How Long Before You Change Lures?

[Bazoo]

I went to Freeman Lake today, and I had a couple bites on my spinnerbait. Within 30 minutes of getting there I had the first, but nothing for another couple of hours, including moving spots and trying a fluke a while with intermittent spinnerbait fishing. Then another strike right before leaving.

 

I had a conversation afterwards with my fishing buddy, where he was telling me about my concentration in correlation to the passing of time. I often think less time has passed than what actually does. So I often fish a lure longer without a bite than he or my wife does.

 

I have always heard you should stick with it, but now I'm thinking, perhaps I should change things up instead of toughing it out. The lake I fish is pretty heavily fished, so often times I think that the reason I'm not getting bit is because of the pressure, and not because of lure choice.

 

How long do you give it before trying something else:

a) after you get there?

b) after the last strike?

 

Do you normally try another size or color of your lure type before changing or do you just change types?

 

 

[ElGuapo928]

I will generally shift from a reaction bait to a slower presentation after about 15-20 minutes without a strike. 
 

On the deck I always have:

 

Spinnerbait

Crankbait

Topwater

Texas Rig

Dropshot

Senko

 

 

 

[PaulVE64]

If I know the fish are there I start swapping lures. Sometimes I think it's too often but it's the fastest and most certain way of changing 'the bite' 

[LrgmouthShad]

The answers you get here are going to vary wildly based on everyone’s catch rates. Some of that is not related to angling skill. Just the body of water’s

typical catch rate. If you really think there are bass in an area, you may want to throw a little more their way. I’m generally more apt to just move and keep tossing the same stuff if I’m not getting bit. Usually I think I’m just not in the right place at the right time. But there are also professionals now who do very well rotating through baits on a spot, particularly with livescope. Different styles work

[scaleface]

I love spinnerbaits but if they are not getting bit it doesnt take long to put them away . I dont have a time limit just a feeling. The lakes I fish   typically have plenty of bass holding  cover.  I concentrate on how to best penetrate and fish that cover. 

[RRocket]

6 hours ago, Bazoo said:

 my concentration in correlation to the passing of time. I often think less time has passed than what actually does. So I often fish a lure longer without a bite 

 

 

This is me, too.  But I also use fishing as a form of mindfulness. Much like you, I lose track of time and surrounding and just get totally zoned in on my fishing.

 

Sometimes I'm catching fish, sometimes not.

 

But I'm always in a good place.

 

 

 

 

[Pat Brown]

I know the lakes and ponds I fish pretty well so I usually cycle through a few pre selected for the conditions baits in an area every couple casts because I know how productive that can be.

 

If I feel like they're on a bait I'll keep it locked in my hand til that bite dies or I change areas.

[Jmurphy87]

I usually take a tackle bag with me, so I have way too many choices. I then start with old patterns that have worked, be it a jig or soft plastic. I then pick apart the cover that I know where they should be holding. I commit fully to what I am throwing, it’s usually when I have hit all of those spots in a area and I have not had a hit is when I change it up and repeat the process until I find the pattern of the day. I feel like I myself tend to stick with a presentation a little bit too long but it works for me. I used to be worried about losing lures and terminal tackle, not anymore. I tell myself that I bought it once before and I can do it again. The way I see it is if you are afraid to throw into the nastiness stuff you can find, you are leaving good fish behind.

[PaulVE64]

It's a good day when I catch more fish than lures I lost.

[king fisher]

So many lures, so little time.

[Glenn]

Why yes, there's a video for that! 

 

 

 

[Bazoo]

Thanks for the responses. @Glenn thanks for the video.

 

Most of the time, I expect a bite on every cast, and I still have confidence with my spinnerbait or other lures I'm using. It takes me hours without a bite for me to get to the point to where I feel it's not working and I should change. That is the basis for my question. I anticipate a fish much longer than say, my wife, or my buddy. After 2 hours without a bite, I'll try something else, then I give that an hour, then try something else a while.

