I often take a break from certain lures that I'm comfortable with to focus on learning one technique or lure.

 

My self assessment:

 

I am very confident with a lipped crankbait, Texas Rigged soft plastics, Beetle Spin, topwaters to include: Spit'n Image, popper, frog, and the Jitterbug.

 

I'm pretty confident with a spinnerbait, buzzbait, and Roostertail.

 

Somewhat confident with, jerkbaits, lipless crankbaits, spook and ploppers.

 

Not very confident with jigs, neds, or some of the more weird soft plastic techniques including neko rig, wacky rig, drop shot, shaky head.

 

Lately, I've been building my skillset with soft plastics. I've been moving away from the Texas Rig, and learning the Carolina Rig and Split Shot Rigs, as well as Flukes. I figure that soft plastics are the most useful thing for me to focus on.

 

I suppose my goals are to be very well rounded. To be able to catch when others aren't, year round.

 

What else should I focus on, and what am I overlooking?

 

 

 

17 minutes ago, Bazoo said:

Not very confident with jigs, neds, or some of the more weird soft plastic techniques including neko rig, wacky rig, drop shot, shaky head.

 

All are ways to fish soft plastics!

 

All highly productive pretty year round.

I thought jigs were A- a good way to practice casting, and B- a good way to reel in algae. Never caught a bass on them except once in a blue moon getting hit right after the jig hit the water. But I started using lighter 1/4 oz. swimjigs with either a Rage Craw, Rage Bug or Rage Menace trailer and lately it’s been the bait that’s had the most success. 

Get a Fluke in the rotation. 

Chatterbait? Not my fave, but sometimes it's the only tool that works.

I forgot to mention that I've never caught a fish on a chatterbait. Hmm

My history with chatterbaits has been varied. I don't understand it, but it seems like certain models/colors have been excellent producers, while many others have never caught a fish.

I used to have a problem with jigs, but then I read that you retrieve them the same way as a Texas rigged bait.  The determining factor for me is how thick is the cover I'm fishing.  If the cover is patchy then I use a jig.

One thing to remember about jigs is that most bass bite them when you are not moving them.