What is your "fish finder" bait?

[jb_adams]

If you see your choice of favorite "go to" bait listed for heavily fished lakes under pressure, what little secret do you keep for locating bass? ;D

[cgs2004]

I voted finesse jig but a got a few different "fish finder" baits.  In shallow water with mostly wood I'd go with a 5" senko, in just about any depth water with mostly rock I'd go with the finesse jig.  The spinnerbait is a classic fish finder but they don't do much for me.

[ww2farmer]

Thats a tough one.........when I want to find active fish I usually don't start off with soft plastics, but In the past I have and it's worked well. In most situations, at least with the clear water here, I start with a shallow shad rap in either bluegill or baby bass color. If they hit it I keep using it, but a lot of times they just follow it around. I leave that area , come back a little later and fish the heck out of it with a Yum dinger or senko and get quite a few of those "followers" to take it. When ever I try tossing the senko right after the shad rap they seem to swim away faster than heck, thats why I leave and come back

[Guest avid]

A ratltrap is hard to beat as a fishfinder.

[CJ]

Well I voted crankbait but it really depends on condition.I probally should have voted for a finesse jig because a jig is really my go to lure.My secret to locating bass really isn't a secret but a formula.It starts with a good topo and is mixed with a fishing trip.The main things I am looking for is:water depth the fish are holding,the structure and/or cover they are relating to,and the season I am fishing.I make a point to remember the fish I catch and every detail I can gather on how I caught it,where I caught it, the structure or cover it was relating to,and the water depth the fish was in and the water depth I was on.When I get home thats when I get out the topo(if I haven't already on the water)and try to put togather "WHY" those fish were there.

Another thing to consider is off shore structure and cover when it comes to fishing pressured lakes.

[5bass]

I voted crankbait but could have went topwater also.That all depends on time of year.From post spawn on is when I throw topwater first thing,no matter what.Once the sun gets up I switch to a crank or if I've found good enough fish with the buzz,I'll fish that area or another area like it with a senko or some type of plastic.

[RoLo]

I came very close to entering one of the traditional "search baits",

but I didn't feel comfortable with that answer.

In all honesty, my locator bait is a Contour Map,

and to test the validity of my trial sites, I use finesse lures.

Roger

[basser89]

For me, it has to be a spinnerbait! You can do so much with them and I have so much confidence in them!  

[jb_adams]

Thanks for the votes everyone!  This is helping me make better informed decisions about bass fishing.

I am somewhat a novice to bass fishing even though I have fished since I was a kid.  I have never seriously bass fished on lakes.  I was always on privately stocked ponds where the pressure is limited and the catching is quite easy.

I fish on a heavily pressured lake where the current conditions include clear water, 12-13 foot below normal water levels, very little structure, weeks worth of stop and go rain, cold fronts, and the lake gets pressure constantly.  Between all of the weekend anglers, the hardcore anglers, and the chartered stripper tours, the fish just won't bite anything.  I went through my tackle box today and tried most of the basics listed above in the poll.  Not even a bite.

With conditions such as these, I believe the advice of using a topo map is great advice.  Thanks for the tip!  Now if I can only find that local flavor that the local bass can't resist.  People don't tend to let go of that secret around here because then it spreads like wildfire and everyone is using it.

Keep the votes coming!! ;D

[Guest bigtex]

Since it is pressured water I would go with a bait that can be fished slowly.  I don't think pressured fish will go after something fast.  Just my opinion.  I picked Texas rig.

[Rattlinrogue]

When a lake is pressured,my trick is to fish the lake when nobody(or very few) are there.I go at night or very,very early in the morning.I voted topwater,but I also like to downsize a spinnerbait.

[Bankbeater]

I voted for crankbait.  I will throw a rat-l-trap if I'm in deep enough water, but if I'm over shallow grassy flats then I will throw a minus 1 or a sub wart.

[Upnorth]

My favorites are a Trap, a crankbait, or a spinnerbait.

