Lure Confidence... 2024

zildjian reply :

hey guys,

my buddy got me into the sport of largemouth bass fishing last year around this time. ever since then i've been hooked! ever since the beginning, i was buying every type of bass lure, different kinds of line, rods, reels. i just converted over to bait casting reels and rods. i knew i was going to have to "learn" the reel since all you hear is bad stories about how everyone you know hates these types of reels because of constant backlash blah blah blah.. well i wanted to figure it out for my self. and yes i did have my fair share of backlashes in the beginning, but hey that's trial and error right?

i am now very good with my bait casting setup and i caught my first bass of the season with it! and my second bass with my setup was my PB! 4lbs 10oz. you guys have no idea how excited i was to feel this amount of power pulling on my lure! especially since around my area of local lakes your average largemouth bass is a little over 1lb. If you catch a 2lb bass around here your high fiveing all your buddies lol. so a 4lb 10oz Bass just a couple oz's short of 5lb is on heard of for us here.

well that leads me into this.. every time i go out fishing no matter what, i always use my Zoom Trick Worm: Green Pumpkin with Gamakatzu EWG Offset Shank Worm 2/0 Hook Texas rigged weightless. on 8lb mono. i always start out with this, becuase when i was first starting out, I only used worms. senkos, ribbon tails etc.. and the only color that really worked well was green pumpkin. so everything i bought was green pumpkin this and that. and i would always catch bass no matter what on the zoom trick worm. worked every time! i have so much confidence in this worm its ridiculous.

but now, like today for example, i started out with that worm and nothing all day.. for hours. but i know it works. so what do you guys go to next for lure choice if your go to lure doesn't work? i know it matters about what the condition the weather is, what time of day, water temp, etc.. im not even talking about that. i just have zero confidence is anything else other than worms. i started using jigs at the end of the season last year and i bought every kind, every color, every size with every different type of trailer... im weird like that, and i actually caught my past pb on a jig. (the pics of the bass that ate is in my photo gallery)! the bass was 3lbs 3oz. huge for around here. this picture i took of the bass with the jig in it's mouth was right as soon as i pulled it from the water! i was so shocked my jig and trailer worked! and how awesome it looked in it's mouth!

but i just don't know what to do when your go to lure doesn't work... i tried spinners, buzzbaits, jigs, flukes, jerkbaits, frogs, popers, crank baits etc... the only bait that works is the worm. and every time the worm doesn't work for that day and i switch to a different type of lure, i feel like im wasting my time and i could of caught a bass on my worm by now other than using that current lure i have setup.

i need help!

sorry for the long post about something so simple i need answers for, but i know you guys would listen and give me so advice!

thanks,

-Zildjian

coak reply :

I think that you may just have a mental block about using anything else. What I'm saying is that maybe you should pick another lure to focus your attention on and get used to the tendencies of that lure. It takes time and patience to get used to building confidence in lures, but with that time and experience will come the knowledge of when to appropriately choose the right lure for the right situation. I'm a spinnerbait and chatterbait fisherman myself, and am currently working my way up to being comfortable with worms and soft plastics. I know that this, however frustrating it will be in the short term, will pay off big in the long run. I hope this helps....

zildjian reply :

thank you so much for such a quick response! yes it def helps since you can identify with what im going through lol

thanks!

-Zildjian

fadetoblack21 reply :

I had this problem a few years ago. All I would fish was soft plastics and top water baits. I broke the habit by leaving all my gear behind and just bringing a spinnerbait box, or just bringing my jigs, etc. This year it's hard baits for me, jerks and cranks, so that's what I have been bringing with me to force myself to use them. Leave the go-to bait at home and make yourself use other techniques and baits.

zildjian reply :

On 3/23/2012 at 9:41 AM, fadetoblack21 said:

I had this problem a few years ago. All I would fish was soft plastics and top water baits. I broke the habit by leaving all my gear behind and just bringing a spinnerbait box, or just bringing my jigs, etc. This year it's hard baits for me, jerks and cranks, so that's what I have been bringing with me to force myself to use them. Leave the go-to bait at home and make yourself use other techniques and baits.

hmm... well thats not a bad idea actually.

it's going to kill me to leave my zoom magnum trick worms at home... lol

thank you!

