That is an exaggeration, of course.. but I do find that I finesse fish about 3 times as much as I power fish now.. In tournaments it’s about all I trust.. Something tells me both active and inactive fish will sometimes bite a finesse bait but an active fish will bite a power bait but an inactive fish will hardly chase down that same power bait…  Wacky Rig, Ned Rig, Spin Jig, and a finesse crankbait is nearly all I throw anymore when money is on the line… If I could ever learn to catch fish with a drop shot i’d be dangerous… 

 

Sometimes I break out the spinnerbait and chatterbait.. sometimes the jerk bait but that is about it anymore..

I think I'm starting to lean more towards finesse also. Been building up a huge amount of terminal tackle lately. Would you care to elaborate more on what finesse baits you use and find to be successful? I have a few new L/UL/BFS builds to try this year and looking for more ideas. I'm pretty much set in the wacky, ned, neko, texas rigs already and just ordered these from Midway:

 

- Owner Block Head #1 1/32oz Wacky Jighead Green Pumpkin

- Owner Block Head Offset 1/0 1/16oz Wacky Jighead Green Pumpkin

- Bullet Weights Tungsten Finesse Drop Shot Weight 1/8oz Tungsten Natural 4Pk  (no idea if 1/8oz is light enough for finesse)
- Zoom Tiny Fluke White Pearl (gonna try these weightless, no idea what size hook to use though)

- Lucky Craft Pointer 78DD Jerkbait Aurora Black (hoping 78mm is finesse enough and will be my first jerkbait ever)

 

If you look at my rod lineup, you’ll see that 4/7 of my baitcasters are “heavy’s”, and I may make that 5/8 soon. I like to say that I didn’t choose power fishing, power fishing chose me

Today's tournament waters are pounded to death. Get your limit first, then pull out the power stuff.  

55 minutes ago, Captain Phil said:

Today's tournament waters are pounded to death. Get your limit first, then pull out the power stuff.  

Sure, might be be reasonable for tournament fisherman but I don’t fish tournaments and many of us don’t

 

Why do I need to set a self-prescribed rule that I need to get an arbitrary amount of fish before I start fishing a certain technique? Lol

 

I probably couldn’t do tournaments. I’d be too hard-headed

I would agree that finesse is excellent on a "tough bite" day, especially due to pressure, but I actually use it less than I used to.  Yesterday was a perfect example.  High skies, tiny breeze, summer pattern and no one (that I saw) was catching anything including me.  I went the opposite way and put on a heavier tungsten weight and a Berkley MaxScent Kingtail.  I wore that worm out and when I opened my box I grabbed a Zoom Ol' Monster because I wanted to see if it was the MaxScent that was getting them or the size.  I then wore out TWO Ol' Monsters before I went home.  Had a guy at the ramp ask me what the heck I was doing.  I try to keep an open mind only because these crazy fish seem to swing to extremes. 

 

When I go back Friday I know I'll try a giant worm because I have a bad habit of fishing history, but it could very well end up being a Ned rig day. 

I fish a slot limit lake and keep a limit of fish under the slot . Its good for the fishery . After a day of fishing and I dont have a limit of 11 inchers , off to the rip rap dam I go with a Ned rig,  to finish my limit . The rest of the day I rarely touch a spinning rod.

Finesse: skillful handling of a situation : adroit maneuvering

 

Adroit: having or showing skill, cleverness, or resourcefulness in handling situations

 

Don't know where this idea that finesse means small, tiny, or light weight. 

15 minutes ago, Catt said:

Finesse: skillful handling of a situation : adroit maneuvering

 

Adroit: having or showing skill, cleverness, or resourcefulness in handling situations

 

Don't know where this idea that finesse means small, tiny, or light weight. 

So they can sell smaller finesse spinnerbaits and swimbaits for $2-3 extra 

I use lighter lines and smaller baits in clear water, which I fish quite a bit. It seems to draw more strikes for me.

If a 7 inch Senko rigged weightless or on a drop shot can be considered finesse, than I fish finesse quite often.

I have to over the last few years. Really getting in tune with my Spinning rods 

4 hours ago, Catt said:

Don't know where this idea that finesse means small, tiny, or light weight.

I’ve thought about this as well. “Finesse” in bass fishing jargon definitely differs from the actual definition.

4 hours ago, Catt said:

Don't know where this idea that finesse means small, tiny, or light weight. 

Don Iovino and Charlie Brewer are probably the two most responsible for that aspect from a historical point of view. In my book, Charlie still gets the credit for first coining the term back in 1973. Lots of variations on the theme and the definition over the years, and it continues to change to this day.

We've had some good threads in the past about " defining" finesse fishing. It means different things to different fisherman. I look at it as lighter lines, smaller baits, etc. The first guy that comes to mind is Charlie Brewer, with Slider Fishing.

I watched a KVD interview one time where he said “ I power fish to catch the most aggressive fish first.  If I know there are more there, I will downsize and slow down.”  Me personally, I consider myself a finesse guy first and foremost.  The way I look at it, a fish will bite a finesse bait almost all the time whereas they will only bite powerfishing some of the time. 

In the gin clear water I fish, I'm probably 80% finesse fishing and actually enjoy it.

Submerged shallow timber, I just gots to chuck a Spinnerbait ?

 

19 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

The way I look at it, a fish will bite a finesse bait almost all the time whereas they will only bite powerfishing some of the time. 

That's kind of how I see it as well.  Good info on the clear and pressured waters too, which I agree with.  Some lakes around me are like that and if you head out with the intention of power fishing on a bright sunny day, you are going to blank.

 

I personally just like to power fish more because I enjoy it more.  I like catching fish just as much as the other guy, but I'm not in a tournament.  I'd trade 5 ned rig bass for a topwater fish just because its more exciting.  I was a muskie angler before I was a bass angler too.  So maybe that is playing a role.

 

I generally try to fish when I think the power fishing is going to excel too.  Low pressure, clouds, rain...they often go hand in hand with how I prefer to fish and if I am able to, that's when I'm going fishing.

A 4” weightless wacky rigged senko on a medium baitcaster is as close as I get to “finesse” fishing. My lake is all muck bottom and not really suited for neds etc…  Chuck and wind, pitch and hop - limited I know, but it’s how I like to fish.

Tournament fishing is not the same as fun fishing.   You are there to bring more fish to the scales than your competitors, not necessarily have a good time.  The fact is unless you win or place, you probably won't have a good time.  You do what you have to do. 

Can't turn on a pro tournament nowadays and NOT see a spinning reel within about 15 minutes 

Personally, I finesse fish more. Especially during the winter and summer. But, I won’t hesitate to pick up my crankbait rod and power fish. 

I've gone the other direction. I'll fish light stuff in cold water or when the wife's along and I'm looking for numbers, but for the most part, I'm hunting big fish, usually in heavy cover. I had nine rigs on the deck today. The lightest was a 7'3 MH with 15# YZH.

Like my Ned rigs anonymous thread impli... expressly states, I have a problem. I pretty much found myself finesse fishing like 85% of the time.

 

I'm trying to break the habit, haven't brought one this year almost at all. Caught my first jig fish, remembered why I used to love spinnerbaits, caught my first buzzbait bass in years (DAMB that felt good), and started my swim jig fetish the end of last year... this is ONE HUNDRED PERCENT the best season I've had in a decade.

We always threw 6-8 lb line and plastic worms, just never knew it was finesse or ned. Just so happened to be what they like