Are you a mainstream bass fisherperson or do you spin away from the generally accepted practices and methods to experiment?

 

I would say that my approach to bass fishing is fringe. Certainly the generally accepted methods carry serious weight but from time to time I'll spin away to experiment with an idea. Sometimes it pays of and other times it bites me in the arse. I'll also stick with one lure type and fish it hard even when conditions might dictate using another method will be more productive. When that occurs, I'll fish what I'm using even harder. I believe in doing this helps me to discover & utilize the subtle nuances of the lure. I'd like to think that you sometimes can fit a square peg into a round hole if you are creative.

Not anymore 

It’s taken me years to fine tune my selections and pair them to the ideal rod, reel and line combinations. 
 

It’s taken even longer to feel comfortable to throw a change up considering changes in weather and conditions. 

 

 I see no benefit to buy and use the new and improved as it took too long and too much money spent to experiment with anything and do it just for the sake of change.

 

 

Mike

@Crow Horse  Mainstream or not, if it ain't working I'll do something else.

I agree with @Mike L's position, which is that it can be counter-efficient to always bend one's knee to the Bait Monkey and Gear Gorilla. I fished for smallies with spinning gear and became competent, so I continue using spinning gear for lmb. I'm intending to use my baitcasting outfits more this year, but I intended to do the same last year and didn't. It's easy for reach for the outfits that you've mastered. The Gear Gorilla might charge and pound his chest, but I don't care.

 

I've also decided that the Bait Monkey is no longer the boss of me, I.e. I've largely stopped buying new lures. When I run out of my Yamamoto Zakos or underspins, I'll replace them, but I no longer have the urge to try every new bait. For example, I've had good success with the 13 Fishing Dual Pitch Pencil walking bait. Whereas I bought and tried other walking baits, the Dual Pitch Pencil appeals to my local bass, so going forward, that's my walking bait. Same with my KVD wake baits. I did buy some of Mike Siebert's spinnerbaits and chatterbaits (@Siebert Outdoors) to use this year, but that's because he's one of us. And I bought a lure that @AlabamaSpothunter used to catch his seven, eight, and nine-pounders, but that's because Alex has led me to so many big bass that he's my Yoda and you don't say "Nah" to Yoda.

I fish a lot of pressured water so I stick with what works.  I wait to hear how others are doing with a new bait, or presentation, before I try it.

No

If by mainstream we're discussing what might be considered normal,

and having or using ideas, beliefs, etc. that are accepted by most people:

Then I'd say I have some yes and some no going on.

When it comes to my own 'bass fishing',

my boat, motor & trailer - mostly mainstream.

Rods, reels & Tackle - again mostly mainstream.

Techniques employed, approaches utilized and results realized from those - 

less mainstream. 

A-Jay

 

 

I'm whateverIcangetthemtobiteonstream. I'll throw whatever. I don't care if Wheeler told me to use it in his videos or I found it in some obscure place on the internet nobody knows about.

Am I mainstream?  I consider myself more experienced.  I’m not easily led astray from what I have found works well for my style of fishing.  Will I try new things? Yes of course but it’s alongside tried and true methods that I’ve taken years to build confidence in.  Usually the “new” things are variations of what I already have confidence in.  

Here's how I perceive the current mainstream.  

 

"I heard about this new bait on YouTube that looks really good.  I'm gonna buy a technique specific rod, reel and line for the new bait and add it to my collection.  Then I'll try to find some bass that will hit it."  

 

How I'm different.

 

I find some bass and then try to catch them with techniques that have worked for me in the past.  If that doesn't work I try different techniques.  If I need new lures or tackle to effectively fish these techniques I go shopping.

I’m not sure. I don’t have any secret techniques or baits that the public hasn’t found yet. My most used techniques are all fairly standard. There are some minor tweaks I make to equipment choices that may buck the mainstream trend.
 

What I have found though, is that a lot of conventional thinking or “rules” of bass fishing run counter to my on-the-water experience. 

I fish from a pretty simple boat. I just bolted a couple YakAttack tracks to my Old Town NEXT so I can mount a couple rod holders for trolling, but my other two canoes are just hulls. I don't even use anchors. I also rarely use super basic bass lures like frogs and jigs, even though I've caught bass with both.