SAC2 reply :

its definitly tough gettting out of your comfort zone.......but in the long run it will make you a well rounded fisherman. read every article on this site, you will gain so much confidence you wont know what to do with it. dont let it overwhelm you though. keep in mind things like the forage base in the areas you are fishing. depth and water clarity also play big roles. i know you like your worms, alot of the situations you throw worms in you can probably throw a jig. tie a jig on, eventually you will get bit. then youll get bit again. and again. and again and again and again. youll start gaining confidence quickly once the first few come.

Catt reply :

First congratulation on your new PB

Where teach my students is to select 1 topwater, 1 mid-depth, & 1 bottom lure.

You already have a bottom lure & one many anglers struggle with!

Vinny Chase reply :

I am at work so I have to keep it brief, but you need to be open to other techniques. Learn to be a well rounded angler by studying when and how to fish techniques, so when the time arises you will have confidence in that bait and it will produce.

My confidence lure is a NorthStar Custom Baits jig - more specifically a 1/4 oz new gill swim jig around this time of the year. Throughout the year I will throw a different style, but I would start out with a few NorthStar swim jigs and premier jigs in confidence colors.

Vinny Chase reply :

On 3/23/2012 at 5:46 PM, Catt said:

First congratulation on your new PB

Where teach my students is to select 1 topwater, 1 mid-depth, & 1 bottom lure.

You already have a bottom lure & one many anglers struggle with!

Good way to simplify things - I like it. Try a zell pop and Norman DLN or Middle N; you will not be disappointed.

zildjian reply :

Thank you guys so much gor taking your time to read my thread and helping me out! I really appreciate all your guys comments. Makes me feel like I'm not the only one.

Vinny Chase reply :

On 3/23/2012 at 10:11 PM, zildjian said:

Thank you guys so much gor taking your time to read my thread and helping me out! I really appreciate all your guys comments. Makes me feel like I'm not the only one.

No problem, we have all been there...One thing I did last year that really made me a better angler was I dedicated the whole year to not fishing soft plastic senkos or trick worms. This forced me to rely on other methods and gain confidence when I probably would have been going right for my soft plastic worms.

zildjian reply :

On 3/23/2012 at 10:51 PM, Vinny Chase said:

No problem, we have all been there...One thing I did last year that really made me a better angler was I dedicated the whole year to not fishing soft plastic senkos or trick worms. This forced me to rely on other methods and gain confidence when I probably would have been going right for my soft plastic worms.

thats insane! i don't think i would be able to do that just yet!

my other problem is, lets say i fish my zoom trick worm, or any worm.. and it doesn't work all day, when is it time to quit the worm and try something else? Also, how do i know what to switch to? if my worm doesn't work why switch to jig, spinner, buzzbait, crankbaits, topwater etc. how do i know what to try next and why? is there a specific time or condition to throw spinner? as same for jigs? etc.. i basically want to learn that when i get to my local lakes and ponds and i see the condition wheather it be the water, weather, or time of day that i'll know what i should tie on my line. not (ALWAYS) throw the worm first to see how the bite is.

these are prob questions people can't answer, but its questions that run through my brain 24/7 especially when im fishing for hours upon hours with no hits.

thanks you all agian!

love this fourm!!

-Zildjian

Vinny Chase reply :

I could go on for hours on the questions you asked, but the generalized answser is it goes back to doing your research (articles, read posts, etc), spending time on the water, and learning the patterns of the bass and baitfish.

I have created my own patterns through trial and error, but here is how my day usually goes:

Early morning - I Always start out with a topwater bait in shallow water. If they aren't wanting it, I will move down the water column by throwing a swim jig following by a premier jig. One of these techniques usually comes through, but if not, I will vary my retrieve or switch colors.

Mid/day - I will start to fish under docks, lillies, or other areas in the which the fish will be postioning for comfort and to ambush pray with jigs, weightless worms, etc. If the bite is good I will stay, but if not, I will venture out to deeper water and look for points, weedlines, etc. My bait my choice in deeper water are heavier jigs, swimbaits, or deep cranks.

