Is your most effective technique...

islandbass · 01-10-12, 06:58 PM

Is your most effective bass fishing technique the most effective for you because it is truly that, OR because you use it with greater frequency than other techniques?

Just a question I thought I would pose.

During the "winter" lull, I don't have much else to think about anyway (

) This thought comes to mind to me when the winter blues roll around.

For example, in my case, I would have to say that using the drop shot is perhaps my most effective technique I employ to catch fish.

Is it the most of effective because it catches fish, or because I use it too much?

I could say that I have never ever caught a bass on a spinnerbait or a buzzbait, and this is still true today. This might be hard to believe, but neither lure has ever landed me a bass. But if I look at this from the other side, you can't catch a bass or fish with a lure you don't use.

Don't get me wrong. I am not saying that these two lure types don't or won't work. It is more likely that they have not worked for me because I have yet to put in the time using them and I can honestly say that I have probably thrown a spinnerbait no more than 3 times total last season.

So is there a correlation between what you deem your most productive technique vs. the amount of time you use it?

Let's hear it all.

IB's

Most Effective - Drop Shot and Crank/Hard Jerkbaits

Least effective - Jigs

Never effective - Buzz and Spinnerbaits

kennethdaysale · 01-10-12, 07:30 PM

The most effective lure is the one you prefer to use and have confidence in. I truthfully cannot remember how many years it has been since I didn't have a spinnerbait or buzzbait (or both) on deck. I will seek out conditions that call for them sometimes just for fun. On the other hand while I do own and sometimes use drop-shots, rarely do I have one tied on and on deck and would almost never change locations so I could throw one. I'm sure every fisherman here has confidence baits even though they may say they always use the most appropiate tool for the conditions. It's a personal thing I think.

Marty · 01-10-12, 08:44 PM

Certainly good numbers of bass can be caught on a wide variety of lures, from topwaters to bottom crawlers and everything in between. I catch most of my bass on topwaters, undoubtedly due, at least in part, to the fact that I throw them a disproportionate amount of the time.

A closely related question could be asked about a lure such as the Senko. When this lure rose to prominence about 10 years ago it generated a buzz far greater than for any product I've seen in 40+ years of fishing.

Do Senkos catch a lot of fish because lots of people use them or do lots of people use them because they catch lots of fish?

IowaBasser · 01-10-12, 11:14 PM

Great question... I think about it often myself. It usually only takes one fish for me to have the confidence in a nwe lure to keep it on the end of my line, but it's difficult to fish a new lure for more than 30 minutes without catching anything. It's not really giving a new lure a fair chance, but it's often the truth.

P.S. My #1 confidence bait is a texas rigged worm - last year that changed to a texas rigged Yum Wooly Hawg Craw.

WatterBoy · 01-10-12, 11:32 PM

Most Effective - Zoomie, dropshot, wacky-rigged senkos, jig & pig (even though I just started fishing jigs late last season), frogs...absolutely love to fish DS, senkos and zoomies...all of them any time, any location!

Least effective - Crankbaits, only because I don't have enough confidence in them and actually enjoy "slower" fishing more

Never effective - Jitterbug, still haven't caught a single fish on this lure, although I do use it several times a year...definitely not hard-core usage though

Gbassman · 01-10-12, 11:57 PM

most effective- strike king red eye shad
least effective- jigs
never effective- swimbaits

ETXbassassassin · 01-11-12, 12:20 AM

Most effective- Red eye shad, Zoom horny toads, Spro Bronzeye and Popper, Shadalicious hollow body swimbaits, Lake Fork Live Magic Shad, KVD 2.5
Least effective- Deep cranks, spinner baits, and buzzbaits
Never effective- Spoons

jdw174 · 01-11-12, 08:58 AM

Mine is probably shallow cranking. I've just about given up on spinnerbaits, preferring to toss lures like a Bomber Shallow A, Bandit Footloose, or a SK 1XS around shallow cover. That's followed closely by squarebills.

merc1997 · 01-12-12, 07:30 PM

i would have to say that i fish with a jig quite well. however, when fishing tournaments you have to be versatile and be able to equally fish a number of techniques.

