When do you fish fast?

In response to a guy who was complainng about somebody who always advises
them to fish slower. They asked, "So when do you fish fast?"
The fish will tell you. A couple times I have had chaser after chaser with
no bites. Sometimes changing baits did the trick, and sometimes speeding up
or trying to jerk the bait away from the fish did the trick, and sometimes I
just got frustrated, threw all my rods in the lake dumped out the tackle
boxes, drilled a hole in the bottom of the boat, and swam back to the dock.


--
Bob La Londe
http://www.YumaBassMan.com

I think the problem some people have with fishing too fast relates to
the speed of the boat more than the lure. Obviously when your fishing a
Senko, you can't fish it slow enough. On the other hand, some baits work
better when you occasionally give them a jerk to simulate a fleeing baitfish
(spinnerbait, crankbait or swimbait for me). But I know lots of guys that
give up on an area after 5 minutes. Or worse yet they just keep on moving
along as though they are going to cover a 50 foot wide area in 4 casts.
I like to break a lake down to a pond. What I mean is that if I see an
area that has all the ingredients, like a weed-bed that's 50 yards long and
20 yards wide with some rocks or logs and it's next to a drop-off that goes
deep, I know it's holding some fish. So then I forget the rest of the lake
for a while and pick it apart. I'm slowly working every nook and cranny,
from multiple angles if the wind will allow, to make sure if they're there,
they're seeing my bait. I work from the outside in to the shore.
Usually I can grab at least a couple of them in a couple of hours. If
not, I know it's not because I wasn't thorough. I'm finding that in a
tournament, even though it's hard, I need to be patient and wait them out.
Certain times of the day they often don't want to eat, but sooner or later
they're going to sample my offering. I rarely skunk.

Rich P

Bob La Londe wrote:
In response to a guy who was complainng about somebody who always advises
them to fish slower. They asked, "So when do you fish fast?"
The fish will tell you. A couple times I have had chaser after chaser with
no bites. Sometimes changing baits did the trick, and sometimes speeding up
or trying to jerk the bait away from the fish did the trick, and sometimes I
just got frustrated, threw all my rods in the lake dumped out the tackle
boxes, drilled a hole in the bottom of the boat, and swam back to the dock.


Bob,

I believe fishing fast is temperature related. I have read that bass
metabolism peaks between mid 70's and 80 degree water temps. As it
water temps climb past these temps bass metabolism starts to drop off
and they shut down as if it were cold. I have also read that once water
reaches 55 and above (up to the peak) fish will actively chase a bait
down if it is worth their while. I also believe it was Al Linder (or
maybe James) that said a bass has a top speed that is about 4 times
faster than the fastest we can reel (I will try to find the exact
quote), so there are possibly times we cannot reel fast enough to peak
their interest or create a reaction strike.

I do know that I have had success with large baits (#11 & up) floating
rapalas twitched very very fast across the surface and just below for
smallies and largemouth. I have also had success just leaving those
same baits sit on top on the same exact day they were smashing the
erratic retrieve. I discover things like that more by accident rather
than on purpose. One day, I was casting to a small patch of grass I
could see just below the surface, and I completely threw my bait no
where near the patch, so I cursed and cranked my spinnerbait as fast as
I could to get it in to recast that the blades were just tearing up the
surface, when it got smashed by a legal. Next 2 casts, and 3 or 4 other
instances later , all produced legal largemouth using the same technique.

Oh well, throw in the fact that bass are bass, but they all have their
own personalities, it kind of makes things difficult at times.

Chris

It pays to experiment with buzzbaits almost every time you throw them. As a
general rule, Bob Rickard teaches that all blade baits achive maximum
effectiveness at very slow rates of retrieve. Not too many fishermen have
the patience to stick with that for long, though.

I start out crawling my buzzbait across the surface, but if I see fish
activity in the area and don't get anything to hit the lure, then I'll burn
it across the top, and then some speeds in between. I'll also try erratice
retrieves (zip!---roll... roll... roll... zip!... roll... roll... zip!).

