I don't have any reasoning behind my vote, but I think that a bass' favorite meal is a crawfish.

 

5basslimit used to close the poll results from view and would reveal the results after a couple of weeks, but I don't think we have that capability, I could be wrong though.

 

Like I mentioned, he did it twice and not in consecutive years and the results were split, 1 year craws and 1 year baitfish.

 

Lets see what the current participating members have to say.

Generally baitfish is going to be the main forage, crawdads are a special treat! 

my experience is crawfish have caught more than baitfish, although it is a close race.  I didnt include a soft plastic as a trailer in my decision either. I also didnt include worms because I catch more fish with a shakey head than anything else I use.  

my experience is crawfish have caught more than baitfish, although it is a close race.  I didnt include a soft plastic as a trailer in my decision either. I also didnt include worms because I catch more fish with a shakey head than anything else I use.  

I like your post, you're argument is based on the way you're catching fish, but, is it the action of the lure and not the forage the bass eats?

 

Great post and keep digging!

Are gills baitfish? I'm sure bass prefer minnows over dealing with claws and shells

Bait fish will be the predominate food source, crawfish are lagniappe!

Bait fish will be the predominate food source, crawfish are lagniappe!

I refuse to google that!

Depends on seasonal periods, predominate prey available and type of bass.

Crawdads are a source of high protein and prefered during pre spawn when the craws become active and start moving out from cold water burrows.

Summer is mostly young of the year baitfish, whatever falls in the water and shad if available.

Fall shad and a variety of baitfish and crawdads.

Winter crawdads make up a portion of the meals along with baitfish.

Largemouth eat a wider variety of prey then Smallmouths that prefer crawdads bottom dewellers like sculpin and other baitfish.

Annual basis; LMB= baitfish, SMB= crawdads.

Tom

I went with Baitfish for your poll.

 

But if that "Other" category includes most of the stuff I bring out on the water with me, then you can definitely exclude all of that . .  .

 

A-Jay

Also depends on size of bass (more big bass have been caught on jigs) and where you're talking -- for ex, in Cali it would be swimbaits (fish), TX would be jigs/plastics (craws), etc.

I voted other because I simply don't think they prefer one over the other. I think they are opportunistic feeders and when they are hungry they are going to eat whatever is available. I don't think they would pass up one in hopes of finding the other. I feel like they eat to fulfill a need, not to please their palate. JMO though.

I voted other because I simply don't think they prefer one over the other. I think they are opportunistic feeders and when they are hungry they are going to eat whatever is available. I don't think they would pass up one in hopes of finding the other. I feel like they eat to fulfill a need, not to please their palate. JMO though.

x2 

Crawfish. Where i fish

WRB: crawdads are a source of high protein and are preferred during pre-spawn when the craws become active and start moving out from cold water burrows.

Winter: crawdads make up a portion of the meals along with baitfish.

Is that not contradictory?

Here on the gulf coast crawfish go into hibernation in late November until April long after pre-spawn.

Baitfish are available year round while there is a period during the extreme cold weather when craws are almost completely off the menu. As far as "preferred" I believe a bass' preferred meal is the next one or easiest one. When I used to help feed the fish when I worked at Cabela's, the big bass would eat whatever was nearest and easiest for them to catch. If there were two items that were both easy to catch and near them, they'd usually opt for the larger of the two items, more reward for less effort. My other thought is that baitfish are much less likely to put up a fight whereas a large craw is going to go down scratching, clawing, and pinching. The analogy I've always used is if you had to chose between 2 cheeseburgers, one was a regular burger, the other full of glass shards, which do you choose? I know bass don't possess the reasoning ability to think through that amount of detail, but it makes sense to me 

Crawdaddys!! Rusty and Red swamp

Bait fish will be the predominate food source, crawfish are lagniappe!

Id agree, If I knew what lagniappe was!!

Mike

I agree with WRB, crawfish for smallies, minnows for largemouth.

Does a worthless hunk of plastic that looks like nothing that costs 6 bucks a pack that starts with S and ends with O count as other lol

But honestly baitfish seem to be the dominant forage

Tight lines

Andrew

Wow, not as close as years past.

I had to vote other , this time of year with the winter we have experienced I know there was a huge HUGE shad kill , with the craws just coming out of hibernation I know craws are going to be tough to beat , they are taking any offering just about and being real aggressive when they do strike , I think it depends on the available food source at the time or the lack thereof and adjust accordingly .