Each year one bait will excell??

[1911crazy]

I have noticed that each year one or a few baits will catch more fish than others and each year it changes. One year it was Mepps inline spinners and small rapala's caught most of the bass, another year it was 1/4oz crankbaits brown, red, green were hottest,  last year it was joesflies super strikers/small 1/8oz spinnerbaits/twin tail grubs that caught most of the fish. I'm not saying that all the other lures didn't work but one did catch more fish that year.  Its funny but thats how it works out have you ever noticed this???                            BigBill

I'm fishing the same 4 places small lake and ponds each year and I have noticed this happening the other lures catch fish but not as many but what was hot the year before isn't hot this year. I don't retire last years baits I just carry more baits the next year.

[Skipper]

I thank that's what tackle companies would like you to belive, but its not necessarily so.  

There are many baits that have been around for more years than I have been alive.  Mann's worms for 1.  I've got a buddy that fishes black firetail a lot, and were not talking about a slouch of a fisherman either.  He's the kind of guy you expect to be in the top 10 in a 300 boat tournament.  Problem is, Mann's worms are hard to find today.  They aren't marketing their old fliptail worms, but they still catch fish.

My favorite crank bait is a Rebel that hasn't been made since 1990.  I have a stash of them put away in my taclkle center in the garage that I wouldn't take anything for.  Over the years, I have caught in the thousands of bass on those baits.  I just wish Rebel would re-run them.  They do make a similar bait today, but its just not the same.

Another old crank bait that catches a lot of fish is a rattle trap.  I got my first one in 1979 thanks to a friend of mine who happened to be guarding Rowland Martin's stash of promotional baits.  Today, I never go without a box of traps.  Yes there are some new tricks I have learned across the years, but you can bet your boots if you burn that thing just like the original box said to do, you will catch fish on it.  Then there's Rapala's Fat Rap.  Its been in production for decades, and it catches fish.  They recently dropped some of the models of it in favor of the Risto Rap which I have yet to catch a fish on, and what about their Shad Rap?  Its been around for what 15 years?  Pop R's, torpedo's, AC Shiners, Jirtterbugs, and other topwaters have been around for 40 years or more.

Yes, everyonce in a while a new bait comes along that is hot, and its good to get some and experiment with them, but I never go anywhere without my trusty standbys.  The first thing you have to do with a new bait is learn how to fish it.  That's where many people make their misteak.  It takes practice to know what you can make the bait do and how.

Skipper

[ibfestus]

Why bass bite, hit, strike, is a subject that way too few fishermen think about let alone understand.  Think about the following statement for a minute.  "Bass bite an artifical lure because they mistook it for something they would ordinarily like to eat."

Many years ago I used to travel through Corning Ark. on business.  It just so happened there was a Federal fish hatchery located there that had a rather large aquarium in a visitors center.  In one tank that was probably 6'X6'X6' they kept a huge largemouth bass that weighed 16-18 pounds.  That fish died and they replaced her with 4 bass that were in the 3 to 4 pound range.  The tank had a log in the bottom with a limb that extended up about 2 feet and in one corner there was a stream of bubbles rising to the surface.  On one particular day that I visited, there was what appeared to be a small 1 inch feather caught up in the stream of bubbles.  It would rise to the top then sink only to rise again.  Also in the tank, along with the 4 bass, were a school of half a dozen 2 inch threadfin shad.  The bass had stationed themselves by the logwith the dominent one on the bottom.  Two others were on the log and the 4th one was stationed with one eye next to the limb.  The shad swam all around the tank at times coming very close to the bass which ignored them.  However there came a time when the bass on the bottom either yawned or gulped then made a tour of the tank. The shad immediatel went to the surface and started flipping on top.  The bass continued to ignore them but it did swim up to the feather, sucked it in and just as quickly, spat it back out.  In the two hours I watched each and every one of the bass took in the feather and spit it out again while ignoring the shad.

That brings me to the point.  Bass bite out of curiosity more than hunger.  They don't have hands and the only way they can "check it out" is by taking it into their mouth.  If you could have a bait that was identical to the available food source, would that be a good thing? The lure companies make baits to catch fishermen.  Personally, I think it would be better if it looked more like that feather.

[jerrl]

I guess it would be just chance if your lure looked exactly like the baitfish.  I guess thats why the bait manufacturers usually try to make them look injured.  Huh?:wink:

[1911crazy]

I guess it would be just chance if your lure looked exactly like the baitfish.  I guess thats why the bait manufacturers usually try to make them look injured.  Huh?:wink:

There are some newer lures out there this year to try I just got some new Avoidance lures designed by Dr. Loren Hill the same guy who made the Combo C Lecter or Color C Lecter as some know it, which I bought a few years ago that works awesome too but thats another story. I have his new lures one is a shad type topwater lure called "top shad" that floats on top on its side flipping back and forth like a dying baitfish in distress. Another one of his is the "shad buzz" looks awesome too a cross between a spinnerbait and buzzbait with a body I can't wait to try this stuff and see if it works each of his new lures has 5 balls for rattle(noise) with a totally different tone than other lures with rattles.           BigBill

I wish some of these lure manufactures would take off the trebles and add one hook or a double hook type  facing up on top of their topwater baits to make them weedless it ain't rocket science but it will change fishing in weeds as we know it for sure!! It can only get better???