Quick list of baits I can’t catch a fish on. 1.5 year time-Span.

[Darth-Baiter]

I will add the # of fish caught

 

Wake bait: 0

chatterbait.  3 

swim jig; 1

big plastic swim bait: 1

whopper plopper: 0

megabass dark sleeper: 0

(this one is embarrassing).  Carolina Rig: 0!

spinnerbait: 0!

 

year 2022, I’m looking at you!  I’ll try to change some of those ZEROS..

 

[LrgmouthShad]

You don’t need to learn everything but regardless I wish you luck ?

[Fishin Dad]

48 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

I will add the # of fish caught

 

Wake bait: 0

chatterbait.  3 

swim jig; 1

big plastic swim bait: 1

whopper plopper: 0

megabass dark sleeper: 0

(this one is embarrassing).  Carolina Rig: 0!

spinnerbait: 0!

 

year 2022, I’m looking at you!  I’ll try to change some of those ZEROS..

 

My question would be, what DID you catch fish on.  I am going to assume a texas rig, crankbait, frog, casting jig.  Good luck next year on getting them on those listed.  

[Darth-Baiter]

38 minutes ago, Fishin Dad said:

My question would be, what DID you catch fish on.  I am going to assume a texas rig, crankbait, frog, casting jig.  Good luck next year on getting them on those listed.  

Yea.  Texas rigs, jigs and drop shots

 

 

bass are a moving target. 

[Fishin Dad]

16 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

Yea.  Texas rigs, jigs and drop shots

 

 

bass are a moving target. 

You can say that again.  I am fortunate to live in Minnesota where it is pretty easy to catch bass.  I can usually pick a new bait and head out for the day and catch some bass with it.  This year my breakthrough bait was a shaky head.   Tried for the first time and it helped us cash in some tournaments.  kept using it with solid success, often over a drop shot.  

 

Texas rigs and drop shot are two amazing fish catchers.  

[Luke Barnes]

2 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

I will add the # of fish caught

 

Wake bait: 0

chatterbait.  3 

swim jig; 1

big plastic swim bait: 1

whopper plopper: 0

megabass dark sleeper: 0

(this one is embarrassing).  Carolina Rig: 0!

spinnerbait: 0!

 

year 2022, I’m looking at you!  I’ll try to change some of those ZEROS..

 

Chatterbait is my go to moving bait and was a good producer for me. 

 

Berkley Choppo (whopper plopper) was my best topwater. 

 

Caught a few on a dark sleeper.

 

Everything else on the list I'm in the same boat. Probably won't use them next year.

[JustJames]

Me 2021

Anything top water - 0

Chatterbait/spinnerbait - 0

Crankbait - 0

Texas rig 0

Big swimbait 1

Paddle tail swimbait 3

Dark sleeper 2

Jerkbait 3

lipless crank 6

Jig - less than 10

Dropshot - quite a few

weightless worm - a lot

Neko rig - a ton

Fat Ika - a ton x 2

 

 

 

 

 

[scaleface]

I dont try to force a bite . Some lures excel in conditions and places  where others dont . 

[WRB]

Santa Rosa is within 1 hr drive of Clear Lake, The Delta (San Joaquin is good now), Lake Berryessa, Sonoma, Chabot etc.  

I recall you have a kayak so can get off the banks.

Northern Cal had a heavy rain fall that muddied up serval areas and the lake all rises several feet. 

My suggestion is review the tournament results and lures / presentations that work where you fish.

It can take a lifetime to learn the Delta tidal system. To shorten the learning curve hire a guide for a day in the area you plan to fish. Same for Clear Lake it’s too big to guess where and what to use.

For want it’s worth I don’t own a Chatter bait, Whooper Plopper or Dark Sleeper So never used them.

The Delta you need hollowbody frogs, punch rigs, jigs and pitching tackle (what Gary Klein video’s posted this week) 

Clear Lake Rattle Shake island area has steeper rocky banks good for dark colored crank baits and jigs. Senko’s are good everywhere at Clear Lake. Berryessa is similar to Clear lake, the narrows are steep banks good area for Shad colors soft plastics, jigs, spoons and crankbaits. The Northern areas are shallower where Senko’s, frogs, just about everything works.

Don’t get hooked on what you see on TV tournaments held outside of your area. You are fortunate to live close to the Delta, Clear Lake and Berryessa.

Tom

Tom

 

 

[king fisher]

The two big disappointments for me this year were my two most expensive baits. 

Spro Rat

Jack Hammer

 

The Rat caught many bass but they were all smaller than the Rat.  A Mans 1 minus wake bait out produced the Rat by a large margin, and was only $5

 

The Jack Hammer caught bass up to 2 pounds, but spinnerbaits, and crankbaits out produced it by both numbers and size by a large margin. 