Evening - Swim jigs, swimbaits, and ribbontails! One of these will get bit most of the time, but I will ususally be fishing on top of points or around shallow-mid range flats.

Sorry for the not getting too in depth, but again I am at work..I will try and post again later tonight.

**Do note that this is based off a summer time pattern.

zildjian reply :

On 3/23/2012 at 11:28 PM, Vinny Chase said:

I could go on for hours on the questions you asked, but the generalized answser is it goes back to doing your research (articles, read posts, etc), spending time on the water, and learning the patterns of the bass and baitfish.

I have created my own patterns through trial and error, but here is how my day usually goes:

Early morning - I Always start out with a topwater bait in shallow water. If they aren't wanting it, I will move down the water column by throwing a swim jig following by a premier jig. One of these techniques usually comes through, but if not, I will vary my retrieve or switch colors.

Mid/day - I will start to fish under docks, lillies, or other areas in the which the fish will be postioning for comfort and to ambush pray with jigs, weightless worms, etc. If the bite is good I will stay, but if not, I will venture out to deeper water and look for points, weedlines, etc. My bait my choice in deeper water are heavier jigs, swimbaits, or deep cranks.

Evening - Swim jigs, swimbaits, and ribbontails! One of these will get bit most of the time, but I will ususally be fishing on top of points or around shallow-mid range flats.

Sorry for the not getting too in depth, but again I am at work..I will try and post again later tonight.

don't be sorry! you have no idea how much your helping me already!

well... im off to go buy some swim jigs and go try them out on the water. no worms for me today! which feels awkward just thinking about it. i might slip one in my pocket just in case! lol

Thanks,

-Zildjian

zildjian reply :

btw you guys can check out some of my fishing videos i put up on my youtube channel.

http://www.youtube.com/user/zildjiandevil

-zildjian

eyedabassman reply :

I agree with everyone here!!!!! But I know color of a bait can make a big difference! So if you are fishing a trick worm and you are not getting a bite try a new color it has saved me many times. Not sure if you are doing that because some people get stuck on one or two colors. I guide here in Wisconsin and I had more than a few trips were color was a big factor. I took some guys out and the bite was hot on a greenpumpkin brush hog ( same lake ) and a day later they would not pick up that color so I tryed 4 other colors and they went nuts on a brush hog in candy bug color. But to be a better all around fisherman you need to get better at other things too. And if someday you want to fish in tournaments,you will do much better ,being more rounded and being able to pick apart a piece of structure.

Clash City Rocker reply :

Look at it this way, if your confidence baits are not producing you'll be no worse off giving something new a try.

There are always a few baits that can apply any fishing conditions, so you just have to pick one and give it your best shot. The lure articles on the site (http://www.bassresource.com/fishing-lures-articles/) do an awesome job of outlining the best conditions colors and presentations for every bass lure out there.

mrmacwvu1 reply :

i agree with everything said here as well

also try other manufactures soft plastics

you might find someone that makes a bait that you like better

zildjian reply :

On 3/24/2012 at 12:54 AM, eyedabassman said:

I agree with everyone here!!!!! But I know color of a bait can make a big difference! So if you are fishing a trick worm and you are not getting a bite try a new color it has saved me many times. Not sure if you are doing that because some people get stuck on one or two colors. I guide here in Wisconsin and I had more than a few trips were color was a big factor. I took some guys out and the bite was hot on a greenpumpkin brush hog ( same lake ) and a day later they would not pick up that color so I tryed 4 other colors and they went nuts on a brush hog in candy bug color. But to be a better all around fisherman you need to get better at other things too. And if someday you want to fish in tournaments,you will do much better ,being more rounded and being able to pick apart a piece of structure.

wow i never really bothered to go any color other than green pumpkin, only because i bought every color possible when i first started and i always got hits and landed fish most of the time with that color. so i now always start with that color. i just need to learn if that color isn't working for me how and when would i know what color would work better. i want to learn things like that so i don't waste time. i guess just do the basic dark, natural, bright and light colors. im goign to read more about this tonight on some articles and threads.

thanks a lot!

