What conditions/situations will plastics NOT work??

[32251]

I have some of  my best luck with plastics.  What situation do you guys NOT use them.

[Tin]

They always work.

[Lobster Monster]

Fishing in a swimming pool.

[wagn]

There are plenty of times that soft plastics either won't work or won't work as well as other baits. It all depends on conditions and confidence.

Just a couple examples that work for me:

Spring and fall, on real windy days, spinnerbaits, rattle traps and other reaction baits work real well.

Night time summer fishing. Many times I'll have more luck on big spinnerbaits or topwater

Mornings or evenings, Topwater baits

There are plenty of other great examples, like deep cranking, frogging in the slop, etc.

[chubaka]

Fishing in your garage.

[RoLo]

Fishing in your garage.

That's better than what I had in mind

(when soft-plastics don't work, I've been skunked).

Roger

[Catt]

Plastics is my #1 go to bait year round under every conceivable condition

Does this mean I never get skunked? Nope

I do find plastics will work when nothing else will

[steezy]

Plastics are bass fishings "safety net".

Its the weapon of last resort after everything else fails.  The catch might be small but it usually gets something to bite.

If they wont bite a slow finessed plastic, they ain't biting that day.

[Crestliner2008]

There are plenty of times that soft plastics either won't work or won't work as well as other baits. It all depends on conditions and confidence.

Just a couple examples that work for me:

Spring and fall, on real windy days, spinnerbaits, rattle traps and other reaction baits work real well.

Night time summer fishing. Many times I'll have more luck on big spinnerbaits or topwater

Mornings or evenings, Topwater baits

There are plenty of other great examples, like deep cranking, frogging in the slop, etc.

I agree - mostly. The above mentioned presentations work well as stated, as well as others. However it is indeed rare (even at night) when you can't catch something on plastics. The other presentations are just more efficient, during those times.

[whoopbazz]

Plastics, I think work well all the time. But, being able to fish them may be tougher.  Try throwing a senko in a high wind or a tube. Yes, you can weight them down, but now you are taking a chance that the bait will fall faster etc. and effect the productiveness.

In high wind situations I hardly ever throw plastics (except a carolina rig), I'll opt for a crankbait.

[Paul Roberts]

"Plastic" is not a lure type. But I get what you mean.

Think depth and speed first. Then adapt what you have to what you need. If you can do it with soft plastic, do it. There are times you might need to get creative. See the thread by paul (Eeliminator thread) in the Outings section.

[Paul Roberts]

There are plenty of times that soft plastics either won't work or won't work as well as other baits. It all depends on conditions and confidence.

Just a couple examples that work for me:

Spring and fall, on real windy days, spinnerbaits, rattle traps and other reaction baits work real well.

Night time summer fishing. Many times I'll have more luck on big spinnerbaits or topwater

Mornings or evenings, Topwater baits

There are plenty of other great examples, like deep cranking, frogging in the slop, etc.

Lesseee if I can get creative enough lol:

Spring and fall, on real windy days, spinnerbaits, rattle traps and other reaction baits work real well.

-Big fat grub on a heavy jig head -maybe with a clip-on overhead spinner.

Night time summer fishing. Many times I'll have more luck on big spinnerbaits or topwater

-Waked Rage Shad, toad, big swimming tail worm or other such beasts.

Mornings or evenings, Topwater baits

Swimming worm, or toad baits, etc..

deep cranking

-"One Ton Tube"

frogging in the slop

-...Toads again...actually you can drag lots of things T-rigged unweighted..how 'bout just the fat head of a giant worm?

[wagn]

There are plenty of times that soft plastics either won't work or won't work as well as other baits. It all depends on conditions and confidence.

Just a couple examples that work for me:

Spring and fall, on real windy days, spinnerbaits, rattle traps and other reaction baits work real well.

Night time summer fishing. Many times I'll have more luck on big spinnerbaits or topwater

Mornings or evenings, Topwater baits

There are plenty of other great examples, like deep cranking, frogging in the slop, etc.

I agree - mostly. The above mentioned presentations work well as stated, as well as others. However it is indeed rare (even at night) when you can't catch something on plastics. The other presentations are just more efficient, during those times.

That was the point I was trying to make. Sure you can find a way to fish plastics in almost any condition, and they make work to a degree, but are not always the best choice.

Personally I have caught less then 10% of my bass in the last 1 and 1/2 months on plastics. I've been out on very windy days and the fish were more interested in reaction bites. Yes, I can find a way to fish plastics if I really want, by why not just go with what is catching me fish which right now are slamming spinnerbaits and cranks.

Don't get me wrong. I love my Trick sticks and Paca craws, but if your only fishing plastics there will be times your are missing out on a better bite

[adclem]

I have never found a situation where plastics did not produce for me.

Later,

[Dave T.]

IMHO...

When bass are on the feed and the fishing is easy... a lot of lures will work... including plastics.

When the fishing is tough... plastics may be the best lures... and sometimes only lure that can trigger a bite.

[JigMe]

I have never found a situation where plastics did not produce for me.

Later,

Somehow buzzbait work best for me in the morning, maybe it is just the area where I am fishing at.

[moloch16]

They may work most of the time, but often it is not the best bait to use.  In the fall bass key in on shad, so a fast moving hard bait may be a better choice.  Case in point, I was fishing a local pond last week.  Usually a weightless trick works well but I wasn't having any luck.  I switched to a top-water pop-r type lure and caught 4 bass at the exact same spot the trickworm completely failed    So it pays to mix it up occassionally.

[Matt Fly]

With all the technology and terminal tackle available now days, most plastics can be fished thoroughly in all parts of the water column, and that don't mean they are the best choices for the situation or most effective.  

To me, when the water temp drops below 55, the only plastic I will use is a jig/trailer or tx rigged craw.   That is just my style, I realize with dropshotting and other finesse presentations out there, you can target some zones with plastics that weren't available years back.

I also don't like plastic in muddy conditons unless its noisy/rattles/ displaces alot of water due to bulkieness or creature style and is scented, normally, again, its gonna be a Craw or jig and craw combo cause fish feed from their lateral line in muddy conditions.

All these baits and terminal tackle are just tools in the tacklebox, and special jobs require special tools.

   Its hard to get plastics to walk like a true Zara Spook does.    It hard to get plastic to mimic a trap.  

Just because fish are chasing bait does not mean the only effective lure/baits are hard baits or spinner baits.  In some cases, yes, in some instances, no.       Magic shads/flukes/swimbaits all work on active feeding fish sometimes.