Tavery5 · 01-12-12, 08:11 PM

most effective, jigs, and t-rigged plastics
least effective , buzzbaits
never effective, staying at home

keithdog · 01-12-12, 08:12 PM

This is a tough one to narrow down because I have so many confidence lures depending on the situation I am faced with. It varies based on time of year, time of day, weather conditions, water conditions, and so forth.
Top water- One Knocker Spook & Super Spook Jr., Buzzbaits, Baby Torpedo, 3" Excaliber Popper, Jitterbug, Buzz Frogs in and around weedbeds, and floating jerkbaits.
Heavy weeds- Hollow body frogs, T Rigged Beavers, Jigs, Weedless spoons.
The rest in no particular order, spinnerbaits, crankbaits of various makes and diving depths, suspending jerkbaits, jigs, soft jerk baits especially Strike King Caffeen shads, t- rigged soft plastics of various types, 5" soft swim baits. It just depends on what I am faced with. They all work equally well in the right situation.
My least successful bait is no doubt a lipless crankbait. But I expect that to change this year as I have decided to make it work. Last year I put more effort into buzzbaits as they had never produced for me. But they are now one of my go to baits. I might give drop shots a chance, but honestly, I don't know if I have the patience to fish that way.

LittleBigBass · 01-12-12, 09:58 PM

I agree with keithdog about the time of year. If it is winter, im less confident in things like top water baits.
Most effective: Absolute favorite is spinner baits, then swim baits(especially for winter)
Least effective: Grubs, Tube baits, and any shorter soft plastic, i don't know why i am not confident in them...
Never effective: so far, i have not had luck with jigs, and the drop shot ( even though I fish these baits until the point of exhaustion ) I will keep trying them to master these baits!

Jrob78 · 01-12-12, 11:06 PM

Most Effective - jigs, lipless cranks, square bill cranks, t-rigged plastics
Least Effective - chatterbaits, hollow body frogs
Never Effective - buzzbaits

Scott the fishman · 01-12-12, 11:09 PM

I got 3 i can use anywhere and will most likely get a nice fish. A 3/8 oz green pumpkin brush hog. weightless senko. or a Rapala Perch colored jerkbait any kind doesn't matter i am most confident with those

islandbass · 01-13-12, 03:05 PM

These are great responses! The mind runs with crazy thoughts during the winter blues.

Another thing I have always wondered about since I read Homer Circle's book, "Circle on Bass" was a comment he made in the book about (paraphrased) bass in the south being more inclined to bite a soft plastic vs northern bass being more inclined to bite a crankbait (I think - I read the book quite a long time ago so don't quote me)

I think it would be an interested thing to explore to see if there is a correlation to the lures/techniques we find most effective and our geographical location in the country.

It is a given that bass all over the country will strike everything we throw at them at any given time. So the key here is not to find absolutes because we won't find any.

We just might observe certain tendencies/trends. On the other side of the coin, we might not find anything.

I see posts from Alabama (South) Texas (South), New Jersey (East - East Coast) , South Carolina (South - East Coast), New York (East - Coast), Indiana, Kansas, Iowa (Mid-West), Tennessee (South? - I'm a Pacific Northwesterner who has long since forgotten 2nd grade geography lol), and WA (West - West Coast)

Some of you don't have your location under your avatar, so please let me know.

kennethdaysale · 01-13-12, 05:06 PM

I think it would be great if City-State or at least general geographic location was mandatory.........................Here in SC the bass have read and adhere to the "book" soft plastics-jigs-frogs-topwater-cranks-spinnerbaits etc etc

islandbass · 01-13-12, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennethdaysale

I think it would be great if City-State or at least general geographic location was mandatory.........................Here in SC the bass have read and adhere to the "book" soft plastics-jigs-frogs-topwater-cranks-spinnerbaits etc etc

Just as Homer observed -- Bass in South - Plastics/Jigs in the mouth.

Hmm.....And note how the crank is in the back of the pack. Very interesting.

AUFred · 01-13-12, 05:42 PM

I was raised pond fishing. Topwater usually a popper and a plastic worm are my main baits. I like throwing a crankbait or a spinnerbait if the fish are cooperating.

bassinbob · 01-13-12, 05:49 PM

Tough question to answer because one method isn't applicable in every situation. Having said that Horny Toad tossin is my go to in pads and slop. Shallow crankin is second.

WatterBoy · 01-13-12, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by islandbass

...

I see posts from Alabama (South) Texas (South), New Jersey (East - East Coast) , South Carolina (South - East Coast), New York (East - Coast), Indiana, Kansas, Iowa (Mid-West), Tennessee (South? - I'm a Pacific Northwesterner who has long since forgotten 2nd grade geography lol), and WA (West - West Coast)

Some of you don't have your location under your avatar, so please let me know.

