#1 Technique

[Limpinglogan]

I am startng a thread for people to specifically talk about thier #1 technique so others can learn and pick up some new ideas for 2009.

I will start...mines pretty simple but it works well for me. I have several variations based on how the fish are reacting.

5" GYCB Hula Grub in either Black, Green, or smoke rigged to a plain 'bite me' 1/4 jig head... fishing on spinning tackle.

1. Long Cast Medium Retrieve This was one of my productive techniques this past summer it was really good for big numbers. I do this technique in 6-8 ft deep weed flats. Cast your Hula Grub as far as you can in a way to ensure the biggest splash...be prepared for an immediate strike. Let it sit a sec and bump it several times...if no fish hits It I  start a stready retreive nursing it through the weeds. The bass seemed to nail it as it nudged its way through the weeds. If you feel like  you get hung up just buzz it in quick clean it up and repeat.

2. Deep Water Bump & Wait Slow Retireve Using this technique I caught less fish but they where usaully much bigger. Same rig as before but I move deeper to 12-18 feet while looking for structure, drop off etc...

Simply cast out and bump off of the bottom...I think what I do a little different is let the Hula Grub sit for a 5-10 count while giving it very small twitches and then bump it again and repeat. This techique is a little slow so make sure to be casting into productive water right from the get go.

Added bonus tip...my PB this past summer was on a Green Booya Pond Magic Spinner Bait with Green GYCB Hula Grub Trailer at 1am in 10 ft of water.

Thats its...who is next?

[roadwarrior]

Very similar approach, but with the GYCB Kreature:

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1180909581

8-)

[Muddy]

Similar to you

If Over Submerged rocks; Football Jig Head, with a screw type plastic holder Fat Ika Type bait, BUMP THE BOTTOM AND ROCKS.

Over and through weeds and grass; Finesse ( Slider Type) Jig head with an *** 6 inch Brush Bug on it

I use Dark greens and brown ( some with Purple Swirls) and black Plastics

Plan B *** either weight less or wacky rigged

SUMMER NIGHTS: Top Water : Black Jitterbug ( bigger the better) Wake Baits and Large Single Colorado Black Spinner baits and snag proof type frogs.

[fishizzle]

This technique I learned from KVD on a Bass pros episode and it is my goto all spring in any lake,

Jerkbaitin'

7' medium rod rigged with 10lb florocarbon and your favorite jerkbait.  I prefer the Rapala slashbait 3.5" to 5" that dives to 3'.  The color for me must have a dark back.    I always start with the smaller one.

I Cast it out into 5-10' of water from my boat.   Then the hard part is to snap it 1-2'  with your rod tip down and to the side.  Then point your rod tip toward the lure for a second.  This allows it to walk to the side as much as it can.  

Sometimes its one snap then pause , sometimes its 2 and sometimes its 3 on the same cast.  

So once again its snap, snap, point---snap, point--snap, snap, snap, point---Then BANG, fish on.  The hookset is a side sweep but the hook is usually set on the snap because the fish hits it on the pause.  Its a reaction strike.  The pause is very short.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

I had always been a finesse jigger.

I specialized in what my lake offered the most of,...probing flats.

The flats in my lake are out in the open water, most don't know they are there. My lake offers tons of great looking shoreline to keep the bankbeaters beating the bank, leaves the flats for me.

Probing, dragging and figuring out which of the slopes they are using to ambush (no electronics).   I only used FULL PROFILE 1/8 oz jigs as my lake has lots of hydrilla.  That was my "thing"

Nowadays though, I'm a 1 bait guy. Last yr I learned wake baiting. This yr I am producing my own version of a slammer that will be for sale and I will be moving on to some of the larger, sinking swimbaits.

Can't wait.

[Catt]

I was introduced to the Texas Rig back in 1972 while the equipment has changed the technique is still the same. The Texas Rig was originally designed to fish a plastic worm but today it is used with any type of soft plastic.

1) Make a long cast

2) Strip 3 or 4 arms length of line, this will assure a vertical fall

3) Count the bait down, 15' of water count to 20 to make certain the bait is on the bottom, do it in your head if need be

4) Pause a good 30 seconds after the bait reaches bottom

5) Lower your rod to the 3 o'clock position while reeling slack & feel for anything unusual

6) Move the rod from 3 o'clock to 1 o'clock in three motions

7) Pause 30 seconds & feel for anything unusual

8) Repeat 5, 6, & 7 all the way back to the boat

9) If at any time you feel a noticeable tap, tug, line tighten, heaviness, or see line movement.

