So what do you guys on BR think about the differences between a cast that made a splash or one that is pitched so that it silently enters the water?

 

Personally, I'm not sure what the answer is to me anymore. Splashless entry is important to me when fishing less than 2'. But for fishing weedbeds, I had times where I caught both while bombing a cast in from a distance and times where they hit on pitches within 20 feet of the boat. I also had a largemouth jump on a senko as soon as the splash happened from the bait.

 

Anyways, would love to hear what you guys think.

Going with you on this one. Splash less in the shallows, doesn't matter in the deep water. Usually bass will go up to find out what hit the water when their deep. and usually hit it on the drop too. 

Pretty similar view on it as you ec1. If i'm up shallow I want a silent entry, this is especially true for pitching and flipping. I have practiced over and over to make sure I can make a bait enter softly as I feel this can be the key to success at times. If I'm out deeper I could care less. There are times up shallow were it doesn't matter though and like you said your bait hits the water, makes a lot of noise, and fish jump all over it instantly. Really it comes down to the mood of the fish, like most things. 

Depends on the individual bass.

 

I saw a nice one sunning herself and I threw the Senko her way and it splashed. She turned, looked at it, and then attacked the bait. She was about four pounds.

 

Reading through the literature on bass fishing some guys think a quiet entry is best. Others agree with mnbassman as it depends on where you are fishing and the depth of the bass.

 

I always strive for a quiet entry for my plastics unless I haul the bait way out there or on a Carolina rig.

 

Each day can be different. Just remember a largemouth bass is very inquisitive and they will look at what caused the splash. What they do afterwards is totally up to them.

For the most part, I strive for a quiet entry, but have caught plenty in both shallow and "deep" waters on splashy entry. And like Sam, I've watched bass turn and investigate that noise they just heard...

i think the clarity of the water makes a bigger difference than the depth

I like what's been posted so far. I actually want some slight disturbance in stained water on the entry. If you slip a bait in with no splash" the bait needs to stay in the zone a little longer with twitches, shaking or what ever. There is something about the noise of a Senko when it hits the water that actually seems to draw a fish's interest, at least on my home lake. Having the skill to drop a bait without a ripple shouldn't be discounted either. Add this to the factoring....silent crank or rattles ?

bass are just large sunfish. watch what a small school of sunfish does when a food size item hits the water. they charge in to investigate. 

pressured, clear deep reservoir fisherman here. As splashless as possible. Bass here as very picky and if something sounds too hard they just bail and flee.

 

It wasnt hard to figure out when I read an interview with KVD and he mentions noisy casts and the ONE thing newbies should give more importance. the one big mistake. 

I want a big splash to attract active bass and wake the rest of them up!

 

 

 

 

Active days big splash....tough days subtle for me. 

My thoughts on this, and it's not 100% true all the time:

 

Stained, algae bloom, or muddy water: a splash or skipping entry can draw attention.

 

Clear water: a stealthy "bloop" or gentle skip works better than a loud entry, which often startles fish, especially pressured, shallow dwelling fish.

Depends on what I am fishing.

 

For the most part, jigs get the silent treatment. Swimbaits, you don't really have much of a choice. 5oz of plastic or wood is gonna make a splash whether you want it to or not.

Daytime or night time fishing can make a difference, too.  Not a big deal for a big "plop" entry at night, regardless of clarity. Many times, my spook or mini slammer has been hammered on just after touchdown.

I often try for a quiet or splashless, quiet entry on a cast, but I seldom achieve it.  I've learned to not get too worried about it.

I swear I think I scared one out of his scales this weekend, threw in a senko that went plop, as soon as it hit the bass actually jumped out of the water, I gave him a second saw the line go sideways and I just crossed his eyes...was quite funny!!

Skipping baits - I actually believe the noise helps attract the bass to the bait.  Generally the last hit is the quietest anyway.

Shallow targets - trees, stumps, laydowns, pockets in weeds etc.  Anytime I am trying to hit a specific target shallow I try for a quieter approach.

Everything else - Doesn't matter.

It depends on a lot of factors, the type of lure, the distance between you and bass, the activity level of bass.

Remember Jay Yelas fishing a Classic several years ago when a pleasure boater in a pontoon boat ran about 5 feet from him, then turned next to the bank Jay was fishing and ran over his spot? Jay laughed and just kept casting to the same spot that still had the boat wake prop wash on the water and caught a 6# bass that won the tournament for him. You never know how bass will react to surface disturbance.

If you know the bass are spooky, then make as quite cast as possible with lure that are not designed to make noise.

You can be casting a buzz bait in a foot of water and get strikes and sometimes need to cast up on the band to make a silent enter to catch bass.

When I am casting a jig over 90 feet, I try to stop the jig in the air and feather the landing instead of letting the jig hit the water out of control like a rock. I think that is important to control the lures landing.

Tom

the bass ive fished in MN really dont care.  ive had many bass hit HUGE baits while muskie fishing. usually reaction bites as soon as the bait splashes the water.  Last year i caught a little 15 inch bass while casting a Pounder Bulldawg.  Its a big plastic muskie bait that literally weights a pound haha.

 

But, when finesse fishing structure or when fishing is tough i go with minimal splash.

Pretty similar view on it as you ec1. If i'm up shallow I want a silent entry, this is especially true for pitching and flipping. I have practiced over and over to make sure I can make a bait enter softly as I feel this can be the key to success at times. If I'm out deeper I could care less. There are times up shallow were it doesn't matter though and like you said your bait hits the water, makes a lot of noise, and fish jump all over it instantly. Really it comes down to the mood of the fish, like most things. 

 

Nice to see another west metro MN guy. What lakes have you been hitting up around here? 

I cast my topwater topnocker over hand and it hits the water

hard. When I cast my spinnerbaits it's a side cast so it enters the water quietly.

If I'm near pads I cast past them and work my lure parallel to them quietly. I let the fish come out after it, if it's tearing up the pads so I don't spook it.