 

There has been several occasions that we fished for a couple hours, and the wife finally talked me into leaving because the fish weren't biting, and I caught one as I was fixing to pack up and leave. So my experience tells me to stay with it. 

[gim]

On 9/30/2023 at 11:31 PM, ElGuapo928 said:

I will generally shift from a reaction bait to a slower presentation after about 15-20 minutes without a strike. 

I almost always start with a faster more aggressive approach too. If I don’t get a bite within 10 or 15 minutes, I am changing my proactive too.

 

Some people I know will toss the the same lure for hours without a bite though. Even if something else is catching fish.

[Bazoo]

Thanks for the responses all. Lets say after 30 minutes it's time to change lures. Do you change to something else that is in the same aggressiveness range or do you go straight to soft plastics and slow way down?

 

The fact that I like spinnerbaits is one reason I use them, but also, I've often found that they will produce when nothing else I try will. So, I do have a lot of confidence in them that's for sure.

 

I do fish many things I don't have confidence in, and I think i'll use the 15-20 minute rule with those lures before I move on.

[papajoe222]

I will always try changing retrieve speed, or action that I impart on a bait before I change to something different. When I do change,I will go to something similar, but having a different profile, or smaller size. I have confidence in my initial choice of baits, so I stick with what I started with longer than I care to admit. 
‘Dance with the one you came with.’ doesn’t mean you can’t go home with somebody else. 

[thediscochef]

I typically change baits when something changes from arrival time. For example if a wind shift occurs or clouds show up I will switch what I'm doing if its been a while without a bite. Usually picking up a different combo every 30 mins or so until I find something they like. I like to start with topwater and work my way down if I'm not on a pattern

[you]

If I'm on a familiar body of water, I don't change lures often. I know what works for that season/species/cover/structure/etc, and it's usually a question of overlapping with a bite-window or finding the "spot on the spot".

 

In a new body of water, I'll change location, then presentation, then lure (in that order) about every 15min if I'm not catching (or seeing or hearing) fish.

 

On 10/1/2023 at 6:47 AM, RRocket said:

Sometimes I'm catching fish, sometimes not.

 

But I'm always in a good place.

 

Also this. After some weeks, the fish are secondary.

[Woody B]

I'm very scientific when I decide whether to change lures or not.  

 

I use a magic 8 ball.   

Quote

Magic 8 ball, should I change lures????

 

[Hammer 4]

Unless I'm throwing just swimbaits, a spinnerbait is first on the list. I'll fish that and any other bait until I've exhausted all my options, then I'll change.

[813basstard]

Whe. You get ‘that feeling’ where you no longer have confidence in it and it looks dumb at the end of your line…crank the big motor

[BigAngus752]

You catch fish because you find fish.  You can't catch fish that aren't there.  If the bite is tough I will go where I believe the fish are (based on season, weather, wind, sun, etc) and I will work the water column top to bottom and presentations from fast to slow.  This may take five minutes or an hour depending on the previously listed circumstances.  There are also times/days that I know what they should be biting, so I can throw one thing and then confidently move on. 

[scaleface]

On 10/2/2023 at 9:49 PM, Bazoo said:

Thanks for the responses all. Lets say after 30 minutes it's time to change lures. Do you change to something else that is in the same aggressiveness range or do you go straight to soft plastics and slow way down?

Spinnerbait and texas rigs are a good   one/two punch . Spinnerbait fishes in wood well. I like to throw them first , see what happens then pitch a worm in same cover .  I may put one down and only fish the other after the fish show a preference or keep tossing both . No time limits. Just go by feeling. If you find yourself just going through the motions then a change is needed. 

 

  Also Glenn has a good video on spinnerbaiting and he talks about how to cast one. That is the most important part of fishing a spinnerbait. Find that video and mimic his casting if you are not already doing so. The roll cast will catch way more than the over hand lob.