So the other day I'm out there doing a LOT more casting than catching and per usual it gave me time to think about the factors that go into catching a bass. Keep in mind that other than a few kayak trips a year I fish almost exclusively from the bank and that means no electronics and I can't access all areas of the body of water so my thinking is probably different than that of a regular boater.

 

So my task for everyone is to rank the importance of the following factors in fishing:

 

Bait presentation

Timing (not seasonality)

Bait type

Bait color

Location

 

I purposely did not include weather or seasonality in this list because those variables may impact the choices above. Just assume it's an average fishing day sometime after the spawn and rank the importance.

 

I do have my own opinion on this, but I'll post that later. I don't want my own fishing prowess to influence anyone (/end sarcasm).

 

I'll say location first, followed by bait type, then presentation, then color, and timing.

I'm a different animal I guess.

 

Location

Timing

Type

Color

Presentation

 

Man, not sure I can. I see the variables as shifting. If I had to, I'd go:

 

Location (that's where they live, or feed)

Timing (that's when they respond to conditions & circumstances)

Type (gotta get down or in)

Presentation (gotta get em to bite)

Color I have a hard time even putting on the list. Not bc I know, but bc I don't know.

Location.. the rest not always in a particular order or dare I say situational?

 

Location

Location

Location

Location

Location

The rest only matters in hindsight

Timing and location kind of go hand in hand for me. Have to be in the right place at the right time. If you don't do that it doesn't matter what lure you use. Not even a ned rig works if no one is around to chomp it.

The key factors to catching fish, whether boat, bank, or otherwise, have always been, and will always be (IMHO);

 

1. Depth control

2. Speed control

 

Beyond that, successful fishing is;

 

> Being in the right place (location)

> At the right time (timing)

> And fishing in the right manner (bait presentation)

 

‘Bait type’ and ‘bait color’ are somewhere down the list after all the above. 

 

1 minute ago, Dwight Hottle said:

Location

Location

Location

Location

Location

The rest only matters in hindsight

I agree and then I would add to this list

Location

Location

Location

Timing 

Type

Presentation

A bunch of other stuff

Color

5 hours ago, Paul Roberts said:

Man, not sure I can. I see the variables as shifting. If I had to, I'd go:

 

Location (that's where they live, or feed)

Timing (that's when they respond to conditions & circumstances)

Type (gotta get down or in)

Presentation (gotta get em to bite)

Color I have a hard time even putting on the list. Not bc I know, but bc I don't know.

I'm with this guy ~

He knows some stuff !

A-Jay

 

If I had to think about it that much, I wouldn’t go! I just go as often as possible and hope for the best 

 

some things in life just can’t be explained/predicted (weather/fish/wildlife)

For me its

location

timing

presentation

type

color

 

The way you present your lure is the most important thing in bass fishing followed by where you are fishing. Everything else is third at best.

1. Location

2. Timing

3. Presentation (asssuming you mean speed of retrieve or like a perfect drift if youre dropshotting)

4. Type (Assuming type means say a stick worm vs a fluke? Theyre both plastics but different types)

5. Color

Edited November 12, 20205 yr by Finessegenics

I'll chime in with mine now.

 

Location - you need to find the fish first

 

Timing - if they're not hungry you have less chance of a strike

 

Presentation - What is going to trigger them, especially if they are not actively feeding

 

Type - for me the type of bait I use is primarily based upon the clarity of the water and the depth that I want to fish at.

 

Color - I could get by with white, green, and dark blue/black for just about any bait. Water clarity plays a part, as does cloud conditions in some cases. I'm sure your reds and yellows have there place in certain regions, but overall I think color is the least important factor,

3 hours ago, Koz said:

I can't access all areas of the body of water so my thinking is probably different

 

This changes the whole thought process!

 

If I'm understanding @Koz correctly he doesn't have 100% access to the body of water.

 

There are several bodies of water I fish that only have at best 25% access.

 

That optimal "location" ain't accessible!

 

Now I have catch in the location accessible

 

 How do I do that?

 

2 hours ago, Team9nine said:

1. Depth control

2. Speed control

 

33 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

This changes the whole thought process!

 

If I'm understanding @Koz correctly he doesn't have 100% access to the body of water.

 

There are several bodies of water I fish that only have at best 25% access.

 

That optimal "location" ain't accessible!

 

Now I have catch in the location accessible

 

 How do I do that?

 

 

buy chest waders and you will open up a whole new world of fishing. Ido it and its unbelievable the amount of water i cover.

Just now, throttleplate said:

buy chest waders and you will open up a whole new world of fishing. Ido it and its unbelievable the amount of water i cover.

 

And a whole new diet for alligators ?

3 hours ago, Paul Roberts said:

Man, not sure I can. I see the variables as shifting. If I had to, I'd go:

 

Location (that's where they live, or feed)

Timing (that's when they respond to conditions & circumstances)

Type (gotta get down or in)

Presentation (gotta get em to bite)

Color I have a hard time even putting on the list. Not bc I know, but bc I don't know.

Paul! I didn’t know you were on br!

25 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

And a whole new diet for alligators ?

i thought you guys wrestled gators for fun down there? ?

 

I was stationed in jacksonville fl and went fishing in gator country in a boat and seen many a gator and snakes so i dont reckon i would be using waders thats for sure.

4 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

I'm a different animal I guess.

 

Location

Timing

Type

Color

Presentation

 

X2. Right bait..wrong location =zero! Wrong bait...right location =a scrub or 2 most likely.  I think for the most part colors are more for us than the fish. A 5 year old could catch a fish on a jig or a worm if its in the right location. 

38 minutes ago, throttleplate said:

i thought you guys wrestled gators for fun down there?

 

There was a time when I waded the Southwest Louisiana marshes in shorts & Tennis Shoes.

 

However being a good poker player I know when to fold em.

 

At 69 yrs old with 3 ruptured disc I folded that chapter of my life.

# 1,2,3   Location if there not there none of the others matter.

#4   Timing

Instead of ranking them I would group them together.  Location and timing together, and type, presentation, and color together.

I'm putting presentation second . I'm talking about putting the lure where the bass are , something that I work on and have a  ways to go. If I could cast like Gerald Swindle , I'd put a lot more bass in the boat .

 

 

Location

presentation

timing

bait type 

bait color