Match the Hatch Information

[AMC23]

I want to start out and say that I have been visiting the site for a while and it is flat out awesome... lots of great information and resources and I am glad to actually be a member now!

Anyways, I had a question... I was wondering if anyone knew of a resource that gave a guide to specific bass prey in a geographic region. I find myself inside BPS looking at the ridiculous amount of color choices on lures and trying to decide what one to buy. I know the standard dirty, stained, clear water rules but I am talking to really match the hatch... To know whether to buy the Tennessee shad, sexy shad, golden shad, or the silver minnow pattern... buy the silver shad or the silver shad with purple back and green fleck... you get the picture. I sometimes feel like I pick up the same colors all the time without really having any specific reason to believe they will catch more fish. Anyone else feel like they buy lures because THEY like them and not because they think it will be productive?

[bassinbob]

Welcome AMC23. I would talk with other fishermen in the area you intend to fish in. Or contact the state fish com. They should be able to give you info on the forage. You then could then start off matching the hatch and then throwing different colors. I admit I have bought a few lures that way.

[keithdog]

Welcome aboard AMC. Bob has it right. I'd too would first check with local fisherman, bait shops, and ask a couple DNR guys. Your states DNR website should have a link that could help also. You might look for a local bass fishin club and about lure color choices for your needs. You could also check and see if your county has a conservation club. They might have the answers for ya.

[woody]

Welcome AMC23.

Likewise, I would also try collecting feedback from other local fisherman. Who knows, there may be some Locals here willing to share with you.?


-Mark

[AMC23]

Thanks for the input guys! I have been looking around online but yet to find solid info. I have been on the ODNR website but they do not break it down very regionally specific or lake specific. I just want to start expanding my color horizons beyond the normal rules. Hey, I bet I can use that as an excuse to go fishing.... the more baits I try, means I need to spend more time on the water....hhmmmm.... I wonder if I can swing that to the boss as continuting education and actually get paid.....

[muddy]

I am from the school ot thought , that on some days it is showing them something they never saw before, but look like a quick and easy meal is the ticket. I have a pond I fish that has nothing that looks like a Fat Ika at all, yet that pond has given up a nice few couple of 4 lbrs using that bait. Sometimes not matching the hatch but appealing to the ambush instinct is the ticket,

[danielbasspro]

I would try to catch some of the baitfish you are trying to imitate so you can see it upclose and find a color,shape,size that looks exactly like it

[Jrob78]

I think in some cases match the hatch with bass is important, like when they are keyed in on schooling baitfish. Most times I think they are mostly opportunistic feeders. While on certain days some colors, sizes, shapes will produce better than others I don't know how much of it is actually because it resembles something else they are feeding on. Most times I think our baits represent a easy meal or simply trigger a reaction that the bass can't resist.

[muddy]

Hey Jrob:One of the times match the hatch works for me is if it has been raining hard for a day or 2. I go to where there is run off, and i use a wieghtless/t rigged Jelly worm fishing it from where teh runoff comes into the lake to the first dropoff nearest it. I have had good results with this as I think ( can prove other than in caugth fish) that they are keying for insects. worms and such getting washed in

[Jrob78]

Very good point Muddy, I have had the exact same thing happen in runoffs after a rain. I remember tearing them up in the in-flowing water once using wacky rigged trick worms in pumpkin color. They were definitely keying in on slow moving, current flowing, natural baits.

[muddy]

Some of those big bass guys out in Cali use incredibly realsitic Blue Gill swim baits, cost a lot of dough, to match the hatch in search of craking the record!

I use Brown, Geeen and Black shades of plastics only now, I gave up on all the others, dont really see the need for 25 colors anymore. it they aint hitting these I go to Plugs !

[Jrob78]

Other times though you get bites on things that don't even really exist in nature. How often do bass see lizards bottom swimming in 40' of water? Are there alot of chartreuse, orange tiger striped baitfish swimming around? How about bright pink worms or crazy creature baits with 7 long paddle arms and 2 curl tails? I guess these baits create a commotion or just flat out get noticed by bass and that's all that really matters in some cases. Good thought provoking thread.

[cassidyta]

Originally Posted by muddy

Some of those big bass guys out in Cali use incredibly realsitic Blue Gill swim baits, cost a lot of dough, to match the hatch in search of craking the record!

I use Brown, Geeen and Black shades of plastics only now, I gave up on all the others, dont really see the need for 25 colors anymore. it they aint hitting these I go to Plugs !

I would suspect that you are talking about the Matt's Lure blue gill.

These are my post bass spawn baits. I use them once the blue gill move into the now vacated bass beds.

It isn't as much about matching the hatch as it is matching ones that look like males or females. The males are more likely to pursue the close bass and often get hit out of anger.
The females are more likely to hover off the beds.

[muddy]

Thanks for that explanation. I never used em so I cant say.

[Jrob78]

It isn't as much about matching the hatch as it is matching ones that look like males or females. The males are more likely to pursue the close bass and often get hit out of anger.
The females are more likely to hover off the beds.

Is that not what match the hatch is? Trying to closely imitate a prey item that bass are specifically more likely to strike?

[cassidyta]

It is probably an example of matching the hatch.
For me, I consider matching the hatch trying to match the shades of a particular location and season's prey each year. Some years my shad or crawdads and darker than others.

[Jrob78]

That makes sense.

[AMC23]

I am with cassidyta on his "match the hatch" theory. I have tried to really target what the primary prey for the bass is. I keep going back to what Rick Clunn said. He talks about instead of thinking as a fisherman think like the fish; and bass in their most natural instinctual environment feed on natural looking baits. Throw all our theories out about colors with temp and clarity and bass eat natural baitfish - in clear water and muddy. However, that is not to say our techniques are not important or do not work. I just think that getting back to targeting the bass' instinct and natural prey will be productive. Especially when other fishermen are all throwing the same baits colors. On a different note check out this crank -- talk about natural and pricey -- http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpageVBCB-VPSD21.html And also is that a metal bill on that bait. Has anyone ever fish a metal bill like that?

[nofearengineer]

I have fished cranks with metal bills before. Way back when I was a kid, in the Stone Age, a lot of cranks had metal bills. They worked just fine. I caught a ton of fish with them.

However, I the only time I ever threw $70 into the lake was my whole fishing rod, and I did that on accident. I believe if I was going to throw baits that expensive, I might keep some scuba equipment on board to retrieve snags.