What Trumps All? 2025
slonezp reply :
So many factors in catching fish. In your opinion, what one thing trumps all the rest. Color? Size? Time of day? Action? and so on
For me it's a well placed bait. This relates to my shallow water experience and anticipating underwater structure and/or cover based on what I see on shore or, for the sake of conversation, boat docks, which are essentially an extension of the shore . Knowing where to put the bait has probably caught me more fish than anything else. Also cost me more fish because I wasn't prepared for the bait to get engulfed the second it hit the water. Some targets just look good. I don't know what it is, they look "fishy". On my home water I like to play the law of averages. If I catch a fish on a particular spot, I will definitely hit it the next time I'm in the area.
Tell us your trump card
Paul Roberts reply :
Hmmmmm... that's a big question. I'm going to go with bass activity level or aggressiveness in feeding. It's really helpful when the fish meet me halfway. Cures a lot of ills.
Mr_Scrogg reply :
Location location location. ;-) <3 you Catt.
Honestly, yea, location. If fish ain't there, they can't bite.
SirSnookalot reply :
Are there fish in the area, but that doesn't mean they are always receptive. I've had days where I've seen lots of activity off the shoreline and can't buy a bite. Other days the water looked dead and I've had fish jumping on my hook, I just take it as it comes. #1 trump card for me is time, eventually I'm going to score.
Yesterday I fished 3 ponds without a strike. The last pond I made a terrible cast and put my top water on the bank, pulled the lure back into some dead looking water and instantly got struck and pulled in a 20" bass on my ul. Dumb luck and time saved the day.
Bankbeater reply :
Experience and time fished. The more time you spend on the water the better your chances at catching a hawg.
BrianinMD reply :
Location, you can best the absolute best at everything else but if you can't find the right spots for the conditions nothing good comes out.
Fishing Rhino reply :
If you have a "gut feeling" about a place, bait, color, or whatever, do not be afraid to try it.
Your brain is a computer. It processes much information subconsciously. Do not ignore it.
Catch and Grease reply :
Well you have to find the fish to catch em', But action is a lot more important then stuff like color IMO.
mjseverson24 reply :
To me the most important thing is the fisherman... The ability to make good decisions when the pressure is on, to be able to get that bite when you need that bite... All of these factors listed above are very important (location, color, action, depth, lure) but to me the biggest factor is the angler itself.
Mitch
Lund Explorer reply :
On 11/4/2014 at 3:41 PM, Mr_Scrogg said:Location location location. ;-) <3 you Catt.
Honestly, yea, location. If fish ain't there, they can't bite.
Ditto!
A-Jay reply :
The aspect of my angling that falls into the trump card category and provides me a fair chance is the utilization of stealth. The majority of the waters here sport very clear water and though not heavily pressured, when I do not alert the fish to my presence they are much more cooperative.
This almost always includes a planned, slow approach and as accurate & quiet a presentation as possible; using the wind to my advantage has proven effective. I rarely maneuver over or even close to the fish I plan on fishing. Even a deep drop-shot bite seems better with a long distant approach. In such clear water and on a sunny day, I’ve seen the boat’s shadow travel down quite a ways which can move fish off a spot, turn them off or at the very least, tell them something isn’t right.
Line size is routinely a consideration and there is just no sense bouncing gear around in the boat on the approach to or once you get to a spot. Using an anchor rather than bumping the trolling motor on & off and on & off is usually the way to go. During the warmer months, night fishing helps level the playing field and I do quite a bit. But even then it pays to maintain a stealthly posture in all aspects except the line size.
A-Jay
Senko lover reply :
On 11/4/2014 at 10:12 PM, A-Jay said:The aspect of my angling that falls into the trump card category and provides me a fair chance is the utilization of stealth. The majority of the waters here sport very clear water and though not heavily pressured, when I do not alert the fish to my presence they are much more cooperative.
This almost always includes a planned, slow approach and as accurate & quiet a presentation as possible; using the wind to my advantage has proven effective. I rarely maneuver over or even close to the fish I plan on fishing. Even a deep drop-shot bite seems better with a long distant approach. In such clear water and on a sunny day, I’ve seen the boat’s shadow travel down quite a ways which can move fish off a spot, turn them off or at the very least, tell them something isn’t right.
