Search Bait Strategy- Am I Missing Something?

[Kurlee]

I keep reading about using crankbaits or spinnerbaits as a search bait to find the active fish and then slowing down and using plastics or jigs to get the more inactive ones. This seldom ever works for me. I can think of very very few times that I have followed up with a slower presentation such as a jig or some type of plastic and gotten a bite.

Any advice is welcomed.

Thanks,

Keven

[Catt]

I start slow & stay slow

[TheHammer84]

I use them more to "search" for structure. If I feel it hit something or pull in weeds, I know those are spots I may want to use a finesse approach around. But if I am catching fish with them, I don't really see any reason to go to another lure, maybe a different color if the bite isn't optimal. Basically what Catt said, "start slow, stay slow" or "start fast, stay fast."

[LCpointerKILLA]

I cant help you because it works for me, but this is a great thread. I look forward to some of the responses.

[tnbassfisher]

For me, I can "feel" the structure better with soft plastics.

[RobbyZ5001]

I start slow & stay slow

Of course you do, because you already know where the good ones are. Question is would you still start slow and stay slow if it was on an unknown lake in another climate such as the northeast lakes?

[Catt]

I start slow & stay slow

Of course you do, because you already know where the good ones are. Question is would you still start slow and stay slow if it was on an unknown lake in another climate such as the northeast lakes?

Absolutely

I have 2 depth finders, one at my console and one on the bow their sole function is to locate structure. Just because a bass strikes a spinner bait or crank bait does not mean the bass are active; if properly placed and retrieved inactive bass will react to most any lure.

The biggest mistake most anglers make with plastics or jigs is they do not consider ROF (rate of fall); ever wonder why it is said bass strike these lures on the fall?

[RobbyZ5001]

I start slow & stay slow

Of course you do, because you already know where the good ones are. Question is would you still start slow and stay slow if it was on an unknown lake in another climate such as the northeast lakes?

Absolutely

I have 2 depth finders, one at my console and one on the bow their sole function is to locate structure. Just because a bass strikes a spinner bait or crank bait does not mean the bass are active; if properly placed and retrieved inactive bass will react to most any lure.

The biggest mistake most anglers make with plastics or jigs is they do not consider ROF (rate of fall); ever wonder why it is said bass strike these lures on the fall?

Catt have you made a thread on ROF? If not can you? I would love to read some articles on ROF and see others opinions.

[D4u2s0t]

I keep reading about using crankbaits or spinnerbaits as a search bait to find the active fish and then slowing down and using plastics or jigs to get the more inactive ones. This seldom ever works for me. I can think of very very few times that I have followed up with a slower presentation such as a jig or some type of plastic and gotten a bite.

Any advice is welcomed.

Thanks,

Keven

If I have a spinnerbait tied on, the other pole almost always has a plastic. I have had great luck following one with the other, even when not getting a strike. Many times i'll throw the spinnbait a dozen times or so, and not get any hits, switch to the plastic and get a fish.

I think my style and preference is to fish a little bit slower, i'd rather throw on a fluke and take a minute to crank it in real slow than burn a spinnerbait all day. I have thick weeds in my lake, and anywhere within 30 yards of shore if you don't burn it in it's just getting caught on all the slop. doesn't happen with a weedless plastic. I have very good experience with spinnerbaits, and enjoy fishing them, I just prefer the slower fishing of plastic baits.

As far as what's working and not working for you, if something consistently doesn't work, and never works, time to stop doing it! Unless you want to keep not getting fish. Different lakes you need to use different strategies, what works great on one may not work great on another. Bass will typically go after anything that moves in the water, that explains why there are so many different favorite or "best" baits to use. The things that need to be taken into consideration are how much pressure is on the lake, what other activity is going on, (there are a few beaches by my lake, try catching somethign in the day when everyone is in the water. good luck! on a slow day at the beach, or at night, there's some great spots there.)  and focus more on a good presentation.

Anyways, you can search for fish with plastics just as well as spinnerbaits or crankbaits, it just takes a lot longer.

[Catt]

Yea I'm working on an article on ROF  

You may cover more water with search baits but I'll cover the water more thoroughly

[D4u2s0t]

Yea I'm working on an article on ROF

You may cover more water with search baits but I'll cover the water more thoroughly

that's my thoughts.  When i'm out with other people, we tend to cover tons of water very quickly... that also means not too thoroughly.  I prefer to go to a spot, hang out, and really go through the water.

[Mottfia]

Using Search baits is as much a throughout bait as using slower presentations..if your mind set is right. Its a process of elimiations. Just as Catt is looking to find where the bass are holding that piece of structure, I would be looking to find a set of circumstances that can be duplicated throughout the lake in the shortest amount of time. Its simple pattern fishing.  ;D

I'd cover alot of water, which would include different types of structure, cover, water depths, and presentations.

