Developing A Pattern? 2024
sparky241 reply :
ok i read another thread on patterns but i really dont understand the patterns? what is it? how do i find out the patterns? i know morning and night try top water and on overcast days. cold or midday try deeper but other than that what am i missing? what do you mean pattern? doesnt the fish just swim or sit close to a spot then move on at some point?i still really feel like i dont understand how to fish.
frantzracing0 reply :
Its just figuring out what the fish have keyed in on and replicating that. In your post you say "midday try deeper" and that may work but you can break it down even farther. Say youre fishing a crank in 15 fow and you get your first strike when burning that crank over or past a 4 foot hump. Then you are able to repeat that at the next hump you find. Now you have the beginnings of a pattern. You can then key in on those humps and make minor changes such as retrieve, speed and color to key in even stronger on the pattern
Mr_Scrogg reply :
Frantz, its not about the lure or presentation! Its about the fish and fisherman reading the water. 
RoLo reply :
Patterns are determined by the fish, not the fisherman.
Roger
sparky241 reply :
i havent been getting any strikes is part of the problem, ive spent alot on lures of different colors and, and tried fast, slow, sporadic retrieve, stop and go, twitching, anything i can think of. i watch youtube to see how others are doing it and mimic them as close as i can and i read everyday on here. i even changed my lines to see if it would help. nada. i must have 20 different plastics. from big bite to senkos , and alot of havoc stuff in different colors. the last fish i caught was on a black fluke during the spawn
Fish Murderer 71 reply :
Sparky, I recommend that you find something to read on "seasonal patterns" This is the starting point, or general knowledge. Each season, spring, summer, fall, winter the bass tend to act a certain way based on biological needs. From there, Patterning is an organizational skill of" what to do when..." it really only comes with time on the water and experience. We can give you our experiences, but they may not work for you. The first thing you really want to do is learn what your prey A.needs, B. likes, or C. tends to do. Each body of water is different and the fish act different.
The best way to start developing a pattern is to record all the variables that were in use to catch the last fish. Time of day, location, water clarity, temp, depth, weather conditions, baitfish locations, lure, presentation, size of fish, how the fish attacked the bait. any information that may be pertinent to the moment you caught that fish. and then try to replicated as much of that information and see if you catch another fish. If you do, you just developed a pattern. Move to another spot on the lake and replicate from the information you gathered and it generally will produce another fish. Some days one pattern will work, another it wont... Thats where experience comes into play- how many different patterns have you tried with success. roll through the mental roll-a-dex until you find the one that works, or try something new. You have lots of lures, set-ups, and presentations mix them with the different conditions and we have an unlimited possibility of catching that Lunker. The main thing that you need to understand Patterning bass is all about time on the water, patience, and being aware of all the little nuances when you do catch a fish. Then being able to remember it all!
frantzracing0 reply :
On 7/1/2014 at 11:36 PM, Mr_Scrogg said:Frantz, its not about the lure or presentation! Its about the fish and fisherman reading the water.
I disagree with this Mr. S. You can find fish and catch fish, but you can dial in deeper and catch more fish by adjustments the lure, presentation, heck even line.
I would like to point this out directly from an article on bassresource on the patterning of bass. It clearly shows that lure selection and presentation play a part in developing a pattern. Obviously a much bigger part than you give credit for
ADJUSTMENT TIME
The third part of establishing a pattern is making your own adjustments to what you encounter. We've all been frustrated by fish showing themselves, but not seeming to want what we have to offer.
That kind of behavior is a pattern too!
Over the many years of covering the U.S. Open out on Lake Mead in the Nevada desert, I have heard the story a hundred times of bass jumping over topwater baits, but not taking them--accounts of 10 or 20 such strikes in a day, but only half empty sacks to show for them.
You can't let your ego get the best of you. If you cannot solve this fish behavior with some kind of varied approach--before the weigh-in-then you need to find a pattern that you can rely on. As much as we would like to believe otherwise, it is an absolute myth that the bass can always be made to bite. However, what is more likely true is that some bass (somewhere in the lake) can be induced to strike, and those are the ones your patterning search will help you "figure out."
