Question

How long do you guys stay with a bait before switching off to a different
lure? Say if you don't get a hit in the first 30 minutes do you switch from
a jig to a spinnerbait or do you keep with it? Opinions?

"Pat_RI" wrote in message
news:mLc%f.1545$B42.633@dukeread05...
How long do you guys stay with a bait before switching off to a different
lure? Say if you don't get a hit in the first 30 minutes do you switch
from
a jig to a spinnerbait or do you keep with it? Opinions?



I generally have "areas" that I attack. Once I move into that area, I
generally have 3 plans of attack (A-B-C if you will). I will cover that area
with plan A, and if no success will move to plan B, and if nothing then I
will move onto plan C. So how long I stick with a bait (a plan) will depend
on the size of the area I have chosen to fish well/thoroughly before moving
on to the next area.

Of course that is subject to change, especially if I am in the middle of my
first, second or third choice of baits/presentations and get nipped or
bumped, but not bit. May downsize, slow down or speed up, add a trailer
hook, or some other type of adjustment to my current bait of choice before
moving on to my next tactic or bait.

So I don't have a specific time frame that I use, I have an overall plan
that normally includes at least 3 baits, and will simply work through those
baits, while targeting specific areas of the impoundment or water body that
I am on that day.

The major caveat to that is if I am fishing say, as plan A, a fishfinder
bait like a spinnerbait or buzz bait and get a strike or two but no takers,
I will immediately follow it up with something more along the lines of a
finesse bait if the water conditions are right (clear/shallow/low
vegetation), or a frog if the area has a bunch of lily pads or floating mats
of alge or vegetation. Followup baits are something I've been learning very
recently, and is the one time I will immediately switch away from a primary
bait if it is attracking strikes without any hookups.

Pat,

Personally I like to fish baits I feel I can catch fish with in any
condition. It is mostly based on confidence and forage. Instead of
breaking down what I do completely here is a quick example. Take a swim
jig, this bait, I can use at absolutely anytime of year, in any cover,
and at any depth. The only changes I make to them are trimming the
brush guard, using a smaller or larger trailer, and trimming the skirt.
You can burn them across the surface over the tops of weeds, and then
kill them in a pocket. YOu can dead stick them, and allow the skirt to
just pulsate on the bottom. You could hop it back like a plastic worm,
you could slowly swim it directly back to the boat. One instance it
just doesn't hold up is in the very early spring when suspended baits shine.
I will tell you that I am a crankbait fisherman first, and will reach
for a crankbait in just about every situation because I have all the
confidence in the world in them.
I apologize for the long reply , and to answer your question directly, I
stick with a bait until conditions don't allow me to fish the bait. I
won't fish through every bait in my tacklebox hoping to catch fish on
something, I try and get a feel of the area based on the season and run
through it with my primaries if nothing is happening I will move and
find another area. Of course, this doesn't mean the way I do it is
correct, or better than anyone else's method, mileage definitely varies.
I don't want to sound like a broken record, but you must have
confidence that the bait you are throwing will catch the fish you are
fishing for.

I have a lot more on the subject, but I will leave it there and if you
want to talk about it more just holler.

Chris
Pat_RI wrote:
How long do you guys stay with a bait before switching off to a different
lure? Say if you don't get a hit in the first 30 minutes do you switch from
a jig to a spinnerbait or do you keep with it? Opinions?

Chris so what it sounds like to me is that you keep moving until you find a
spot that your lure works. Is this true?
"Chris Rennert" wrote in message
news
Pat,

Personally I like to fish baits I feel I can catch fish with in any
condition. It is mostly based on confidence and forage. Instead of
breaking down what I do completely here is a quick example. Take a swim
jig, this bait, I can use at absolutely anytime of year, in any cover,
and at any depth. The only changes I make to them are trimming the
brush guard, using a smaller or larger trailer, and trimming the skirt.
You can burn them across the surface over the tops of weeds, and then
kill them in a pocket. YOu can dead stick them, and allow the skirt to
just pulsate on the bottom. You could hop it back like a plastic worm,
you could slowly swim it directly back to the boat. One instance it
just doesn't hold up is in the very early spring when suspended baits
shine.
I will tell you that I am a crankbait fisherman first, and will reach
for a crankbait in just about every situation because I have all the
confidence in the world in them.
I apologize for the long reply , and to answer your question directly, I
stick with a bait until conditions don't allow me to fish the bait. I
won't fish through every bait in my tacklebox hoping to catch fish on
something, I try and get a feel of the area based on the season and run
through it with my primaries if nothing is happening I will move and
find another area. Of course, this doesn't mean the way I do it is
correct, or better than anyone else's method, mileage definitely varies.
I don't want to sound like a broken record, but you must have
confidence that the bait you are throwing will catch the fish you are
fishing for.