If all else fails, try swimming it under the surface all or some of the way
on the retrieve. A retrieve that resembles a porpoise breaking the surface
every now and then, but with the lure entirely under water most of the time,
was recommended years ago by Doug Hannon. We sometimes fished them that way
in Arkansas, and I recall the technique to be most effective in calm, open
channels between the weeds.
--
Joe Haubenreich
Secret Weapon Lures
Web: secretweaponlures.com
---------------------------------------
Better designs... better lures.... better results
---------------------------------------~ 0")))

"Chris Rennert" wrote in message
...
Bob La Londe wrote:
In response to a guy who was complainng about somebody who always advises
them to fish slower. They asked, "So when do you fish fast?"
The fish will tell you. A couple times I have had chaser after chaser
with
no bites. Sometimes changing baits did the trick, and sometimes speeding
up
or trying to jerk the bait away from the fish did the trick, and sometimes
I
just got frustrated, threw all my rods in the lake dumped out the tackle
boxes, drilled a hole in the bottom of the boat, and swam back to the
dock.


Bob,

I believe fishing fast is temperature related. I have read that bass
metabolism peaks between mid 70's and 80 degree water temps. As it
water temps climb past these temps bass metabolism starts to drop off
and they shut down as if it were cold. I have also read that once water
reaches 55 and above (up to the peak) fish will actively chase a bait
down if it is worth their while. I also believe it was Al Linder (or
maybe James) that said a bass has a top speed that is about 4 times
faster than the fastest we can reel (I will try to find the exact
quote), so there are possibly times we cannot reel fast enough to peak
their interest or create a reaction strike.

I do know that I have had success with large baits (#11 & up) floating
rapalas twitched very very fast across the surface and just below for
smallies and largemouth. I have also had success just leaving those
same baits sit on top on the same exact day they were smashing the
erratic retrieve. I discover things like that more by accident rather
than on purpose. One day, I was casting to a small patch of grass I
could see just below the surface, and I completely threw my bait no
where near the patch, so I cursed and cranked my spinnerbait as fast as
I could to get it in to recast that the blades were just tearing up the
surface, when it got smashed by a legal. Next 2 casts, and 3 or 4 other
instances later , all produced legal largemouth using the same technique.

Oh well, throw in the fact that bass are bass, but they all have their
own personalities, it kind of makes things difficult at times.

Chris

Hey guys. I was just being a wiseguy. I'm no expert on when to fish fast
or slow, but I can usually tell if a fast retireve catches a fish I should
try it fast again. LOL.

--
Bob La Londe
www.YumaBassMan.com

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
In response to a guy who was complainng about somebody who always advises
them to fish slower. They asked, "So when do you fish fast?"
The fish will tell you. A couple times I have had chaser after chaser
with
no bites. Sometimes changing baits did the trick, and sometimes speeding
up
or trying to jerk the bait away from the fish did the trick, and sometimes
I
just got frustrated, threw all my rods in the lake dumped out the tackle
boxes, drilled a hole in the bottom of the boat, and swam back to the
dock.

LOL! I read the title, and thought "I fish fast when I am trolling for ocean
fish, usually at 5-7mph. I fish slow for bass, usually poking along under
electric troller power."

Obviously, my train of thought derailed before I could read your post
Bob....lol



--
Bob La Londe
http://www.YumaBassMan.com

When do you fish fast?

Group: rec.outdoors.fishing.bass Date: Mon, Jul 18, 2005, 5:33pm (CDT-2)
From: (Bob=A0La=A0Londe)
In response to a guy who was complainng about somebody who always
advises them to fish slower. They asked, "So when do you fish fast?" The
fish will tell you. A couple times I have had chaser after chaser with
no bites. Sometimes changing baits did the trick, and sometimes speeding
up or trying to jerk the bait away from the fish did the trick, and
sometimes I just got frustrated, threw all my rods in the lake dumped
out the tackle boxes, drilled a hole in the bottom of the boat, and swam
back to the dock.
--
Bob La Londe
http://www.YumaBassMan.com
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Maybe I'm just a "simpleton"...but I fish a lure at all various speeds
until I find the speed the bass are tuned into. I don't care what kind
of lure I'm using...I still do this. When I select a lure...I like to
give it a chance, I present it in every way possible before I elect to
change lures. Works for me !