By most accounts, lure choice should be your last adjustment, not your first. If you can draw a strike with what you have tied on, then the "secret" of catching them is probably more connected to your presentation. Angles are much more important than anyone gives them credit for. Bass relating to a piece of cover do so for a reason. It best suits them for foraging or it protects them from where they feel most threatened. When feeling aggressive, they may be willing to commit, however, bass often have a preferred angle of attack--for a specific location.
This is almost always the case on isolated cover off the banks. But many times that attack angle of the feeding fish would be one funneled into cover, but since bass anglers usually cast toward the shore and retrieve away from that cover, they often miss as many as half of the available presentation options. That could be a factor to address.
Of course, the speed of the retrieve or some variation thereof could be the key issue. Just use your base line retrieve speed or presentation method as a starting point, and go from there. Sometimes "too fast" (from our previous experiences) is just right today. But whatever changes you make, do so systematically, so you'll be able to recognize the fish's response--and not have to guess.
After speed, lure color or lure size, whether in reaction baits or the soft stuff, can be a factor--and one more quickly addressed by two fishermen working in concert. Once something clicks, narrowing it down goes even faster.
Whether it is terrain, angle of the sun, cover, forage availability, depth and speed of your retrieve or any combination of these or other factors that starts to produce fish, then that is the template for catching them in other like areas, with similar conditions. Pursue that course until it fades--for that is the essence of pattern fishing.
gulfcaptain reply :
On 7/2/2014 at 12:06 AM, sparky241 said:i havent been getting any strikes is part of the problem, ive spent alot on lures of different colors and, and tried fast, slow, sporadic retrieve, stop and go, twitching, anything i can think of. i watch youtube to see how others are doing it and mimic them as close as i can and i read everyday on here. i even changed my lines to see if it would help. nada. i must have 20 different plastics. from big bite to senkos , and alot of havoc stuff in different colors. the last fish i caught was on a black fluke during the spawn
first off, are you fishing a lake or pond? Next what's the water temp? What baitfish or forage is available and how big is it? What structure(rock, ledges, points, drop offs) is in the body of water as well as cover, is there lots of weeds or just spots and is there any timber. Which way is the wind blowing? Now this is all observations you make for each body of water or wherever you fish. Next, you need to think about seasonal behavior of the fish your after. Where do they move to. How long ago did they spawn? Are there bluegill beds around that you can see? A pattern comes from understanding what the fish are most likely doing, presenting your bait to the higher percentage areas that they should be located, and then refining it to key in on small high percentage areas and duplicate it over and over. Read everything you can find on here, look at all the conditions you have each time you go fishing and make notes, observe everything you can. And once you have an idea of what the fish are doing you can alter your tackle and presentations to maximize your chances and become more proficient as an angler.
RoLo reply :
On 7/2/2014 at 12:06 AM, sparky241 said:i havent been getting any strikes is part of the problem, ive spent alot on lures of different colors and, and tried fast, slow, sporadic retrieve, stop and go, twitching, anything i can think of. i watch youtube to see how others are doing it and mimic them as close as i can and i read everyday on here. i even changed my lines to see if it would help. nada. i must have 20 different plastics. from big bite to senkos , and alot of havoc stuff in different colors. the last fish i caught was on a black fluke during the spawn
Bassic Training reply :
Great answer!!!
What is your "systematical" approach to finding the right retrieve?
Sparky,
I was where you are not too long ago. I have gone from where you are now to now being able to catch fish, but looking now to catch more and bigger fish. Keep reading on this website and keep fishing.
Of course, the speed of the retrieve or some variation thereof could be the key issue. Just use your base line retrieve speed or presentation method as a starting point, and go from there. Sometimes "too fast" (from our previous experiences) is just right today. But whatever changes you make, do so systematically, so you'll be able to recognize the fish's response--and not have to guess.
gulfcaptain reply :
Roger, did you fish one area or did you repeat this over several areas of the lake? To me a pattern isn't finding a school that's fired up, it's being able to locate another school of fish that are in the same kind of area in other parts of the lake. To me a pattern would be being able to have the fish so dialed in that you can almost call your bites. I've had days where I established a jig bite. How, the first 4 bass happened to relate to a steep bank with brush and a transition to rock. Each time I found that exact combination in the lake I was fishing, I would catch a fish or several. It let me bypass lots of shoreline that I could have wasted time on and focus on the combination of those 3 things that they were keyed in on.