Line size is routinely a consideration and there is just no sense bouncing gear around in the boat on the approach to or once you get to a spot. During the warmer months, night fishing helps level the playing field and I do quite a bit. But even them it pays to maintain a stealth posture in all aspects except the line size.
A-Jay
You said it for me.
ColdSVT reply :
TNT trumps all when fishing...dont forget your net and ear plugs
Mike L reply :
Can't catch em fish they're not there...
Can't catch em if they're there and don't want to eat...
Can't catch em if they're there, want to eat but just don't like what they see...
Can't catch em if they're there, want to eat, like what they see, and then get turned off by what you did or didn't do, the weather etc.
Tell me why we do this again... 
Mike
Megastink reply :
None trump all. All are important.
Catt reply :
can't catch what aint there
J Francho reply :
Location and activity level. Sometimes you can catch what's not really biting, but like Catt said, you can't catch what's not there.
SHaugh reply :
I'd say local knowledge and experience on that body of water. We all know you can be 10 feet away from where the fish are biting and not get a bite. It's knowing where the fish will likely be. On my local pond that area amounts to several room size patches of water.... if you fish anywhere outside of that you are probably wasting your time.....
Sam reply :
Interesting question.
I agree with Megastink in that there are more than one trump card to play so I will say.....
The Pattern of the Day.
All the conditions and bait placement add up to the Pattern of the Day.
Yes, bait placement is always important as is its entry into the water, but I would think it is imperative that you find that "Pattern of the Day" or "Pattern of the Hour" to nail our little green friends.
Just my two cents.
Ratherbfishing reply :
As in business and real estate, it is: LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
1. Location
2. Depth
3. Presentation
a. Action
b. Profile
c. Size
d. Color
*Hootie reply :
Fishing the same lake, day after day and year after year. My catches are pretty consistent. I've been fishing my lake since I was 14 yrs. old and now I'm...well, I'm not 14 anymore.
Hootie
Chris S reply :
Electronics and how to use them on any given day along with your favorite search baits unless you are fishing a honey hole then who cares
catchem up!
Catt reply :
On 11/5/2014 at 1:05 AM, Sam said:Interesting question.
I agree with Megastink in that there are more than one trump card to play so I will say.....
The Pattern of the Day.
All the conditions and bait placement add up to the Pattern of the Day.
Yes, bait placement is always important as is its entry into the water, but I would think it is imperative that you find that "Pattern of the Day" or "Pattern of the Hour" to nail our little green friends.
Just my two cents.
Step one of a pattern is location
Montanaro reply :
Location is a given....I'm not shooting an elephant in my back yard.
Action trumps all
Switching trailers from lots of action to little and boom. Soft plastic fluttering down won't get bit but a crank smashing into same tree will.
K_Mac reply :
On 11/4/2014 at 10:51 PM, Megastink said:None trump all. All are important.
If there is a simple answer, this is it! Some are more important than others on any given day, and I think that varies from day to day. I like Catt's pattern approach: Find the pattern and you now hold trump. The more you define the pattern, the more you hold.
*Hootie reply :
On 11/5/2014 at 6:47 AM, Montanaro said:Location is a given....I'm not shooting an elephant in my back yard.
Ironic, I just shot an elephant in my backyard this morning.
Hootie
J Francho reply :
What was my ex doing in your backyard?
reb67 reply :
On 11/5/2014 at 7:23 AM, J Francho said:What was my ex doing in your backyard?
That is so wrong in so many ways
Paul Roberts reply :
Wow. Lotsa good thoughts here.
On 11/4/2014 at 11:40 PM, J Francho said:Location and activity level. Sometimes you can catch what's not really biting, but like Catt said, you can't catch what's not there.
Interesting, Catt fishes BIG water mostly and on such waters its possible to fish where there aren't any. I fish small waters and it's rare not to have any bass under my casts most of the time. Versatility is key, and can get bites where others fail, and practically speaking this is where most fishing lies. We are almost always fishing to subsets of bass across a range of activity levels. We can't rely on 80% of the fish biting, so much of the time we are working on duping the neutrals. So... I'm swayed and am changing my trump card(s): location with versatility. I know I chose two, as there isn't just one that trumps all except maybe that the bass are still breathing.
Location for me often pertains to a very small scale -the ambush points, the carnage zones, the strike zones, where approach, placement, angle, and timing can make all the difference.
