42 replies to this topic

[Catt]

Are we really helping the inexperienced angler when we recommend they leave all other lures at home when trying to learn a specific lure?

I've recommended this for years since this is how I was taught but in the last few months I've had 2 anglers almost give up. They were throwing mid-cranks but the bass were not on a crankbait bite.

[slonezp]

Maybe before trying to learn different lures they should be schooled in identifying different types of cover and structure and why you should choose one lure over another one. Or just teach them to use a jig

[Siebert Outdoors]

I'm going to have to say no. Mainly for the reason you stated. For an inexperienced fisherman you want to give them every tool you possibly can to catch fish. By restricting this possibility you are only setting them up for failure, loss of confidence, and/or interest. The fisherman needs to set a baseline of what he/she has confidence in and catch a few. Then progress into test runs from there.

Now to cover the one that wants to learn a new technique. The fisherman needs to research where and when are the best times to fish this lure for the highest percentage of success will happen. Once this base line is established and confidence is gained the fisherman can expand into other trials.

[eyedabassman]

I agree with all of you. And I know I have answered a few posts telling people to do this. What I was trying to say was= say a guy was good at t-rigging and good at jigs but wanted to get good at crankbaits ( myself with cranks )then leave the jigs and t-rigs at home.Because evan if the crankbait bite is not on for him he will not give up fishing but just go back to what he does best,t-rig/jigs. Now for a guy just starting out,that would be bad advive I agree!

[K_Mac]

Catt I've never been a big fan of the "leave everything else at home" school. If you cannot cover the entire water column you have arbitrarily limited yourself. Catching fish is far more about knowing where and why, than what IMO.

FWIW if I had to fish only midcranks for very long (whether I was catching fish or not) I would find another hobby also...

[backpain...]

I am by no means a real experienced or good fisherman. But in my experience success breeds success. What I would do rather then tell someone to leave everything else home. I would attempt to set them up for success. I remember my experiences learning different lures with my brother. He would talk about the lake we were on and what the conditions might call for and made suggestions. Those days I learned to throw different lures because that is what he suggested and they worked.

Those lures soon became my "favorites" and I had to learn later to branch out and try different things. But those early days lit a fire in me to keep trying until I found success. Experience cannot be short cut. I had to learn much on my own (some times the hard way) what might work and what might not. But through his teaching, and the success we shared I had gained some level of confidence that kept me from giving up.

I say bring it all with you, but force yourself to branch out and find new confidence. My goal this season is to do just that. I have never been a hardbait fisherman. I was brought up on jigs and plastics. But I know that I am short changing myself on many days. This drives me to try new things and press harder to learn to cover more water looking for active fish rather than crawling something through unproductive water.

[eyedabassman]

These are very good posts. Another way of getting to be better at fishing a certain lure= If you want to be better at crankbaits than fish with a good crankbait guy and so on! That is why getting into a bass club can help guys/gals to better themselfs.

[eyedabassman]

Catt and I are old school! That was how I did teach myself as did Catt, Was that wrong,maybe/maybe not.But in the world of fishing today maybe not good advice. I think Catt and myself were very dedicated to get better and learn every technique to better us. And this was evan more inportant for me in tournaments. I was always good at fishing a jig/T-rigging, so when I started to fish my first tournaments I thought I would win or place high in the standings=was I WRONG,I got my butt handed to me.So a very good friend of mine ( and a very good bass fisherman ) told me that I needed to get better at other techniques! So I took a year off from tournaments and I did go out and get better at other lures and techniques. The next year I went back to tournaments and I did alot better!

[7mm-08]

I think only taking one type of lure might be a better idea for a more experienced angler trying to learn a new bait/technique. We all know that bass are temperamental creatures and sometimes you just aren't going to catch them but I can definitely see that being frustrating to a new fisherman.

[eyedabassman]

I think only taking one type of lure might be a better idea for a more experienced angler trying to learn a new bait/technique. We all know that bass are temperamental creatures and sometimes you just aren't going to catch them but I can definitely see that being frustrating to a new fisherman.

Very well put !!!!

[whitwolf]

This type of thread Is one of the many reasons I think Bassresource Is the finest fishing board on the 'net...

I too have always handed out this advice and after I read the first few replies It made too much sense to disregard.

I suppose In general terms and for analogies sake It's likened too taking a child out fishing. They're not going to have fun If they're not catching fish and ultimately they will lose Interest.

[Hi Salenity]

Are we really helping the inexperienced angler when we recommend they leave all other lures at home when trying to learn a specific lure?

I've recommended this for years since this is how I was taught but in the last few months I've had 2 anglers almost give up. They were throwing mid-cranks but the bass were not on a crankbait bite.

This is how I learned to fish a jig.

[Michael DiNardo]

If you are trying to learn how to fish a lure, then you fish that type of lure. If you are trying to learn to catch fish, than you use whatever it takes. It all depends on the mission. Beginners should learn to catch fish.

Mike

[slonezp]

It still comes down to adapting to what you're fishing. I'm a jig/finesse fisherman. I have learned thru experience this technique does not work all the time. I continue to learn how conditions dictate what I throw. It may get more complicated depending on what body of water I fish. I know on my home water what works most of the time. Change the body of water, the structure, cover, forage, conditions, time of year, and it's a whole new ball game. The cooling lakes in my area, finesse works but cranks kill. Just got back from Guntersville. Caught more fish on cranks(and got really sick of throwing them) but bigger fish on jigs. KY Lake for me is 50/50.
If you follow the leave everything at home theory, then it needs to be on a lake to lake basis. What works here may not work there. Or you can just fish a jig.

[Dwight Hottle]

Yes. Sometimes we have to fail in order to suceed.