Do you seem to fish slow (pitch/flip) first thing in the a.m. or do you fish fast? I know the time of year has to do with it but what do you find your self starting out with more? Is the bass more active in the early a.m.?
Quote from: mattorschell on April 06, 2011, 02:41:31 AM
Do you seem to fish slow (pitch/flip) first thing in the a.m. or do you fish fast? I know the time of year has to do with it but what do you find your self starting out with more? Is the bass more active in the early a.m.?
I usually start out with a reaction bait early in low light conditions such as a spinnerbait or vibra shock. I like something with vibration and a little flash. I will also flip a big jig early something I think the fish can see.
98% of the time I'm starting the fishing day off with a spinnerbait or a rattle trap looking for the more aggressive feeding fish.
Depending on the water temperature and lake I might start off flipping and pitching. This usually is a winter time situation for me though.
Always a gray area...
I find first light conditions usually means a bit more of an aggessive posture from most bass and will throw top waters, cranks and spinnerbaits early. But it depends a lot on the water and conditions. The fish will usually let you know after the first few casts.
Maybe not the best presentation 100% of the time, but my favorite time to throw a Spook is when the water is calm and the steam is still coming off the water at first light.
i like to throw a buzzbait or buzzfrog first thing. ill give it 30 min or so then if it doesnt produce ill switch to spinnerbait at the top of the water column then sloly work my way down until i get a strike. if i got nothing on that in ah hour, then i just start throwing plastics. pitching or using some type of finesse bait.
Quote from: jesse1378 on April 06, 2011, 08:34:35 AM
i like to throw a buzzbait or buzzfrog first thing. ill give it 30 min or so then if it doesnt produce ill switch to spinnerbait at the top of the water column then sloly work my way down until i get a strike. if i got nothing on that in ah hour, then i just start throwing plastics. pitching or using some type of finesse bait.
X2
Quote from: jesse1378 on April 06, 2011, 08:34:35 AM
i like to throw a buzzbait or buzzfrog first thing. ill give it 30 min or so then if it doesnt produce ill switch to spinnerbait at the top of the water column then sloly work my way down until i get a strike. if i got nothing on that in ah hour, then i just start throwing plastics. pitching or using some type of finesse bait.
I prefer slower presentations. Love pitching/flipping jigs to targets/cover...after a couple years I figured out I was getting beat regularly by guys who were tossing the buzzbaits/frogs early in the morning...and getting, frankly, some better quality fish...
I make sure to toss the buzzbait/frogs early on...if they're hitting it, the opportunity to get some better quality fish makes a lot of difference ... if they're not hitting it, I adjust...
one key for me: if they're hitting the buzzbait early...I ride that bite as long as I can...and occasionally it takes me through the day...again, the results are typically a bit better quality fish...
I like to start off on top - popR, Gunfish, top dollar
If no takes, I move a level down. Pointers, X-rap, Chatterbait, spinnerbait
If no takes, I slow way down with a jig, tube, etc.
I am hyper and fishing slow - kills me. For that reason alone - I hate senkos!
Quote from: jesse1378 on April 06, 2011, 08:34:35 AM
i like to throw a buzzbait or buzzfrog first thing. ill give it 30 min or so then if it doesnt produce ill switch to spinnerbait at the top of the water column then sloly work my way down until i get a strike. if i got nothing on that in ah hour, then i just start throwing plastics. pitching or using some type of finesse bait.
X3 lo
Like most replies already, I do the same I start off on top with a buzz bait,spook,or a pop r. Then I will move down a level and throw a wake bait,spinnerbait,pointer. I fished a tournament Sunday and Had a Rago swim bait on one of my poles and told my friend I " I'm gonna make 5 cast, Thats it with it" 2 cast later I had a nice 3 pounder in the boat.
I see alot of people start off with top water. What is the coldest water temp you will start using top water? I was always told no colder than 55 DEG.
Quote from: mattorschell on April 06, 2011, 06:06:13 PM
I see alot of people start off with top water. What is the coldest water temp you will start using top water? I was always told no colder than 55 DEG.
I don't often try them until the fish are almost on the beds...really up cruising looking...that's real high 50's...and typically 60°F or better...for me they really come into their own after the spawn...
I throw a Coloroda blade spinnerbait until it gets light enough to see, then I throw a Chugbug or Woodchopper all year except Janurary and Feburary, maybe part of March if its still cold.
temp wise for a buzzbait. i would say i start having it tied on at about 50* or so. might throw it once or twice. as the after the water starts to slowly warm up i slowly start to throw it more and more. onve the water is a stable 60ish i pick it up first.
With the exception of pre-spawn/spawn I start off on deep water structure & never move shallow unless I'm forced to.
I really like to start off the day with a spook and if no bites in a about 30 mins then I will switch to the frog. After those bites, I will throw a spinnerbait. A good substitute for the spinner is swimming a jig. I have really learned to like this one because once that swim bite slows I will start pitching/flipping. I have had a lot of success swimming the same jig that I pitch.
This allows me to cover every part of the water column without having to have a lot of rods on the deck in the way waiting to get stepped on. I suggest going out on two different days and trying topwater one day and slow presentations on the other day (with same conditions to reduce as many environmental differences as possible to see what works best for you).
We all know bass feed on opportunity. There was an article I just read about how a fish feeds at dusk and dawn whether it's hungry or not. So this would lead you to believe that you should cover as much water as you can at these times.
With that said I can pitch a jig effectively behind a guy throwing a spinnerbait. How fast you fish doesn't really mean any specific bait. Reverse example I've had patterns where you worked a top water so slow you could drink a cup of coffe during one cast?
Fast or slow early? Gotta let the fish tell you what they want. I'll start from 60 degrees back to 60 degrees with a frog or other top water but how fast I work it really varies?
you got it mike. iave had days where i could reel a buzzbait fast enough and other days ive had to reel it just slow enough to stay on top of the water.
I like to think I'm a methodical type of person, so I fish slow generally anyway. I'll usually start out with a topwater lure during the warmer months, because I just flat out enjoy fishing them the most, unless I feel there's a reason to do something different, then go from there. I rig up different lures to try to be ready for whatever I may find, whether it's first thing in the morning or not.
However, I certainly have to agree with Mike! You have to let the bass tell you what they want & how they want it, trying to force things is too much like work! ::)
I usually pull a white spinnerbait through and over shallow cover, just fast enough to keep it about 3 or 4 inches below surface. For me, if the bass are active that will do it day in and day out. If not, I usually throw on an unweighted worm (or 1/16 ounce if it's a little windy) nice and slow in the same areas. That's my bread and butter, baby. If neither of these produce, my limited knowledge usually leads me to a sub shop to grab a ham n' cheese with the works and then home for a couple of beers ;)
Start out witha lot of reaction baits in the mornin topwaters spinnerbaits plugs back in pockets creeks cause in the fall prespawn or summer the bait fish are back in the creeks than es that sun gets higher they will mostly migrate out along with the bass foowing them goin to deeper structer main channels or creek mouths!! Some fish will stay back in the creeks cause the thermocline in the summer is about 5 to 6 feet of water. So flip when sun is the highest
have fun. Seth Willard
Thanks for the help.