That said, I spend the majority of my time looking for bass that have a pattern of their own going. Feeding bass on a specific pattern of their own is where I make a killing.
On 11/4/2014 at 10:12 PM, A-Jay said:The aspect of my angling that falls into the trump card category and provides me a fair chance is the utilization of stealth. The majority of the waters here sport very clear water and though not heavily pressured, when I do not alert the fish to my presence they are much more cooperative.
This almost always includes a planned, slow approach and as accurate & quiet a presentation as possible; using the wind to my advantage has proven effective. I rarely maneuver over or even close to the fish I plan on fishing. Even a deep drop-shot bite seems better with a long distant approach. In such clear water and on a sunny day, I’ve seen the boat’s shadow travel down quite a ways which can move fish off a spot, turn them off or at the very least, tell them something isn’t right.
Line size is routinely a consideration and there is just no sense bouncing gear around in the boat on the approach to or once you get to a spot. Using an anchor rather than bumping the trolling motor on & off and on & off is usually the way to go. During the warmer months, night fishing helps level the playing field and I do quite a bit. But even then it pays to maintain a stealthly posture in all aspects except the line size.
A-Jay
Stealth is a big factor in my waters too. I have always said, the first order of business is: "don't spook em". If you do, (and I must say many do, and are unaware of it), the rest can be moot.
Scott F reply :
On 11/5/2014 at 7:15 AM, *Hootie said:Ironic, I just shot an elephant in my backyard this morning.
Hootie
I once shot an elephant in my pajamas.....how he got in my pajamas I'll never know!
PanhandleFishin reply :
Not always about location, there could be 100 there one day and none the next. I've caught little bass on a bait bigger than them, then with the same bait catch a 4 or 5 pounder. So i don't think its bait size. I would say what matters most is action, don't matter what color, if that actions gets em going your golden.
J Francho reply :
With pond fishing, location plays a part for me too. If a pond isn't biting, I leave and try a different pond. Successful shore bound fishing is often about having a good stash of locations, not just one pond where the bite might be off. I try real hard think of big water this way as well. You look out at a Great Lake, and it's a sea of nothing. But once you start breaking down locations, sub locations appear, and patterns emerge.
papajoe222 reply :
In a word, persistance. Ever have one of those days when you just can't figure them out, or do you just give up and attribute it to some factor that's out of your control? This past season really tested my persistant approach as there were very few 'easy' days on the water. It would often take me the better part of my fishing time eliminating different scenarios before I came up with the right combination. Even then, results weren't anything to really get the adrenalin pumping.
I'll admit that sometimes it was just staying out there long enough for conditions to change, but I have to believe persistance plalys a large part even in that.
(My wife says that's being hard headed, but who listens to their wife?)
Paul Roberts reply :
On 11/5/2014 at 11:40 AM, J Francho said:With pond fishing, location plays a part for me too. If a pond isn't biting, I leave and try a different pond. Successful shore bound fishing is often about having a good stash of locations, not just one pond where the bite might be off. I try real hard think of big water this way as well. You look out at a Great Lake, and it's a sea of nothing. But once you start breaking down locations, sub locations appear, and patterns emerge.
So... in pond #1 bass activity/aggressiveness ("the bite") and/or versatility trump location. But in pond #2, location trumps. But, what's the diff between #1 and #2 -bass activity? Or what the angler has (or is willing) to offer that day?
I do the same thing btw. If I'm not catching in one pond, I'll hit another. Some ponds I've yet to figure out, at least under certain times of year (winter in particular). Location in some ponds, or days, simply means finding water that fits the gear I have with me, or my druthers, rather than what's possible if I'd brought the whole tackle store with me. There are only so many hours in a day, and it seems the Earth always rolls over too fast. That's what's often interesting about tournament results -just how many patterns the whole field can come up with on any given day.
SirSnookalot reply :
On 11/5/2014 at 11:40 AM, J Francho said:With pond fishing, location plays a part for me too. If a pond isn't biting, I leave and try a different pond. Successful shore bound fishing is often about having a good stash of locations, not just one pond where the bite might be off. I try real hard think of big water this way as well. You look out at a Great Lake, and it's a sea of nothing. But once you start breaking down locations, sub locations appear, and patterns emerge.