Don't forget MN!

lilmule · 01-13-12, 07:50 PM

Frogging,cold water or not if the pads are up and green they will bust top in 50 f water,but only around the pads.Only two months havnt caught a frog fish thats jan and feb just missed marking feb off last year as just nicked it,not hooked it.First of march it took a very large 1 oz spro king frog.
Paris landing state park pads are the earliest to come up around here in a westerly bay first of march.

Thought this year would take the jan record but the ice kept messing up my retrieve.

Ive never seen it regrow then stay for a bit like it did this year,did get a late dec fish off of it.

islandbass · 01-13-12, 08:27 PM

Sorry for the Omission, WB!!!! MN is represented!

kennethdaysale · 01-13-12, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by islandbass

Just as Homer observed -- Bass in South - Plastics/Jigs in the mouth.

Hmm.....And note how the crank is in the back of the pack. Very interesting.

List was in no particular order, as a matter of fact is I was given an ultimatum along the lines of...if you come back to the ramp without a keeper I'm goona kill you....I'd be throwin a Silver Shad Rap with great confidence that I'd live.

MallenManson · 01-13-12, 09:56 PM

Is your most effective bass fishing technique the most effective for you because it is truly that, OR because you use it with greater frequency than other techniques?

I'd say the two go hand in hand.
If I had to pick 2 baits that I throw more than any other, it'd be spinnerbaits and lipless cranks.
I catch more fish on them, due to the fact that I throw them so much....but....I throw them so much, because I catch more fish on them.
There was a time when I didn't own either. Once I started throwing them, I saw how much they produced. Over time, i gained more confidence in them, so they are now go-to baits

finessefishin · 01-16-12, 08:59 PM

My confidence baits are jigs and all finesse baits. I think your most effective bait and your confidence bait go hand-in-hand. I have been in tournaments where 1st place used spinnerbaits, 2nd place used drop shots, and 3rd used topwater. You catch fish on what you believe in.

01-10-12, 07:30 PM	#2
kennethdaysale BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: rock hill, sc Posts: 2,315	The most effective lure is the one you prefer to use and have confidence in. I truthfully cannot remember how many years it has been since I didn't have a spinnerbait or buzzbait (or both) on deck. I will seek out conditions that call for them sometimes just for fun. On the other hand while I do own and sometimes use drop-shots, rarely do I have one tied on and on deck and would almost never change locations so I could throw one. I'm sure every fisherman here has confidence baits even though they may say they always use the most appropiate tool for the conditions. It's a personal thing I think. __________________ Sometimes you gotta risk it to get the biscuit.

01-10-12, 08:44 PM	#3
Marty BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 1,580	Certainly good numbers of bass can be caught on a wide variety of lures, from topwaters to bottom crawlers and everything in between. I catch most of my bass on topwaters, undoubtedly due, at least in part, to the fact that I throw them a disproportionate amount of the time. A closely related question could be asked about a lure such as the Senko. When this lure rose to prominence about 10 years ago it generated a buzz far greater than for any product I've seen in 40+ years of fishing. Do Senkos catch a lot of fish because lots of people use them or do lots of people use them because they catch lots of fish? __________________ Meeting expenses is easy...they're EVERYWHERE The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits Rochester, NY

01-10-12, 11:57 PM	#6
Gbassman BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: scottsboro Al Posts: 155	most effective- strike king red eye shad least effective- jigs never effective- swimbaits __________________ when god created Lake Guntersville, he created perfection(mark zona)

01-11-12, 12:20 AM	#7
ETXbassassassin BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: East Texas Posts: 38	Most effective- Red eye shad, Zoom horny toads, Spro Bronzeye and Popper, Shadalicious hollow body swimbaits, Lake Fork Live Magic Shad, KVD 2.5 Least effective- Deep cranks, spinner baits, and buzzbaits Never effective- Spoons __________________ - Holy $*&T I'm hung up AGAIN!!!

01-11-12, 08:58 AM	#8
jdw174 BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Paris, TN Posts: 84	Mine is probably shallow cranking. I've just about given up on spinnerbaits, preferring to toss lures like a Bomber Shallow A, Bandit Footloose, or a SK 1XS around shallow cover. That's followed closely by squarebills. __________________ If a smallmouth weighed 100 pounds, a bass boat would be just another buzzbait!