-Zildjian

zildjian reply :

On 3/24/2012 at 3:11 AM, Clash City Rocker said:

Look at it this way, if your confidence baits are not producing you'll be no worse off giving something new a try.

There are always a few baits that can apply any fishing conditions, so you just have to pick one and give it your best shot. The lure articles on the site (http://www.bassresou...lures-articles/) do an awesome job of outlining the best conditions colors and presentations for every bass lure out there.

awesome i def will check that out!

thanks!

-Zildjian

eyedabassman reply :

On 3/24/2012 at 4:36 AM, zildjian said:

wow i never really bothered to go any color other than green pumpkin, only because i bought every color possible when i first started and i always got hits and landed fish most of the time with that color. so i now always start with that color. i just need to learn if that color isn't working for me how and when would i know what color would work better. i want to learn things like that so i don't waste time. i guess just do the basic dark, natural, bright and light colors. im goign to read more about this tonight on some articles and threads.

thanks a lot!

-Zildjian

Zildjian, As for color you just have to let the bass tell you what they want. Trail and error.I have had trips that a pink worm worked. The next trip maybe was a dark worm!

zildjian reply :

On 3/24/2012 at 4:50 AM, eyedabassman said:

Zildjian, As for color you just have to let the bass tell you what they want. Trail and error.I have had trips that a pink worm worked. The next trip maybe was a dark worm!

yeah man i just went through my 3 school bags filled with stuff, broke them down into what is easier for me.

one bag is for my light setup. 6'6" Medium rod, light reel, 8-10lb mono for just super light lures like short worms, senkos, lizards, brushhogs etc.. in all colors.

my next bag is for all my jigs and trailers, along with my longer and heavier worms. which, is for my current rod setup, 6'7" Medium Heavy Powell Endurance, curado G201 reel, 14 trilene XL mono.

next bag is filled with my topwater stuff which i'll be buying a 7' rod and fast gear ratio reel and some nice floating fluro line.

last bag will be all crankbaits and spinners. which i'll just use either my medium heavy or another excuse to buy another rod and reel. lol

let me know what you guys think!

thanks guys!

-Zildjian

Floridalargemouth reply :

x2 on giving other manufacturers a try. Unless it is a company specific bait, this can save you A LOT of moolah. The stickworm is an excellent example. Gary Yamamoto has probably made a fortune selling senkos for astronomical prices. Plus, their soft plastic almost never lasts past one fish. There are SO many others on the market that produce just as well and cost a bunch less.

Capt. Dalton

eyedabassman reply :

On 3/24/2012 at 6:10 AM, zildjian said:

yeah man i just went through my 3 school bags filled with stuff, broke them down into what is easier for me.

one bag is for my light setup. 6'6" Medium rod, light reel, 8-10lb mono for just super light lures like short worms, senkos, lizards, brushhogs etc.. in all colors.

my next bag is for all my jigs and trailers, along with my longer and heavier worms. which, is for my current rod setup, 6'7" Medium Heavy Powell Endurance, curado G201 reel, 14 trilene XL mono.

next bag is filled with my topwater stuff which i'll be buying a 7' rod and fast gear ratio reel and some nice floating fluro line.

last bag will be all crankbaits and spinners. which i'll just use either my medium heavy or another excuse to buy another rod and reel. lol

let me know what you guys think!

thanks guys!

-Zildjian

Sounds good to me! Now you know where to look!

mrmacwvu1 reply :

As far as colors go i like to look at what the bass are actually eating. In the spring i will try to see what the bass are feeding on. A quick trick to do this if you do not want walk around the banks is anytime you catch a bass put it in a live-well for all that you catch at the end of the day release the fish and see if they puked anything up in the live-well. I have found crawfish, minows and a dead baby duck this way. Also anything that looks like live bait, such as worms salamanders crawfish ect. I smallie fish alot and I trie to match the color of my soft plastics to what color the crayfish are. If I am on Erie i trie to mimic goby colors and what ever the size and color the baitfish are.

Another thing that I recommend to all fishermen are to keep a log.