In my Florida ponds the fish are always there, they have no place to go. It isn't pattern or lure, it's being there when the fish are turned on, IMO that's timing. I also agree 1 pond when may be dead while another 500' away is producing fish, given enough time I will eventually catch fish. I do only use lures that I feel will catch the larger fish, catching but 1 20" + fish in hour or 2 gets my interest a bit more than catching a bunch of 10 inchers.
Paul Roberts reply :
On 11/5/2014 at 11:48 AM, papajoe222 said:In a word, persistance. Ever have one of those days when you just can't figure them out, or do you just give up and attribute it to some factor that's out of your control? This past season really tested my persistant approach as there were very few 'easy' days on the water. It would often take me the better part of my fishing time eliminating different scenarios before I came up with the right combination. Even then, results weren't anything to really get the adrenalin pumping.
I'll admit that sometimes it was just staying out there long enough for conditions to change, but I have to believe persistance plalys a large part even in that.
(My wife says that's being hard headed, but who listens to their wife?)
Agreed. Sometimes we can be our own worst enemy, getting dejected and coming up with all the reasons why we aren't getting bit. In persevering, I've had amazing turnarounds happen. Often it's not just the fish turning on but me finding feeding fish or a presentation that flips the switch.
Catt reply :
Even in ponds if they ain't within casting distance of where your standing ya ain't gonna catch em!
I would like y'all to show me how ya catch what ain't there!
Lund Explorer reply :
On 11/4/2014 at 2:22 PM, slonezp said:So many factors in catching fish. In your opinion, what one thing trumps all the rest. Color? Size? Time of day? Action? and so on
For me it's a well placed bait. This relates to my shallow water experience and anticipating underwater structure and/or cover based on what I see on shore or, for the sake of conversation, boat docks, which are essentially an extension of the shore . Knowing where to put the bait has probably caught me more fish than anything else. Also cost me more fish because I wasn't prepared for the bait to get engulfed the second it hit the water. Some targets just look good. I don't know what it is, they look "fishy". On my home water I like to play the law of averages. If I catch a fish on a particular spot, I will definitely hit it the next time I'm in the area.
Tell us your trump card
In your opinion, what one thing trumps all the rest.
In all the years I've been actively trying to learn how to become a better bass fisherman, I've been taught that
it takes three trump cards. Same tired old story from In-Fisherman: Fish + Location + Location = Success! You
have to consider many variables such as season, lake/pond/river type, and weather just to name a few which will
all have an effect on those three trump cards.
But if you really want to be stuck with one, just fish a Senko!
slonezp reply :
On 11/5/2014 at 9:40 AM, Paul Roberts said:
Location for me often pertains to a very small scale -the ambush points, the carnage zones, the strike zones, where approach, placement, angle, and timing can make all the difference.
My point exactly
slonezp reply :
On 11/5/2014 at 11:35 AM, Scott F said:I once shot an elephant in my pajamas.....how he got in my pajamas I'll never know!
What did the elephant say to the man he saw peeing on a tree?
How do you eat peanuts with that thing...... 
J Francho reply :
On 11/5/2014 at 1:04 PM, Paul Roberts said:So... in pond #1 bass activity/aggressiveness ("the bite") and/or versatility trump location. But in pond #2, location trumps. But, what's the diff between #1 and #2 -bass activity? Or what the angler has (or is willing) to offer that day?
I do the same thing btw. If I'm not catching in one pond, I'll hit another. Some ponds I've yet to figure out, at least under certain times of year (winter in particular). Location in some ponds, or days, simply means finding water that fits the gear I have with me, or my druthers, rather than what's possible if I'd brought the whole tackle store with me. There are only so many hours in a day, and it seems the Earth always rolls over too fast. That's what's often interesting about tournament results -just how many patterns the whole field can come up with on any given day.
I don't know Paul, but you basically just agreed with me, I think. I don't fish with Trump cards, though bass fishing can get to Bridge proportions of difficulty, some days. More often its more like Euchre.
Catt reply :
Define location?
Quote: alonezp
For me it's a well placed bait
Knowing where to put the bait has probably cUght me more fish than anything else.
Quote: Paul Roberts
Location for me is often pertains to a very small scale - the ambush points, the carnage zones, the strike zones...
Location defined
BassThumbAddict reply :
First Location. Second for more is structure to fish. Being stuck on the bank lots of times I fish areas where I can see laydowns, grass, and rock piles. If I go to a lake or a pond that I can't see anything structure wise I feel trumped.