10) Without hesitation drop the rod, reel the slack, and set the hook

[bass wrangler569]

This isn't my favorite technique but its something I do a little different than most people and its one of my go-to techniques when I'm in a pinch.

I use this technique primarily in the spring and summer in clear or stained water. I take a regular bass jig (not a swim jig, a regular bass jig), typically in black and blue or white, and I add a matching Uncle Joshes #11 pork frog. I don't slide it up the hook like you normally would, instead, I leave it on the bend of the hook so that the legs stick out past the end of the skirt. I then fish the jig like a swim jig. I make a long cast out and flutter and jiggle my rod tip the entire way in. Do not stop or let the jig fall at all like you normally would. Just swim it the entire way back to the boat. When done properly, the lure looks like its doing the wave in the water and the pork trailer legs have a nice fluid, swimming motion (it looks like the way a dolphin kicks). I have tried this technique with plastic but you don't get nearly the action you do with pork. I don't fish pork often because of the inherent annoyances involved with using pork but when I'm using this technique pork is the only way to go.  I have used this technique multiple times when I was in a pinch during a tournament and it has helped me pull through. You will get some big fish with this setup but typically you're going to catch solid size keepers (good tournie fish). This is also a great search tactic when you need to cover a lot of water. I use it in many of the same situations that you would typically fish a spinnerbait.

[BARON49_Northern NY]

I have a lot of "favorite" ways of fishing, but this one is gaining more and more of my attention as it is catching bigger and better quality fish each year.  Jointed Hard Swim baits  

I started fishing a Strike King, King Shad a few years ago after they came out and caught some monsters the first time I tried them.  Now after using them for a while have found some things that seem to work the best.  With the King Shad a long rod is a must to get the most distance on your casts.  Had George Roth build me two 7'5'' swimbait rods, but until then I found a 7'6'' St. Croix Legend 7'6'' MH Moderate action worked quite well.  A large capacity reel is also a must.  I use either a Quantum or a Abu Garcia, both are 5.3 retrieve speed.  17 lb Trilene XT has proven to give the strength to haul big fish in, but still have a controlled amount of stretch to get good hook sets.

Tried the Sebiles next and while they do catch fish I have not had the success on them that I have with the King Shad's.  One thing I do like about the Sebiles is when the bass want a bait that is really moving you cannot reel a Sebile 125 too fast for a bass to nail it.  These baits run straight and true, but I feel the hooks could be sharper right out of the package.  I have had to sharpen the hooks on everyone of these Sebiles I have purchased.

The baits I started using last year are the Jointed Rapalas.  They are about 7" long and weight over 2 oz.  With a cost of only $9.99 each I had to give them a try and was glad I did.  You must have a good swimbait rod or a heavy flipping stick to throw these baits as well as handle the fish that hit them.  Big reels and lots of line capacity and good drag system make fishing these a lot more comfortable.  Went to 50 lb braided line because the trebles on these baits are huge and I could not get the decent hookset with mono.  The hooks need sharpening on these baits as well.  

Fish these baits over and around thick weed beds and especially weedy flats.  I start with a slow speed wobble and adjust the speed from top water waking to allowing the bait to dive a few feet along the weed bed edges depending on what it takes to get a strike.

Last year I worked with all three of these hard baits and caught Smallmouths, Largemouths, Pickeral, Northerns, and even Walleyes hit these baits.  The bass were averaging 3 to 6 lbs on these baits and I had two Northerns in the teens one on the Rapala and the other on a King Shad.  

[CWB]

My favorite technique is froggin the slop.

My most productive (from late spring on) is skpping senkos or tubes under docks and moored boats. Fat Ika looks like it was taylor made for this. Will definitely be using it this year!

[IdahoLunkerHunter]

I know this is number one but this is what I will usually end up throwing 80% of the time

Largemouth: 4-6"senko on football head jig or 1/8-1/4 oz bullet head, 7-10" shaky rigged & jig/pig

Smallmouth: 3-4" tubes, 4-7" fluke, 4" senko

[Wayne P.]

I don't have a favorite technique, I let the fish tell me what they want. According to my catches, the technique that a bass is most vunerable to is a wacky rigged finesse or Trick worm. The amount caught that way is about 87%.

[FD.]

My favorite is froggin.

