Lure/Technique to start the day? Then what...

[DaubsNU1]

Curious what lure / technique you start the day with...and then what lures to you move to...

 

I try to be on the water before daylight, and almost always start with top-water:  buzz-bait or W-plopper.

 

From there I move to my tried-and-true favorites:

• Blue-fleck t-rigged 7" worm
• Spinnerbait
• Senko or Slug-Go
• Square-bill crank or Rattle-trap
• Jig+trailer

 

If the bite is slow I will transition to the following:

• White power-grub on a lead-head
• Drop shot
• Super-floaty worm
• Ned rig

 

What is your pattern, and why?

 

[Fishes in trees]

I don't really have a pattern.   However, before I start out looking for fish, I spend some time in the parking lot cove and throw lipless cranks & lipped cranks, making sure there isn't anything wrong with the line on the reel, giving everything a little shot of KVD line treatment and just taking in the weather.  Then I decide where on the lake to fish and what to fish first.

What made it interesting last year, on the lake that I fish the most, I was throwing the big square bill, ( the Academy version of the big Strike King 8 XD square bill ).  Directly across from the ramp and extending for about 50 or so yards in either direction is a line of stick ups.  2' deep very close to the opposite bank, gradually deepening to 9 or 10 feet at the edge.   1st cast - minor backlash, 2nd cast - 18" fish.   3rd cast - 15" fish,  4th cast - slot fish and 5th cast - slot fish.   I ended up spending more time in the parking lot cove than I planned.

Still I try to approach each day as a different day and wonder "where do I think the active fish are now?" and that's where I start.

 

Back when I was a bank bound meat fishing hippie, it didn't matter where I started because I knew I was going to walk all around the pond and pick it apart with several different baits, so I just started at the nearest point and always started with a quarter ounce or 1/8 oz Brewer Slider Head & 4" worm.  

This is a good question and I'm pretty sure that lots of guys have different warm up procedures that it will be interesting to read about.

[TnRiver46]

I just throw a zoom worm all day . Mostly a purple one. When I’m tired of being bothered by fish I cast spinnerbaits 

[throttleplate]

 Depends which lake i pick for my first bank fishing stop. If i stop at the lake with the longest walkable shore line which is 3/8 mile i put on the spinnerbait with big paddletail trailer.

 

I will walk the length of the bank  and cast out reel in then move 10 yards cast again and then will walk back doing the same thing  and if no luck or not much luck i will sit down and chill for 5 minutes while thinking about my next approach.

 

Then i may break out the waders and will be able to walk forever in the water never having to come back for hours as my tackle sling bag contains all i need for all types of structure.

 

If i start out at my frog lake then of course i throw the frog and if no luck or miss some fish which does happen with the frog i will switch to a topwater spook or popper and cast around the lilly pads and stretches of open water.

[Mr. Aquarium]

Before I go fishing, I have a game plan. I

have an idea of what I have done well on in the ponds I’m fishing that day. Or have an idea of what has worked for me in places like that, if I’m fishing a new pond.  
 

I have a pond I’ve done very well on Jigs, tubes, t rig soft plastics and small swimbaits. That place is  deep and clear so floro is the way to go. If I’m fishing shallow  weedy ponds clear or stained. I wouldn’t be fishing a tube, or small swimbaits. I’d bring the braid rods  or fish a large swimbait! 

also depends on season as well. 

[Jigfishn10]

I'll go for the topwater or spinnerbait/lipless crankbait bite out of the gate, if the bite isn't there then it's a worm or jig.

[Dens228]

It all depends on where I'm going, water clarity, weather that day and prior as well as what's coming.

Different bodies of water warrant different approaches. 

[FishTank]

Depends on the time year and water temps.  In general I start off with either a senko or a dark sleeper.

[Siebert Outdoors]

Its mostly dependent on the season but normally I'll start with a reaction bait.  Topwater, Jerkbait, Crank, Spinnerbait, etc.  If that doesn't work I'll slow it down to the jig or worm.  With this said, I also switch between all of those baits depending on where I'm at and the structure.  I may hit a tree with a spinnerbait and if nothing hits then pitch a jig in it. 