 

I haven't given up on either lure.  I know they work, I just have to use the right retrieve at the right time, but it will be awhile before the Bait Monkey talks me in to buying an expensive bait again.    

[J Francho]

3 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

(this one is embarrassing).  Carolina Rig: 0!

Not embarrassing at all.  I never throw the thing.  I wouldn't know if it's a catcher because it's too annoying for me to fish.  I'd rather fish a drop shot or watch paint dry.

[Oklahoma Mike]

24 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Not embarrassing at all.  I never throw the thing.  I wouldn't know if it's a catcher because it's too annoying for me to fish.  I'd rather fish a drop shot or watch paint dry.

likewise.
 

All the rest of the baits posted in this thread are pretty regular producers for me. 

[Bankbeater]

I can count on one hand the number of bass I caught on hard jerkbaits and lipless crankbaits this year.  I'm not surprised by the low numbers with the jerkbaits, but lipless crankbaits are one of my best producers in the spring.

[scaleface]

 The most important thing to me is to catch fish , not to see how many lures I can catch them on .

[Darth-Baiter]

On 11/13/2021 at 2:52 AM, scaleface said:

 The most important thing to me is to catch fish , not to see how many lures I can catch them on .

Not me.  I want to expand my bass skill set. 

[Finessegenics]

Time and place for everything, you may just not have come across a moment where those were the ticket. At the same time, I say don't feel forced to learn anything. 

 

[desmobob]

I...  cough, cough... know this guy...  cough, cough... who has caught bass on virtually every kind of lure imaginable from deer hair bugs and streamers on fly rods to every kind of lure/presentation imaginable on baitcasting and spinning gear except a Zara Spook.  

 

?

[scaleface]

9 hours ago, desmobob said:

except a Zara Spook

Spooks never performed well for me either .Too many misses not enough hook-ups  . I havent thrown one in quite awhile but thats okay . Other lures take up the slack . 

[Hook2Jaw]

I feel like I used to be able to participate in threads like these, but this year I really simplified my fishing.  I caught a few fish on a spinnerbait, a few on a chatterbait, and a few on a swimjig, but beyond that I really didn't vary what I threw.  I did, however, fish the conditions with baits I'm confident in.  Jerkbaits, crankbaits, and jigs handled the days where activity was heavy and the shakyhead and dropshot got me limits on days where my fish were more negative.

 

Y'all ain't versatile, y'all confused. 

[Darth-Baiter]

All good points. I just got my kayak 1,5 years ago.  I’m still homing in on the type of fisherman I’ll be, I suppose. 
 

I have my favorites for sure.  Even at this point. 

[LrgmouthShad]

9 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

 I’m still homing in on the type of fisherman I’ll be, I suppose. 

Yeah actually, you make a great point. I had to experiment a lot before I figured out the stuff I like. I guess people say to simplify, but you're not simplifying if there is no complexity to simplify. 

[JbroBass]

On 11/12/2021 at 11:57 AM, Darth-Baiter said:

I will add the # of fish caught

 

Wake bait: 0

chatterbait.  3 

swim jig; 1

big plastic swim bait: 1

whopper plopper: 0

megabass dark sleeper: 0

(this one is embarrassing).  Carolina Rig: 0!

spinnerbait: 0!

 

year 2022, I’m looking at you!  I’ll try to change some of those ZEROS..

 

 

I have bolded the baits that I've never even tried. And the swim jig I've only tossed for about 30 minutes total. (I had a long absence from fishing and most of these things, with the exception of the Carolina Rig, where not in existence or not in our repertoire back when I fished a lot 30+ years ago. As far as why no Carolina Rig? I was dedicated to the Texas Rig.)

 

[Bluebasser86]

I can't catch anything on a Dark Sleeper either. I've had a few bites, zero landed fish, ruined a couple that got torn up from fish biting and setting the hook on them, no fish in hand though. 

 

The spybait would be another for me. It looks good, and I try it, probably more than I should, but it just doesn't produce for me. 

[fishhugger]

yah, right now i'm throwing nothin' but moving stuff... chatter, swim jigs, a month into square bills and uh... what are those red eyed shad type things categorized as... escapes me. idk, i'm just doing that. oh, and topwaters... those are so cool.

 

in the summer and fall, i was into plastics and slow things, and it was interesting. but right now, i seem really sort of impatient and needing movement... i may take a day soon and try some plastics around the grass and shallows. the weather has been really nice in california, tho.... i need it, since i been catching zero.

 

but GL fishin'... frankly, where i'm fishing, berkeley, guys have been talking about it being slow at this time.... fwiw... 

[thediscochef]

The number of types of baits I've snapped off in brush and rocks this year alone without getting a single bite has to be at least five

 

Like the cloud nine crankbait I just snapped off in rocks after 2 hours of ownership. RIP my interest in crankbait fishing, 11/16/21 - 11/16/21. We barely knew ye.