Catt reply :
On 11/5/2014 at 11:05 PM, BassThumbAddict said:First Location. Second for more is structure to fish. Being stuck on the bank lots of times I fish areas where I can see laydowns, grass, and rock piles. If I go to a lake or a pond that I can't see anything structure wise I feel trumped. [/quote
Cover not structure
J Francho reply :
On 11/5/2014 at 11:04 PM, Catt said:Define location?
Quote: alonezp
For me it's a well placed bait
Knowing where to put the bait has probably cUght me more fish than anything else.
Quote: Paul Roberts
Location for me is often pertains to a very small scale - the ambush points, the carnage zones, the strike zones...
Location defined
I think "location" starts big, and gets fine tuned as you get results. My first time fishing Erie, with wnybassman ("No Good"), we were fishing a huge piece of structure. Like acres huge. Then it was a football field. Then it was a lip on a point, probably 30 yards or so. What was really great was, he left the breadcrumbs running on his GPS, and explained what he was doing all along, while we caught fish. Bigger fish, smaller fish.... Finally, we were catching fish consistently over four pounds. The days best were a six by No Good, and my PB 5-12. What's funny, he apologized for the mediocre fishing, lol. I got a PB, and a serious lesson that day. The GPS looked like a scribbled grid, and then just multiple lines over the same small spot.
I don't know if that's a location trump card, maybe it's more of the electronics trump card, pointed out earlier. The same tactics can be applied to any spot.
Catt reply :
J...it's called a pattern...it starts with a broad location & narrows with each bass caught.
Next consideration for location would be the location of prey
mrmacwvu1 reply :
Love
I mean this sincerely
If you truly love the sport you will put the time and effort into being more successful.
It is like anything else in this life the more you love it the more you do it and the better you get at it.
That is what is so great about this site, thanks to Glenn and the other mods they have made a place for us ones that truly love this sport to have a place where we can interact and help each other.
For that I would like to sank you to them.
einscodek reply :
100X on location
if you dont have them where you want them you may as well fish in an empty bucket
J Francho reply :
On 11/5/2014 at 11:34 PM, Catt said:J...it's called a pattern...it starts with a broad location & narrows with each bass caught.
Next consideration for location would be the location of prey
Pattern to me can be anything that repeats itself with multiple catches. Not just location, though that's a big part - and why it's called the Trump Card, right?
phototex reply :
Depth.
Catt reply :
Ok, there is no trump card!
There is a order we follow in establishing a pattern, starts with location of the bass & of the prey.
J Francho reply :
If there was a universal trump card, this site wouldn't need to exist!
slonezp reply :
On 11/6/2014 at 5:34 AM, J Francho said:If there was a universal trump card, this site wouldn't need to exist!
I beg to differ. Trump cards win hands. Skill /experience/ and a little bit of luck win games.
Paul Roberts reply :
On 11/5/2014 at 10:51 PM, J Francho said:I don't know Paul, but you basically just agreed with me, I think. I don't fish with Trump cards, though bass fishing can get to Bridge proportions of difficulty, some days. More often its more like Euchre.
We agree. We’re pretty much doing the same stuff out there. I'm just hashing out the logic.
On 11/5/2014 at 11:34 PM, Catt said:J...it's called a pattern...it starts with a broad location & narrows with each bass caught.
Next consideration for location would be the location of prey
Ah! Baitfish push things into the activity/aggressive feeding part -the flipside of the location trump card.
-We can sit over suspended, sleeping bass for some time without catching. We've got a location, we've got fish. But a lot of good it's doing right then.
-We can sit on a good prey location where the prey has all the advantages, while the bass await opportunity.
-We can sit on great structure/cover combination -sans vulnerable bait and feeding bass.
What we look for is when and where all three come together in time and space. This tends to happen at certain “locations”, I believe these are the ambush points / carnage zones / strike zones, however they manifest themselves: depth, angle, breaks (structural elements, cover, current, mudlines, …)
Then there is presentation…
No, there is no one trump card. It’s a process. It feels best when we have enough of a handle on what’s going on and what the terrain looks like underwater to be there at the right time and place. A lot of times we just stumble on such things. Imagine how many we miss by mere feet, or minutes? Those tournament results are indicators of just how big a job we have when we leave the dock.
