The "Perfect" Presentation

[slonezp]

Is there really such a thing?

Alot of guys are pre-occupied with the "perfect" presentation. Nature isn't perfect. Why should we be perfect?

How many of you guys think it's the presentation that is getting the bites or is it just being at the right place at the right time?

Knowledge is helpful, but do you really think it matters if you throw a bluegill fluke, "natural" craw jig, bubble gum senko, etc., directly in front of a bass?

I'm not taking either side  because I'm a firm believer in both presentation and luck. Just curious.

[Fishes in trees]

I think that with some presentations, like spinnerbaits, or pitching jigs, or bouncing timber tigers off trees, that a little splash beats a lot of splash.  I can't speak to flipping, because I don''t flip that much and I'm not very good at it.  I think that with top waters or buzz baits or poppers that making a splash on landing might be a good thing.

So, do I think a perfect presentation is important - yeah - but what is or ain't a perfect presentation might vary depending upon the circumstance.

[backwater4]

If the fish are located under docks and you can't skip a bait, I'd say presentation was really important. Now once you get it under there, will they hit it? It depends on the bait, color and presentation. Yes, I think it's very important.

But.... I'd rather be lucky.  ;D

[fmoore]

I'm a firm believer that your presentation is directly proportional to your catch rate, (maybe not on the easy days - but most of the time) meaning that in general, the better your presentation is, the more fish you will catch.

[hmongkidBee]

presentation is everything to me.  I fish a lot of clear lakes and if you make a big splash, you can just say goodbye to the bass in that area. 

[Catt]

Just about the time we think we have the bass figured out they prove to us we don't.

There will days when the presentation is nearly perfect only to have the bass not bite and there are days it don't matter what you do they bite everything.

[Nitrofreak]

I don't believe in luck all that much, I believe that if you put yourself in a place full of structure and start establishing patterns you will find what the fish want...Most of the time... Now the wife on the other hand she will most often troll a cotton candy 6" worm behind the boat and catch more fish than I do...Where is the logic in that?

I don't know but it works for her and believe me when I say she wont let me hear the end of it until I out fish her and when I do out fish her she has already made plans before we get the boat loaded for the next fishing trip.

[slonezp]

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presentation is everything to me. I fish a lot of clear lakes and if you make a big splash, you can just say goodbye to the bass in that area.

That would be more the "perfect "cast which I agree with.

[D4u2s0t]

Here's my take, and how I believe things work.  Nature, bass included, is unpredictable at times.  It's that unpredictability that makes fishing fun for me.  By learning more about what you're doing, you can move the odds slightly in your favor, and increase your chances of catching more, and/or bigger fish.  I think we tend to put a lil too much thought into it sometimes, over-anyalyze, and try to be too technical about something that's not really technical.  But I don't believe in any magical technique, color, bait, presentation, etc.  I think it's not only a combination of all of these, then you have to add in being in the right place at the right time.  So, I think it's a broad mix of everything that all equals up to getting that bite.  By learning more about your lake, and bass behavior, you can try to eliminate certain areas/techniques/baits/whatever.  But, that doesn't mean it's guaranteed to work, and what works today may not work tomorrow, and you may have the best fishing of your life in a spot, and then never catch a fish there ever again...  But, again, to me, that's the fun of finding the fish!  That not knowing for sure whether or not a fish will bite, and feeling the bite and getting it in to take a look.  That's the good stuff.

[K_Mac]

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Here's my take, and how I believe things work. Nature, bass included, is unpredictable at times. It's that unpredictability that makes fishing fun for me. By learning more about what you're doing, you can move the odds slightly in your favor, and increase your chances of catching more, and/or bigger fish. I think we tend to put a lil too much thought into it sometimes, over-anyalyze, and try to be too technical about something that's not really technical. But I don't believe in any magical technique, color, bait, presentation, etc. I think it's not only a combination of all of these, then you have to add in being in the right place at the right time. So, I think it's a broad mix of everything that all equals up to getting that bite. By learning more about your lake, and bass behavior, you can try to eliminate certain areas/techniques/baits/whatever. But, that doesn't mean it's guaranteed to work, and what works today may not work tomorrow, and you may have the best fishing of your life in a spot, and then never catch a fish there ever again... But, again, to me, that's the fun of finding the fish! That not knowing for sure whether or not a fish will bite, and feeling the bite and getting it in to take a look. That's the good stuff.

Well said.

I think the adage, "the harder I work, the luckier I get" applies.  KVD may be luckier than most, but he pays close attention to details and works harder than most of his competition.

I also love the challenge of figuring out what will work on any given day. Some days the difference in catching fish and having the skunk in the boat, is all about presentation IMO.

[gobig]

I think Bill Siemantle said it best "everything matters, yet nothing matters". For example look at this statement.

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presentation is everything to me. I fish a lot of clear lakes and if you make a big splash, you can just say goodbye to the bass in that area.

