most all days. Trips are usually 1-3 hours long.

 

From a boat, usually 3-5 rods and correspondingly 3-5 baits, usually for 3-5 hours ?

That’s exactly what I do, except I carry 3-5 baits on the bank too. Usually all some kind of soft plastic.

 

[Log Catcher]

It depends on where I am fishing and how long I think I will fish. I usually have 4 baitcasters and 2 spinning rods with me. If I can get a good bite going I may only use 2 or 3 baits. If I am struggling to catch fish I may use 10 or more baits. I really like the days I don't have to use every setup I have with me.

[SlappinKraken]

In the summer I primarily throw 4 baits for an entire day. Frog, punch rig, 1/2 oz chatterbait with razor shad trailer, and a 6 to 7" senko.  The frog is always black, and everything else is always green pumpkin. 

[Bankbeater]

Fishing with four rods, I’m going to say about 10 baits if I can put a pattern together. If I can’t pick up a pattern and the bites are hit or miss then I may keep changing all day.