On 11/6/2014 at 8:06 AM, slonezp said:I beg to differ. Trump cards win hands. Skill /experience/ and a little bit of luck win games.
Now you've got me considering the definition of "trump card".
slonezp reply :
On 11/6/2014 at 8:45 AM, Paul Roberts said:
Now you've got me considering the definition of "trump card".
I'm just screwing with J Francho, but now you got me thinking
Paul Roberts reply :
On 11/6/2014 at 9:05 AM, slonezp said:I'm just screwing with J Francho, but now you got me thinking
tatertester reply :
I think it's all about the current conditions such as various weather , time of day (sunlight) , different cover, time of year,etc.....Reminds me of a typical day on my friends lake. We usually do well and know the lake, but, that day we couldnt buy a bite.......We were texas rigging senkos and trick worms....I decided to down size to a very small plastic on a small jig. 3 inches overall long, and I just slowly dragged it along the weedy bottom. I started catching good quality fish ,and the bass continued to eat the small baits ,to the exclusion of the 5" plastics.......Quess I really still dont get why , but, it worked....Wonder how many times a person fishes over bass just by having the wrong size bait?
'
J Francho reply :
Slonezp couldn't catch a bass if he was left guarded with an off ace. Tricks are for kids, Paul.
SirSnookalot reply :
On 11/6/2014 at 5:34 AM, J Francho said:If there was a universal trump card, this site wouldn't need to exist!
Where else would people discuss b/c vs spinning?
To Paul's point of which I agree, having the right location doesn't mean catching fish, but it may in an hour, later in the day or maybe the next day. Still brings me to timing, being in the right place at the right time.
J Francho reply :
Sometimes I hit the water four suited.
Catt reply :
On 11/6/2014 at 11:30 PM, J Francho said:Sometimes I hit the water four suited.
If I have trump cards I want to be three suited
J Francho reply :
Pass on a bower, lose for an hour.
Mattlures reply :
The trump card, the one thing that trumps all is....YOU. Your ability, your experience, your knowledge, your intelligence. In most bodies of water there is a bass within casting distance of where you are fishing. Yeah captain obvious (location) is important but not as important as what is in your head. You take somebody who has never fished before and put him on a good bite and he probably wont catch a thing. You Put KVD in a tough lake he's never fished before and he will figure it out.
Josh Smith reply :
I would say that smacking a grouchy bass upside the head with an irritating lure is right up there near the top.
Josh
Paul Roberts reply :
On 11/7/2014 at 9:12 AM, Mattlures said:The trump card, the one thing that trumps all is....YOU. Your ability, your experience, your knowledge, your intelligence. In most bodies of water there is a bass within casting distance of where you are fishing. Yeah captain obvious (location) is important but not as important as what is in your head. You take somebody who has never fished before and put him on a good bite and he probably wont catch a thing. You Put KVD in a tough lake he's never fished before and he will figure it out.
Yeah I guess if you take away the angler, there's not much left is there? 
And no reason for this website. Guess we'd all be talking about euchre or something.
J Francho reply :
Go fish, Paul. I'm out of spades.
slonezp reply :
On 11/7/2014 at 11:07 AM, J Francho said:Go fish, Paul. I'm out of spades.
Ever hear of hearts?
Paul Roberts reply :
Glad you guys are steering this discussion. Things were getting complicated. Bridge, to euchre, to go fish and hearts. How about... 52 card pick up?
Dwight Hottle reply :
On 11/8/2014 at 10:12 AM, Paul Roberts said:Glad you guys are steering this discussion. Things were getting complicated. Bridge, to euchre, to go fish and hearts. How about... 52 card pick up?
Paul I would rather play poker.
Alonerankin2 reply :
I'm all in, I love poker.
J Francho reply :
So long as it's 5 card. None of that pansy hold 'em junk.
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
On 11/8/2014 at 11:04 AM, J Francho said:So long as it's 5 card. None of that pansy hold 'em junk.
You sure? No River, No Flop?
SirSnookalot reply :
If I'm not mistaken hold'em is nothing more than Carioca poker, which we played 50 years. We called it Ron's game, because Ron always dealt it. Carioca can be played with any variation of pocket and table cards, dealers choice. Hi-LO Carioca is a wicked game, the pots can get enormous.