If this was totally true then every time a 6oz swimbait hit the water all the fish in the area should be spooked. Now we know that's not the case. Big baits are a proven tactic. At one time or another a big splash may be the difference between getting bit or not.

Another example: We are told that the noise of the big motor scares fish. Turn off your fish finder and so on... Have you ever been fishing a location with limited success, had a ski boat with music pounding come right through the middle of your spot, stirring up the bottom and all the sudden you catch fish? I had it happen. Everyone must have thought we were crazy doing figure 8's over points before fishing them.

I think we have to be stewards of fish behavior for the given day. Pay attention, if its not working try some thing different. Even if it seems illogical. The perfect presentation for a given day may not be the perfect presentation by definition.

[NorCalFishinguru]

On some of the super high pressured public bass ponds i fish all the time here there are dozens and dozens of people throwing everything that walmart has to offer in the water every day. You definately have to make a difficult, quiet cast to a hard to reach area to really get em unles your the extremely lucky guy that happens to hook up. A couple summers ago one of the ponds thats completely surrounded by tules besides a few open areas had its wate level way down and the fish were sitting underneath the downed tules about 70-100 feet on the far bank. If you didnt cast within three feet of the tule edge, you didnt hook up but as soon as you made that perfect cast, bingo. Presentation was everything in that situation

[SirSnookalot]

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Just about the time we think we have the bass figured out they prove to us we don't.

There will days when the presentation is nearly perfect only to have the bass not bite and there are days it don't matter what you do they bite everything.

Totally agree !!

Most of the time when I bass fish I only take 4-5 lures, once I catch a bass I change ( I don't like getting bored), when they are on everything seems to work equally, and when they are off nothing seems to work.

[jkoch]

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I'm not taking either side because I'm a firm believer in both presentation and luck. Just curious.

Suppose you know with 100% certainty that fish are located in a certain area.  With the perfect presentation, let's say on a particular cast you have a 40% chance of inducing a strike.  With a suboptimal presentation you may have a 20% chance of inducing a strike.  With a poor presentation, you may only have a 5% chance of inducing a strike.  The numbers are obviously made up, but you can see that a better presentation will improve your "luck."

[Nitrofreak]

I guess if think about it if your presentation catches a fish then it's perfect.

[Catt]

If y'all want to prove the non-importance the "perfect presentation" take a kid fishing 

[Shad_Master]

Don't let the perfect get in the way of the good

Perfect is too far away - better is right in front of you

[slonezp]

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I'm not taking either side because I'm a firm believer in both presentation and luck. Just curious.

Suppose you know with 100% certainty that fish are located in a certain area. With the perfect presentation, let's say on a particular cast you have a 40% chance of inducing a strike. With a suboptimal presentation you may have a 20% chance of inducing a strike. With a poor presentation, you may only have a 5% chance of inducing a strike. The numbers are obviously made up, but you can see that a better presentation will improve your "luck."

That would depend whether the fish are feeding or not. I'm pretty certain when fish put the feedbag on they'll pretty much hit everything. If I'm trying to induce a reaction strike your example may hold some water. I've been in that situation throwing baits at post spawn schooling bass in gin clear water. They were not feeding. Spent about 1/2 hour or so throwing everything at them before I hooked up a 4lbr, on a bait I had previously thrown. I wonder if it was persistance which irritated the fish into taking the bait. She grabbed it because it was at the right place at the right time. 

[jkoch]

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That would depend whether the fish are feeding or not.

No, the probabilities just shift if the fish are feeding.  The best presentation will always maximize the probability of catching a fish.

[A-Jay]

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If y'all want to prove the non-importance the "perfect presentation" take a kid fishing

I will always agree with this statement.

The first season I took my wife fishing and was "teaching" her the "importance of presentation" often times her cast was a bit off target. Initially I would ask her to reel it in and cast again thinking that her "poor presentation" had little chance of success.

It wasn't long before she got tired for continually casting, missing and reeling in without having an opportunity to work/fish her bait. It took me a while but I finally figured out that she was not enjoying this "casting practice" I remembered something my grandfather had said to me when I was first starting out and casting all over the place - "fish it like you meant it".

Well My wife's "poor Presentations" have resulted in more decent fish than I care to admit.

Through the years my wife's casting/presentation skills have improved accordingly. Still, where I will reel in an off target/poor presentation, she will still "Fish It Like She Meant It" - and I end up doing the dishes.

A-Jay

[basser223]

the presentation doesnt do any good if there isnt a bass there

[FishingBuds]

I guess Im the only one this happens to, I git a hit as soon as the lure hits the water,

I try to cast into some cover to pull a fish out and I miss my target then wham I get a hit,

I hurry up and throw over where a fish just hit the top of the water and wham I get a fish,

I think Im out of my strike zone and hurry up reeling in my lure for a reCast and wham I get a fish.

So what perfect presentation??????  Its the one that caught a fish ;D