Learned something today ( I think)

[richg99]

As I might have mentioned before, I have access to a fertile 8-acre pond nearby.

The pond is full of small bass, ranging from 8 inches to maybe a pound or two. They are dumb and underfished, hence, I can catch them most of the time.

With the unusual COLD weather here in Houston TX USA lately, the bass have been mostly uncooperative. However, a warming spell has hit and the bass are starting to co-operate. Sometimes, that is......

Over the last few days, I've caught a lot of smaller bass from shore. Today, I took a paddle boat out and worked the shorelines for an hour and a half. I first caught 4 or 5 small bass on a UL Minnow 01. I'm not sure who makes it..... but that probably doesn't matter for this story.

Suddenly, the bass stopped biting. I then proceeded to try a small spinnerbait; a worm; a creature bait; a white grub; a top-water and, finally, went back to the Minnow imitation lure.

After a bit, I started catching bass again and continued until at least 15 were boated. 14 were caught on the Minnow lure. NOTHING else worked.

Over the years, I've always held that if you put a juicy looking worm or other bait in front of a hungry bass, it will hit it. You just have to find the hungry bass.

That theory was disproven today. These bass were equally as hungry when I waved the worms and other lures in their faces, ....as when I cast the minnow near them. Yet, in spite of past success with the same worms, the ONLY thing they wanted... today... was the Minnow Lure.

I've been accused of changing lures too often when searching for a bite. I think that, after today's experience, I am going to continue changing lures until I find one that they like. Lesson learned...

richg99

 

[Scott F]

That is going to cost you. Now, you're going to have to carry every lure you own to find the ONE that will catch fish when they aren't biting. Good luck with that......

 

[overboard]

Brings back an old memory, I was fishing for trout and they were feeding but I couldn't catch any no matter what! Sat there awhile and saw a green inch worm float down and a trout came up and hit it, then another, and another. Went up above and collected some of those worms, hooked them on a salmon egg hook, and it was game on, the only thing those fish wanted that day was those green worms.
Lots of tricks to fishing, upsize, downsize, speed, color, depth, changing cadence, different offering, etc., etc.

 

[richg99]

"Now, you're going to have to carry every lure you own to find the ONE that will catch fish"

Looking at the "stuff" that I already carry, I think that I have every lure that I own with me.

What I haven't been doing lately is changing lures often enough and quick enough to find what they want. I used to do that all of the time, but since my arthritis makes it very difficult to tie knots, I've slowed down on the change cycle.

I do use some "speed clips" but I don't have them on every rod that I have on the deck. That will change before I fish again.

I ran into a spell where a particular bass-colored Rattletrap copy was catching everything, salt and fresh... for a while. I can't get bit on it lately, though. Obviously, I previously hit a spell when THAT is what they wanted. Now-a-days, I haven't admitted that the RattleTrap is no longer the go-to lure.

thanks rich

 

[bcbouy]

now you can understand what us fly chuckers go through every time we pick up a rod.it can drive you nuts. a thousand flies and they all look the same except for a minute size difference.wrong size and you're sol.

 

[richg99]

BCB....yes, you are correct.

But I think that trout are fussier than LM Bass. At least the normally dumb LM Bass in my pond! Ha Ha

 

[Butthead]

I'll agree that they want what they want and patterns do change over time. Especially so on those small ponds. Good example, my mom used to have a farm pond near her house. I'd go and catch a few fish there regularly, but nothing too crazy. My buddy went with me one day, used a small silver and black Rapala Countdown, and he absolutely schooled me. After that, I always kept one in the box and always did well on that water. That was my lesson learned.

 

[gnappi]

When I was a kid, my dad told me several things that stuck with me over my lifetime fishing.

1. If they aren't biting your fly or lure change it and keep changing (not on every cast mind you) till they either bite or you get exhausted.

2. Take more flies and lures than you think you need.

3. What works today may not work tomorrow

4. Continue doing numbers one through three till you catch fish.

5. There's no such thing as a bad cast unless either the lure goes in a tree, or the lure is out of the water.

6. Occasionally buy an off oddball lure or fly and keep it handy, you never know when they'll go for a change of diet

 

[LDUBS]

When I was a kid, my dad told me several things that stuck with me over my lifetime fishing.

1. If they aren't biting your fly or lure change it and keep changing (not on every cast mind you) till they either bite or you get exhausted.

2. Take more flies and lures than you think you need.

3. What works today may not work tomorrow

4. Continue doing numbers one through three till you catch fish.

5. There's no such thing as a bad cast unless either the lure goes in a tree, or the lure is out of the water.

6. Occasionally buy an off oddball lure or fly and keep it handy, you never know when they'll go for a change of diet

#5 -- Oh yeah, I think there are definitely bad casts. Like when you forget to open the bail. I hate to admit it but I forgot a few times this morning. haha.

 

[richg99]

Your father was a smart man.

 

[DaleH]

Glad to see you're getting out Rich!

Have been having similar experiences whilst trout fishing this year, as this is what I posted on the "Anyone Getting Out?" fishing thread:

Have been trout fishing local ponds the past month every SAT morning, trolling SLOWLY using gold or silver spoons depending on the light. So we’ll fish 1 of each until we identify the hot rod, then will switch over to that color.

It’s been amazing, as once we identify what color they like, that color will outfish the others 10 to 1 ..."

 

[LDUBS]

"Now, you're going to have to carry every lure you own to find the ONE that will catch fish"

Looking at the "stuff" that I already carry, I think that I have every lure that I own with me.

What I haven't been doing lately is changing lures often enough and quick enough to find what they want. I used to do that all of the time, but since my arthritis makes it very difficult to tie knots, I've slowed down on the change cycle.

I do use some "speed clips" but I don't have them on every rod that I have on the deck. That will change before I fish again.

I ran into a spell where a particular bass-colored Rattletrap copy was catching everything, salt and fresh... for a while. I can't get bit on it lately, though. Obviously, I previously hit a spell when THAT is what they wanted. Now-a-days, I haven't admitted that the RattleTrap is no longer the go-to lure.

thanks rich

Rich, I now use small size Duolock snaps on all my lines. They work great.