Straying from the norm ???

[Bird]

As I was going through my tackle and tying on baits for Monday morning, it has become apparent that this year has been very different than previous years.

I've been doing well enough with Swim jigs, Keitech swimbaits and flukes that I've yet to throw my normal reportoire of baits.

 

I've not thrown a Jerkbait, a Texas rig anything, a speed craw or a baby brush hog in 2022.

 

Do you find yourself straying from baits that have previously been go to baits simply because what your throwing has been producing ?

 

I've yet to throw a Ned or a buzzbait as well.

[DitchPanda]

I haven't had much luck on a Ned yet this year..I bet last year I caught 150 bass on one. I've has alot more success with a fluke this year than in years past. Everything else has been typical for me...senko, swim jig and popper. Haven't had great luck on a spinner bait or buzz bait yet...but the open water season is young my friend.

[T-Billy]

7 minutes ago, Bird said:

Do you find yourself straying from baits that have previously been go to baits simply because what your throwing has been producing ?

 

Yep, and sometimes when what's been working stops, I go digging around and an old favorite becomes a new favorite again, leaving me wondering why I ever stopped throwing it.

 Two days ago, it was slick calm and sunny on the back side of a front. I was getting a few on the Sweet Craw, but it was a tough bite. Went digging around and found an old bag of Culprit worms in junebug that hadn't seen the light of day for a long time. Trigged one on a 1/8 sinker and proceeded to wear out the dinks. No big fish, but I went from struggling to a steady bite. I used to always have a Culprit rigged. Dunno why I stopped, but they'll be back in the regular rotation again for awhile. Round and round we go.

[WRB]

We all like to try out new lures, if they work we keep using them. The problem is trying to force feed bass lures you like to use vs lures the bass want to strike. 

How long you use a lure that no longer works regardless how new or old it may be can be the difference between catching and casting.

Tom

[Mike L]

I really don’t experiment any more. 
I have my usual rotation of baits that are proven producers for me in pretty much all conditions and depths. 
 

I rarely will try anything new and try to force feed them to bite something I have no confidence in.

 

Same as in rods….

I use what I know will work based on what I’m throwing where and how. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[Catt]

What's normal & who gets to define it?

[MN Fisher]

Just now, Catt said:

What's normal & who gets to define it?

It's what the flock decides it is...

 

Come on, Tommy - you've been around long enough to know that.

[Catt]

1 minute ago, MN Fisher said:

It's what the flock decides it is...

 

Come on, Tommy - you've been around long enough to know that.

 

I'm from the 60s, I don't follow the flock!

[txchaser]

I've had some really high payoff for experimentation, so I keep doing it. Which means I find something that works and.... stop doing it, because what if this other thing is better? 

 

And then there are a few presentations that I don't really enjoy, and I've relegated them to "if I must" instead of a place to start. At the current pace, I probably own at least a decade of flukes.

 

[throttleplate]

Yesterday i removed a hanfull of lures i dont use such as whopper plopper, Storm swimbaits, lipless cranks, vibrating jig and the buzzbait.

I havnt needed those lures and tired of lookin at them.

As i mentioned before in another topic i have started throwing 8" berkley kingtails again and having fun.

Also keeping the flukes, square bills, jigs, top waters and jerks in the box.

[MN Fisher]

6 minutes ago, throttleplate said:

Yesterday i removed a hanfull of lures i dont use such as whopper plopper, Storm swimbaits, lipless cranks, vibrating jig and the buzzbait.

I havnt needed those lures and tired of lookin at them.

You can send them down here - I'll put them to use.

[throttleplate]

3 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

You can send them down here - I'll put them to use.

Name your price hahaha?

[MN Fisher]

3 minutes ago, throttleplate said:

Name your price hahaha?

I got $0.37, a mini-tin of Altoids Wintergreen smalls and a 2-AAA powered Mag-Lite in my pocket...that work? ?

[throttleplate]

1 minute ago, MN Fisher said:

I got $0.37, a mini-tin of Altoids Wintergreen smalls and a 2-AAA powered Mag-Lite in my pocket...that work? ?

maglites are so 80ish.

[Sphynx]

I tend to find that every year my "most productive lure(s)" tend to change a bit, one year I might be unable to put a paddletail down, other years it might be a Rat-L-Trap, a tube or a popper etc, getting to find out which box of lures is going to be my number one producer of the year is one of my favorite parts of getting out on the water, especially when it is a technique that is a weakness for me since it will force me to spend time with it and grow as an angler.