Felix77 reply :
Location is key. If you are around them that is easily 60% of the equation. Followed by their mood and finally quality presentations.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
BaitMonkey1984 reply :
I would agree with slonzep that placement is critical. You can have the right looking bait, with the right presentation, and at the right speed of retrieval and if there is no fish in the area, you come back empty handed despite your efforts. Other than placement, I think stealth would be my second choice. I fish a lot of waters where you are fishing in 1-5 foot ranger, clear to stained water, and heavy fishing pressure. I always try my best to slow down the trolling motor and make long, accurate casts so the fish do not see/hear me before I get them hooked up.
JBlockFishing reply :
One thing that trumps the rest?...Availability of prey!!!!
Whether its baitfish or crayfish...there has to be something available for the bass to eat...then it's match the hatch
meade95 reply :
On 11/4/2014 at 10:30 PM, Mike L said:Can't catch em fish they're not there...
Can't catch em if they're there and don't want to eat...
Can't catch em if they're there, want to eat but just don't like what they see...
Can't catch em if they're there, want to eat, like what they see, and then get turned off by what you did or didn't do, the weather etc.
Tell me why we do this again...
Mike
+1 - I wonder this myself some days! Then can't help but think how "next time"....
Paul Roberts reply :
On 11/13/2014 at 2:29 AM, meade95 said:+1 - I wonder this myself some days! Then can't help but think how "next time"....
Just means you're still kickin'.
Senko lover reply :
Equipment and location.
Jeff H reply :
For me, it's the weather.
Inflatable Raft Bum reply :
On 11/4/2014 at 2:22 PM, slonezp said:So many factors in catching fish. In your opinion, what one thing trumps all the rest. Color? Size? Time of day? Action? and so on
For me it's a well placed bait. This relates to my shallow water experience and anticipating underwater structure and/or cover based on what I see on shore or, for the sake of conversation, boat docks, which are essentially an extension of the shore . Knowing where to put the bait has probably caught me more fish than anything else. Also cost me more fish because I wasn't prepared for the bait to get engulfed the second it hit the water. Some targets just look good. I don't know what it is, they look "fishy". On my home water I like to play the law of averages. If I catch a fish on a particular spot, I will definitely hit it the next time I'm in the area.
Tell us your trump card
Very very broad question, so long i have to admit i stopped reading.. I think i get your question..
All i have to add, trumps all type scenario?, cool water/ early winter/ late winter... If the water is cold i want a Norman Deep Little N crank-bait.
I used to dread pre& post season, no more.. Give me my bait-caster and a box of Normans.
Not only that, but cold water, i'm actually craking kinda hard and fast, not quite burning it, but not far from it.
MO_LMB reply :
Bait Placement
bigbill reply :
Fishing from shore I'm limited to where my location is at. I can't spin around the body of water to fish the private part of it. So I throw a variety of baits and colors and sizes till I get action. Most of the time a red, green, Brown, chartreuse bomber crank will work. If not it's topwater like spooks and poppers. The blue max is what I call my rapala f7 original floater minnow in blue. The mepps #3 anglia silver blade gray tail, strike king inline silver/black, the Joe's fly bass 1/4oz bass size. Panther Martin #6 silver yellow/orange tail.
Read the water condition. But it can change as the water gets deeper.
Don't stand there casting for nothing. Salvage you trip don't get skunked firetiger is the key color when it's a tough day. I've read the water conditions wrong a few times. Trust me.
Try to vary your presentations. Then go to plastics with a Carolina rig with a senkos or brushogs. Don't be afraid to drop a split shot rigged worm.
A shot of scent can turn them on too.
Failure is not an option. Never give up, stay motivated and focused you can do it. Think, rethink, change baits, change colors, change presentations, attack!!!!!
Don't forget my secret weapon my Hank Parker Special the Mann's baby 1 in brown craw. Just reel it slow.
There Ya go all my tactics secrets........
bigbill reply :
Your state of mind,
If you say I'm not going to catch any thing before you go.
STAY HOME and be negative.
Think positive, stay upbeat, stay motivated, keep going.
Practice all the different patterns and presentations. Read and learn everything here and watch the videos too. I also refresh everything over and over during the winter. If you want to get better the more we learn then go on the water we will find out all this stuff does work.
Listen to the pros but watch what they do too. Watch how the hold and work the rod with certain baits.
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