Please help me out here

[Little Luey]

This past sunday I went to a local pond, I was all by myself most of the morning, some people came to fish the shore but left within a few minutes.

As I put my pontoon in the water I have with me three fishing poles, one with my dropshooting worm, one with a texas rig and the other one with a small cranckbait.

I got a bite on the third cast with the crankbait, a small fish but a fish none the lest. Now I read before that once you find a fish (get a bite) you want to slow down your presentation because bass are supposed to be schooling in the area. So after a few more casts with the crankbait, I take the dropshoot rod and tried for a while with no bites to speak of.

This got me thinking, should I have stayed with the crankbait a little longer?! I am not sure why the fish was where I cought it because it was no visible cover showing but maybe there is some structure on the area, or how far the fish went to hit my lure.

Later that morning I got another fish dropshooting, a small keeper that had swallowed a senko (not mine), when I first got it I did not realized what it was sticking out of it's mouth, all you could see was the round end of it sticking out. It was not untill I pulled one of mine to tie it up that I realized what that was in the fish mouth.

So, do you stay with what got you the first bite until they are not biting that anymore or do you slow down your presentation to work the area?

[Little Luey]

Help me out here please

[fishfordollars]

I am always changing to see if I can find something they will hit better. When you fish a spot try several lures before moving on. Do not just put one down for the heck of it. you might be throwing the right one in the first place.

[thetr20one]

If I catch a fish in an area I will run a couple more baits through it.

[SuskyDude]

If I was in your shoes that day, I would have kept running the crank through the area you caught the first one. If they're hittin' it, throw it.

I don't slow it down until the fish tell me too. I throw a crank/spinner/whatever bait through an area, catch the fish willing to chase down something fast, then once they stop chasing I'll throw plastics/jigs, etc.

Sometimes the fast bait bite never materializes, and its plasics all day.

[Little Luey]

Thanks for the replies guys. I guess it is always easier to see what I should have done afterwards. That's ok, I learned something.

[roadwarrior]

Hmm...

I would never switch baits when something is working. The biggest challenge in choosing the "right" lure is whether the bass are more focused on baitfish or the bottom, i.e., fast moving lures or finesse baits.

Changing lures/ baits is something I do when it's not working!

To take this a little further, I do think you should stick with fish you have found and changing lures may be the ticket when the bite slows down. So, to some extent, I am in agreement with "working" the area, but I would stay with a lure as long as it is producing.

8-)

[Pigsticker]

I voted stick with what they bite mainly because 90% of the time I am already fishing slow working a small area so there is no need to to slow down unless i start really deadsticking senkos or what not

[daviscw]

Why fix something that ain't broken?

[MARSH MASTER]

one fish is nothing to base anything on.

[roadwarrior]

one fish is nothing to base anything on.

One fish, first fish...That's usually how a good day starts!

I would certainly stick with it for awhile,

8-)

[MARSH MASTER]

[BadKarma42]

one fish is nothing to base anything on.

No but either cathcing a few more iwth the same lure or not catching any more with that lure can provide information as to what to do next.

[Todd]

I would work that same area out good with that same crankbait using the same presentation.  Every fish tells you something.  If the pond was small enough I'd then quickly cover the whole pond with the crank. If it did not produce more bites, start over with some plastic.  When I'm fishing with a partner I'll change baits more frequently in order to find "the one" bait that is going to produce the most fish.    

[Little Luey]

Thanks for commenting everyone, very informative.

[Bankbeater]

I would probably make a couple of casts with the t-rig just to see if they would hit it. If not I would start throwing the crankbait again.

[bkoguy07]

Yeah I would've used the Crankbait till it didn't get any more bites, while working the area throughly.  Normally I switch lures if I get a strike but dont connect.  Kinda like a follow up.