I sometimes throw several different baits at the same target if I am convinced that theres a bass there.

Sometimes its as simple as a color change or sometimes it takes a completely different style of bait like from a t-rigged plastic to a spinnerbait.

Then once I've gotten the fish to bite I'll stick with that lure for a while.  

Yeah that ties into activity level. The more active a bass is the greater distance a bass will travel to strike a lure. Mood is a big factor and conditions help dictate the mood.  Conditions position fish and will give you an Idea of what mood they are in. I know when its a jig bite and I know when to throw something different. Fishing helps refine what they are in the mood for. Conditions help point me in the right direction. Color change is good because colors change as the light  penetration changes. Bass can't see all the colors all of the time. (If this sounds greek let me know and I will explain it in another way)

Chris that sounds pretty clear to me!!

its clear to me sorta...  in a general way.  I can't tell what bite is this or that...

conditions exist and point you where you want to go.

can you all elaborate on what conditions exist and where they point you?

Conditions help point me in the right direction.

First off you need to know the limitations of your lures. Soft plastics for example a worm is a great clear to stained water bait but in murky water it lacks a lot of water displacement so I turn to a creature bait. If I am fishing heavy cover I need something that will help a fish find my bait one way is bulk. Crankbaits can be broken down by action. The wider the wobble the more water it displaces so a wide wobble lure would work better in stained to murky water. Conditions could be cover too. If I know I am going to catch my fish in laydowns I a have a selection of lures I know work well in laydowns. Conditions could be water clarity. I know certain colors work better than others based on the clarity of the water. Windy conditions make flipping a pain. I know that with crankbaits and spinnerbaits I can keep in contact with my baits better. Feeding areas come into play. High sun I know the bass will be hanging in the shade or in deep cover or might drop back into deeper water. Cloudy skies I know topwater is an option and the fish will be moving around some and will be hanging on the edge of cover not in it. I know spinnerbaits work well on cloudy days. A condition comes up where I can't catch fish shallow I know its time to drop back deep or try something else. I see that I am hooking bass outside of the mouth that tells me I need to slow down more or change. When the sun is high and the lake is calm I know I better get my flipping stick out. Cold fronts the strike zone gets small so flipping comes into play also. You need to sit down and tell yourself "well Bob this is going on right now how is this going to effect my fishing and more importantly my fish." The conditions are there in front of you and its up to you to interpret it. Notice how I was slowly weeding out what lures that wouldn't work. If you know what to look for you can pick out high percentage places in the cover that would hold the biggest fish. You can also determine which direction the bass should be facing and which direction they will want the bait to come from in order to get bit. The biggest fish will always take up the best place in the cover and will always face the wind. Wind is current and when they get big they are king of the cover. There is something that I call the natural flow of bait. There is a direction that most of the baitfish swims by if you can duplicate that direction your amount of bites go up.

great post chris. I need to carry this with me as well as raul's post. I have this built-in forgetter, and need it written down in the beginning to be able to remember.

this is one of 'em to carry with me. thanks again man.

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now when the wind is blowin hard but the fish are tight to cover... a plastic will be difficult to use, so might that mean they will hit a spinnerbait or could they still only want a plastic?

I ask cause this situation happened, and they weren't bitin my spinnerbait. maybe I should have crawled it on the bottom or somethin...? guy I was fishin with hit one fish with a worm, at a time when the wind died down.

I guess its all trial and error, huh?

Sure a bass might just want something crawling on the bottom. If I am fishing close and the jig or worm is the only way to get bites then I beef up my weight. The reason why I say fishing with a worm in wind is hard is because it is difficult to feel the bottom or the weight in heavy wind. Will it still work yes. Might need to use your jedi force  to feel a bite though. Bite detection is easier with a spinnerbait and crankbait in wind.

I just realized how irresistable a c-rig would have been.  as hard as the wind was blowin, that plastic would have been hoverin around.   I never even thought about it....    :-/

Now your thinking ;D