Presentation questions

[Travis O]

I am in Washington state and many of the lakes I fish dont have crawfish.  I have used crawfish presentations with fair success in these lakes but am not sure if I should be using something different to match the prey.  Will bass readily take a lure that resembles prey they are not familiar with?  Am I more likely to tempt a fish with something they have tasted?  I have the same type of situation with hard baits.  Most of our baitfish consist of small trout along with bluegill and bass but no shad.  I assume that shad patterns will still be productive but will they be as productive as a trout or bluegill pattern?

Thanks

[Catt]

Some times man gets to hung up on meticulously painted or patterned lures when the bass simply don't care.

[Jig Man]

I for one am always trying to give them something that they have never seen before that is why I have 96 possible color combinations for jigs.

[Crestliner2008]

If it moves....and can be engulfed....a bass will hit it. It exists to eat. And anything that even begins to resemble something alive is fair game. So, yes, go for the crawdad imitations, as well as other more likely presentations. You just never know! BTW....have you tried trout pattern hard jerkbaits?  

[Triton_Mike]

I'll say this again.  Bass are dumb as rocks and color is the most overated thing in bass fishing.  Put a bait in an active fishes strike zone and hold on.

[Travis O]

Thanks guys.  And yes I have used rainbow trout colored jerkbaits and especially rat L traps with great success.  One of the best ways that I have found to catch early bass is to use a rat L trap with the line "tangled" around the front hook with a stop and go technique.  This is a very good representation of a wounded baitfish and when fished parallel with the shoreline and on the edges of heavy cover it can be deadly.

[CatBassin]

If it moves....and can be engulfed....a bass will hit it. It exists to eat. And anything that even begins to resemble something alive is fair game.

Bass are opportunistic and will eat anything that will move. I have used shad and craw colored lures in farm ponds that I know don't have either and have always had success with them. So I say if it works then use it but don't be afraid to try something new, even if it gets a few laughs or remarks.

[SirSnookalot]

I'll say this again.  Bass are dumb as rocks and color is the most overated thing in bass fishing.  Put a bait in an active fishes strike zone and hold on.

Boy you said a mouthful.............The reason there are so many colors and different kinds of lures is only to sell you more stuff than you really need.

I fish my pond every afternoon, I use the same 3 or 4 things and  always catch fish, if there on they're on!

[Raul]

I am in Washington state and many of the lakes I fish dont have crawfish. I have used crawfish presentations with fair success in these lakes but am not sure if I should be using something different to match the prey. Will bass readily take a lure that resembles prey they are not familiar with? Am I more likely to tempt a fish with something they have tasted? I have the same type of situation with hard baits. Most of our baitfish consist of small trout along with bluegill and bass but no shad. I assume that shad patterns will still be productive but will they be as productive as a trout or bluegill pattern?

Thanks

In my neck of the woods bass have never seen a trout and the bite trout pattern lures, it don 't matter if it 's rainbow, brown or brook trout pattern.

In my neck of the woods there ain 't no waterdogs, bass bite soft plastic lizards.

In my neck of the woods there ain 't no shad, bass bite shad pattern baits.

And the list of "we don 't haves" but bass bite can go on and on.

Bass will bite anything as long as it moves like if it 's alive and an easy prey.

[roadwarrior]

I'll say this again. Bass are dumb as rocks and color is the most overrated thing in bass fishing. Put a bait in an active fishes strike zone and hold on.

Hey Mike!

That's been my position too, but in a casual conversation with

some of the guys at Kentucky Lake, Big-O told a story that struck

me as a revelation:

Although the lure you are fishing may be exactly the right

choice for a specific situation and produce several bites, the

"right" color might double your success. According to Big-O,

some of the pros he works with demand some very specific,

custom colors.

I'm still pondering this, but being last on the list may still be

an important part of the list.

-Kent

8-)