Changing bait strategies for bass

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bobberboy

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This is my second year of fishing primarily for bass. I have been learning quite a bit from reading here and trial-and-error on my own. Over the years I've bottom fished, bobber fished, trolled, cast-and-retrieve, you name it. I learned when I fly fished the rivers on the north shore of Lake Superior about changes in what the trout were feeding on depended on the cycle of the insects in and on the rivers. There were fly patterns for larval and nymph stages as well as dry flies. The really serious fly fishers would use a fine net and seine the creek or river to see what kind of insects were present and then tie fly patterns to match. My question is, does a similar thing happen with bass and if so, how does one judge when it's time to change tactics. I love top-water fishing and that's mostly how I catch fish. I've had pretty good luck this year with scum frogs. In the last three outings my partner and I have taken 10 fish from 14"-20" on frogs. We also regularly pick up bass by trolling along weed beds with a #5 or #7 shad. I know a lot of guys here and on the lake I fish use all kinds of worm baits and other rubbery things. Anyone have any insight into this question. Do I change baits seasonally or just keep throwing frogs as long as they work?
 
I have noticed the bass up in my neck of the woods are not biting on frogs all of a sudden (I am about a half hour north of the Twin Cities). Not sure why... Perhaps this is the post-spawn blues everyone talks about? Anyway, it has forced me to change things up.

We went out yesterday and had a LOT of luck pulling them out of about 12 feet of water using plastic worms on his suggestion. I was never really big on using plastics but my buddy, who is a really good bass fisherman (read: OBSESSED with bass fishing) insisted I start learning how to throw plastics the right way and it has been really paying off: yesterday was some of the most fun I have ever had, and I am convinced that if I was out fishing by myself, I would have definitely fallen back to frogging and probably wouldn't have caught NEARLY as many fish...

Long story short, I am really glad I have been taking the time to learn how to throw plastics effectively because it has significantly improved the potential for me to catch fish... and it really isn't as difficult or complicated as I thought (for some reason I had this misconception that fishing plastics is complicated: it really isn't... just be ready to miss a few hook sets as you adjust to trying to learn when to set the hook and when not to).
 
im in the same boat as you. still learning alot

all my buddys that have been die hard bass'rs say this time of year to use worms and tubes. its been working so far
 
Absolutely, conditions will always determine what bait/technique might be most productive. The main thing I look at in determining what bait to use is the type of cover and/or structure I am in fishing. For example, with reference to the scum frog, I like to use the scum frog on think beds of lilly pads.

I would use a top water spook on an overcast day and/or where there is a slight chop on the water over top of submerged weeds or grass beds.

On a hot sunny day I am going to look for docks, swimming platforms and other over hanging structure (which creates shade). I will skip tube baits under the cover, or slowly pick it apart with a Senko.

On heavy sumberged vegetation I may burn a spinner bait or chatter bait over the top.

If there is a cold front moving in, or the bite has turned off, I may go to a shaky head jig and worm.

As you can see, the choice of bait will depend on a number of factors. There are thousands of articles on the internet tha talk about when/where to use certain patterns. Of course, nothing is fool proof and sometimes you just have to find your own pattern. That's what make fishing so much fun!
 
I try to read some forums and see what has been working for others in my area. This year I am working on learning different baits and how to fish them - not that I've had much luck with new types, but still learning is learning.

I'd like to be good at differnt types of fishing, not master of any, but good at all of them. Then I feel then I can go to a lake and have fair luck with any type of fishing.

The tackle boxes are getting bigger too!
 
Frogs seem to work well just after the spawn when the bass are guarding the fry. you will still catch the around grass until the fall if you give them time. i tend to switch over to a jig in the summer and fish the deeper waters or outside weed edges.
learning to fish soft plastics for bass is well worth the effort.
 
breachless said:
I have noticed the bass up in my neck of the woods are not biting on frogs all of a sudden (I am about a half hour north of the Twin Cities). Not sure why... Perhaps this is the post-spawn blues everyone talks about? Anyway, it has forced me to change things up.

Yeah man, what the hell is with that? I've been hoping to get a few frog bites in tournaments cause theyre always keepers, but no such luck.
 
BaitCaster said:
On a hot sunny day I am going to look for docks, swimming platforms and other over hanging structure (which creates shade). I will skip tube baits under the cover, or slowly pick it apart with a Senko.

I just started trying to skip baits under docks and boat lifts and have been amazed at how effective it can be... It's fun too! Seems like when all else fails (even if it isn't sunny) you can count on catching one or two fish if you work enough docks and lifts. Pontoons are the best if you can manage to skip it in between the motor and the pontoons. I have REALLY been enjoying this type of fishing.
 