[Boomstick]

I'm running into that as a result of gas prices. Basically instead of driving to my favorite spots, often I'm staying closer to home and as a result, fishing to the lake. For example in the closest lake with bass in it, the best bet is a wacky rigged worm or dropshot. Where I would be throwing spinnerbaits alongside laydowns and crankbaits alongside docks.

[Chris Catignani]

I pretty much been trying different techniques I have used much in the past.

[PhishLI]

On 6/10/2022 at 7:28 PM, Bird said:

Do you find yourself straying from baits that have previously been go to baits simply because what your throwing has been producing ?

I stray from those baits because fishing with lures I know will work somewhere bores me quickly. I'm not interested in shooting fish in a barrel. Once I've figured out how to present a bait a few different ways and have success catching with them, I like to move on and climb a different mountain. The info I've gathered on them along the way gets filed away.

 

Sometimes I'll pull those go-to baits out when the going gets tough, and sometimes to get a few in the bag just so I'm playing with house money. It depends on where I'm fishing. Playing a hunch and getting it right is more fun to me than getting more fish in the boat with a slam dunk lure. I've already proven to myself that I can do that. I fish for my amusement, not for food or money, and it amuses me to catch bass using more challenging, lower percentage, or just different outside-the-box baits and presentations.

[Trox]

3 hours ago, Catt said:

What's normal

belly buttons

[thediscochef]

I'm still barely a year and some change into this, but I think 'normal' is kind of a moving target. I'd say that I have four or so bait styles that I have the utmost confidence in (lipless, 110 JB, CB skirted and unskirted), but I throw each of them in many different colors depending on the time of day, time of year, location, and water clarity. @Trox knows, he's seen the jerkbait box lol

[throttleplate]

1 hour ago, PhishLI said:

I stray from those baits because fishing with lures I know will work somewhere bores me quickly. I'm not interested in shooting fish in a barrel. Once I've figured out how to present a bait a few different ways and have success catching with them, I like to move on and climb a different mountain. The info I've gathered on them along the way gets filed away.

 

Sometimes I'll pull those go-to baits out when the going gets tough, and sometimes to get a few in the bag just so I'm playing with house money. It depends on where I'm fishing. Playing hunch and getting it right is more fun to me than getting more fish in the boat with a slam dunk lure. I've already proven to myself that I can do that. I fish for my amusement, not for food or money, and it amuses me to catch bass using more challenging, lower percentage, or just different outside-the-box baits and presentations.

Well stated, i feel the the same about being bored using same lures and techniques.

1 year ago my wife caught 26 bass from the bank by standing in the exact same spot for 2 hours all the while i was out wading and walking the bank experimenting with different lures and i caught 3 fish. I was ok with that.

[fin]

Nothing has been working for me lately, but I don’t hesitate to change what I’m throwing. Variety is what keeps it interesting.
.
A couple weeks ago I pulled out a walking bait for the first time in maybe over a year and caught a nice fish on it, so I have been throwing walking baits almost every day since.
.
It must be the year of the fluke. I’ve always loved them, but they’ve produced more than ever this year.
.
My trick worms are gathering dust, and they have been my go-to in years past.

[Catt]

6 hours ago, Trox said:

belly buttons

 

Nah!

Wrangler Boot Cut ?

 

Discovered worms in the early 60s, still throwing em!

 

Discovered jigs in the 70s, still throwing em!

 

Spinnerbait like forever!

 

[RDB]

14 hours ago, Bird said:

I've been doing well enough with Swim jigs, Keitech swimbaits and flukes that I've yet to throw my normal reportoire of baits.

 

I've not thrown a Jerkbait, a Texas rig anything, a speed craw or a baby brush hog in 2022.

It seems like so far in 2022 you are not focusing on the bottom of the water column.  Granted some of your listed baits could be fished as bottom contact but they are primarily mid to upper column baits.  I would also guess that you are probably fishing water with fairly good visibility based on your choices.

 

I don’t really have go-to baits but I do have go-to brands.

[Bird]

10 minutes ago, RDB said:

It seems like so far in 2022 you are not focusing on the bottom of the water column.  Granted some of your listed baits could be fished as bottom contact but they are primarily mid to upper column baits.  I would also guess that you are probably fishing water with fairly good visibility based on your choices.

 

I don’t really have go-to baits but I do have go-to brands.

Yes, accurate observation, the lakes I fish are gin clear.

If the wind isn't blowing, I actually have eye contact with the bait all the way back to the boat...... when the bait disappears, set the hook. Lol

Swim Jigs are all over the water column but on a continuous slow retrieve, running into stuff and most importantly, into fishes mouths.