Sorry for all the new guy posts...So I’m still learning. Does anyone have a “guide” or article or anything on the weights of crankbaits and other hard plastics? One thing I’ve learned is there is there is a lot to learn... Some of this stuff is confusing and I feel like I’m not catching anything because I’m not using the right baits.
"I found the key to happiness, Fish more, Stress less"
It's more about being in the right spot and less about using the right bait.
Well i wasn’t in the right spot today lol. I don’t have a boat so I’m bank fishing and a little difficult.Originally Posted by Crabnbass
"I found the key to happiness, Fish more, Stress less"
That makes things difficult but not impossible. Don't overcomplicate things. Narrow it down to 2-3 colors and 3 or 4 baits until you find some fish. Green pumpkin, Black/Blue, Shad. Crankbait, Jig, Chatterbait/Spinnerbait. Good luck.
Ponds
I was raised around ponds, Even today I love pond fishing. No boat, just take my time and walk around a 4-6 acre pond. Most the time you will catch more that out of a boat---- depending on the pond.
Often wondered why when bank fishing I try to cast as far out as I can. Then when on a boat I'm casting towards shore.
Spend time on Google earth. I shore fish alot and man is it helpful . Look for areas where fish can be shallow for this time of the year and any kind of cover you can cast to. You can bring a bunch of tackle and sort through it all day or just get a couple things and focus on fishing. Spinnerbait, senko and any Texas rig plastic will catch fish anywhere in the country. Green pumpkin plastics to keep it simple
Oh if it was that easy. Bass do different things depending on the time of the year, water temperature, weather and many other factors. You have landed on the right website, but nothing beats on-the-water experience. The best shortcut is to fish with an experienced friend in your area.
Squarebills, spinnerbaits, swim jigs, and top water are my go to moving baits from shore. Square bills, I typically stick with a 1.5 size or something like a Rapala DT fat and I've gotten in the habit of replacing the front hook with a short shank. Not sure how much it actually does, but I don't seem to hang up as much doing that. Focus on casting parallel to the bank as best you can and fan cast out 45 deg or so and try to find areas with wood structure or rocks. Boat ramps can be really good areas to catch a few. My personal best was caught on a spinnerbait on a stretch of rip rap on a walkway near a boat ramp. Other than that, tie on a t-rig, wacky rig, or a frog and go hit a pond if you want to just go catch a bunch. Had to sell my boat a few years ago and have been beating the banks more often than not ever since and that's what usually works for me. Be prepared to hike some too to get away from people. If your area is like mine now, the days of going to a lake and not walking up on people bank fishing at any given spot are gone. Hard to cover water when there's a person casting every 30 ft.
Forgot colors, I keep these on hand. Just takes time to play around with it and see what works for you though.
Spinnerbait - white or white/chartreuse with double willows (I'll throw something with a colorado blade if the water is really dirty, but stick to the willows probably 90% of the time)
Squarebills - shad, bluegill, or black or brown and yellow
Swim jigs - shad, bluegill (or just green pumpkin) and I use a matching paddle tail trailer most of the time
Top water - shad or some type of frog (haven't done much with a frog, but that's on my list of things to improve on this year)
Last edited by 481VSangler; 05-20-2019 at 07:28 AM.
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