Logic vs. Local

[Kellss]

Bass fishing can be as simple, or as complicated as we want to make it.

 

I think we're all guilty of falling into the trap of overthinking, whether in fishing or our personal lives. You see someone catching bass when you're struggling and immediately think about what they're throwing and whether you should change your lure. I know for myself I fall into that category. I put way too much thought into the specifics of lures that probably mean very little to the bass.

That said, there is still some logic behind certain decisions we make as bass anglers - color and profile being a big one. The general rules are clear water = natural colors (greens, browns, etc.) and natural profiles (texas rigs, jerkbaits, etc.), while stained/dirty water = bold colors (blacks, blues, etc.) and more exaggerated profiles (big jigs, chatterbaits, etc.). This is obviously very general and can change based on conditions, what you're throwing, etc.

 

However, when local knowledge goes against this "logical approach", which do you put your faith in? As an example, I fish natural lakes in Canada that have decent visibility (6ft+ on average). I (like most everyone else on the lake) like to flip deep hydrilla and bulrush, and punch matted grass and lilypads. With the lake having clearer water, you would think that natural colors and smaller sleek profiles (craws and beavers) would work better when flipping and punching. But on these lakes; local guides, tournament winners, and all-around great anglers do almost the inverse of this. They all use the same lures. Primarily, a black 1/2oz flipping jig with either a black or sapphire blue chunk trailer.

Why is this? Is it just as simple as they are better anglers, so they can throw whatever and still have success? Are the bass in on it and know to only bite the lures when those guys throw them😅? 

 

Have you experienced anything similar to this and how do you get over the gut feeling of throwing the wrong lure no matter what it is?

[Zcoker]

Sometimes I think it doesn't matter what you're throwing when the bass light up to feed. They'll hit just about anything, from my experience. When they light up at night, for example, they slam lures of all colors, whites, blues, purples, rainbows, doesn't matter. Yet the logical norm for dark nights is to use dark colored lures--mainly black. I've seen this folklore debunked many time. So my approach is to not even worry about it. Vibration or sound is more logical in my book at night. And I've proven that to myself many times over. Sometimes the variants, the gut feelings, those instinctual nudges of common sense, all must be followed in order to break away and beat through the barriers. 

[Rockhopper]

This weekend I had LM hitting literally anything I threw at them.  Used the opportunity to use baits I have never grabbed before.  Sure enough they ate everything.  Crazy colors, fast, slow, topwater.  It was magical and illogical all at the same time.

[casts_by_fly]

"Logical" just means tried and true things that typically work for the scenario you're in.  If they aren't working, then you're not in the typical set of conditions for it.  Maybe there's something you're not seeing happening.  Maybe everyone and his brother is throwing the same green pumpkin senko at all of the same fish and they are wary of it so a black and blue has just enough difference to make a difference.  That's why its called fishing, and not catching.

 

For me, if its one of my core lakes that I know well and can be pretty sure the fish are there, then I'm going to change up the profile or weight first and foremost.  That's something I've learned at my local over the past couple years now.  If fish want a beaver, I've got 3 or 4 colors that they will eat pretty interchangably (green pumpkin variant, black and blue variant, red craw/falcon craw).  I've gone down the bank catching fish and when one bait wears out just grab the next one regardless of color to keep catching them.  They wouldn't eat a moving bait, but they didn't care about the color of a beaver.  But try to throw a ribbontail worm at them and they wouldn't eat it.  5" Senko- wouldn't touch it.  Then some days they want a spinnerbait, but won't hit a plastic on the bottom.  They might eat a swim jig or chatterbait, but not something on the bottom.  So for me, figuring out low/middle/high is first and foremost.  Then speed and profile.  Then color.

 

[king fisher]

I fish a lake where the locals including the guides all fish small paddle tail swimbaits, finesse spinnerbaits, and weightless 5 inch Senkos.  These lures work well for them, and I have seen times when the only way to catch a bass there is to downsize.  The baitfish are small so many times a small profile is what gets bit.

 

I went there one day and the wind was blowing, big waves, the water clarity was under a foot, and the bass were in  scattered weeds and reads.  I thought the conditions screamed big spinnerbaits, and chatterbaits.  The guy I was with said those don't work here, that I should fish small baits.  I had been with him before and knew he might be right, but wanted to try some power fishing first.  He was shocked to find out bass love 3/4 0Z spinnerbaits in those conditions.  I didn't try any chaterbaits, becasue I didn't want to risk loosing a Jack Hammer to a gill net, but I'm sure they would have worked.

 

I'm convinced there are no lures that will not work under all conditions in any lake.  Some lakes have certain lures that work most of the time, and people start believing nothing else works.  Especially when it comes to finesse presentations.  A person doesn't get bit one day so they downsize line and baits.  They start getting bit every cast.  Do they try to upsize and see if that will work later or the next day,  No they keep using the finesse tactics.  The next time they don't get bit they downsize more, this goes on until they are convinced larger power fishing lures don't work ever.

 

Bass are bass no matter where you find them.  I start off fishing the conditions, and will change to the local favorite if that fails.  Sometimes I get a told you so, and other times I get told I can't believe what just happened I must be very lucky.  I rarely get told that what I tried makes sense.

 

Like most things in life, logic will take a back seat to beliefs every time.

[LrgmouthShad]

6 hours ago, Kellss said:

You see someone catching bass when you're struggling and immediately think about what they're throwing and whether you should change your lure

I saw @Pat Brown hook two fish on a frog and thought “guess I better tie on a topwater.” I put on a popper and got a fish pretty quick 🤷🏻‍♂️

2 hours ago, Rockhopper said:

This weekend I had LM hitting literally anything I threw at them.  Used the opportunity to use baits I have never grabbed before.  Sure enough they ate everything.  Crazy colors, fast, slow, topwater.  It was magical and illogical all at the same time.

