Thinking outside of your box

[Catt]

3 hours ago, MassBass said:

I don't care if a top bass tournament hasn't been won on a spinnerbait in 20 years or more, I will still be throwing spinnerbaits.

 

Jason Christie 3 yrs ago Sabine River.

[WRB]

Rick Clunn St John’s River his last win was 98 lbs 14 oz on a spinnerbait in 2019 at age 78!

Tom

[MassBass]

8 hours ago, Catt said:

 

Jason Christie 3 yrs ago Sabine River.

 

8 hours ago, WRB said:

Rick Clunn St John’s River his last win was 98 lbs 14 oz on a spinnerbait in 2019 at age 78!

Tom

Noted. Thanks. Interesting they are river tournaments.

[slonezp]

On 4/30/2024 at 10:32 AM, Bankc said:

I probably need to think more inside the box.  I tend to catch more bass throwing a T-rig Senko than yo-yoing an old Heddon River Runt.  But my mind can't help but wonder... what happens if I rig up a bunch of different creature baits on an umbrella rig?  Why does no one put a soft plastic trailer on a weedless flutter spoon?   Surely the bass haven't seen that before...

I've had a few hits (like the back half of a lizard as a jig trailer) but a whole lot more misses (like dragging a C-rig with a floating, Elaztech Ned bait and Aberdeen hook so it will actually float).  

I'm not sure how one would fish creature baits on a U rig... Put a wax worm on a flutter spoon and go ice fishing. 

 

I know nothing about nothing. 

 

My conundrum today. I'm used to teaching kids how to fish. I love it. Kids are sponges and they absorb everything.  I can't teach an adult how to fish only tell him/her. My assistant at the store has taken up fishing. He's all in for about $60 right now. He's expecting miracles. Texts me he caught 2 trees and a bush on his first day fishing and I text him this pic of the grandkid. 

 

The bass is getting mounted for all you snowflakes. 5lbPB for a 6yo ain't a bad thing. he got upset when I told him we had to throw it back if we weren't eating it. I caved.

He told me he needs to get a GoPro and millions of subscribers on his non existent fishing channel. 

[Swamp Girl]

14 hours ago, slonezp said:

5lbPB for a 6yo ain't a bad thing.

 

I didn't catch a five-pounder until adulthood. It's a great catch. 

[TOXIC]

For me each lake or river I fish has its own “box”.  Take St Clair for example.  We’ve been going every year for the last 20 years.  Will be leaving on the 17th for our 21st year.  There are some baits that are proven producers to some extent every year.  BUT….it always seems that one bait will stand out every year and we have to rotate through our box to find which one it is.  One year it was a Senko, one year it was a DShad deadsticked, one year it was SPRO Little John crankbaits, one year it was jerk baits, one year it was dropshots, one year it was the Ned rig, one year due to conditions it was something I came up with called the “Wong Rig” named after lady bass pro Judy Wong.  Now add to the mix that there are many options of plastics that can go on Ned’s and dropshots for example.  Pro Senko, Shad Shape Worm, California Roll, etc., then add in all of the different plastic colors, some of which have proven to be better than others and you have a lot of considerations.  All of  these are “in the box” and it usually takes a couple days to refine what’s going to work, along with spattering in new baits and techniques to see if they are worthy to be added to the box.  That box is different on every body of water I fish.  

[Zcoker]

"Thinking outside of the box" may have a different meaning for some people. For me, it means inventing new techniques, tactics, and hardware, no matter where I'm fishing. I make my own spinnerbaits, for example, and tune them to get the fish, to get the bigger fish, yes indeed, which does work very well. Same thing with buzzbaits. Finding the right "sound" or "vibration" is what it's all about. It drives the big fish crazy which causes them to strike with a vengeance. May take a while with a lot of tinkering and it may be a tedious process to test them all out, but it does payoff quite well in all bodies of water that I fish. And the only way that I could've done it is to have and open mind and to, well, think outside of the box. 

[Choporoz]

I've known a few very good bass anglers with only one dominant trick.  The one's who only throw a jig don't win many (any?) tournaments.  But they are rarely outside the top 5.

 

On 4/28/2024 at 11:24 PM, Catt said:

I've been known to throw a 1/4 oz Rat-l-traps in the marshes. Give me 12-18" of water above the grass & I'll chunk a Trap. Hold the rod tip high & reel fast, you'll be amazed at the violent strikes. 

That was always a staple for me on tidal Potomac.  I haven't used it in lakes, only because the grass tops never feels consistent enough to get one across.