Catt reply :
Until you catch bass you can not pattern anything!
MassBass reply :
For example, my key pattern this year is a black chatterbait on the edge of windblown lilly pads. You could find a different pattern everyday, but some days there is no clear pattern at all. some patterns can be applied to similar waters.
sparky241 reply :
Can anyone recomend a good book on patterns?
RoLo reply :
On 7/2/2014 at 3:18 AM, Bassic Training said:Great answer!!!
What is your "systematical" approach to finding the right retrieve?
Though my approach to patterning may be systematic, the retrieve I use with a Zoom super fluke is basically constant.
If the fluke isn't producing, rather that alter the delivery very much, I'll switch to another lure with another delivery mode.
Rather than imparting sharp jerks (as the name implies), I prefer short easy tugs, maybe a half-foot in length.
You'll notice that a soft 1/2-foot tug will cause the fluke to scoot swiftly about a foot to one side or the other.
The secret to crisp action is having a little slack 'before' and 'after' each pull. In other words, a gentle tug imparts the jerk
from the whence the name came. I'll alternate randomly between a single jerk and double jerk, but the double jerks are not made
in rapid succession but are separated by about a second. I've found that controlled action is generally
more productive than spastic action, but of course, there are exceptions to every rule.
Hard jerkbaits have a diving lip that drive them down to the desired depth, but soft jerkbaits rely solely
on sinking plastic. So after your 1 or 2 tugs, pause the fluke about 3 sec to allow it to sink back
into the strike zone (1 to 3 ft below the surface). For the most part, the 'pause duration' is more important
than the 'pulls, in addition, most strikes occur during the pause.
Roger
RoLo reply :
On 7/2/2014 at 3:23 AM, gulfcaptain said:Roger, did you fish one area or did you repeat this over several areas of the lake? To me a pattern isn't finding a school that's fired up, it's being able to locate another school of fish that are in the same kind of area in other parts of the lake. To me a pattern would be being able to have the fish so dialed in that you can almost call your bites. I've had days where I established a jig bite. How, the first 4 bass happened to relate to a steep bank with brush and a transition to rock. Each time I found that exact combination in the lake I was fishing, I would catch a fish or several. It let me bypass lots of shoreline that I could have wasted time on and focus on the combination of those 3 things that they were keyed in on.
On that day, bass were busting shad on-&-off along the entire eastern shore, but I doubt that the same pattern
was effective throughout the lake. Nevertheless, since few boats did anything that day, I was grateful
for the pattern we found. To be sure, there are always several patterns in progress at the same time,
but expecting to always find a pattern that encompasses the whole lake is a lot to ask.
Roger
gulfcaptain reply :
On 7/2/2014 at 6:56 AM, RoLo said:On that day, the bass were busting shad up and down the entire eastern shore, but that pattern was ineffective everywhere else.
Few boats did any good that day, so I was grateful for the one pattern we stumbled on.
There are always several patterns in progress at the same time, but to expect any one of them to stretch lake-wide
might be asking for a Holy Grail.
Roger
So just from that it almost sounds like you were on the windward shore of the lake.
RoLo reply :
On 7/2/2014 at 7:12 AM, gulfcaptain said:So just from that it almost sounds like you were on the windward shore of the lake.
That's an intuitive assumption and would be my guess too (I know you meant 'downwind', and not windward).
Although T-storms were in the offing, it was a windless day. It was NOT your textbook case of wind-driven plankton,
followed by baitfish that ignited a topwater frenzy. For these reasons, I wasn't expecting 2 to 4 lb bass
to be breaking water in late June, which we've never encountered before in this particular lake.
In my opinion, the pattern was centered on vegetation more than anything else.
Water depth didn't seem to have much effect on the pattern, as the best activity occurred in 6 to 10 ft of water.
That's also the depth zone that marks the best weed clumps surrounded by open water, which I believe
provided welcome visibility for bass in ambush.
Roger
Catt reply :
So y'all think that was a pattern?
