Firstly I'll state that I'm not a well-rounded or great fisherman. I'm a shallow and dock oriented fishing person. I don't do well in medium to deep water water. I wish I was better at it. However I also love topwater more than anything so I'm willing to sacrifice some bites to get topwater bites. 

 

I used to use buzzbaits, a KVD Sexydawg, Ragetail Toads, and Senkos as my primary lures. 

 

I've updated those choices but it's basically the same things, two topwaters and two underwater baits. For topwater it's one hardbait and one frog, now being a Whopper Plopper 110 (no longer need the buzzbaits or KVD Sexydawg since the WP can do the job of both) and for the frog I've switched to Teckel Sprinker Frogs. For my two underwater lures, a Wacky Rigged Senko and nosehooked Zoom Super Fluke. I'll also throw a spinnerbait or Rapala style lure if none of those is working. 

 

 

But that's really it. I'm down to 4 lures had I use almost exclusively. A Whopper Plopper, Teckel Sprinker Frog, Senko, and Zoom Super Fluke. 

 

Next year I plan on using some other deep water lures to expand my repertoire but for now I'm fairly successful using just these 4 lures. I did try Chatterbaits this year and swim jigs a few years ago. I know some guys use different lures almost every time they go out. 

 

 

 Who else mainly uses the same lures every time they fish? 

 

 

Who mainly uses the same lures every time they fish ? 

Anglers that say " I'm not a well-rounded or great fisherman".

 

You may find that you're having far more no catch days than catch days.

If you're good with that then there's not much else to talk about. 

 

But you knew that.

 

If you're looking to get more from your 'fishing' than casting & watching top water baits go across the surface, or drowning a stick bait, you'll need to step up your game a little by learning about & fishing at least a few more techniques / presentations. 

 

Don't be afraid to fail at first, expect it, it's part of bass fishing.

In fact it's what makes any success that much sweeter.

 

A-Jay

 

If you are catching fish, who cares!

 

I think I have learned more about other techniques on slow days, when I am throwing everything in the arsenal.  Today was one of this days, and am starting to figure out my buzz baits

If you are comfortable with what you are using that's fine but there is much to learn.  The days I have learned the most is when I caught few fish. Try going out with only the lure you want to learn.  If you only have that one you will be forced to find a way to make it work instead of resorting to the stand byes.

 

Allen 

I start off with same group of baits but I might rig them differently. I am a bank beater.

 

I'm like you, a whopper plopper 110 is my topwater bait.

 

I fish a senko next. Wacky if possible or Texas rigged if I have to.

 

A Texas rigged baby brush hog is normally tied on. I can easily change this to other soft plastics if I need to.

 

A keitech swing impact fat is tied on with a flashy swimmer head if possible.  If not I go weedless with a swimbait hook.

 

That is normally where I start. Chatterbaits, shakyheads, jigs and other baits are in my tackle bag but normally get pulled out later.

 

I don't stray very far from my standard arsenal for bass.

For me, they work. I'm after the catch, the fun, not competing

or out to best "the other guy". It's a hobby to me.

 

Of course I'd be lying to say breaking my PB didn't matter!!

It absoLUTELY matters  ... I just don't get out as often as 

I did just a year ago, so I stick to what works.

The whole point of fishin is to do some catchin. By limiting yourself to just a few baits and presentations is just that,  limiting. 

 

I have a few baits that I use all the time also, but those are limited to certain presentations at certain times in certain areas. 

 

If you learn to Improvise, Overcome and Adapt to everything catchin, your fishin can only improve. 

 

 

 

Mike

 

What @Catt and @Munkin said!!! I am guilty of the same ol' habits myself.  The weed-infested lakes around here discourage me from throwing anything with more than one hook. Lipless cranks, plugs, surface plugs (even the highly esteemed Whopper Plopper), and wacky or drop shot rigs drive me nuts in the weeds! But last year I found the weightless flukes. Had pretty good (for me) results so now they are part of my arsenal. This year I focused on spinnerbaits and jigs. Yeah, the spinnerbaits collect weeds to a degree, but in the period between the point where they enter the water and the time they get that first weed, they can get a lot of attention.  A light jig, if worked v-e-r-y slowly is much more weedless than I thought.  And a squarebill used in the spring before the weeds get thick also produces some results. 

 

So, I guess I can say I am slowly becoming a more well-rounded fisherman; I prefer to think of it as getting a little smarter. But still I love my creature/worm baits and frogs. I am thinking about leaving them behind this fall and giving jigs and those wacky and drop-shot rigs a serious try. 