01-10-12, 06:58 PM	#1
islandbass BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: WA State Posts: 1,783	Is your most effective technique... Is your most effective bass fishing technique the most effective for you because it is truly that, OR because you use it with greater frequency than other techniques? Just a question I thought I would pose. During the "winter" lull, I don't have much else to think about anyway () This thought comes to mind to me when the winter blues roll around. For example, in my case, I would have to say that using the drop shot is perhaps my most effective technique I employ to catch fish. Is it the most of effective because it catches fish, or because I use it too much? I could say that I have never ever caught a bass on a spinnerbait or a buzzbait, and this is still true today. This might be hard to believe, but neither lure has ever landed me a bass. But if I look at this from the other side, you can't catch a bass or fish with a lure you don't use. Don't get me wrong. I am not saying that these two lure types don't or won't work. It is more likely that they have not worked for me because I have yet to put in the time using them and I can honestly say that I have probably thrown a spinnerbait no more than 3 times total last season. So is there a correlation between what you deem your most productive technique vs. the amount of time you use it? Let's hear it all. IB's Most Effective - Drop Shot and Crank/Hard Jerkbaits Least effective - Jigs Never effective - Buzz and Spinnerbaits __________________ ARX "If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles." Doug Larson (Shimano 2005 Reel Catalog)

01-10-12, 11:14 PM	#4
IowaBasser BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Ames, Iowa Posts: 360	Great question... I think about it often myself. It usually only takes one fish for me to have the confidence in a nwe lure to keep it on the end of my line, but it's difficult to fish a new lure for more than 30 minutes without catching anything. It's not really giving a new lure a fair chance, but it's often the truth. P.S. My #1 confidence bait is a texas rigged worm - last year that changed to a texas rigged Yum Wooly Hawg Craw.

01-10-12, 11:32 PM	#5
WatterBoy BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Owatonna, MN Posts: 2,280	Most Effective - Zoomie, dropshot, wacky-rigged senkos, jig & pig (even though I just started fishing jigs late last season), frogs...absolutely love to fish DS, senkos and zoomies...all of them any time, any location! Least effective - Crankbaits, only because I don't have enough confidence in them and actually enjoy "slower" fishing more Never effective - Jitterbug, still haven't caught a single fish on this lure, although I do use it several times a year...definitely not hard-core usage though

01-12-12, 07:30 PM	#9
merc1997 BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 204	i would have to say that i fish with a jig quite well. however, when fishing tournaments you have to be versatile and be able to equally fish a number of techniques.

01-12-12, 08:11 PM	#10
Tavery5 BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Wichita, KS Posts: 2,427	most effective, jigs, and t-rigged plastics least effective , buzzbaits never effective, staying at home __________________ They call me Ishmael

01-12-12, 08:12 PM	#11
keithdog BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: IN Posts: 8,308	This is a tough one to narrow down because I have so many confidence lures depending on the situation I am faced with. It varies based on time of year, time of day, weather conditions, water conditions, and so forth. Top water- One Knocker Spook & Super Spook Jr., Buzzbaits, Baby Torpedo, 3" Excaliber Popper, Jitterbug, Buzz Frogs in and around weedbeds, and floating jerkbaits. Heavy weeds- Hollow body frogs, T Rigged Beavers, Jigs, Weedless spoons. The rest in no particular order, spinnerbaits, crankbaits of various makes and diving depths, suspending jerkbaits, jigs, soft jerk baits especially Strike King Caffeen shads, t- rigged soft plastics of various types, 5" soft swim baits. It just depends on what I am faced with. They all work equally well in the right situation. My least successful bait is no doubt a lipless crankbait. But I expect that to change this year as I have decided to make it work. Last year I put more effort into buzzbaits as they had never produced for me. But they are now one of my go to baits. I might give drop shots a chance, but honestly, I don't know if I have the patience to fish that way. __________________ Just one more cast, and then some!

01-12-12, 09:58 PM	#12
LittleBigBass BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 70	I agree with keithdog about the time of year. If it is winter, im less confident in things like top water baits. Most effective: Absolute favorite is spinner baits, then swim baits(especially for winter) Least effective: Grubs, Tube baits, and any shorter soft plastic, i don't know why i am not confident in them... Never effective: so far, i have not had luck with jigs, and the drop shot ( even though I fish these baits until the point of exhaustion ) I will keep trying them to master these baits!

