Pattern Fishing

[Mobasser]

I think there are patterns on some days, but they can be hard to predict, or not last very long. A lot of guys have done poorly in tournaments, then, come back and say" my pattern fell apart".                           Enter the plastic worm, and fishing slowly. Make your own pattern happen.

[PaulVE64]

My pattern story.

2 yr ago I was on an annual fishing trip. This year had a swampy flat for LMB & northern pike.

3rd day out we hadn't yet had a bite until I pulled into faster water with a topwater frog and the water erupted with densely packed northern gators. So much addreneline.

Lost 4 frogs on 50# mono leaders in 5 casts. But it lasted half an hour.

 

 

[Catt]

5 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

In reality, bass are more like electrons around an atom.  They aren't in hard defined places.  They roam.

 

Recent & past radio telemetry studies on Fork, Rayburn, & Toledo Bend show some bass actually seldom move, others roam within 100 yds of their "home", while others moved plum out of radio range & then return weeks later. 

 

One study by Todd Driscoll tracked an 8# bass that was located on a single stump on a huge flat with no immediate structural changes. The nearest substantial depth change was 100-150 yds aways. She only moved during spawn & returned.

[Pat Brown]

One of my favorite sometimes patterns:  

 

Shallow dirty body of water - find the cleanest water 😎😎😎

 

Another one of my favorite patterns

 

clean shallow body of water - find the dirtiest water 😎😎😎

 

 

[Woody B]

"Pattern" can mean many different things.  Obviously during the Spring most are fishing a seasonal spawn pattern.   

 

One of the reasons I fish the same lake almost all the time is I "think" I know the lake pretty good.   I'm constantly learning (or at least trying to)  When I learn something new on a lake I'm really familiar with I believe I "learned" something about Bass, not just something about that lake.  (does this make sense?)

 

Regarding patterns, how many bass do you need to catch to declare something a "pattern" for that day?  Somedays a "pattern" jumps out at me.  Other days not so much.  

 

2 questions I ask myself all the time.   1. Why was that bass there?     2.  Why wasn't their a bass there?   

[casts_by_fly]

1 hour ago, Catt said:

 

Recent & past radio telemetry studies on Fork, Rayburn, & Toledo Bend show some bass actually seldom move, others roam within 100 yds of their "home", while others moved plum out of radio range & then return weeks later. 

 

One study by Todd Driscoll tracked an 8# bass that was located on a single stump on a huge flat with no immediate structural changes. The nearest substantial depth change was 100-150 yds aways. She only moved during spawn & returned.

I think that fits perfectly with the theme of this thread “they are where you find them”.  Some individuals roam more. Some days the fish generally roam more. The ‘good stuff’ will keep them around a little longer but there will always be a distribution.  That 8# fish was at one end of the distribution. A fish that doesn’t want to move that then doesn’t care about the conditions pushing her to move aside from the spawn (which I would suggest is a thing/pattern of its own).

[WRB]

On 1/25/2024 at 4:29 PM, Woody B said:

"Pattern" can mean many different things.  Obviously during the Spring most are fishing a seasonal spawn pattern.   

 

One of the reasons I fish the same lake almost all the time is I "think" I know the lake pretty good.   I'm constantly learning (or at least trying to)  When I learn something new on a lake I'm really familiar with I believe I "learned" something about Bass, not just something about that lake.  (does this make sense?)

 

Regarding patterns, how many bass do you need to catch to declare something a "pattern" for that day?  Somedays a "pattern" jumps out at me.  Other days not so much.  

 

2 questions I ask myself all the time.   1. Why was that bass there?     2.  Why wasn't their a bass there?   

Iaconelli said about hundred time catch 1 doesn’t mean a pattern, catch 2 doing the same thing you got a pattern.

Some lakes set good for pattern fishing others are spot fishing. You can set up a milk run doing either pattern or running spots.

I actually prefer spot fishing and determine a specific pattern at each spot For example our lakes have hundreds of similar spots with rocky points but only a hand full will feature specific elements the bass prefer that day or time of day.

