Im thinking its a Jig, cause it can be difficult to detect hits, and its not easy (atleast for me), to have the patience needed to just let it sit a sec.... longer...

I honestly don't think too many take much skill.  Maybe something involving pitching or flipping.  As for "level of difficulty" I think discipline weighs more than skill assuming you are a proficient caster.

With that said, I think big swimbaits for that 1 bite, would be the 1 bait that requires the most discipline.

2nd would be deadsticking something.  Again, it's the presentation, not so much the lure.  

Finding them is the part that takes skill.  Once you do, catching them is only like the last 1/5th of the game.    This is partially why my views have leaned more and more towards the fact that many (most) baits are all hype.  MANY would work in MANY situations.  Of course, there is the exception but in general, bass are bass and they can be predictable.  To say you need a certain bait in a certain color on a certain lake,...I just can't swallow that.

So, I would say it ranks the stages of "catching a fish" like this

1. finding them

2. Presentation

3. Choosing something they will eat

I agree with LBH it's more about discipline than skill because it take discipline to fish a bait long enough to acquire the skill to be proficient.

For me its crank baits, I totally hate using them unless it's Traps or Rogues.  >

I think a jig takes the most time to perfect and get great at. Takes a long time to really get down. Detecting hits sometimes can be tough, it's not always the tap tap many are looking for. Setting the hook at the right time and hard enough as well takes time. It's my favorite bait to throw, but very tough to get very good with.

All baits take skill if you want to get the most out of them, some will say that crankbaits are easy, yeah right  :, come to my home lake and you will see that crankbaiting ain 't easy for those who just cast the bait and retrieve it like if it was a bat of out of hell, two turns of the handle and .... oops, just hung up  :-?.

It 's a matter of discipline ( like LBH & Catt mentioned ) to acquire the skill.

I would say suspending jerkbaits. 3 years ago I thought I had them mastered but in the last couple years I've discovered that I was only on the tip of the iceberg. Still learning each and every time I use one!

a good clean "walkin the dog" technique is something that gives me problems

The gentleman asked a simple question, so I'll give a simple answer.

Without a doubt the Jig.

The less a bait does on it's own the more action you have to impart.

that takes skill.  Knowing how to fish it under which conditions also takes skill.

A jig can be deadsticked on the bottom or buzzed along the surface and every conceivable slow/fast.....erratic/straight.....popped, jumped, hopped, crawled, cranked, swum, pitched, flipped and anything else you can think of.  NOTHING else comes close to the piece o plastic hung off a weighted hook as far as versatility and downright fishcatchability.  And it's pretty much up to the person holding the rod?

Don't beleive me?   Look at the tournament winners and see what lure wins more tournaments than any other.

I'd say a jig is the hardest to master.     Whether thats a discipline or skill.    95% of a jig is detecting the hit.

Most baits requires some type of action to be emparted to the bait.  

Then again, fishig deep water is a tough skill to master for some and not to others, with any type of bait.    

Matt

I'd say a jig is the hardest to master. Whether thats a discipline or skill. 95% of a jig is detecting the hit.

Most baits requires some type of action to be emparted to the bait.

Then again, fishig deep water is a tough skill to master for some and not to others, with any type of bait.

Matt

I'm one of those people. Get me in anything over 20 feet and I feel naked lol.  

Is there actually a "difficult" lure to throw?  Meaning, if you suck at fishing a swim bait for example, can't you just watch someone who DOES know how to throw a swim bait, and learn how to do it in about an hour or less?  

I might sound nieve(sp) but seriously, by reading two articles on this board about how to fish a swim bait,, then maybe watching Kevin van dam on TV talking about and fishing swim baits, and then maybe fishing with a person who is good at fishing swim baits, shouldn't anyone learn how to fish a swim bait, or any lure for that matter, properly?  Maybe not.  Just an opinion.

Jerkbaits for a lot of guys just DON'T WORK! Generally, that's because they are being fished as a crankbait. The "secret" is to fish them like a topwater. It's that simple and that complicated.

