Topics across the board are discussing what bass are doing in the early to fall months. Discussing things like bass following shad into the shallows. What if your pond doesn't have shad. The pond/lake I fish typically has no baitfish, only crappie and brim, and baby bass. No crawfish, etc. Mostly every bait type out there mimics a crawfish, or shad. How can I use a jig when the bass in this lake don't know what a crawfish is? Have had zero luck on the hundreds of jigs I've thrown there. How can I use a lipless crankbait that mimics a shad? They don't know what a shad looks or tastes like. Feeling pretty frustrated, and about to give up on bass fishing..

The only thing I've been able to catch these fish on is a trick worm, or senko. That's about it.

They may still hit it because it looks different when you fish it throw pauses or twitch your rod tip while retrieving

Well mate ( and I´m not Aussie ), the only thing I have to say is DON´T GIVE UP ! ( oh yeah, according to internet protocol I´m shouting, and loudly cuz  it´s in bold ), you´re gonna miss a lot of fun ( and sometimes frustration ) if you do so 

 

Why I quote you ?

 

Topics across the board are discussing what bass are doing in the early to fall months. Discussing things like bass following shad into the shallows. What if your pond doesn't have shad. The pond/lake I fish typically has no baitfish, only crappie and brim, and baby bass. No crawfish, etc. Mostly every bait type out there mimics a crawfish, or shad. How can I use a jig when the bass in this lake don't know what a crawfish is? Have had zero luck on the hundreds of jigs I've thrown there. How can I use a lipless crankbait that mimics a shad? They don't know what a shad looks or tastes like. Feeling pretty frustrated, and about to give up on bass fishing..

The only thing I've been able to catch these fish on is a trick worm, or senko. That's about it.

 

Cuz, lemme tell you, just between you and me ............. I don´t buy none of those comparisons and hypothetical conclusions, and I´ve been fishing for more than three decades, to me they are part of but not conclusive pieces of the puzzle in why bass bite a bait or behave in a certain manner, like you ----> what if ?

 

What if the place I fish has no shad, will shad colored/pattern/shape baits work?

What if the place I fish has no crawfish, will crawfish imitator baits work ?

 

We can what if question ´till our heads pop off and the answer for me has been that bass will attack a bait if presented right, at the right place and right time and doesn´t matter if it looks ( theoretically ) to X or Y, because I´ve fished a bunch of places where there are no shad, where there ain´t trout or crawfish n´such critters and baits that "look" like them catch those bass.

 

So, keep on tryin´ pal, I´m right there with you.

And crappie and brim are bait fish and if you see the brim or crappie cast behind them into the deeper water to see if there are larger fish chasing them