If the rocky point has a few stick ups and those points is where you catch bass, then that’s is a pattern on those spots.

I going to milk run all the points with stick ups as possible.

Tom

 

[Bankbeater]

Sometimes it doesn't matter where you cast as long as you're using that one specific bait, and sometimes the bait doesn't matter as long as you can place it near a certain piece of cover or structure where the bass are hiding. 

[softwateronly]

9 hours ago, Choporoz said:

 

   The lesson is reinforced by watching FFS'ers cover hundreds of yards of open water in fairly short period, chasing same fish

 

 This whole thread is great, but watching FFS'ers I came to the complete opposite conclusion even though you are correct.  So many times, you can see that they can tell that they are on fish, many many fish, but they can't get any of them to bite.   This little change of perspective with similar data makes all of this fun. 

 

scott  

[Columbia Craw]

If you would just buy a copy of Roland Martin’s book he will have sold 97 copies.

[scaleface]

I think some of us have different definitions of a pattern . If I catch fifty bass and thirty of them came off wood then in my mind I'm on a pattern.

[Sam]

If you don't pattern fish, you catch one and then speed away from the location where you caught the fish.

 

Pattern fishing is finding what depth and speed the bass want your bait and fish it until the bite stops  and you change your depth and speed. Once you find another depth and speed to get bites you are now on another pattern.

 

Color of bait is not that important; but colors sell baits and we purchase them as we have confidence in the color patterns we fish.

 

As for Rick, if it works for him, then stay with it. Otherwise. just do what you have confidence and have a fun day on the water.

[DaubsNU1]

So much wisdom and good advice @ Bass Resource!  Most excellent! 

 

I have read so much, watched so many videos, read books, talked with anglers/friends/strangers...

 

It is a never-ending quest for the perfect pattern/lure/presentation/technique. 

[king fisher]

    Bass are not like bees, or ants working together as a group, all doing the same thing at once.

Not all bass will be doing the same thing at the same time.  Same thing can be said about people.  We are all individuals, but certain reactions to our environment and our communal habits can have a large portion of people doing relatively the same thing at the same time.

     If I were going to try and sell beer on a Sunday in November, I would try and find as many people in one place as possible to sell my beer.  Two places that are popular on Sunday are church in the  morning, and Football stadiums in the afternoon.  If I want to be successful I will have to find out which stadiums have games that day.  I wouldn't sell many bottles of beer if I went to a stadium with no game that day.  Just like trying to find bass chasing spawning shad on a lake with not shad.

     Football stadiums would be an easy place to sell beer.  Kind of like an easy afternoon bite on a warm spring day.  With a little more research a good salesperson will find out what brand of beer sells best in the region the game is being played, therefore refining the sales pattern more.  Selling beer at church in the morning may be difficult.  I would probably have to switch my product line, and try selling something else It would be a big benefit for my profits to learn to sell another product on Sundays because after football season is over my pattern for easy afternoon football game beer sales is gone.

      Yes there are thousands of people that don't go to church or football games, that might want to buy my products, but on Sundays in November, I at least know there will be large numbers of people at church and the stadium.

       Bass are similar.  If one is chasing shad on a warm afternoon, than there is a good chance others are too.  If a certain insect hatch occurs every evening for a few days in the same location, then you can bet a large number of bass will be there.  You may still be able to catch larger bass on craws, in deep water at the same time, but for numbers the evening insect hatch would be a great place to fish.  You may have to not only pattern the bass, but it helps to pattern the prey as well.

      Some days the bass will bite completely at random, and there does not appear to be a pattern, just like some days the salesman cannot find a large concentration of customers, and has to simply go door to door.  A good bass fisherman will try to be observant and find a pattern, just like a smart salesman will research his market.

       

[WRB]

^^^^👍^^^^ well said!

Tom

[ol'crickety]

2 hours ago, king fisher said:

    Bass are not like bees, or ants working together as a group, all doing the same thing at once.