I cannot think of a way to delineate what mainstream bass fishing is

I'm pretty much midstream,,, just don't interrupt me  

And when I see a “new” technique or bait my mind automatically goes to “what has already been produced that is nearest to this new bait and how is it different?” Keeping in mind that manufacturers have to constantly come up with ways to separate you from your $$.  😉 

The baits and techniques are mainstream, fishing from a canoe is not I guess. I can spend a whole morning fishing a 100 yd x 100 yd area, maybe even less.

I’m definitely not mainstream, I believe.
My rods are 30+ years old as well as my reels. My lures are eBay purchases of the same ones I bought new twenty five years ago. The plastics are the same colors and style but now salt impregnated and made of elaztech and last much longer.

Not to say I haven’t bought a few new rods and reels to upgrade better performance but I don’t own a “technique specific” outfit. To me a spinnerblade is still a spinnerblade, a crank bait is still a crank bait and Brekley worms still catch fish. 
 

If that is mainstream then I guess I’m old school mainstream, if not then I’m just old school.

13 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

I agree with @Mike L's position, which is that it can be counter-efficient to always bend one's knee to the Bait Monkey and Gear Gorilla. I fished for smallies with spinning gear and became competent, so I continue using spinning gear for lmb. I'm intending to use my baitcasting outfits more this year, but I intended to do the same last year and didn't. It's easy for reach for the outfits that you've mastered. The Gear Gorilla might charge and pound his chest, but I don't care.

 

I've also decided that the Bait Monkey is no longer the boss of me, I.e. I've largely stopped buying new lures. When I run out of my Yamamoto Zakos or underspins, I'll replace them, but I no longer have the urge to try every new bait. For example, I've had good success with the 13 Fishing Dual Pitch Pencil walking bait. Whereas I bought and tried other walking baits, the Dual Pitch Pencil appeals to my local bass, so going forward, that's my walking bait. Same with my KVD wake baits. I did buy some of Mike Siebert's spinnerbaits and chatterbaits (@Siebert Outdoors) to use this year, but that's because he's one of us. And I bought a lure that @AlabamaSpothunter used to catch his seven, eight, and nine-pounders, but that's because Alex has led me to so many big bass that he's my Yoda and you don't say "Nah" to Yoda.

You're too kind Katie, and I wish I could take some credit for some of your amazing success, but the truth is you're one of, if not the most naturally talented Bass anglers I've ever known.   You were gonna catch monsters whether I played bait monkey or not 😁

 

I'd say I'm a mix b/t mainstream and oddity.

 

I like to pattern my fishing after mainstream methods/techniques based on the time of year, but after that I try to find the sneakier baits, rigging, and techniques. 

 

So for example I'll use a Neko Rig in the Spring, but instead of a worm, I'll use the new Geecrack Cue Bombs (fuzzy dice bait) rigged in Neko fashion.   

I fish pretty traditional lures in pretty creative ways probably is the long and short of it.  The details and minutia and nuance of presenting a bait well enough to get a bite can be gleaned in a day of fishing but the skill level necessary within each bait category to trick big fish consistently in lots of different scenarios can take a lifetime to dial in.

Ugh. Maybe. I'm told I was an experiment. 

I will swap lures as soon I feel it's not stimulating my girls.

Am I mainstream?

 

Yeah probably.  

 

I have yet to master many of those generally accepted practices and methods out there.  

Since I don’t have a great command of the basics then there’s no real need for me to do anything outside of the box.

I only know the people that fish around me.  If they are mainstream, I am not.  They all get attached to local lakes.  Even if the lake is hot, I’ll still step outside my comfort zone and try new waters.  I’ve gotten comfortable with the risk of a skunk.   You know what?  I don’t skunk often. 
 

I have had friends call me to ask me where I’m at and to show off awesome fish pictures.  I'm slugging away at a new lake just struggling to find the first puzzle piece.  I love it.  They think I’m foolish.  But when fishing is tough, they all seem to follow my lead. Hahaha.  It pays to be uncomfortable at times.  This applies to many aspects of life. Like exercise- it’s uncomfortable.  Job interviews are uncomfortable:D.   Slipping out into a new lake with nothing in my strategy than some mental images from Google earth.  Uncomfortable.  But when I’m catching new bass?  So sick!  

Cheers @Darth-Baiter

2 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Cheers @Darth-Baiter

Thanks bud!