2 minutes ago, Bankbeater said:

There is no sabbatical, if the bait doesn't catch anything it gets retired.  The only time I stop using a bait that works is when I only have one left and the manufacturer has stopped making it.

 

I'm clearly in the minority with my approach, but I do fish smaller water than many of you and I fish my 170-acre pond several times each week, so there are fewer bass seeing more of the lures I prefer, again and again and again.

@Swamp Girl - your 170 acre pond is about the size of the smaller of my two lil local big lakes!  I had my suspicions it was a pond in disguise....I just didn't want to hurt it's feelings by saying so!  🥹😂

Just now, Pat Brown said:

@Swamp Girl - your 170 acre pond is about the size of the smaller of my two lil local big lakes!  I had my suspicions it was a pond in disguise....I just didn't want to hurt it's feelings by saying so!  🥹😂

 

Ha! It's literally called "pond" in its name, thus I call it a pond, but I agree, it's a lake. It's the New England way, to call little lakes ponds.

I’m at a loss with my crankbait fishing now (been going on for quite a while). I guess they are on sabbatical for the most part but I’m not gonna fish them and get frustrated. I’ve change up my tactics. Been picking up fish on soft plastics. I’m not giving up on cranking, I don’t understand everything about fish behavior and what the turn off to them can be. I don’t think they are even fished that hard by others on the waters I fish. I’ll turn it around some how, just hope it is sooner than later. 
Maybe I should make a radical change in color patterns and throw them. But my thoughts have been to keep throwing time proven producers. Maybe start throwing a new brand. 
I don’t think it is me or my crankbaits. I think it is the fish not being in a reactionary mode. Most fish I’m finding to be is deeper water and not roaming banks. 

I put lures in "time out" losing that loving feeling after they don't produce as expected - it's always the lures fault (never my fault !)

No need to put baits in the shelf for me. I don’t fish the same spots often enough for the fish to get used to what I’m using. If the bite stops at one spot I’ll find another one. It’s probably 3-4 weeks before I fish it again. The lake is loaded with fish so I don’t have to rely on a few spots