Confidence baits vs being stubborn

[10,000 lakes Bassin]

I posted a topic similar to this a while back, but I figured I’d revisit it again. Lately I’ve had lots of confidence in 3 techniques, a frog a Texas rig and a jig ( including a swim jig). I know that these three aren’t great for everything but they can do a lot. My question is where do you draw the line between being confident in baits and being too stubborn to tie something else on? I can fish a whole 8 hour day using just these 3 and not catch much (or anything) but I still might feel like they fish just aren’t in that area, or I haven’t thrown it in front of any active bass. Is there a specific amount of time that you give it before you switch and stop fishing baits you’re confident it, or is it more of a gut feeling?
 

Also a little side topic here but in your opinion is it more important to master a handful of techniques or is it more important to be very versatile and know how to throw lots of different baits? I guess a happy medium would probably be best, but I know of lots of pro anglers that only fish a few baits and have great success. 
 

Thanks everyone, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this! 

[Tennessee Boy]

3 hours ago, August said:

Also a little side topic here but in your opinion is it more important to master a handful of techniques or is it more important to be very versatile and know how to throw lots of different baits?

I feel very strongly that it’s more important to master a few techniques over being versatile.  I would say that not being focused on mastering what you do might be the most common mistake in fishing.  The reason that I feel so strongly about this is because of my own experience.   I spent several years trying constantly to match the conditions to what I had read in the latest issue of BassMaster magazine.   This never worked for me.   When I started developing and fishing my strengths,  I started having much more success.  
 

I think you can judge how much experience people on this forum have based this.   For example the most experienced folks will tell you in great detail exactly how they like to fish a Texas rig.   The less experienced folks will list the 10 technique specific setups they have and will ask for advice on what rod they should buy for the next technique they are considering.

 

I try different techniques for fun all the time. In a tournament I would never do anything that hadn’t produced hundreds of fish for me in the past.

[Pat Brown]

I think you're doing it right.  Throwing things you have confidence in and assuming you aren't in the right area are both wise as opposed to going wild with bait selection.

 

Only things I'd add to your repertoire are a horizontal presentation like a buzzbait/spinnerbait for 'searching' as well as some finesse/weightless plastic compatible gear for when they are on that deal.

[king fisher]

It depends on how limited you are on the selection of your three baits.  If you only fish one frog, one jig, and one T rig plastic than you may need to expand your arsenal.  If you fish many different types, sizes, and colors of Jigs and Trigs, plus throw in a frog for top water action, than you have more than enough diversity to catch bass anywhere any time.  Just T rigs alone can be fished top to bottom slow to fast, finesse, or power, in every type of structure or cover.  While not quite as versatile as T rigs, jigs come in a close second to the number of options and the ways they can be fished. 

 

I fished bass for many years and didn't fish any of the baits you use, and I did well in my specific location but would be limited in most waters bass swim in.  Where I fish now,  I could easily get by on only T rigs, but I'm not going to give up my crankbaits, spinnerbaits, or my good friend the Bait Monkey, so that is not going to happen.

[Zcoker]

As far as I'm concerned, the less the better. I use very few lures, some of which I make myself. All of them catch the bass that I'm looking for, which are big ones. They either hitting on top, midwater, near bottom, or in the junk. I fish one or the other until I find where they are at. Then I catch them. All about being in the right place at the right time with the right bait to get those bigger fish. Takes more dedication along with timing the conditions than it does a hundred fishing lures, imho. 

 

As far as mastering techniques vs versatility, fish in a way the feels the most comfortable, of which gives you the most confidence, would be my take on the two. 

[OmegaDPW]

I fish from the bank and usually call it a day at my favorite pond after about 4 hours or so. I bring two rods. One for bass and one for panfish. The bass rod will either have a weightless worm or lizard. The panfish rod will have something like a black Beetle Spin grub or a small swimbait/curly tail grub. I only change these out when I get hung up and snagged or the fish tear the bait. 

 

 Like I said in a similar thread recently, I have fished this pond for 20 years. I've learned what they like and won't look at. Even on the off chance that I go to a different pond, these rigs will start (and usually finish) my day off. I usually catch fish with them.

 

 I wish I had found this "minimalist" approach years ago. I have boxes and bags full of soft plastics that will probably never be fished. Hope my kids get some use out of them one day. 

[fishhugger]

i get the impression that lotsa guys fish lots of techniques, using quite a few rods.  i guess they do this to try to figure out what the bass are taking that day, which i guess can change from day to day, or hour to hour.  me, i don't like lots of choices, and so i fish more like you guys in this thread might --- less equipment and stuff.   

i think maybe if i were better at slow techniques, like neds or slow fishing a texas rig, etc --- i'd do them more. but since i'm not very patient by nature, i really dislike fishing them.

uh, to get back to your op ---- i guess you might increase your baits by one.....  but you're already using three....

