Learning new lures and techniques

[farmpond1]

I think the most effective/efficient way to learn a new technique is to shadow someone who has "mastered" it.  One of my buddies is a terrific soft plastic fisherman (especially creature baits and stick baits) and I've learned a ton from him just in the past season.  The secret, IMHO, is to figure out and use the appropriate technique at it's called for.  One should generally fish to one's strengths but the more strengths we possess, the more successful we will be.

[BASSclary]

The way I learn new techniques is when my confidence baits dont get the job done.

For example at the beginning of the year, ribbontail worms were my go-to lure my whole life. All of a sudden I wasn't getting any bites. So I had to try something out of my comfort zone and try something I maybe had never tried before. So I tied on a swim jig and put a baby bass grub on for a trailer. BOOM! first cast hooked up on a pig. Probably 5-6 lbs. Third cast. BOOM! little guy but he was a fighter!

What im trying to get now is Cranks. (Hard fishing from shore only and its weed central everywhere!) But basically, when I cant get a fish to bite on any of my baits I have confidence in, I tie on a crank to try and learn it. Although I still havent caught a crank fish to this day  :-/

[BASSclary]

The way I learn new techniques is when my confidence baits dont get the job done.

For example at the beginning of the year, ribbontail worms were my go-to lure my whole life. All of a sudden I wasn't getting any bites. So I had to try something out of my comfort zone and try something I maybe had never tried before. So I tied on a swim jig and put a baby bass grub on for a trailer. BOOM! first cast hooked up on a pig. Probably 5-6 lbs. Third cast. BOOM! little guy but he was a fighter!

What im trying to get now is Cranks. (Hard fishing from shore only and its weed central everywhere!) But basically, when I cant get a fish to bite on any of my baits I have confidence in, I tie on a crank to try and learn it. Although I still havent caught a crank fish to this day  :-/

[BASSclary]

The way I learn new techniques is when my confidence baits dont get the job done.

For example at the beginning of the year, ribbontail worms were my go-to lure my whole life. All of a sudden I wasn't getting any bites. So I had to try something out of my comfort zone and try something I maybe had never tried before. So I tied on a swim jig and put a baby bass grub on for a trailer. BOOM! first cast hooked up on a pig. Probably 5-6 lbs. Third cast. BOOM! little guy but he was a fighter!

What im trying to get now is Cranks. (Hard fishing from shore only and its weed central everywhere!) But basically, when I cant get a fish to bite on any of my baits I have confidence in, I tie on a crank to try and learn it. Although I still havent caught a crank fish to this day  :-/

[BigEbass]

Have only been fishing for a bit over 3 years now....at first I focused on the texas rigged worm, but very soon, I mixed it up with spinner baits and a few crankbaits to cover the water column....interstingly, I dont know that I have a "confidence bait" to date really.  My limited experience so far has proven to me that everything works....and sometimes nothing works  - caught my first jerkbait fish recently this year - I knew shad were stacked up on this spot and bass were working them, and reading and TV has reinforced the brilliance of this bait, so when I tossed it I knew there was a very good chance of a hookup - and then, there was....also my elder more experienced neighbor was leading me so I never felt all that not confident that a given bait wouldnt work really....

And personally I just love trying new things, somehow once you catch your few first jerkbait fish, or lipless crankbait fish, or craw bait fish, or more recently, my first big swimbait fish (lunker punker) - it just feels really good....and my neighbor is now always saying how he is psyched cause we are always catching on something different and its fun - sometimes it can be tough, but I figure over time if you focus less on the importance of a given lure and focusing on presentation, depth, the spot, etc, then you may lead the pack  ;D - but I am far from that  :-/ - but hey, I am loving learning the big baits now - its a ball -

Oh and I am now learning spooning and float n fly.....at some point I will focus in on what I will use more often, im pretty close to this point now, but in the meantime I just love the challenge!