Not all bass will be doing the same thing at the same time.  Same thing can be said about people.  We are all individuals, but certain reactions to our environment and our communal habits can have a large portion of people doing relatively the same thing at the same time.

     If I were going to try and sell beer on a Sunday in November, I would try and find as many people in one place as possible to sell my beer.  Two places that are popular on Sunday are church in the  morning, and Football stadiums in the afternoon.  If I want to be successful I will have to find out which stadiums have games that day.  I wouldn't sell many bottles of beer if I went to a stadium with no game that day.  Just like trying to find bass chasing spawning shad on a lake with not shad.

     Football stadiums would be an easy place to sell beer.  Kind of like an easy afternoon bite on a warm spring day.  With a little more research a good salesperson will find out what brand of beer sells best in the region the game is being played, therefore refining the sales pattern more.  Selling beer at church in the morning may be difficult.  I would probably have to switch my product line, and try selling something else It would be a big benefit for my profits to learn to sell another product on Sundays because after football season is over my pattern for easy afternoon football game beer sales is gone.

      Yes there are thousands of people that don't go to church or football games, that might want to buy my products, but on Sundays in November, I at least know there will be large numbers of people at church and the stadium.

       Bass are similar.  If one is chasing shad on a warm afternoon, than there is a good chance others are too.  If a certain insect hatch occurs every evening for a few days in the same location, then you can bet a large number of bass will be there.  You may still be able to catch larger bass on craws, in deep water at the same time, but for numbers the evening insect hatch would be a great place to fish.  You may have to not only pattern the bass, but it helps to pattern the prey as well.

      Some days the bass will bite completely at random, and there does not appear to be a pattern, just like some days the salesman cannot find a large concentration of customers, and has to simply go door to door.  A good bass fisherman will try to be observant and find a pattern, just like a smart salesman will research his market.

       

 

Bass whisperer.

[2tall79]

I recommend that you pick up a copy of Roland Martin's  "101 Bass Catching Secrets".  He is pretty much the father of pattern fishing.

First published in 1982, I still refer to it often.

[OmegaDPW]

5 hours ago, 2tall79 said:

I recommend that you pick up a copy of Roland Martin's  "101 Bass Catching Secrets".  He is pretty much the father of pattern fishing.

First published in 1982, I still refer to it often.

That book has never left my nightstand since I got it about 20 years ago. 👍

[greentrout]

Establishing A Pattern | The Ultimate Bass Fishing Resource Guide® LLC (bassresource.com)

[Zcoker]

Moving around, being in the right place at the right time with the right bait, I couldn’t have caught some of my best fish if I didn’t follow that simple strategy. Bite windows open and the chance is there, the hits happen and then it’s time to start all over again. If you fish long enough, you come to find out that the pattern is nothing but a cycle, on or off throughout a 24hr period. 

 

 

 

[txchaser]

One thing about patterns, my experience is that big fish and little fish are sometimes on the same deal, but more often than not, they aren't. 

 

So I have this rule - don't take advice from little fish (in particular, dinks) unless that's what you are trying to catch. It was my #1 way to get on a pattern that caught numbers and no size.

 

Sometimes a hint on what's up with the bigger ones, often in a different depth. Plus dinks are like puppies and pretty indiscriminate on what they want to eat.

 

Question - I'm kind of thinking that bigger fish are more spot than pattern. Crazy or does that fit with your experience? 

[Pat Brown]

I think small water fish are more nomadic  ironically than bigger water fish.  Maybe it's just because  on a smaller playing field, they are more likely to make use of all of it every day kinda thing.  But I also think the big fish are more efficient hunters and have learned to be where food is gonna be and eat it without chasing stuff around a ton, regardless of the size of the body of water - SO they can be patterned....they just bite less because well....they're smart.

 

I have learned that when I see big fish in a spot, it may not always be THAT fish that's there, but I always make note of the spot.  Spots are selected for the advantage they provide for larger bass and sometimes a spot where I caught *** lber will have a Wolfpack of 5-10 lbers there on another morning when there's more food because something subtle changes.