1) Throw

2) retrieve

3) repeat

[zbass]

I would have to say my favorite way to fish is flippin' matted vegetation. My teeth start to sweet when I see an exspance of lily pads or matted milfoil, etc...! 65# braid, 3/4 to 1 1/4 oz pegged bullet weight, 8' flippin stick, 5/0 BMFH and I'm a happy man. I love it when I pitch in there and the pads stir and my line takes off. OH YEA!!!!!

[Maxximus Redneckus]

My tech is a t rigged worm in water 15 foot or less prob 95% of my fishing is this way .i love wood and weeds and dropoffs >in a earleir post i made i said id feel overwelmed out in the mid west BUt i take it back i know i can find wood or weeds anyhwere or at least a drop off and  i know i can catch fish anywhere on earth with  t rigged manns jellyworm. CONFEDINCE is key

[jig]

Mine is definately the jig.Early spring in the 1/4 oz size & up to 3/4 oz later in the year when water is warmer & im fishing deeper.I used to use all pork trailers but now I use alot of the new plastics like the pacas & the rages which both work great.Only problem is they dont last for very long.My pb has come from the jig ( just over 10 lbs ) and the thing I love about them most is they seem to always catch quality fish.

[drmnbig]

Mine is by far Fluke fishing.  I cast as close to the cover as I can.  I just let the fluke sit still for about 5-8 seconds to let it sink just a bit.  I give it one big jerk then let is sink for another 5-8 seconds.  I then make about 4-6 really quick short jerks and let it die again.  After that I just randomly twitch it backt to the boat or bank.  Most of the time the hits come within the first 2 sets of twitches.   BTW, I love how the super flukes work on a 2/0 Gamakatsu hook rigged weightless.  I can't tell you how many fish I've caught doing this.

[Pitchinkid]

For size: Defitnatey pitchin/flippin a jig. 5/16 Eakiins All colors w/ a GY Falppin Hog II trailer on laydowns or vertical structure. All depths of water.(largemouth)

Jerkbaits LC100-Rapala Xrap-Strike King Wild Shiner. About all colors. Creek mouths and Points.(smallmouth)

For Numbers: GY senko/Yum Dinger 4" White/greenpumpkin/Smoke.

GY 4" Shad worm. All weightless. Use almost identically as if your are fishing a fluke. stop and go retrive. Will let settle if fish are not as agressive.All grass or bank structure.(Largemouth)

3" Gitzit tube Pumpkin seed/greenpumpkin/Chart./white  1/4" ball Jighead. or T-Rigged .Usually some JJ's Magic to give it something diffrent. Rock banks or riprap walls(smallmouth)

[fishfordollars]

T-rig..

X2 on what Catt said.

[River Rat 58]

My number one technique would have to be to run the shore lines and work a spinner bait in and around structure (trees that have fallin into the water, docks, etc.)

[bronzewb22]

a white or silver senko rigged weightless and jerked over the surface as a topwater with frequent pauses. i like to cast to the edge of pads or structure and make a ton of splash as i rip it towards the boat. hits usually come right at the pause as i let it rest for a second or two, and THEY ARE TREMENDOUS!!!! i've caught numerous 5+ pound smallies in the 22-24 inch range doing this.

[fishintroop]

I would say what ever catches fish, BUT, I love the Jig 'n' Pig and the Jersey Rig

[EastTexasBassin]

T-rig for sure.  I mostly throw gycb flappin hogs, kreatures, and brush hogs into brush piles and laydowns.

#1 for numbers and for size last year was the flappin hog (even though its the smallest bait)

x3 what Catt said, when I learned to really slow down I started catching more and bigger fish.  Going slow was especially helpful in the winter but it was productive in the warmer months as well.  

[shootermcbob]

Mine would have to be spinnerbait fishing. I learned alot from Kvd video and had pretty good success last summer. I reel, jerk, let it flutter, pull with the rod, reel, and try to be somewhat erratic. I had some very hard strikes doing this last year, and almost all came during flutter or as I pulled rod to get blades spinning again.

[guitarkid]

A weightless and weedless Trick worm on weed edges and around brush.

                     -gk

[Jimzee]

#1 for me is pitching a jig into heavy cover and waiting for the bump. Nothing gets my heart racing faster than feeling the bump during the drop.

#2 would have to be cranking med. depth cranks into cover and then pausing when I feel the crank deflecting. This has been very effective for me the past couple of years.

#3 burning spinnerbaits along large ares of shoreline. My PB was caught last year at Guntersville using this method.

This year I will probably try to drop shot a little more. I think I've progressed using this method to the point I have become confident with it.