In mine I try to keep the day, time, water tempature, outside tempature, barrometric pressure, wind, water clarity and whether it is cloudy or sunny out. I do this for everytime I fish. I then write down not only my successes but my failures as well including lure including size colors hooks and any modifications that I have made to the lures, presentation, line rod,reel, time spent doing it and structure and cover I was fishing. I know this seems like alot of work but it gives you knowlege for the future so years down the road you can look up what the conditions were in the past when and where you had success. Also it provides you with failures so you are not doing the same thing over and over again with no success. I actuall got tired of writing this down and had my wife make me table on the computer to put all of my info down on and organize it.

I hope this helps some.

Floridalargemouth reply :

Thats an interesting point. I hold the belief that matching the hatch is only productive if the lure you're fishing resembles what you're trying to match. For example, if bass in a particular body of water are keying in on crawfish, I dont really think that tying on a crawfish colored worm or fluke is worth the time. Match your lure to the forage and then worry about color...sometimes color just isnt important and othertimes it can be the difference between getting skunked or loading the boat.

Capt. Dalton

zildjian reply :

i finally listened to your guys!

no more just fishing worms.. i put them away and just fished my jigs. well today was a very cloudy, rained all last night and some today also water condition was stained to dark today. so i looked up whats the best color, and i read black, or black and blue is very good for these conditions.

so last night i rigged up my Strike King's hack attack 3/8oz black and blue jig with Yum's Craw Papi green pumpkin/blue specs. and it worked!

i couldn't believe it! i just fished it all day and after about 30 casts i felt a nice SMACK! and i just set the hook without even thinking about what it was or could be. and bam this 1lb 15oz Bass surfaced.

then after about 30mins later this pig hit me! 3lbs 5oz!

just wanted to post and thank you guys for helping me get away from using just one lure!!!

Thanks!

-Zildjian

eyedabassman reply :

Good job.

tomustang reply :

At first I was reading your post down to this

Quote
especially since around my area of local lakes your average largemouth bass is a little over 1lb. If you catch a 2lb bass around here your high fiveing all your buddies lol. so a 4lb 10oz Bass just a couple oz's short of 5lb is on heard of for us here.

And I thought you must be from around here, then I checked your location and I was right!

zildjian reply :

Thanks guys!

Yeah man Philadelphia, Pa

Though I do most of my fishing in Nj right over the bridge.

zildjian reply :

after i hooked up on the 3lb 5oz. Bass i let my buddy's son reel it in. how awesome!

eyedabassman reply :

Nice thing you did! it is all about the kids!

zildjian reply :

Yeah it was a great time!

zildjian reply :

North Star Jig and Paca Chunk Trialer....

weather condition: Cloudy and raining on and off

water condition: clear water about 1ft deep

went fishing today with my buddie to a new lake with clear water and sand bottom with lots of vegetation.

fished after work for 3 hrs with crankbaits, spinner baits, worms, frogs, and poppers. and nothing... so i switched to one of my new jigs i ordered from North Star that i had never thrown. it's the Flip and Swim Jig in Pumpkinseed color and 3/8oz. and for the trailer i put a NetBait Paca Chunk in Craw Fish Color.

The weather was so crapy out! cloudy and gray with off and on rain showers. and on my first cast... felt Tap Tap and i set the hook and this bass had that whole jig in her mouth! she was 2lbs even on my field and stream spring scale.

and in the next couple of casts this 1lb 4oz Bass hit next... small but still fun!

and after about 9 more casts i went with a fast retrieve and hops and another bass slammed it! i was reeling her in and she surfaced twice! looked no smaller than 2lbs. the head was huge! but on the 2nd time she came out of the water she through my jig! i was so mad! worst feeling... sucks when you physicaly watch it happen right in front of you.

so i fished all day and nothing, and i change to my jig and hook up 3 bass within 30mins. so much fun!

Thank You North Star Baits!

-Zildjian

Vinny Chase reply :

Good to hear my man! Sounds like you had a great day on the water!

zildjian reply :

On 5/10/2012 at 9:44 PM, Vinny Chase said:

Good to hear my man! Sounds like you had a great day on the water!

Had a great time fishing that north star jig!!! Can't wait to go back! All I have in my box of jigs is all North Star. They are a huge hit everywhere I go fishing people are always asking me where to buy them. So I send them your way.. Thanks again!

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