Half ounce lures the norm now?

[Cdn Angler]

I wasn't fishing 15 years ago, but hasn't braid improved a lot? 

 

 

[gim]

I think the OP’s was more in reference to specifically targeting largemouth in the southern half of the country. In brown bass country up north, in the Midwest, and the Great Lakes region, a lot of finesse tackle is still used for drop shots, Ned rigs, and other similar presentations.

[WRB]

First rule is get bit, can't detect strikes using the wrong weight and lne for the conditions being fished. 

Tournament anglers goal is catch enough bass to earn a check, see rule #1.

Tom

[Catt]

9 hours ago, Cdn Angler said:

I wasn't fishing 15 years ago, but hasn't braid improved a lot? 

 

 

 

It started with braided Cotton then move to Dacron, Micron, Suture Material (Silk), Micro Dyneema®, Kevlar, & Spectra.

[the reel ess]

I use a 1/2 oz. Arky jig as my standard. On my jig reel I have 50# braid so I can yank good fish out of wood cover. I use it on a H-F jig rod. Watch Gerald Swindle's videos on jig fishing. When you set the hook on a jig fish, you have your drag already almost cinched down and you just crank the fish to you. Big fish will give you a good fight anyway. I made the mistake of playing them like I was using a worm and lost a few before I got the hang of it. The technique calls for heavy tackle.

[Primus]

On 8/1/2020 at 10:28 AM, Catt said:

Rate of Fall 

 

A Texas Rig with a 1/2 oz weight or bigger & a Jig-n-Craw of a 1/2 oz or bigger will get a "reaction" strike.

 

A two pound bass can stop a 3/4 oz weight from ever hitting bottom!

 Catt is right , the focus besides profile of the bait should be rate of fall. For example you can take an average size 1/2 oz jig and the rate of fall will change considerably depending on the trailer selected. If I take that jig and throw a Beaver style trailer the bait will fall  faster than using a Strike King Rage craw as a trailer which will flap as it descends resulting in a slower rate of fall.  

 

There are also times when a fast rate of fall with Texas rigged baits pegged with 1 to 1-1/2 sinkers will catch more as it results in reaction strikes. Watch a few Ish Monroe vids about " dropping bombs " as he calls it. Even with the the heavy weights trailer selection can alter the rate of fall and make the difference in the number of bites so it pays to experiment.

 

Obviously there are times when the opposite is true as a slower rate will catch more fish especially when the water is colder. Versatility is the key. 

[Boomstick]

It's all about the rate of fall. Sometimes you want that bait to fall a little faster so it can get to the bottom quickly, and a faster fall at times can trigger more bites. 1/2oz jigs are a pretty good all around jig as they fall faster in deeper water but don't fall too fast in areas that aren't so deep, but on the flipside 3/8oz jig will keep your lure in front of the fish for a little longer.

 

I do a lot of pond and small lake fishing and sometimes the ponds are 20ft+ deep, but sometimes the max depth is around 10, and a 3/8oz jig is very good for the shallower areas, so that's generally my goto.

[mheichelbech]

18 hours ago, Boomstick said:

It's all about the rate of fall. Sometimes you want that bait to fall a little faster so it can get to the bottom quickly, and a faster fall at times can trigger more bites. 1/2oz jigs are a pretty good all around jig as they fall faster in deeper water but don't fall too fast in areas that aren't so deep, but on the flipside 3/8oz jig will keep your lure in front of the fish for a little longer.

 

I do a lot of pond and small lake fishing and sometimes the ponds are 20ft+ deep, but sometimes the max depth is around 10, and a 3/8oz jig is very good for the shallower areas, so that's generally my goto.

Think you raise a good question...is what is best for what depths.  I’d agree about 3/8th for less than 10 ft generally speaking.  
Part of the problem I often have in fishing is when I don’t get bit, is it because I have the wrong lure, the right lure but not the right weight or color, the right lure but I’m not fishing correctly for what the fish want that day or correctly period or am I just not fishing where the bass are period.  These are especially vexing when I’m fishing places I don’t have a lot of history with.

[Boomstick]

3 hours ago, mheichelbech said:

Think you raise a good question...is what is best for what depths.  I’d agree about 3/8th for less than 10 ft generally speaking.  
Part of the problem I often have in fishing is when I don’t get bit, is it because I have the wrong lure, the right lure but not the right weight or color, the right lure but I’m not fishing correctly for what the fish want that day or correctly period or am I just not fishing where the bass are period.  These are especially vexing when I’m fishing places I don’t have a lot of history with.

Once you start questioning yourself, there is no end.

 

My general rule of thumb is 12ft or less and I'll stick with 3/8oz, and above that generally 1/2oz unless I'm fishing both sides of a drop off. I rarely go heavier than 1/2oz for just depth for the same reason unless I'm targeting specifically the deep spot.