Jigs are certainly challenging for many, including myself. I have really focused on this lure/ technique for two years and have only recently begun to feel comfortable. But here is the biggest surprise: I'm not fishing my bread & butter anymore. I don't recall how long it's been since I fished a Senko or Fat Ika, but it's been a couple of months, or maybe a little longer.

For me...A jig.I am rubbish with these things.I couldnt catch a cold

Deep crankbaiting......it requires skilled use of electronics, boat positioning, long distance casting, and bait awareness and "feel" (especially in heavy cover).  

I'm merely speaking from my own experience at learning various techniques - what took me the longest to get good at......I had a MUCH easier time learning to use a jig than I did getting good at cranks.  

For me it usually is a jig but I have had a hard time getting results with X-rap jerkbait/slashbait.  

Jigs sometimes take more patients than I have.

Yeah im currently trying to master the jig. But im having trouble detecting the hits every now and then. By this I mean sometimes I feel something and it kinda feels like the jig is hitting a stick(but its really a fish)... then I feel the quick tap tap and before I can set the hook its no longer in his mouth  >. Now if I did set the hook once I felt what might have been a stick and it is a stick, then im screwed cause I just set the hook right into a big stick and there goes my jig, yet when I wait a sec longer to truly tell if it is indeed a fish, he spits it before I can set the hook. Another problem I have is hooking the fish, now when he picks up the jig and you can no longer feel the jig, then I can usually hook the fish 80% of the time. But when he gives it that quick tap tap tap, I then miss him 50% of the time. Sometimes I wait after that tap, to see if he'll inhale the jig and start swimming away with it, but he just spits it and end of story. How do you hook him on that quick tap tap? Just gotta be as quick as possible? Also how long do you let the jig sit? And do how many times do you let it sit still like this during one cast? Cause I have trouble letting it sit 15secs 2 times in 1 cast lol.

It's deep cranking for me, without question.  I am a total pooch with crankbaits.

I would definatley say deep water cranking. I can crank but after about 10 feet I have no confidence in it. Its weird because I have got the feel of what a jig is doing on the bottom in deep water, on a ledge, stumps, grass, rocks, ect... but feeling it with a crankbait is completely different. We also really dont have the water for it up here though, so it isnt something I have had to do much. Also like mentioned before, boat positioning, gps waypoint, and so on and so on.

Also need good hand eye coordination to skip a jig under a dock or brush. If you dont, you'll get some nasty backlashes.

A jig would be mine and 2nd would be drop shotting.

I prefer to use the jig more than any other bait.  To answer your question I would say crankbaits in general.  There is so many different things you can do with them/mess up its crazy. I have just started to focus on them and I know its going to take years to get myself where I want to be with them.  

Deep crankbaiting......it requires skilled use of electronics, boat positioning, long distance casting, and bait awareness and "feel" (especially in heavy cover).

I got to agree with string on this one. Deep crankin' takes alot to learn and takes a while to build confidence. Bumping a stump with a crank in 20' of water isnt the easiest thing to do. Or threading a deep crank thru standing timber without getting hung takes way more than just chuckin' and winding.

I had to commit to learning it because crankin' deep effectively takes a whole lot of confidence and back then, I just didnt have confidence doing it. I'd throw it 15-20 times and if I didnt get bit, I never threw it the rest of the day. Now I throw a deep crank on just about every trip at some point and time. And its my favorite way to catch 'em.....by far.

Deep crankbaiting......it requires skilled use of electronics, boat positioning, long distance casting, and bait awareness and "feel" (especially in heavy cover).

I got to agree with string on this one. Deep crankin' takes alot to learn and takes a while to build confidence. Bumping a stump with a crank in 20' of water isnt the easiest thing to do. Or threading a deep crank thru standing timber without getting hung takes way more than just chuckin' and winding.

I had to commit to learning it because crankin' deep effectively takes a whole lot of confidence and back then, I just didnt have confidence doing it. I'd throw it 15-20 times and if I didnt get bit, I never threw it the rest of the day. Now I throw a deep crank on just about every trip at some point and time. And its my favorite way to catch 'em.....by far.

great post...stuff like that requires skill not just will power