 

I truly believe that food is just about the only thing that keeps bait in a shallow 'carnage area' for more than an hour or two at a time and when the food is in the area, you better be there too because it's your best chance at actually getting hit around these ambush spots that we target.  The bait is aware of the threat and is only in an area because it has to be there.  The bass are no different....we are the threat...and herons and otters and gar etc etc etc.  they know they're being hunted too is my point.  They're just as good at hiding and evasion as they are at locating food and ambush.

 

I have also learned that when these spots are churning with bait, the bass will NOT vacate the area because of fishing pressure for more than a minute or two.  They stay glued to the bait.  You can spook a giant waiting to ambush bait while they're schooling and come back in 5 minutes and they'll be right back in that spot.  Maybe a *little* wiser but really they will hit until the bait leaves / they're full.

 

So maybe the patterns we look for are sort of feeding windows that we are calling patterns...which to some degree is true.  They are usually happening in relation to things we can make ourselves aware of like sunlight angle/prevailing winds/water clarity/time of year etc etc etc.  it's just not an exact thing...I mean they have to decide to bite your bait which is where we come in and learning the nuance of presentation is oh so important.

 

I have seen enough underwater camera footage to know that if you catch a small one, you very likely might catch a big one also.

 

They all eat the same stuff.  Heck big fish have learned to let the little guys expend the energy and they just follow the madness around occasionally picking off weak or dying.

 

If you catch a small fish in a spot, I'd go the opposite direction - keep fishing that area HARD and try different depths and speeds and profiles until you trick the big ones that are absolutely lurking in the area all while still being mindful of the most advantageous structure in your vicinity.

 

Sometimes the pattern is that they are nowhere near advantageous structure in shallow water.....like when it's very very cold and very very clean water.  Herons and us and their food can see them so that doesn't do them much good....and then there's the bait dying in water that cold thing.

 

So yeah it's all kinda 'patterns' if you learn what you're looking at and how the food reacts to it...maybe.  😎

[PhishLI]

25 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

I think small water fish are more nomadic  ironically than bigger water fish.  Maybe it's just because  on a smaller playing field, they are more likely to make use of all of it every day kinda thing. 

Agree. I know exactly where I've caught every big fish I've landed in one particular lake, and they've never been in the same area. Not once. The only commonality was that I found bait fish first.

 

25 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

So maybe the patterns we look for are sort of feeding windows that we are calling patterns

My hypothesis is that bait in small water will coalesce in an area but will then quickly get chased out of it by predators. Very quickly. Baitfish also have a survival instinct. In small waters this might only be 150' from one area to the other but miss that zone and you're fishing dead water. I'm excluding the narrow window just before the spawn where bass are wolf-packed up, feeding frantically, and the pace can be crazy, or when gills are bedding and are practically suicidal.

[RipzLipz]

43 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

the narrow window just before the spawn where bass are wolf-packed up, feeding frantically

We’re almost there. Can’t wait.

 

Well, OK….more like

 

[A-Jay]

3 hours ago, Pat Brown said:

I think small water fish are more nomadic  ironically than bigger water fish.  Maybe it's just because  on a smaller playing field, they are more likely to make use of all of it every day kinda thing. 

 

3 hours ago, PhishLI said:

Agree. I know exactly where I've caught every big fish I've landed in one particular lake, and they've never been in the same area. Not once. The only commonality was that I found bait fish first.

 

While I can agree that bass will go where the food is, the more nomadic on smaller water deal is not something I can get with.  I always felt like when fishing smaller waters for bass, the fish were 'trapped'.  And if I fish enough, eventually I'll bump into them, even if they were roaming around all day.  Sliding out onto water that's 20K acers plus , 15 miles long, 5 miles wide and 150 ft deep

offers a different level of nomaticness. (not really a word)  Both waters can offer great bassing, but the sheer size of one may dramatically reduce a basshead's ability to repeat success; especially during those 'transitional' periods.  

A-Jay