I have a lot more on the subject, but I will leave it there and if you
want to talk about it more just holler.

Chris
Pat_RI wrote:
How long do you guys stay with a bait before switching off to a
different
lure? Say if you don't get a hit in the first 30 minutes do you switch
from
a jig to a spinnerbait or do you keep with it? Opinions?

Pat,

I tried and tried to come up with a good answer to counter that claim,
but I guess, yeah, in a nutshell that is what I do. I figure our time
is precious , and we can work over inactive fish, or we can give a spot
a fair shake, and go find some active ones. I am not KVD, and would
never claim to be anywhere near the angler he is, but it is pretty much
his method as well. I guess it isn't only have confidence in what you
are throwing, but also the spot you are fishing.

Take care, Chris
Pat_RI wrote:
Chris so what it sounds like to me is that you keep moving until you find a
spot that your lure works. Is this true?
"Chris Rennert" wrote in message
news
Pat,

Personally I like to fish baits I feel I can catch fish with in any
condition. It is mostly based on confidence and forage. Instead of
breaking down what I do completely here is a quick example. Take a swim
jig, this bait, I can use at absolutely anytime of year, in any cover,
and at any depth. The only changes I make to them are trimming the
brush guard, using a smaller or larger trailer, and trimming the skirt.
You can burn them across the surface over the tops of weeds, and then
kill them in a pocket. YOu can dead stick them, and allow the skirt to
just pulsate on the bottom. You could hop it back like a plastic worm,
you could slowly swim it directly back to the boat. One instance it
just doesn't hold up is in the very early spring when suspended baits
shine.
I will tell you that I am a crankbait fisherman first, and will reach
for a crankbait in just about every situation because I have all the
confidence in the world in them.
I apologize for the long reply , and to answer your question directly, I
stick with a bait until conditions don't allow me to fish the bait. I
won't fish through every bait in my tacklebox hoping to catch fish on
something, I try and get a feel of the area based on the season and run
through it with my primaries if nothing is happening I will move and
find another area. Of course, this doesn't mean the way I do it is
correct, or better than anyone else's method, mileage definitely varies.
I don't want to sound like a broken record, but you must have
confidence that the bait you are throwing will catch the fish you are
fishing for.

I have a lot more on the subject, but I will leave it there and if you
want to talk about it more just holler.

Chris
Pat_RI wrote:
How long do you guys stay with a bait before switching off to a
different
lure? Say if you don't get a hit in the first 30 minutes do you switch
from
a jig to a spinnerbait or do you keep with it? Opinions?

Pat_RI wrote:
How long do you guys stay with a bait before switching off to a different
lure? Say if you don't get a hit in the first 30 minutes do you switch from
a jig to a spinnerbait or do you keep with it? Opinions?

Keep in mind that I am fishing shallow Florida water where "deep" water
is less than 10 feet.

I start out fishing as if the fish are actively feeding and continue
this way until the fish prove to me that it is the wrong approach.
This usually entails fishing a spinnerbait or a jerkbait. My Dad
refers to this as macrofishing or "picking the low hanging fruit."

If I fail to raise a fish in what I think should be a productive area,
I will go back over the area with a slower bait like a Kinami Flash or
a Senko. I have often found that there were fish in the areas where I
threw the spinner bait but they were not in the chasing mood.

There is one particular area of the lake I fish most often where I have
made a pass with a spinnerbit with no takers. The Senko also got no
takers but a third trip, flipping around the overhanging bushes,
produced fish.

I will seldom spend more than about 30 minutes macrofishing before
check to see if the fish are just being closed-mouthed.