Hi guys.

How do you use search baits to fish more effectively?  Correct me if I'm wrong....I've noticed from articles on the topic and such that most search baits are lures that can typically be worked relatively quickly (i.e. cover a lot of water).

So, do you use a favorite search bait just to cover some water, then when you get strikes do you key in on the type of structure, type of hit, etc?

I'm just curious.  It seems I have a really bad habit of throwing my one confidence bait (plastic worms/tubes) and just randomly throwing other things in hopes of the random bite.  It didn't bother me so much before, but now I feel guilty when my wife is out sweating in the boat with me (so to speak! ) and we're just trolling along throwing to the same structure over and over.

Thanks in advance!

I will usually just burn it for the first 10 mins i use it then slow it down if i dont get anything off burning it once you find the speed the fish want that will be a factor to your success.

As for spots is use them in i like to cast farther than a point and bring it through the point or along grassy shorelines, whatever your confident in

I like to run them as slow as the reel will allow me.  Depends on the depth of the fish, holding in their specific area.  I might also just burn the heck out of it.  What's the water temperature?  What's the air temperatures?  What's the weather like?  Usually, on overcast days, I will burn, on sunny days, just slow and steady!

I use a search bait to figure out what fish are relating to, their depth, and their prefrences.  Once that is established, I'll either stay with that search lure or move to a saturation lure.  It all depends.

i will use a search bait (mainly a rattle trap or a crank bait for me) and i will use those two baits to just cover a lot of water and structure, by just going around the lake real quick untill i find what the bass are relating to, then usually once i get a hit or something i will start like yo-yoing a rattle trap and then i will go to plastics and pick the area apart.

good luck

Excellent question with many answers.

There are a number of philosophies that are used to find the fish.  Everyone has their own or they use them interchangeably or on different types of water.

First, you have to know the season and the bass' patterns for that specific time of year.

Then, you have to know the body of water as the bass will act differently in lakes, rivers, creeks and ponds, although they will be doing the same basic things for that time of year.

Structure, pads, grass, steep banks, deep waters, humps, boat docks, either floating or stationary, cyprus trees, wood in the water, flats, points, rocks, sand, gravel or hard clay bottoms, etc.????  Where are they?

Next, what is the water temperature and water clarity?  Any current?  Any rain the past few days?  Water level can also be important.  And the tides?  What is the tide schedule on tidal waters?  Plus the fact do you have a beautiful blue-bird sky day or a cloudy, overcast day?

Now, armed with this knowledge you will have a better opportunity to locate the bass by using some "search" baits.

So what are "search" baits?  Usually, crankbaits or spinnerbaits.  But don't just throw those. Any bait you want to use, depending on the type of water and structure/cover, can be a good search bait.

While fishing Buggs Island, my partner was throwing a crankbait and I decided to use a lemon Senko as my search bait as we started fishing around some boat docks.  

Score after the first half-hour of fishing?  Me 2 - Him 0.

And the way you fish is also important.  I like to throw at the targets a number of times with various baits, from crankbaits, to Zoom finesse plastics of all types, including topwaters.

In other words, your first goal is to find where the fish are and their pattern.  On Buggs I found them on the rear corner of the docks.  And not just any rear corner.  It was the right side rear corner for some reason, be it the sun, water temperature, etc.  I have no idea, but that is where the were for most of the day.

So use whatever baits you want as your search bait depending on the amount of water you want to throw and the other many variables mentiioned above, plus others that the guys can throw into your formula.

Do you think that this is why bass fishermen go crazy after a few years???? ;D