[WRB]

I choose lures after deciding the seasonal

period, depth the bait and bass are and where they are located. After having a good idea what those are then choose lures that effective for the conditions.

Love to fish jigs but sometimes not effective under the conditions. Top water is limited rarely use a frog usually a walking lure or popper. Drop shot and Slip Shot out fish T-rigs where I fish, more wacky rigged.

Tom

[Catt]

Larry Nixon is known as Mr. Versatile but not because of being able to use multiple techniques. But because of he's ability to quickly read changing water conditions & still throw his beloved worm.

 

Rick Clunn & Gary Klein both say anglers give too much credit to the lure & not enough credit to the angler.

 

All three change locations before techniques.

 

My opinion, if you can't catch with successfully with a technique year round, you ain’t mastered it.

[Bazoo]

I am new... not new to bass fishing, but new to trying to master it, and as a result, mastering a small amount of techniques.

 

I focuse on several techniques I want to master at a time. The first being soft plastic worms/lizards in the form of Texas rig weightless, weighted, split shot, or Carolina rig have been my focus for over a year. I've done very well, and they (not the Carolina rig) have become my confidence lure.

 

Years ago, as a kid I used a plastic worm and caught a fish, and other than that, never had success with, nor tried plastic worms much. But reading here, and knowing in general that plastic worms are top fish producers, I made it a point to master them.

 

I often fish with just soft plastics, usually about 3 varieties. Finesse worms, of which the colors include green pumpkin, watermelon red (my favorite), junebug. Curly tail worms such as Power worms in watermelon seed (the only color that I like that's available to me local), Zoom U tail in red shad. Zoom lizards in green pumpkin, black/blue, black/chartreuse, junebug. Senkos 297.

 

Along with those I'll use any variety of other soft plastics occasionally, testing sizes, or colors, or other brands. Most of them I expect to work great but end up not working great, or at least not for the waters/times I fish.

 

I have some black culprit worms that are in this category. For some reason they ain't worked, but I feel it... I know a black worm will work, maybe not the culprit, as it's kinda fat. But a Power worm, or U tail would. So why doesn't the culprit work? cause I don't have confidence to fish it very long before changing colors lures.

 

Now onto flukes, which is basically a plastic worm that's shad shaped. It's rigged with one of the above mentioned rigging methods, usually weightless texas rigged. I'm still mastering it, I'm still building confidence with it.

 

I think it's better to master 1 or 2 things at a time, and then move into other techniques.

[Pogues2300]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

My opinion, if you can't catch with successfully with a technique year round, you ain’t mastered it.

I certainly haven’t mastered buzz bait fishing… I haven’t caught a single bass in 34 degree water! 😜 

[Catt]

I like the way Mr Klein explained it.

 

If there's a 6# bass on a bush in a small cove & if Larry Nixon went by he would catch it on a worm, if Denny Brauer went by he would catch it on a Black-n-Blue jig, if Rick Clunn went by he would catch it on a spinnerbait. 

 

The key was not the lure, it was the location, & the angler who decided it fish it. Right place at the right time.

[Woody B]

7 hours ago, Catt said:

If there's a 6# bass on a bush in a small cove & if Larry Nixon went by he would catch it on a worm, if Denny Brauer went by he would catch it on a Black-n-Blue jig, if Rick Clunn went by he would catch it on a spinnerbait. 

 

I don't believe in magic lures.  The one thing all of the guys mentioned have in common is, regardless of what they're casting, they're casting it with pinpoint accuracy and in a manner where it lands on the water like a feather.   That, and being where the Bass are is the magic.  Not what lure is tied on.  

[Mike L]

16 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

I feel very strongly that it’s more important to master a few techniques over being versatile.  I would say that not being focused on mastering what you do might be the most common mistake in fishing.  The reason that I feel so strongly about this is because of my own experience.   I spent several years trying constantly to match the conditions to what I had read in the latest issue of BassMaster magazine.   This never worked for me.   When I started developing and fishing my strengths,  I started having much more success.  
 

I think you can judge how much experience people on this forum have based this.   For example the most experienced folks will tell you in great detail exactly how they like to fish a Texas rig.   The less experienced folks will list the 10 technique specific setups they have and will ask for advice on what rod they should buy for the next technique they are considering.

 

I try different techniques for fun all the time. In a tournament I would never do anything that hadn’t produced hundreds of fish for me in the past.

Not much more to add.
Well Said

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[10,000 lakes Bassin]

These replies are awesome! Thanks everyone! If you have been fishing your confidence baits for a long while and aren’t getting any, what do you do? Do you switch up to something new that you don’t fish a lot, or do you just try and cover more water?

[gim]

6 minutes ago, August said:

Do you switch up to something new that you don’t fish a lot, or do you just try and cover more water?

 

First I try to cover water.  I feel as though once I catch a fish or two by doing that, but then the bites slow down, there are still fish in the area.  So I'll switch up my presentation.  Sometimes I don't catch any with my initial presentation or two though.  Then I'm forced to change it up.  I don't go hours on end with the same approach if its not working.  15-30 mins max.