[Spankey]

Generally start with a pop-r type than move to the buzzbaits or buzzfrog. 
 

From there I just go with a gut feeling at the time. 

[Columbia Craw]

Totally depends on the time of year and body of water.  One thing I frequently do is move out from the bank early and work a reaction lure for fish that will roam in low light.  If there’s chop I might stay out away even longer.  A vibrating jig, spinnerbait, square bill for LM and a jerkbaits, lipless and Swimbait for smallmouth.  
 

Once the sun comes up I’ll move to a jig or plastics and pitch tight to cover and shade pockets. It’s just the opposite for smallmouth.  I move deeper as the sun rises.  That’s when I apply hula grubs, tubes, drop shots and deeper crankbaits.  This progression works well for me on my waters.  River fish are a different thing.  It goes top waters to lipless:spinnerbait to the bottom but River fish stay shallow longer.

[BrianMDTX]

2 hours ago, Jigfishn10 said:

I'll go for the topwater or spinnerbait/lipless crankbait bite out of the gate, if the bite isn't there then it's a worm or jig.

I’ll normally start out with a topwater. If I get bites, I’ll stick with it until it stops.  Then I’ll switch to either a WR or TR, or a jig-n-craw. 

[Jigfishn10]

43 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said:

I’ll normally start out with a topwater. If I get bites, I’ll stick with it until it stops.  Then I’ll switch to either a WR or TR, or a jig-n-craw. 

Of course you do, you’re my brother from another mother. ?

 

Gotta try for the top water bite! If it’s on, I’m getting my 10,000 steps by walking the dog. ?

[Deleted account]

I like to start with a spinnerbait, mostly cause I really like fishing a spinnerbait, and I can quickly see what mood they are in. I will follow up with whatever the fish recommend.

[Log Catcher]

I start with a crankbait and spinnerbait most of the time. If nothing happens I go to a baby brush hog, worm or maybe a jig. If need be I will change to grub or centipede. If these don't work I go home and hope for a better day next time.

[keagbassr]

 Very early or late in the season i start with a spinnerbait otherwise its a buzzbait. And then from there it depends on season, time of day,weather and what body of water.

[WRB]

Determine seasonal period the bass are in, water temps, depth of bass and bait fish, weather etc.

Right now it’s early pre spawn for example the major population of bass are in 25’-30’ of water near baitfish. A few are starting to move up hunting crappie around brushy points.

The baitfish are Threadfin Shad. 

From experience I know the shallow brushy point fish will shut off 1st so that is where to start, but not with a fast moving lure but a Senko. Also give a jig try, crawdads could be active and a slow sink crappie or trout swimbait.

As the sun gets higher and the Shad school move I get out a tail spin and structure spoon. Work clay points with a jig, brush with worms and jig, major points with swimbait. May give a deep crank bait a few casts and let the day develop.

Post spawn through fall the bass are everywhere requiring a wider range of lures and presentations.

Tom

[Bankbeater]

It depends on the conditions on the day I go fishing.  This time of year I'm going to start off with moving baits.  If those don't work I will switch over to plastics and jigs.

[Deephaven]

If it is an ideal day I get to throw a frog first

[Sphynx]

If I can justify it even a little bit I am tossing some form of topwater bait if I'm out pre-dawn/first light, from there I will adjust based on what I'm seeing, windy or glass still? Do I see bass chasing/busting baitfish, is there any reason to assume they are munching craws primarily instead of baitfish? Is it sunny, cloudy, pre/post front? What season are we in and what -should- they be doing that time of the year? Have the fish been telling me that conventional wisdom is pretty dumb that day? I prefer to fish Topwaters, Crankbaits, Jigs, and Spinnerbaits when I can get away with it, but sometimes you have to drag a soft plastic, or toss another category that isn't my preference, like swimbaits, but I don't really have a "set" pattern, just because it's what -should- be the spawn I never take that for granted, or the fall feed up, whatever, it's all a big puzzle, half the fun is trying to put the pieces together.