01-12-12, 11:06 PM	#13
Jrob78 BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 4,671	Most Effective - jigs, lipless cranks, square bill cranks, t-rigged plastics Least Effective - chatterbaits, hollow body frogs Never Effective - buzzbaits __________________ There are 3 kinds of people in the world…those who can count and those who can’t. HRN4L

01-12-12, 11:09 PM	#14
Scott the fishman BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Central, New Jersey Posts: 221	I got 3 i can use anywhere and will most likely get a nice fish. A 3/8 oz green pumpkin brush hog. weightless senko. or a Rapala Perch colored jerkbait any kind doesn't matter i am most confident with those __________________ MA CAN I GO FISHING!!!!

01-13-12, 03:05 PM	#15
islandbass BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: WA State Posts: 1,783	These are great responses! The mind runs with crazy thoughts during the winter blues. Another thing I have always wondered about since I read Homer Circle's book, "Circle on Bass" was a comment he made in the book about (paraphrased) bass in the south being more inclined to bite a soft plastic vs northern bass being more inclined to bite a crankbait (I think - I read the book quite a long time ago so don't quote me) I think it would be an interested thing to explore to see if there is a correlation to the lures/techniques we find most effective and our geographical location in the country. It is a given that bass all over the country will strike everything we throw at them at any given time. So the key here is not to find absolutes because we won't find any. We just might observe certain tendencies/trends. On the other side of the coin, we might not find anything. I see posts from Alabama (South) Texas (South), New Jersey (East - East Coast) , South Carolina (South - East Coast), New York (East - Coast), Indiana, Kansas, Iowa (Mid-West), Tennessee (South? - I'm a Pacific Northwesterner who has long since forgotten 2nd grade geography lol), and WA (West - West Coast) Some of you don't have your location under your avatar, so please let me know. __________________ ARX "If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles." Doug Larson (Shimano 2005 Reel Catalog)

01-13-12, 05:06 PM	#16
kennethdaysale BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: rock hill, sc Posts: 2,315	I think it would be great if City-State or at least general geographic location was mandatory.........................Here in SC the bass have read and adhere to the "book" soft plastics-jigs-frogs-topwater-cranks-spinnerbaits etc etc __________________ Sometimes you gotta risk it to get the biscuit.

01-13-12, 05:42 PM	#18
AUFred BassFishin.Com Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Prattville, Alabama Posts: 803	I was raised pond fishing. Topwater usually a popper and a plastic worm are my main baits. I like throwing a crankbait or a spinnerbait if the fish are cooperating.

01-13-12, 05:49 PM	#19
bassinbob BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Pitts. Pa. Posts: 3,801	Tough question to answer because one method isn't applicable in every situation. Having said that Horny Toad tossin is my go to in pads and slop. Shallow crankin is second. __________________ you can have my fishin rod when ya take it from my cold dead hands

01-13-12, 07:50 PM	#21
lilmule BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Buchanan,Tn Posts: 2,685	Frogging,cold water or not if the pads are up and green they will bust top in 50 f water,but only around the pads.Only two months havnt caught a frog fish thats jan and feb just missed marking feb off last year as just nicked it,not hooked it.First of march it took a very large 1 oz spro king frog. Paris landing state park pads are the earliest to come up around here in a westerly bay first of march. Thought this year would take the jan record but the ice kept messing up my retrieve. Ive never seen it regrow then stay for a bit like it did this year,did get a late dec fish off of it.

01-13-12, 08:27 PM	#22
islandbass BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: WA State Posts: 1,783	Sorry for the Omission, WB!!!! MN is represented! __________________ ARX "If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles." Doug Larson (Shimano 2005 Reel Catalog)

01-13-12, 09:56 PM	#24
MallenManson BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Beulah, Michigan Posts: 6,431	Is your most effective bass fishing technique the most effective for you because it is truly that, OR because you use it with greater frequency than other techniques? I'd say the two go hand in hand. If I had to pick 2 baits that I throw more than any other, it'd be spinnerbaits and lipless cranks. I catch more fish on them, due to the fact that I throw them so much....but....I throw them so much, because I catch more fish on them. There was a time when I didn't own either. Once I started throwing them, I saw how much they produced. Over time, i gained more confidence in them, so they are now go-to baits __________________ Bass fear me. Women pepperspray me.....

01-16-12, 08:59 PM	#25
finessefishin BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: SW Michigan Posts: 49	My confidence baits are jigs and all finesse baits. I think your most effective bait and your confidence bait go hand-in-hand. I have been in tournaments where 1st place used spinnerbaits, 2nd place used drop shots, and 3rd used topwater. You catch fish on what you believe in.

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