1 hour ago, tcbass said:

who else mainly uses the same lures every time they fish? 

 

 

I do!

 

Top, mid-depth, & bottom ?

 

I also have the habit of using the same lures, But if you catch fish with it that's what matter.

I'm starting to break out of this habit.  I have purchased soooo much tackle the last couple years that I feel guilty if I don't use it.  When I make it to the water I still start with a confidence bait. If the bite isn't on I'll change up.  Sometimes I think I change baits too much.  When I reach this point i pick a presentation that should be working based on conditions and start working different areas looking for active fish.  This is something I'm still working on to become a better fisherman.

33 minutes ago, IndianaOutdoors said:

I'm starting to break out of this habit.  I have purchased soooo much tackle the last couple years that I feel guilty if I don't use it.  When I make it to the water I still start with a confidence bait. If the bite isn't on I'll change up.  Sometimes I think I change baits too much.  When I reach this point i pick a presentation that should be working based on conditions and start working different areas looking for active fish.  This is something I'm still working on to become a better fisherman.

 

 

Not a bad way to do it. 

 

I need to up my game and expand my skills so that on hard days I can still catch fish. 

I'd guess close to 80 percent of my fish this year have been caught on a jerkbait and a buzzbait. Variety is great, but when a lure gets hot, I stick with it.

On the river buzzbait, squarebill, jerkbait, jig. On the lakes, Frog, frog, frog, dinger.

 

Sometimes I force myself to learn a new technique and I will bring only that bait. For instance I hated fishing jigs. So a few times this season all I brought with me was 2 3/8oz and 1 1/4oz jig (and plastic trailers). It was rough for a while, but I didn't have the choice of switching to a confidence bait and got better at using them.

 

 

Some baits are high percentage catch lures, some are bigger fish lures but everything is dependent on the current conditions.  Time of year, water temp, water clarity, and the other 500 pieces of the fishing puzzle.  

One really good way to figure out a new technique is to go fish with someone else who understands that bait, when, where, and why to throw it. This has helped me a lot. Instead of throwing a bait at the wrong time I was taught what to look for, why it worked, and it gave me confidence to throw it again.

 I dont get to fish as often as I use too and when I do its in local waters that I know very well . So well over 90 per cent of the time I use a lure in these four classes .

 

Texas rigged Soft plastic / jigs

Crankbaits Long lipped / short lipped / lipless

Spinnerbaits

Buzzbaits

 

3 hours ago, Swbass15 said:

One really good way to figure out a new technique is to go fish with someone else who understands that bait, when, where, and why to throw it. This has helped me a lot. Instead of throwing a bait at the wrong time I was taught what to look for, why it worked, and it gave me confidence to throw it again.

 

 

Thats actually a really good idea. 

 

 

If you're trying a new bait at the wrong time you may get disappointed with it and stop using it. 

16 hours ago, tcbass said:

A Whopper Plopper, Teckel Sprinker Frog, Senko, and Zoom Super Fluke.

I'd seriously quit fishing if I had this kind of self imposed limitation. 

23 minutes ago, J Francho said:

I'd seriously quit fishing if I had this kind of self imposed limitation. 

It would sure limit when I could consistently catch fish. That only covers shallow water.

I love trying new baits. I always bring an assortment on new stuff and old favorites with me.

 

That being said I do have confidence baits that are always with me. Senko or Dinger and a Z-man finesse TRD. Rarely a fishing session goes by where I don't throw these 2 types of baits

I actually have the opposite problem.  I throw a lot of different things.  Some with more success than others.  The last couple of times I've been out, I've decided to slow waaaay down and just toss mostly weightless senkos or use an Owner Ultra head finesse jig or VMC Drop Dead Hook.  Been tearing it up but also been gut hooking a lot of bass.  This tells me I still have a lot to learn so I am focusing on that for probably the rest of the Fall.

Anymore, I take the fish on my terms, not anyone else's. The day you truly grasp the importance of controlling the depth and speed of your lure - at the same time - is the day you'll realize how little tackle you actually need to consistently catch bass. This year, I'd say 80-90% of the bass I've caught have come on just three or four baits.

I tend to only go out with maybe two-three rods in my car and only bring a single  one with me at any time, so I am usually limited to three or four presentations per trip.  Even when I am in my yak I go so minimal on tackle I end up with maybe 8-16 options per trip.    

3 hours ago, J Francho said:

I'd seriously quit fishing if I had this kind of self imposed limitation. 

 

Well, fortunately I've usually done well with this sort of configuration. 

 

 

However, I would like to expand my skills to deeper fishing.