[BigEbass]

Have only been fishing for a bit over 3 years now....at first I focused on the texas rigged worm, but very soon, I mixed it up with spinner baits and a few crankbaits to cover the water column....interstingly, I dont know that I have a "confidence bait" to date really.  My limited experience so far has proven to me that everything works....and sometimes nothing works  - caught my first jerkbait fish recently this year - I knew shad were stacked up on this spot and bass were working them, and reading and TV has reinforced the brilliance of this bait, so when I tossed it I knew there was a very good chance of a hookup - and then, there was....also my elder more experienced neighbor was leading me so I never felt all that not confident that a given bait wouldnt work really....

And personally I just love trying new things, somehow once you catch your few first jerkbait fish, or lipless crankbait fish, or craw bait fish, or more recently, my first big swimbait fish (lunker punker) - it just feels really good....and my neighbor is now always saying how he is psyched cause we are always catching on something different and its fun - sometimes it can be tough, but I figure over time if you focus less on the importance of a given lure and focusing on presentation, depth, the spot, etc, then you may lead the pack  ;D - but I am far from that  :-/ - but hey, I am loving learning the big baits now - its a ball -

Oh and I am now learning spooning and float n fly.....at some point I will focus in on what I will use more often, im pretty close to this point now, but in the meantime I just love the challenge!

[BigEbass]

Have only been fishing for a bit over 3 years now....at first I focused on the texas rigged worm, but very soon, I mixed it up with spinner baits and a few crankbaits to cover the water column....interstingly, I dont know that I have a "confidence bait" to date really.  My limited experience so far has proven to me that everything works....and sometimes nothing works  - caught my first jerkbait fish recently this year - I knew shad were stacked up on this spot and bass were working them, and reading and TV has reinforced the brilliance of this bait, so when I tossed it I knew there was a very good chance of a hookup - and then, there was....also my elder more experienced neighbor was leading me so I never felt all that not confident that a given bait wouldnt work really....

And personally I just love trying new things, somehow once you catch your few first jerkbait fish, or lipless crankbait fish, or craw bait fish, or more recently, my first big swimbait fish (lunker punker) - it just feels really good....and my neighbor is now always saying how he is psyched cause we are always catching on something different and its fun - sometimes it can be tough, but I figure over time if you focus less on the importance of a given lure and focusing on presentation, depth, the spot, etc, then you may lead the pack  ;D - but I am far from that  :-/ - but hey, I am loving learning the big baits now - its a ball -

Oh and I am now learning spooning and float n fly.....at some point I will focus in on what I will use more often, im pretty close to this point now, but in the meantime I just love the challenge!

[Nice_Bass]

I think the most effective/efficient way to learn a new technique is to shadow someone who has "mastered" it. One of my buddies is a terrific soft plastic fisherman (especially creature baits and stick baits) and I've learned a ton from him just in the past season. The secret, IMHO, is to figure out and use the appropriate technique at it's called for. One should generally fish to one's strengths but the more strengths we possess, the more successful we will be.

Always wondered who has been shadowing me out at Clinton...It all makes sense now.   

[Nice_Bass]

I think the most effective/efficient way to learn a new technique is to shadow someone who has "mastered" it. One of my buddies is a terrific soft plastic fisherman (especially creature baits and stick baits) and I've learned a ton from him just in the past season. The secret, IMHO, is to figure out and use the appropriate technique at it's called for. One should generally fish to one's strengths but the more strengths we possess, the more successful we will be.

Always wondered who has been shadowing me out at Clinton...It all makes sense now.   

[Nice_Bass]

I think the most effective/efficient way to learn a new technique is to shadow someone who has "mastered" it. One of my buddies is a terrific soft plastic fisherman (especially creature baits and stick baits) and I've learned a ton from him just in the past season. The secret, IMHO, is to figure out and use the appropriate technique at it's called for. One should generally fish to one's strengths but the more strengths we possess, the more successful we will be.

Always wondered who has been shadowing me out at Clinton...It all makes sense now.   