Roger could that be duplicated elsewhere on the lake?
gulfcaptain reply :
Rodger, I did mean windward side, not leeward, lee would imply you were on the calm side, not windy bank. And although Catt and myself have had a few discussions and different opinions on things, I think both will agree you happened to find a school of shad more then likely spawning in the weed line and the fish schooled up to take advantage of the easy meal. Now since it couldn't be duplicated through the lake then it's hard to say it's a pattern. A pattern is something you can reproduce over and over again. Best example I can relate to at the moment is a recent FLW event where Greg Hackney found fish at a certain depth and found a grass that grew in that depth. He could run and gun through the lake looking for that grass and pull up and catch his fish through out the lake. So with that said, great find and great observation to find the fish schooled up and catching them. But I couldn't call that a pattern and I think Catt would agree with me.
RoLo reply :
On 7/2/2014 at 4:37 PM, Catt said:So y'all think that was a pattern?
Roger could that be duplicated elsewhere on the lake?
RoLo reply :
On 7/2/2014 at 8:39 PM, gulfcaptain said:Rodger, I did mean windward side, not leeward, lee would imply you were on the calm side, not windy bank.
'Windward' is synonymous to 'Upwind'...not windblown.
'Leeward' is synonymous to 'Downwind'...not protected.
Here's the pitfall:
When you're fishing the leeward side of an island, you're fishing protected water.
When you're fishing the leeward side of the lake, you're fishing unprotected windblown water.
Roger
gobig reply :
On 7/2/2014 at 1:38 AM, frantzracing0 said:I disagree with this Mr. S. You can find fish and catch fish, but you can dial in deeper and catch more fish by adjustments the lure, presentation, heck even line.
I would like to point this out directly from an article on bassresource on the patterning of bass. It clearly shows that lure selection and presentation play a part in developing a pattern. Obviously a much bigger part than you give credit for
ADJUSTMENT TIME
The third part of establishing a pattern is making your own adjustments to what you encounter. We've all been frustrated by fish showing themselves, but not seeming to want what we have to offer.
That kind of behavior is a pattern too!
Over the many years of covering the U.S. Open out on Lake Mead in the Nevada desert, I have heard the story a hundred times of bass jumping over topwater baits, but not taking them--accounts of 10 or 20 such strikes in a day, but only half empty sacks to show for them.
You can't let your ego get the best of you. If you cannot solve this fish behavior with some kind of varied approach--before the weigh-in-then you need to find a pattern that you can rely on. As much as we would like to believe otherwise, it is an absolute myth that the bass can always be made to bite. However, what is more likely true is that some bass (somewhere in the lake) can be induced to strike, and those are the ones your patterning search will help you "figure out."
By most accounts, lure choice should be your last adjustment, not your first. If you can draw a strike with what you have tied on, then the "secret" of catching them is probably more connected to your presentation. Angles are much more important than anyone gives them credit for. Bass relating to a piece of cover do so for a reason. It best suits them for foraging or it protects them from where they feel most threatened. When feeling aggressive, they may be willing to commit, however, bass often have a preferred angle of attack--for a specific location.
This is almost always the case on isolated cover off the banks. But many times that attack angle of the feeding fish would be one funneled into cover, but since bass anglers usually cast toward the shore and retrieve away from that cover, they often miss as many as half of the available presentation options. That could be a factor to address.
Of course, the speed of the retrieve or some variation thereof could be the key issue. Just use your base line retrieve speed or presentation method as a starting point, and go from there. Sometimes "too fast" (from our previous experiences) is just right today. But whatever changes you make, do so systematically, so you'll be able to recognize the fish's response--and not have to guess.
After speed, lure color or lure size, whether in reaction baits or the soft stuff, can be a factor--and one more quickly addressed by two fishermen working in concert. Once something clicks, narrowing it down goes even faster.
Whether it is terrain, angle of the sun, cover, forage availability, depth and speed of your retrieve or any combination of these or other factors that starts to produce fish, then that is the template for catching them in other like areas, with similar conditions. Pursue that course until it fades--for that is the essence of pattern fishing.
So many key things in this article.
Catt reply :
On 7/3/2014 at 12:21 PM, RoLo said:Tom, I don't 'think' it was a pattern, I 'know' it was a pattern, and a strong one at that.
The term 'pattern' coined by Roland Martin, was defined as any 'productive' set of circumstances...period!
