So I've been wondering this. By nature will a bass it any bait that is presented to them even if that bait is something that is not a naturally occurring forage in the lake they are in? My in-laws have a pond on their property that I know only has LMB, channel cats, and bluegill in it and that has been confirmed by the DNR through shocking. I have caught bass on lures mimicking worms, crayfish and bluegill. So therein lies the question, will these fish also hit something that looks like shad such as the a-rig or a jerk bait even though there are no shad or baitfish like that in the pond?

Of course they will. Night crawlers and plastic worms have always been a staple in a bass fisherman's tackle box but worms are seldom found in most lakes. If it appears to be food of any kind, and it has a chance to fit in his mouth, a bass will try to eat it.

^{Yes. I have several ponds around the farm that I stocked with bass and bluegill, yet those fish will bite baits that look like nothing they have ever seen.}

Absolutely. I've yet to see a Senko in any lake I've fished, but they sure catch a lot of bass. I don't think this is exclusive to bass, as I've caught crappie, bluegill and catfish on Senkos as well.

I have caught a majority of my fish in that pond on a white senko. And I guess that imitates a dying fish of some sort. It's just that I threw the a-rig and white and shad colored stick baits in it yesterday for the first time and I guess I expected them to really go after them but got absolutely no bites at all.

So I've been wondering this. By nature will a bass it any bait that is presented to them even if that bait is something that is not a naturally occurring forage in the lake they are in?

 

That's a resounding YES.

Yes they absolutely will.

Yep, guaranteed....

Absolutely. I've yet to see a Senko in any lake I've fished, but they sure catch a lot of bass. I don't think this is exclusive to bass, as I've caught crappie, bluegill and catfish on Senkos as well.

same here, plus a few trout on a wacky rigged 5in senko

Yes they will. As my Uncle use to say "That's because Bass don't have any hands".