 

   As to the box discussion.... I have a neighbor about five lots down the lake who I would see trolling a few rods out from his pontoon boat.  Saw him out a couple early mornings, but never happened to be close enough to talk to him... and never considered he wasn't targeting crappie.  I hadn't even known he fished.  Come to find out that he's trolling for bass.  And doing quite well; couple over five and a number over three this spring.  As we talked, it was startling how different we were...he's never stopped to cast, only uses crankbaits, only uses his electronics to follow single depth contour, etc.  Just way outside a box that I didn't even know that I was in.

[Swamp Girl]

Cool anecdote, @Choporoz. 

[king fisher]

Thinking outside the box is ok, but buying outside the box is dangerous.  If the Bait Monkey had his way, I would be living in an a box.

[slonezp]

6 hours ago, Choporoz said:

I've known a few very good bass anglers with only one dominant trick.  The one's who only throw a jig don't win many (any?) tournaments.  But they are rarely outside the top 5.

 

That was always a staple for me on tidal Potomac.  I haven't used it in lakes, only because the grass tops never feels consistent enough to get one across.

 

   As to the box discussion.... I have a neighbor about five lots down the lake who I would see trolling a few rods out from his pontoon boat.  Saw him out a couple early mornings, but never happened to be close enough to talk to him... and never considered he wasn't targeting crappie.  I hadn't even known he fished.  Come to find out that he's trolling for bass.  And doing quite well; couple over five and a number over three this spring.  As we talked, it was startling how different we were...he's never stopped to cast, only uses crankbaits, only uses his electronics to follow single depth contour, etc.  Just way outside a box that I didn't even know that I was in.

There's a guy who lives on one of the lakes I frequent that trolls for bass out of a small jon boat. He's very meticulous in the way he trolls. He trolls parallel along the high side of a break. He's also very efficient with his time. He'll troll the break once or twice in each direction and move on if there's no sign of fish.

[flyfisher]

I prefer to think of ways to get inside the box myself

[MN Fisher]

5 minutes ago, flyfisher said:

I prefer to think of ways to get inside the box myself

[slonezp]

6 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

I beg to differ. A fish box....

[Woody B]

If you're going to catch any Bass on pressured waters you'd better think outside the box.   

[Swamp Girl]

14 minutes ago, Woody B said:

If you're going to catch any Bass on pressured waters you'd better think outside the box.   

 

Yep. Show 'em something they haven't seen.

[Woody B]

20 hours ago, Woody B said:

If you're going to catch any Bass on pressured waters you'd better think outside the box.   

I didn't have much time when I was posting.  I'll add some thoughts.

 

I keep an eye on what other people are doing.  Not so I can copy them,  but so I can do something different.   If they're mostly throwing jerk baits, throw a lipless.  If they're throwing lipless, throw a spinner bait, ect.  (my specific examples aren't meant to be specific)   Watch how they're fishing. 

 

 I've caught a BUNCH of Bass right behind other people fishing.   I'll gladly go right behind someone who's fishing around docks or lay downs.   You've got to fish under the docks, and in the lay downs.   I don't think this is exactly thinking outside the box, but it appears to me that it's outside the box for many people.  

 

Many things that get obsessed over are secondary at best.  Type of line, brand or type or rod and reel, or even lure selection isn't important if you don't put the lure in front of the Bass..........without spooking that Bass.   Going by what I see every week on the Lake pinpoint accurate casting, as well as being able to have your lure land like a feather, instead of a brick is thinking outside the box.  

[Swamp Girl]

7 hours ago, Woody B said:

Many things that get obsessed over are secondary at best.  Type of line, brand or type or rod and reel, or even lure selection isn't important if you don't put the lure in front of the Bass..........without spooking that Bass. 

 

A honkin' huge yes.

 

7 hours ago, Woody B said:

Going by what I see every week on the Lake pinpoint accurate casting, as well as being able to have your lure land like a feather, instead of a brick is thinking outside the box.  

 

Heaps more yeses. I have caught so many bass at the very end of my farthest cast. As quiet as I am, laying it beyond yonder is a bass catcher.

[thinkingredneck]

Fishing from a kayak limits how many rods and baits you can carry. I fish a Texas rig most of the time or a jig. Love the feel! Started with that because plastics are fairly inexpensive.  For 20 years, I fished with a fly rod 90 % of the time, and still do. Only once have I had a day when a T rig didn't work.  A spinner bait worked that day.  I still love to use a fly rod on top. I try a lot of baits, but circle back to these few.  Where I fish is mostly Lilly pads.  BTW, Alligators will hit a popper in a heartbeat.