[K_Mac]

I picked a C-rig. On pressured lakes finding deep, off-shore structure is my favorite technique. A C-rig will allow you to thoroughly work your chosen spot. As RoLo said, a topo map is a good start.

At the other end of things is pitching/flipping to shallow cover. Catching shallow fish in clear water is a challenge, but a jig or plastic bait quietly placed in the nastiest cover you can find is sometimes the way to go. You have to be vehwee, vehwee quiet. I don't have the patience to be be very good at this but it does work.

[George Welcome]

Just a thought - a contour map is great if you can get one, but doesn't apply to many ponds and lakes.  That leaves you with experience to tell you the habits of the fish in your lake. Don't be afraid to ask others: you would be supprised at how helpful some can be.

Another thought - 200 fishermen fishing at the same time does not mean the lake or fish are being pressured. 199 of them could be trying to figure it out just like you are. Too many worry about "pressure". Think positive, those guys can't fish. The other thing to bear in mind is most will be water wasters: a person that places feet instead of inches between their casts.

Start with a slow bait. Senkos would be perfect. Once you catch a fish see if some of the reactive baits work. They are a lot cheaper to use. There is nothing like catching a bunch on rattle traps or spinner baits.

I never pay attention to someone who is fishing the area in front of me unless I see that person catch a fish. No matter the bait the fish is caught on, I will change instantly to see if it's a winner.

[Matt Fly]

split shotting the same color or baits as everyone else, just changing the presentation.

If you titled this search baits, thats a different thread.

[Minuteman]

Crankbait to find them, but I like to use a Carolina Rig on pressured lakes with vegatation once I know where they are. I rarely see anyone else using them and I always have one rigged up.

[.ghoti.]

For pressured water, a smaller spinnerbait on a slower retrieve is hard to beat as a search bait

[Laineisbosshog]

spinnerbaits and crankbaits

[langs15]

After about 2 weeks I still havn't even got a nibble on a spinnerbait, any sugestions  on  them?

[Tom Bass]

I have always had good like with a Carolina rigged salamander with a Rapala floater coming in second.

[paparock]

Rat-L-Traps are my favorite lures. They are yet to prove themselves on Bull Shoals though.

[senile1]

I chose spinnerbaits but there are others I use almost as often.  Ratltraps have been good to me and when the fish are shallow in grass I have had alot of luck with floating rapalas.  

In answer to not getting bites on your spinnerbait, how are you fishing it?  There are so many ways to fish this bait that it is difficult to go wrong unless you just use one method.  The problem could be your confidence in the lure.  Often when you're not confident with a lure you may change to something else just when you were ready to break the ice.  You can fish it with a steady retrieve at any depth you choose.  You can fish it at the surface and create a wake.  You can yo yo it or slow roll it near the bottom.  You can fish it like a jig by letting it helicopter to the bottom, picking it up and letting it drop again.   You can vary your rate of retrieve and bounce the bait off of structure.  If you think you get a tug and you set the hook but nothing is there, add a trailer hook to your spinnerbait.  You can also add a trailer such as a worm, pork frog, etc.  I would suggest that you go out one day and choose to fish only that lure.  Experiment with it and you will eventually catch fish with it.  This is what I had to do to break the ice with a spinnerbait many years ago.  

Also, make sure you have spinnerbaits with different blades.  In muddy water or highly-stained water the bigger rounder blades (colorado blades) create the most vibration so that a bass can find the lure.  In clearer or lightly stained water, use a spinnerbait with a couple of willow leaf blades or at least a willow leaf and an Indiana blade.  Lastly, look through the articles on this website.  There are some good articles on fishing spinnerbaits on this site.  

[langs15]

I would have to say a wacky rigged GY senko. Either in pumpkin w/ black fleck or Grn pumpkin/ LG green, purple with either 4-5'', usually 4''. But late summer in 5''.

[Bassbum80]

spinnerbait & ratl' trap