I was just talking smack about Shearon Harris to somebody the other day saying it ain’t no good anymore. Guess you proved us wrong! lol 

6 hours ago, Kellss said:

However, when local knowledge goes against this "logical approach", which do you put your faith in?

Local knowledge is better

[Pat Brown]

I personally think you should always trust your gut because there's always a good chance you're doing something that nobody else is doing and the fish just might bite it.  Your mileage may vary but that has been my experience everywhere I go!

[LrgmouthShad]

Let me give an example. I fished a private lake recently that I’ve fished quite a bit. I know this lake to be a good topwater lake. I did fish what the conditions “said” I should do. It was sunny and high skies. Hit some docks with summer baits. Fished deep. But I caught fish only on a popper. But wait, logic says that topwaters should be good when the skies are overcast. A little less so when it’s sunny. Why is it the only thing I got bit on? It’s a good topwater lake. I only knew that by fishing it as long as I have.

[Catt]

Logical answer-Local knowledge 

 

3 hours ago, Zcoker said:

Vibration or sound is more logical in my book at night. And I've proven that to myself many times over.

 

Yes Sir 😉

 

Y'all ever tie a buzzbait to your truck antenna just to get that perfect squeal?

[Woody B]

I'm not an expert, and I didn't even stay in a Holiday Inn last night.  

 

In many cases I think fishing pressure .......not just pressure but what the other anglers are using can make lure selection "different".   

 

The lake I fish most of the time has quite a big of fishing pressure.  For the past few years pretty much EVERYONE was throwing Spinnerbaits and jerkbaits.    I caught quite a few decent Bass on everything except spinnerbaits and jerkbaits.   Now, this year "they" are still fishing jerkbaits, but they've switched from spinnerbaits to soft plastic swim baits on tungsten jig heads.  I've been catching quite a few on spinnerbaits lately.  

[LrgmouthShad]

7 minutes ago, Catt said:

Y'all ever tie a buzzbait to your truck antenna just to get that perfect squeal?

Not to the antenna, but yes

[JackstrawIII]

3 hours ago, Rockhopper said:

This weekend I had LM hitting literally anything I threw at them.  Used the opportunity to use baits I have never grabbed before.  Sure enough they ate everything.  Crazy colors, fast, slow, topwater.  It was magical and illogical all at the same time.

 

Congrats man, I've had a couple of those days over the years. I kinda wish every day was like that, but the fact that they're so rare makes them all the more wonderful. 

[Pat Brown]

I've seen it go both ways in practice but overall if the angler lacks experience or skill with a given technique - it doesn't matter how good that bite has been at all - better off fishing something YOU'RE good at fishing and hoping the fish like it in that situation.

 

I have also seen situations where it's basically a perfect opportunity to gain confidence in a technique because of how good that bite has been.

 

I think if local knowledge gives you more confidence than your own logic - go with that because confidence is king.

 

 

[casts_by_fly]

1 hour ago, Catt said:

 

Y'all ever tie a buzzbait to your truck antenna just to get that perfect squeal?

no, but that’s going to happen now. I’ve got a bunch that got tore up the last trip and need to be tuned. 

[Mobasser]

By this time of the season, I have the bite dialed in pretty good. I don't carry a huge amount of stuff because I won't end up using it. I've thrown the wrong lure of course, and my plan won't work every time, but I'll switch to something that's works after a short time.

[Columbia Craw]

How can I overthink things when I can barely think at all?

[Bass Rutten]

6 minutes ago, Columbia Craw said:

How can I overthink things when I can barely think at all?

A wise man once said you only truly understand something when it confuses you

[whitwolf]

11 hours ago, Pat Brown said:

 confidence is king.

 

 

This! 

[Zcoker]

13 hours ago, Catt said:

Logical answer-Local knowledge 

 

 

Yes Sir 😉

 

Y'all ever tie a buzzbait to your truck antenna just to get that perfect squeal?

 

I haven't done it myself, only something similar. I've roughed up the shaft with sandpaper to get the sound just right. Whatever is done, sound/vibration is a sure thing. Out in the glades, a little "tune" on my jitterbug makes all the difference in the size of bass that hits. 

[Functional]

I tend to not like fishing around anyone or vying for spots so if I see someone or a few someones doing something I'll look to do something completely different somewhere else. Chances are every Tom, Dick and Harry have been hitting the docks that day anyway and I'm not going to struggle with 2nds 3rds and 4ths. 

 

I'll still die on the hill that bass are mostly everywhere, its just firing them up at that particular spot. That's my logic to date...

[softwateronly]

  Don't fight success.  Local knowledge is the logic.  In your particular case, clear water isn't obstructing the bass's senses, but the dense and tall hydrilla is.  Maybe the large profile and dark silhouette allow for the bass to feel the bait from further away and the silhouette easier to pick out as it flies by just a few weed strands away.   

  This morning I could get bit but only a 50/50 hookup with shad chasers on a compact spinnerbait, 3" swimbait, and a hopkins spoon, and the ones I did catch were chunky little 13"ers.  I was zeroing out on a 5" hags tornado jigworm and 4" fish roller jighead minnow, and those two techniques have been very successful for me the last week and a half.  It took me way too long, but by 9am I retied on a 6.5" fish roller minnow and a 8" hags tornado jigworm and went back to the best spots that didn't produce just an hour or two ago and proceeded to catch 4 more, all the biggest of the day with two over 20".  Point is; even though all the signs pointed to small shad being on the menu, the reality is that the bigger fish in this section of water wanted a bigger profile and smashed the exact same baits when they were upsized.  

 

scott