I just started trying to skip baits under docks and boat lifts and have been amazed at how effective it can be... It's fun too

me too brother

ever since learning to fish a fluke its by far my favorite. love skipping them things under docks and tree's
 
breachless said:
BaitCaster said:
On a hot sunny day I am going to look for docks, swimming platforms and other over hanging structure (which creates shade). I will skip tube baits under the cover, or slowly pick it apart with a Senko.

I just started trying to skip baits under docks and boat lifts and have been amazed at how effective it can be... It's fun too! Seems like when all else fails (even if it isn't sunny) you can count on catching one or two fish if you work enough docks and lifts. Pontoons are the best if you can manage to skip it in between the motor and the pontoons. I have REALLY been enjoying this type of fishing.

Yep, it's a great technique to get to those fish that are hiding deep under the dock. It is alot of fun, and not to hard to learn either!
 
bobberboy said:
.....how does one judge when it's time to change tactics.

If I'm confident I'm fishing where fish are, I'll change 20x if I have to. I'd much rather be faced with catching them, than finding them. It's safe to assume that picking lures and colors that resemble the natural forage in the lake is smart, but I've seen enough LM Bass caught on the most rediculous lures to know that it isn't as crucial to success to match the hatch like with our trout fishery.

Once you've found fish (patterned them) you will find that there are usually several ways to catch them. Any area that you're catching fish on the frog would be a good area to work again with a soft plastic. The same with your weed lines, and in fact, anytime you catch fish on a weedline with a crankbait, I'd automatically run rack back over the same spots with soft plastic. Especially if the weedline is a ways off the bank.
 
BTW - I fished a pad covered area with frogs the other day and threw some worms near the edges and in holes. - Never had a nibble, then tied on a lizard on a 1/4 weighted hook and pulled it across the top of everything. Had a couple of takers even when everything else was slow. Of course, they were 'just legal' bass, but they took it.

Lately, I've been catching bass on the ledges near deep water. Most of my shallow stuff has slowed WAY down. Docks haven't even been producing for me yet this year. :roll:
 
I have fished for bass most my life,I have never caught a bass on a scum frog.I guess i'm jinxed or something,people right beside me do,in the same boat even,I just cant seem to get them hooked.MY favorite lures(when I'm not fly fishing for bass) are a green lizard,white spinner bait,bass oreno, and a zara spook.Depending on the time of day of course.Although ,,,I was fishing down at lake fork one day, was midsummer,well over a hundred degrees,absolutely not one breath of wind,not a cloud in the sky anywhere,generaly just a plain old miserable day to be on the water.Just happened there was a bassin gal tournament going on,the largest fish I saw caught (before I hunted some cooler climes)was over 13 lbs,and was caught on a zara spook in 30ft of water right in the middle of the day.go figure...One lure that ive had nearly universal luck with the last few years is a shad colored sluggo. It seems like if they are biting ,they will hit one of these regardless of time of year ,day, weather or whatever.I have always caught bigger fish on a lizard however.
 
jackinok said:
I have fished for bass most my life,I have never caught a bass on a scum frog.I guess i'm jinxed or something,people right beside me do,in the same boat even,I just cant seem to get them hooked.MY favorite lures(when I'm not fly fishing for bass) are a green lizard,white spinner bait,bass oreno, and a zara spook.Depending on the time of day of course.Although ,,,I was fishing down at lake fork one day, was midsummer,well over a hundred degrees,absolutely not one breath of wind,not a cloud in the sky anywhere,generaly just a plain old miserable day to be on the water.Just happened there was a bassin gal tournament going on,the largest fish I saw caught (before I hunted some cooler climes)was over 13 lbs,and was caught on a zara spook in 30ft of water right in the middle of the day.go figure...One lure that ive had nearly universal luck with the last few years is a shad colored sluggo. It seems like if they are biting ,they will hit one of these regardless of time of year ,day, weather or whatever.I have always caught bigger fish on a lizard however.

How do you rig the Slug-go?
 
Like juggernoob says ,weightless texas rigged 99% of the time.just cast it near cover ,weed line ,or drop off,let it sink depending on how deep you want to fish,and just roll up slow with small twitches of rod tip.I generally let it set for several seconds if i'm fishing a flat or a hump of some kind.sure has been a good bait for me, and you can fish it just about anywhere.its about as weedless a bait as i've ever found.I've had good luck when sight fishing spawning beds with it also(dont do it much anymore though)
 

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