 

Bass are generally a schooling fish, so quite often if there's one or two around, there's more.

[fishhugger]

i'm not that gr8 a basser........... so i just go fishing in the evening, or sometimes early morning. i skip the rest of the day thing. my understanding is lmb are strongly - is the word diurnal???  so  i simply try to bet when the chips are typically hot, so to speak. dusk and early morn.

you could change the time of day you fish, in addition to  changing location...  

[Swamp Girl]

9 hours ago, Woody B said:

The one thing all of the guys mentioned have in common is, regardless of what they're casting, they're casting it with pinpoint accuracy and in a manner where it lands on the water like a feather.   That, and being where the Bass are is the magic.  Not what lure is tied on.  

 

Woody is right. I don't know the names of lures like most do at Bass Resource, but I can hit the pockets without making a racket. Some pockets are so small that it doesn't matter what lure you're using. Bass in tight quarters don't have time to study a lure. Their bite is a reaction. I've caught many fish where I felt I'd cast into their mouths. The lure hit the water and the bass was hooked.

 

I fish best when I cast without thinking.

 

If I think, "Gosh, that spot is tight," I might not hit it.

 

Here's where I fish. I hit the opening or I don't, just as the bass hit my bait or they don't, as they've only a quarter second to do so:

 

 

You'll see in many of my bass pics where my canoe is up against a shoreline. The bass pull me there and they're not pulling me from the middle of the pond/bog, as I'm nearly always close to shorelines. They're in cubbies, waiting to ambush. An ambush is a reflexive attack. If you can't hit the cubbies, you can't catch 45/55/65/75 bass in Maine many mornings. 

[TOXIC]

It’s a simple process to me.  I start out with what I call “high percentage” baits.  Usually a couple of plastics in some form.  If I can’t get bit, I change to a different presentation like a crankbait or spinnerbait.  If still nothing, I move.  Now that’s not taking into account that I have highest confidence in plastics, it just means that’s my starting point.  The key is to vary one confidence bait with another while at the same time changing the presentation the fish see.  

[Bankc]

I think there's a balance to strike between being good at just one thing, and being adequate at all things. 

 

The more techniques you learn, the more things you learn that can be applied to other techniques in non-traditional ways.  So you can actually deepen your mastery of one bait by practicing other presentations. 

 

However, if all you do is swap baits and never really learn to how get good with any of them, then you're never really going to be effective at anything.  You're strategy at that point is to just hope you get lucky. 

 

So there's a balance to be struck between the two.

 

It's kind of like the "wax on; wax off" thing.  You learn one thing that emphasizes different motions and timings and it translates back to your primary technique in new ways that you wouldn't have learned if you just focused on only your primary technique. 

 

Am I making sense here?  I know the idea, but I've having trouble describing it without writing a novel. 

 

[Swamp Girl]

@Bankc: What you wrote makes total sense to me. I studied the brain and creativity in graduate school. Innovation doesn't come from nothing. It comes from what we already know being transferred to what we don't know. Did you see the movie, "A Brilliant Mind"? In it, the Russell Crowe character is able to borrow from a pretty girl with plain pals walking into a bar to develop a new theory. He borrows from what he sees to what he heretofore couldn't see. Robert Redford, who directed "A River Runs Through It," did something similar with Brad Pitt, who mastered metronome-based fly fishing to launch his own style. He bridged from the familiar to the novel. 

[BlakeMolone]

Some days I really like to junk fish and just cycle through what I think will work until I put something together and catch a few, very often though I have one or two techniques that i’m obsessed with learning more about and I stick with those. I don’t think one way is better than the other, you are still learning and spending time out in nature either way. I would also add that you can’t really master a technique of you only throw it during the times that the internet/magazine/pro on tv tells you it should work.

[Swamp Girl]

14 minutes ago, BlakeMolone said:

I would also add that you can’t really master a technique of you only throw it during the times that the internet/magazine/pro on tv tells you it should work.

 

Heck, yeah, we should all color outside the lines!

[TOXIC]

I’ll say this, on our trip to St Clair this year I had at least 10 bags of every new bait Yamamoto introduced and were available.  I fully intended to give them a try and write an article on how they performed.  Problem was, I started with what I knew worked and could never get myself to change out since I was so successful with the “old favorites.”😂

[Mike L]

4 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

I’ll say this, on our trip to St Clair this year I had at least 10 bags of every new bait Yamamoto introduced and were available.  I fully intended to give them a try and write an article on how they performed.  Problem was, I started with what I knew worked and could never get myself to change out since I was so successful with the “old favorites.”😂

That used to happen to me every time I had a tournament in unfamiliar waters especially out of state. 
 

Now I just start and finish with what I know because I’ll end up there anyway 

 

 

 

 

Mike