No Reaction Baits In Still Water? 2024
5 Dollar Fishing Game reply :
Watched a BASS video and one of the guys on there Gerald Swindel said not to use reaction baits in clear and still water. He said top water, minnows, cranks, spinners, and the like will not trigger strikes. I thought the opposite would be true, If the water is clear and still, then the bass can see the lures easier right??? What do you all think?
- Joe
flyfisher reply :
Reaction baits are jsut that, a reaction to something coming by their heads. Now you probably can't go splatting your lure down on top of their head like you can in more stained water but you can definitely do well with reaction type baits in clear water.
I haven't had success with the bright flashier colors but the more muted natural color cranks have performed well for me.
Cgrinder reply :
Clear and still says swim jig to me.
5 Dollar Fishing Game reply :
Why a jig? Is it because they can see it better from the bottom and in the fall?
5 Dollar Fishing Game reply :
*on the fall
flyfisher reply :
I forgot about swim jigs, they have worked well for me too.
A swim jig is like a finesse spinnerbait. Just enough thump, depending on the trailer to get noticed but not overly flashy and noisy to warrant a second guess on whether to hit it or not.
Cgrinder reply :
On 10/2/2013 at 9:36 PM, jnatale3 said:Why a jig? Is it because they can see it better from the bottom and in the fall?
Yeah it's more of a visual bait. The trailer puts off a little vibration but nothing like a spinner or trap.
That said, there aren't rules with bass fishing. They are more like guidelines. The clear and still water bass will tell you what they want.
BassWhole! reply :
On 10/2/2013 at 8:35 PM, jnatale3 said:Watched a BASS video and one of the guys on there Gerald Swindel said not to use reaction baits in clear and still water. He said top water, minnows, cranks, spinners, and the like will not trigger strikes. I thought the opposite would be true, If the water is clear and still, then the bass can see the lures easier right??? What do you all think?
- Joe
I think its a good rule of thumb. Under those conditions, plastic baits (I like weightless t-rigs, swimjigs, and creatures) in natural colors, which "match the hatch" in size and profile work well for me. If that doesn't do it (specially if its cloudy or low light) I'll bring out the finesse spinnerbait and crankbait. If I'm still not getting any love, I'll do a 180, and start burning all sorts of things, as with all other things fishing, I don't argue with fish...
J Francho reply :
On 10/2/2013 at 8:35 PM, jnatale3 said:Watched a BASS video and one of the guys on there Gerald Swindel said not to use reaction baits in clear and still water. He said top water, minnows, cranks, spinners, and the like will not trigger strikes. I thought the opposite would be true, If the water is clear and still, then the bass can see the lures easier right??? What do you all think?
- Joe
It would really depend on the rest of the conditions, and what the fish are telling me. I try to avoid hard fast rules about bass fishing, and stick to my game.
5 Dollar Fishing Game reply :
I have used spinners and swim baits when the water looked like glass. 50/50 on what happens too. I have had luck with the swims a ton in those conditions. He made it sound like it was an impossibility tho. As mentioned, they are all just guidelines. In any event I have these conditions today so I will see how it goes. ;-)
Raul reply :
On 10/2/2013 at 8:35 PM, jnatale3 said:Watched a BASS video and one of the guys on there Gerald Swindel said not to use reaction baits in clear and still water. He said top water, minnows, cranks, spinners, and the like will not trigger strikes.
What a bunch of nonsense !!!
Siebert Outdoors reply :
Knowing who GS is there has to be more to his statement then just what was on that video. Reason I state this is I agree with Raul. I catch a lot of smallmouth in the spring on topwater in still gin clear lakes. Same with spinnerbait fishing.
bigbill reply :
In the springtime I was catching bass on my Hank Parker Mann's baby 1 crankbait in Brown Craw. And my mepps Anglia #3 inline spinner.
I was fishing at a new place and was about 4' above the water fishing from a rocky ledge. I could see the whole pond from one spot with its gin clear water. I noticed that the long black lines I seen in the water were big bass. This place was shallow and remember if you can see the bass they can see you. I tossed lure after lure with no success. Then I down sized to a rebel bumble bee. I caught a sunfish on a long cast. As I was reeling it in a big bass swam over to strike it as I pulled the sunfish out of the water. I just didn't think fast enough to realize that the sunfish were probably there main diet. I figure these bigger gals need a bigger meal. Seeing this taught me to use natural colored lures in sunfish colors in clear water conditions for bass. Don't wear bright colored clothes too if you can see the bass they can see you too. If your fishing from shore something darker is much better like Camo. I also make slow moves too not to spook them. Bill
5 Dollar Fishing Game reply :
I own the DVD and rewound it 3 times to clarify. Yep. That's what he said. Also, he went further to say that "those reaction baits simply won't produce so don't waste your time, focus on slow worms and put away 80% of your power bait and leave it in the bag"
Cgrinder reply :
On 10/3/2013 at 12:37 AM, jnatale3 said:I own the DVD and rewound it 3 times to clarify. Yep. That's what he said. Also, he went further to say that "those reaction baits simply won't produce so don't waste your time, focus on slow worms and put away 80% of your power bait and leave it in the bag"
I guess that's not a bad idea but I'd still want to have swimjigs and something else that moves, like a fluke or popper maybe. If he's talking about clear, still, pressured water, then it makes more sense.