[SeanW]

Nothing wrong with picking up nothing but that one bait you wanna learn and get confidence in. The key is to do it at the right time. If it was a buzzbait the prespawna nd post spawn are prime times. Jig times Id suggest prespawn. Big swim baits are the same, full moon in january and febuary are great times. The key to all of them is fishing it at the proper cadence, with the proper color.

I never suggest just one rod, take 3. All same technique, but with different colors and/or weights. Timing is really the key.

[SeanW]

Nothing wrong with picking up nothing but that one bait you wanna learn and get confidence in. The key is to do it at the right time. If it was a buzzbait the prespawna nd post spawn are prime times. Jig times Id suggest prespawn. Big swim baits are the same, full moon in january and febuary are great times. The key to all of them is fishing it at the proper cadence, with the proper color.

I never suggest just one rod, take 3. All same technique, but with different colors and/or weights. Timing is really the key.

[SeanW]

Nothing wrong with picking up nothing but that one bait you wanna learn and get confidence in. The key is to do it at the right time. If it was a buzzbait the prespawna nd post spawn are prime times. Jig times Id suggest prespawn. Big swim baits are the same, full moon in january and febuary are great times. The key to all of them is fishing it at the proper cadence, with the proper color.

I never suggest just one rod, take 3. All same technique, but with different colors and/or weights. Timing is really the key.

[BassThumb]

That's how i learned the jig years ago, but i can see how trying that with a lot of other lures would be counterproductive.

Same here with jigs, and with spinnerbaits, tubes and flukes as well. But these are lures that can be fishing from top to bottom, so this learning technique works well.

Bringing only a lure type that covers just a small portion of the water column, like Carolina rigs or buzzbaits/topwater, would really be backing yourself into a corner. I can see how that would turn a person off.

[BassThumb]

That's how i learned the jig years ago, but i can see how trying that with a lot of other lures would be counterproductive.

Same here with jigs, and with spinnerbaits, tubes and flukes as well. But these are lures that can be fishing from top to bottom, so this learning technique works well.

Bringing only a lure type that covers just a small portion of the water column, like Carolina rigs or buzzbaits/topwater, would really be backing yourself into a corner. I can see how that would turn a person off.

[BassThumb]

That's how i learned the jig years ago, but i can see how trying that with a lot of other lures would be counterproductive.

Same here with jigs, and with spinnerbaits, tubes and flukes as well. But these are lures that can be fishing from top to bottom, so this learning technique works well.

Bringing only a lure type that covers just a small portion of the water column, like Carolina rigs or buzzbaits/topwater, would really be backing yourself into a corner. I can see how that would turn a person off.

[Nibbles]

Funny that jigs should be mentioned. I guess I was just lucky with jigs because the first day I fished with them I caught several fat ones and I've kept at least one finesse and one full skirt jig tied on ever since.

Cranks and jerkbaits, on the other hand....  :-?

[Nibbles]

Funny that jigs should be mentioned. I guess I was just lucky with jigs because the first day I fished with them I caught several fat ones and I've kept at least one finesse and one full skirt jig tied on ever since.

Cranks and jerkbaits, on the other hand....  :-?

[Nibbles]

Funny that jigs should be mentioned. I guess I was just lucky with jigs because the first day I fished with them I caught several fat ones and I've kept at least one finesse and one full skirt jig tied on ever since.

Cranks and jerkbaits, on the other hand....  :-?

[deaknh03]

the need to own every lure ever made has forced me to learn to fish most of them.

[deaknh03]

the need to own every lure ever made has forced me to learn to fish most of them.

[deaknh03]

the need to own every lure ever made has forced me to learn to fish most of them.

[bassinbob54]

the need to own every lure ever made has forced me to learn to fish most of them. .....Ditto on that one!!

[bassinbob54]

the need to own every lure ever made has forced me to learn to fish most of them. .....Ditto on that one!!

[bassinbob54]

the need to own every lure ever made has forced me to learn to fish most of them. .....Ditto on that one!!