Lo & I repeated the same pattern along the entire eastern shore of the lake,
a stretch of real estate extending about one-mile.
As I'm sure you know, there's normally more than one recognizable pattern taking place at the same time,
but on this day that didn't seem to be the case. At the ramp we spoke with several other anglers
who all had a very slow day, to say the least. Getting immersed in semantics is a costly distraction,
and failing to recognize a productive pattern is a fatal error.
Roger
So your "pattern" was schooling bass?
FrogFreak reply :
I see it as a bit simpler than others may. First you take the conditions (time of year, weather etc) add in your experience (what's worked in the past) and then apply it to the body of water your fishing. That's your starting point. From there, you take all the observed variables into account (bait breaking the surface, birds on shore etc) and make your best guess at where they are that day and what they want..
For example, I went out with my wife (in kayaks) one afternoon and I started throwing a t-rigged Rage Tail Menace to a productive weed line that drops off into deeper water. My wife was throwing a plastic worm to the same type of structure. We decided to fish this way because in the past, a slower presentation in the warmer afternoons has been productive in this particular lake. Now, she fishes much slower than I and she usually is rewarded for her efforts. But not that day. I saw this and wondered if the bass wanted to chase something since a storm was supposed to be coming in. So, I started throwing a spinner bait. Slow at first and then as I ratcheted up the speed, I caught fish. I ended up with a productive afternoon. So the pattern was burning a white spinner bait with 2 willow blades over the weed line. I could and did reproduce this all over the small lake I was fishing.
Some days are easier than others for sure. The key is to pay attention and let the conditions and the bass dictate how you fish. Seasonal patterns and past success are just starting points. As Roger pointed out above, sometimes you can be surprised by a pattern.
RoLo reply :
On 7/3/2014 at 5:54 PM, Catt said:So your "pattern" was schooling bass?
SoFlaBassAddict reply :
It always amazes me how much RoLo knows about bass fishing. I'd like to consider myself a pretty good angler down here in our south Florida waters. I certainly realize that I'll never know everything, but each time I read his posts, I'm amazed as how much I still have left to go.
Always love reading what you post, Roger. Thanks buddy.
WRB reply :
Shad patterns come in many forms, school bass feeding on shad schools that are following phytoplankton brought towards to surface by sunlight or zooplankton in cover. Shad hiding in cover, shad spawning, deep shad near structure and/or the thermocline are all patterns of bass behavior when feeding on shad.
Feeding activity often sets off a chain of feeding behavior with bass and bass group up to take advantage of some prey types like herding shad schools. This activity may be only happening in 1 location because the same set of circumstances are not present elsewhere on the same body of water at that time.
Tom
Catt reply :
On 7/4/2014 at 2:56 AM, RoLo said:If we were targeting breaking bass, I would agree that it was a 'schooling' pattern, but I was targeting a plant pattern,
with or without breaking bass. We see a lot of true schooling patterns here in fall (locals call it 'jump fishing'),
but they usually, but not always involve small, mobile bass that actively chase bait schools.
In late June, I really wasn't expecting to find bass busting the surface, moreover the first fish weighed about 3 lbs.
Bass typically school in year-class, so I knew this wasn't a tight wad of mobile schoolies, but an aggregation
of older fish, which generally hunt in ambush without leaving the holding site. For that reason,
I positioned my boat on top of the spot where I seen the topwater commotion so I could study the cover there.
In the gin-clear water, it was easy to see lush clumps of peppergrass (pondweed) growing in 6-10 ft of water
surrounded by open water with good visibility. That was the plant pattern I sought that afternoon,
which we found intermittently along the entire eastern shore.
Roger
So the pepper grass was the pattern & this grass made the bass school?
RoLo reply :
On 7/4/2014 at 7:26 AM, Catt said:So the pepper grass was the pattern & this grass made the bass school?
It's more of an 'aggregation' than a school.
Any lair that's ideally suited to bass habitat will attract more than one bass, which tend to aggregate at that site.
In a healthy lake where forage is plentiful, adult bass do much less wandering than anglers might envision.
Whether it's pike, smallmouth, muskies or walleyes, when you bone up on the preferred habitat
of the predator's primary forage, you invariably find that predator and prey occupy the identical niche.