JK

I don't think there are any days where I would fish just slow or fast. Too
many variables. Water temperature in one part of the lake compared to
another could make the difference between a fish chasing down a lure or
waiting for something to bump it on the head. Sometimes I will work an area
real slow, just to go back and fish it a bit faster with the same bait. It's
produced on many occasions. The hardest part about fishing for me is trying
to stay away from the thinking that this is what the bass want, or this is
where the bass will be because the conditions are so and so today. I have
caught small fish in deep water and big fish in shallow water when according
to everything I have read it should have been the other way around. So I try
to ignore all that "information"

A good example is when I fished the NWC with Joe H, we both caught a fish
early fishing stumps on a shaded shoreline, we fished like that for a while,
we then lost our trolling motor and wound up on the main lake shoreline
right next to a beach area with people in the water, no structure just some
weedbeds along the shoreline and the sun was shining bright, as we drifted
down it a few time we wound up picking up a few fish on spinnerbaits, we
finished 1st and 2nd that year. I would bet that if we did have the trolling
motor we might have finished like everyone else that day with most zeroing
out, because we would have been fishing places that we have been
taught/learned to believe held fish. JMO


"Joe Haubenreich" (removethis)swljoe-at-secretweaponlures.com wrote in
message ...
It pays to experiment with buzzbaits almost every time you throw them. As
a
general rule, Bob Rickard teaches that all blade baits achive maximum
effectiveness at very slow rates of retrieve. Not too many fishermen have
the patience to stick with that for long, though.

I start out crawling my buzzbait across the surface, but if I see fish
activity in the area and don't get anything to hit the lure, then I'll
burn
it across the top, and then some speeds in between. I'll also try erratice
retrieves (zip!---roll... roll... roll... zip!... roll... roll... zip!).

If all else fails, try swimming it under the surface all or some of the
way
on the retrieve. A retrieve that resembles a porpoise breaking the surface
every now and then, but with the lure entirely under water most of the
time,
was recommended years ago by Doug Hannon. We sometimes fished them that
way
in Arkansas, and I recall the technique to be most effective in calm, open
channels between the weeds.
--
Joe Haubenreich
Secret Weapon Lures
Web: secretweaponlures.com
---------------------------------------
Better designs... better lures.... better results
---------------------------------------~ 0")))

"Chris Rennert" wrote in message
...
Bob La Londe wrote:
In response to a guy who was complainng about somebody who always advises
them to fish slower. They asked, "So when do you fish fast?"
The fish will tell you. A couple times I have had chaser after chaser
with
no bites. Sometimes changing baits did the trick, and sometimes speeding
up
or trying to jerk the bait away from the fish did the trick, and
sometimes
I
just got frustrated, threw all my rods in the lake dumped out the tackle
boxes, drilled a hole in the bottom of the boat, and swam back to the
dock.


Bob,

I believe fishing fast is temperature related. I have read that bass
metabolism peaks between mid 70's and 80 degree water temps. As it
water temps climb past these temps bass metabolism starts to drop off
and they shut down as if it were cold. I have also read that once water
reaches 55 and above (up to the peak) fish will actively chase a bait
down if it is worth their while. I also believe it was Al Linder (or
maybe James) that said a bass has a top speed that is about 4 times
faster than the fastest we can reel (I will try to find the exact
quote), so there are possibly times we cannot reel fast enough to peak
their interest or create a reaction strike.

I do know that I have had success with large baits (#11 & up) floating
rapalas twitched very very fast across the surface and just below for
smallies and largemouth. I have also had success just leaving those
same baits sit on top on the same exact day they were smashing the
erratic retrieve. I discover things like that more by accident rather
than on purpose. One day, I was casting to a small patch of grass I
could see just below the surface, and I completely threw my bait no
where near the patch, so I cursed and cranked my spinnerbait as fast as
I could to get it in to recast that the blades were just tearing up the
surface, when it got smashed by a legal. Next 2 casts, and 3 or 4 other
instances later , all produced legal largemouth using the same technique.

Oh well, throw in the fact that bass are bass, but they all have their
own personalities, it kind of makes things difficult at times.

Chris