The idea of using search baits and then slowing down with plastics works great any time that the fish are stacked up. Pre spawn, summer, winter,...almost all year on a river  

Mottfia

[Matt Fly]

I like to know the conditions.  Depth, Wind, none, little, or alot?

Sunny?  overcast?    Time of day, morning, midmorning, noon???

Conditions position the bass,  no wind, bright days, I'd like a bait I can get into cover as tight as possible.  

  Windy days, with bait present, I'd like a moving bait to emulate the bait source.

     My search is for bait presence most of the time.     Some quick indicators without a map for bait.      

     Look for coots, they'll always show you were green vegitation is located, find grass, you'll most likely find bass.   Even in winter.   Coots are great indicators.

    Look for where the birds are.   Birds will always be near schools of bait.     What part of the lake is the majority of birds present.

    Search the wind blown banks with birds present.

     

    Its hard to give advice, when one doesn't know the conditions you face.    ON blue bird days, no wind, do you put that spinner/crank bait in the cover?  

  Lots of factors to consider.  Weather, water clarity, line, type of crank, size of crank, color of crank, and how you are cranking the bait.

  Do you vary your retreives?      

 

     

[NH_Bass_Tard]

Lately I've been finding that search baits work well at the lake I fish. Its a weedy, flat, shallow impoundment. There is little structure and the bass can be almost anywhere in this place. So I've been throwing shallow running cranks and have been doing well covering lots of water. Once I locate an area where there seems to be bass, then I'll throw some finesse baits to see if I can get more. If there was more structure and the lake wasn't so shallow, I think finesse baits would be all I would throw because then I could target more isolated areas and work them thoroughly instead of chunking and winding. So I think it depends on the lake.

[BigJohnny]

I think the idea is that if you have no idea where the fish are on say a 4,000 acre lake...you can use your basic knowledge and depth finder to narrow it down. However, using a spinner allows you to cover the maximum amount of area in a minimal amount of time.

That being said, I still don't use them.

[Catt]

First off I would never fish a new body of water blind; I would use every available media source for the body of water.

I would do a Yahoo search looking for things like

Tackle shops: I will call & ask for a list of top 10 selling baits

Marinas: Ask for fishing reports

Guides: Guides have learned the necessity of having a web site, many offer tips & techniques and detailed reports.

Local bass clubs: Many clubs have web sites as well and sometimes they list tournament results.

Topographical Map: I shouldn't need to explain this one

Aerial Photographs & Satellite Imagery: Depending on water clarity you can see underwater grass beds, river/creek channels, underwater humps and ridges.

Electronic Chip: Plugs into your finder/gps contains all sorts of valuable information

National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): I want to know the weather pattern for 5 days prior.

Now I have enough information so that on the morning I launch I can evaluate the present weather conditions, decide on locations, & select lures.

Don't know about you but that's how I search for bass

[Bass Junkie]

    I usually fish a pond about 5 minutes away once a week. It gets hit hard, and isn't big. I can throw a weightless 5" senko halfway across. My stratagie is to hit the main feeding areas, like flats, weeds, or the windblown shore, HARD. Spinnerbaits burned very fast. Buzzbaits, anything that moves decently fast and looks good to the fish. After I've covered these areas, I go back and cover them again, maybe with a different lure, but I don't slow down. If somethin' shuts down the fish, I go wormin', but other than that I hit it hard. I also usually fish a lake that has alot of laydowns in the 3-6-16ft. area. I usually start out the mornin' with a movin' bait, then S_L_O_W D_O_W_N. Weightless soft stickbaits, t-rigs, or somethin' like that, and fish the area thoroughly. What I'm tryin' to say is fish according to where you are and what you feel comefortable with. Fish your strengths, then when you've done good, experiment. Hope this helps!!!!!

[senile1]

What if they aren't biting search baits?  You'll never find much of anything.  I've encountered many such days on a highly pressured lake near a metropolitan area.  On such a lake and on such a day, I find structure and cover combinations that are conducive to the presence of bass and I fish jigs and soft plastics very similar to what Catt describes in his previous posts.

[Mottfia]

sure there are days where the fish are in a negative mood and won't hit anything unless it sits in his face for a while. And on those days I will struggle until I slow down enough.  But thats extremely rare for me...

I believe in getting my lure in front of as many fish as possible. I also hold alot of confidence in my lures and how I work them. So I believe that when I get my lure in front of a fish I will get a bite. That makes it a matter of figuring out where they are.

On those days where the bite is slow and I know nothing about a lake, I have the benefit of being able to see many different sections of the lake. I have been lucky enough to be able to see simple cues like baitfish (rolling on top or on the graph) or birds in an area to tell me to slow down and check things out more.

Fishing fast is in my blood, my dad's blood, and every fisherman in my family's blood. Its how we are wired  

Oh yea, doing teh research Catt posted about never hurts either, no matter how you fish

Mottfia