Consequently, predator and prey are destined to cross paths simply by seeking their preferred habitat.
which inspires predators to lie in ambush. In waterbodies where the primary prey grows scarce,
it will be replaced by another form of prey. For instance, in Lake Erie the round goby filled the gap
left by spottail shiner (automation at its finest).
Bottom terrain is basically constant, but vegetative cover is subject to change, both seasonally and
from year-to-year. However, I would bet the ranch that as long as those cabbage coverts remain unchanged,
they're going to hold bass all summer. There are waypoint coordinates in my GPS unit that are 15 yrs old,
and those founded on bottom contour produce today as they did 15 years ago.
Roger
WRB reply :
You might want to take a minute and watch the old video that Raul posted in know your prey. You may think you know more about bass behavior the Glenn Lau but I doubt it.
Bass that group up or school are a separate group of bass sometimes referred to as wolf packs. The feeding Roger experienced may have been a wolf pack feeding in the area he was fishing. Was it a pattern or a group of active bass that would have responded to several different presentation or lures, you never know.
Catt is a successful tournament bass angler and knows first hand that several patterns are successful during a tournament, you hope your pattern wins.
Tom
Catt reply :
I aint disagreeing with RoLo, quite the contrary, he has clarified what he wrote vs. What I thought I read. Not just on this subject but on previous subjects as well.
In the whole scheme of bass fishing patterning bass is the most mentally demanding!
"If you worry about what might be...and wonder what might have been...you will ignore what is."
RoLo reply :
On 7/4/2014 at 11:12 AM, WRB said:You might want to take a minute and watch the old video that Raul posted in know your prey. You may think you know more about bass behavior the Glenn Lau but I doubt it. Bass that group up or school are a separate group of bass sometimes referred to as wolf packs. The feeding Roger experienced may have been a wolf pack feeding in the area he was fishing. Was it a pattern or a group of active bass that would have responded to several different presentation or lures, you never know. Catt is a successful tournament bass angler and knows first hand that several patterns are successful during a tournament, you hope your pattern wins.
Tom
Catt and I were not in an argument, we were in a discussion.
Like a game of chess, we both knew what the other was thinking,
and where the other was going. It's threads like this where the members
can learn the most, threads that stay on point and expose nuances
in learning experiences.
Yet, in mid-discussion you invited (hijacked) readers from a 'patterning' thread
to a thread about 'prey'. You mentioned Glenn Lau who I happened to follow closely,
but Glen's findings never concluded that bass are long-distance foragers.
I simply related to our most recent outing (2 weeks ago) because I thought it was relevant
(i.e. Fish determine the pattern, not the fisherman). Although you weren't even there,
you suggested the notion of a mile-long wolf pack. Your motive confuses me.
Roger
WRB reply :
What was suggested was a perspective on bass behavior that may have been helpful to others that read this post.
Nothing was mentioned about school bass verses home body bass in this thread, the Glenn Lua video was good opportunity to bring this up without creating a debate.
Tom
RoLo reply :
On 7/4/2014 at 11:01 PM, WRB said:What was suggested was a perspective on bass behavior that may have been helpful to others that read this post.
Nothing was mentioned about school bass verses home body bass in this thread, the Glenn Lua video was good opportunity to bring this up without creating a debate.
Tom
I strongly suggest that you re-read this thread.
WRB reply :
Schooling bass as a separate group of bass than home body bass isn't the same as a group of home body bass schooling to take advantage of baitfish at that moment of time.On 7/4/2014 at 11:16 PM, RoLo said:I strongly suggest that you re-read this thread.
I will go back and read the entire thread when I get some free time.
Your experiences are different than mine, mine differ from yours. I know little about shallow Florida natural or man made low land coastal impoundments having only fished there a hand full of times. California doesn't have any native bass, they all have been transplanted and adapted to the various ecosystems from the delta to a wide range of rivers, deep Colorado river canyon and highland water storage and a few power generating type reservoirs. Clear Lake is the only large natural lake with a good bass population in CA. NLMB, FLMB, Alabama and Kentucky Spotted bass, Shoal bass, Smallmouth bass are non native bass to California and they behave differently then in their natural range, they had to adapt.
Enjoy your 4th of July Holiday.
Tom
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