5 Dollar Fishing Game reply :
That's a good point !
Raul reply :
On 10/3/2013 at 12:37 AM, jnatale3 said:I own the DVD and rewound it 3 times to clarify. Yep. That's what he said. Also, he went further to say that "those reaction baits simply won't produce so don't waste your time, focus on slow worms and put away 80% of your power bait and leave it in the bag"
Said b4 and will say it again ----> nonsense
David P reply :
On 10/3/2013 at 12:12 AM, Raul said:What a bunch of nonsense !!!
Couldn't agree more. Are you sure there wasn't a misunderstanding with what he was saying? Or is there more to what he was saying?
I've caught close to 20 fish this year between 6-7.5lbs all on top water, and the clearer the water by far the better the bite has been. The clearer the water, the better I do with a jerkbait as well...
KVD throws spinnerbaits in clear water for reaction strikes....
I will say... Wind does help a spinnerbait or jerkbait bite... But it's still not a MUST to be successful.
5 Dollar Fishing Game reply :
Yep. It is not true. I went today and caught plenty in those conditions on minnows
5 Dollar Fishing Game reply :
Why does everyone think I "misheard" him? I played it several times and even had a friend of mine see it too? I will try and record it with my phone and post the clip here. This is EXACTLY what he said, "It's real calm, no wind, you really don't have a lot of alternatives when fishing. You can pretty much put down 80% of power baits. They are out. Spinners, cranks, top water, you're wasting your time."
roadwarrior reply :
Even as a very successful professional, it's still an opinion.
Lots of very good fishermen have had a different experience.
aquaholic reply :
I would also say i disagree with what he said, but then again im not making movies.
basscatcher8 reply :
They ask if you misheard him cause Gman is the king of sarcasm and jokes and its hard to tell sometimes if hes jokin or serious.
5 Dollar Fishing Game reply :
On 10/3/2013 at 5:30 AM, basscatcher8 said:They ask if you misheard him cause Gman is the king of sarcasm and jokes and its hard to tell sometimes if hes jokin or serious.
He was serious. ;-)
WRB reply :
The majority of our lakes are gin clear and can be calm for a few hours each day, usually in the mornings.
Every type of lure works well at times, including bright colored reaction lures.
I agree with Raul....the statement is bunk!
Tom
JeziHogg reply :
A lot of tips people give are what works for them, that doesn't necessarily mean it will work for the next guy.
Catt reply :
All lures are reaction lures...bass sees lure...bass reacts!
BuckMaxx reply :
clear water is fluke water...
pbrussell reply :
On 10/3/2013 at 10:12 AM, Catt said:All lures are reaction lures...bass sees lure...bass reacts!
This had me laughing pretty good.
Jucas97 reply :
I generally try not to listen to all the hype, I find what I like and use what the bass tell me.
gallowaypt reply :
I caught a couple tonight on dead still water with a chatterbait.
Paul Roberts reply :
I wouldn't put any hard and fast rules to it. Likely he was offering general advice, and overstated things. Going subtle is good general advice but not all there is to the subject.
IME the issue with clear water, bright skies, calm surface is spooking the fish in the first place. It can be darn difficult not to clear the path of your retrieve of fish with every cast under such conditions, at least in shallow water. So.. the talk tends to go toward light and natural, or fish deep. And this is good GENERAL advice.
But I've tried some (not entirely convenient) things that have illuminated some ... reality. In frustration from spooking fish under such conditions I've at times taken to casting way high and off to one side of sighted fish, then walking or moving the boat to bring the retrieve over the fish. This has worked. And they took just fine. I found that I could not let the line saw through the water's surface though, and found a tandem SB to work well (in white/silver to obscure it in the surface film) that I could bulge just beneath the film offering enough resistance to hold the line up off the water. A bulged tandem is a commonly used "reaction bait", but one that can scare the hell out of bass under high vis conditions. But when applied appropriately, it can still catch them.
KVD introduced the idea of using speed (and flash) under bright conditions, not giving the fish a good view of your lure. It does work, but better under some surface chop I find than through a calm surface, unless you can throw mighty far.
I do find it easier to just reach for the light spinning rig and jigworm -preferably translucent- for those flat sunny periods that come and go during the day here. I almost always have one with me. But it doesn't always save my butt. Which brings up the second problem with those conditions: Lures can look really stupid in "swimming pool" conditions. I've had days when I've watched sighted fish ignore or spook at my best and most subtle worm presentations, I watching those bass eyeball my ultra-cool 5" slim Roboworms in those complex cool translucent color schemes they have, and say "Nope."
Raul reply :
I´m not going to promise you it will work all the time, clear to crystal clear water, still mirror like surface, sunny cloudless skies can be very tough conditions to fish but difficult doesn´t mean you should rule out baits and techniques. Some of my most successfully memorable topwater/jerkbait fishing days were preciselly with those conditions, it doesn´t mean that all days with those conditions were successful, others were quite lousy, but I would have never known if I hadn´t try.
So, reaction baits for still water ? -----> why not ? you may have a purty fun day if you try.
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