Northwest Fishing Reports

I decided to do a little research on what lures have been most effective in catching fish so far this season for my daughter and me. Our results are as follows:

Total # of fishing outings: 9
Total # of fish caught: 35 (All from the shore)

Lure/Technique Used this season - Quantity of Fish Caught – Percentage

Jig and Trailer - 1 – 3% (eg, the jig and trailer caught only one bass so far, which accounts for 3% of the fish we caught)
Crankbait - 3 - 8.5%
Spinnerbait/Inline Spinner – 0 – 0
Hard Jerk/Slash Bait – 0 – 0
Popper– 0 – 0
Drop Shot – 31 – 88.5%


We believe that we gave all of these techniques a fair shake, but who is to say? We all know the feeling when using techniques that aren’t working; we tend to switch to our comfort/confidence techniques to get ourselves some positive results. Granted, I love to use the drop-shot technique because of its effectiveness. So was the drop shot that effective or have I been too dependent on it? On the other side of the coin, the fish have been telling me what they were willing to strike. I don’t think I can force them to take a jig or a spinnerbait because I want to catch them with it.

What lures have been most productive for you this season and are they the lures that inspire confidence in you? That too would be an interesting tidbit to uncover. Perhaps the lures or techniques we find our most productive are the ones we use the most.

One of the reasons I am tracking this is to see what lures and techniques I might also need to invest some time with.

-ib

I really believe that specific regions, water conditions, and temperature are what determine what works and what does not work.

I have not been diligent with my logs but I would have to guess my Bass rates are something like the following:

Spinner Baits - 45%
Plastic Worms - 25%
Crank Baits - 20%
Drop Shot - 5%
Misc. - 5%

Keep in mind that I am fishing shallow lakes, with a lot of weeds, and with larger sized bass.

I can't even guess how many bass, LMB and SMB I and my boat partners have landed this year, but we have had 50 fish days, and I have hit the water almost every Saturday since I stopped fising for Trout about the middle of May.

Notice that while most of your fish came from Drop Shot, that was the least productive method for me. Notice also that spinner baits have given you no fish, they account for most of mine.

I would guess that we simply fish different types of waters.

I don't keep track of how many fish I catch total for any given time on the water like in 'per month'. I can count to about 6, then lose count for any given day/trip. Percentage wise = I have no idea, wouldn't know how to figure it without knowing the total number of fish.

So, just for the sake of comparison;

drop shot = 0 for years

carolina rig = 0 for years

splitshotting = 0 for years

worms and lizards = 0 for a long time

jig-n-pigs = 0 for years

spinner bait = some

inline spinner = LOTS

top water of all types = some

jig and grub = some

crankbaits/anything that runs under water = LOTS! lets just guess at 90 percent of my fish these days

biggest bass = cranks

next biggest bass = spinnerbait

most bass = cranks

So to round it off I've been to the lakes about 17 times this year, early mornings and nights, almost no trips during the middle of the day except in early to mid spring. Last year I spent 47 trips on one lake alone. 19 trips in Sept.

Caught lots of fish, mostly on crankbaits. Most fish in a single day would be a tossup between cranks and inline spinner.

The above lures that show a 0 I just don't use anymore because it's a waste of time to keep trying them if they don't produce for me, altho I'll try them every few trips just to see what happens, except worms, I really should use them more, used to be my favorite lures. Drop shot to me is a total waste of time as I've only caught 1 fish with it and that was the first day of trying it back in '02, and was about 1 foot deep in the rocks that I could have caught with a grub or top water or shallow crank over the rocks.

I don't like to fish deep so don't use those types of lures that most seem to use at 20 feet or deeper. Some day maybe I'll fish deep again, but not any time soon.

And yes my 'favorite' local lake has changed a lot the past 5 years, again, like it did a few years ago. Harder to get topwater strikes at any time of day or night, altho spooks have been productive again.

Can't even get a nibble on splitshotting or carolina rigs in a spot I use to get lots of smallmouth on that lake, but can get some, and some BIG ones, on cranks and spinnerbaits.

Anglinarcher wrote:I really believe that specific regions, water conditions, and temperature are what determine what works and what does not work.

I have not been diligent with my logs but I would have to guess my Bass rates are something like the following:

Spinner Baits - 45%
Plastic Worms - 25%
Crank Baits - 20%
Drop Shot - 5%
Misc. - 5%

Keep in mind that I am fishing shallow lakes, with a lot of weeds, and with larger sized bass.

I can't even guess how many bass, LMB and SMB I and my boat partners have landed this year, but we have had 50 fish days, and I have hit the water almost every Saturday since I stopped fising for Trout about the middle of May.

Notice that while most of your fish came from Drop Shot, that was the least productive method for me. Notice also that spinner baits have given you no fish, they account for most of mine.

I would guess that we simply fish different types of waters.

hmmm, I would guess that you two are targeting different types of fish (SMB for island, vs LMB for AA), just an observation, but interestingly enough, I have targeted SMB more than LMB, and my ratio is probably something like this...

Crankbait - 30%
Jerkbait - 30%
dropshot/c-rig - 20%
Shakeyhead- 10%
Spinnerbait - 10%

I tend to start out covering as much water as I can as quickly as I can, and then slow down and fish d-shot and shakeyheads. For the times I'm targeting LMB I'd probably put the spinnerbait at the top of that list, and remove the dropshot/c-rig altogether, and then add the Frog to the 10% category.
Neat topic! Best-Dave

Im selling all my lures and gear !! going to one bait and two rods period !! ribbit , ribbit, !! lol j/k .. hd to mess with Dave , im sorry , carry on !!!

Acually all my casting rods and reels are for sale. Except the flippin rods. LOL I'll stick with the spinning equipment.

Bigbass Dez wrote:Im selling all my lures and gear !! going to one bait and two rods period !! ribbit , ribbit, !! lol j/k .. hd to mess with Dave , im sorry , carry on !!!

It's all about the FROG baby!!!! Dez, all ya gotta do is fine tune that draggin' technique of yours and combine it with the Frog and you've covered your top two arsenals completely!!!!!!!:cheers: I recommend a 1 oz sinker, some big beads a barrel swivel and about 3 feet of leader to which you attach that big ol' Frog! You will be unstoppable!!!!!:bounce:

davidwat1 wrote:

Bigbass Dez wrote:Im selling all my lures and gear !! going to one bait and two rods period !! ribbit , ribbit, !! lol j/k .. hd to mess with Dave , im sorry , carry on !!!

It's all about the FROG baby!!!! Dez, all ya gotta do is fine tune that draggin' technique of yours and combine it with the Frog and you've covered your top two arsenals completely!!!!!!!:cheers: I recommend a 1 oz sinker, some big beads a barrel swivel and about 3 feet of leader to which you attach that big ol' Frog! You will be unstoppable!!!!!:bounce:

First of all Dave , You just lost like 15 cool points for even using the "D" word and my name in a sentence ..lol Secondly , im not interested in learning your advance sheephead rigs ! Now that iv said that , Thank you for changing my life sunday !! besides my wife , your the only other person that has heard me get that loud before .. LMAO !!!

I wonder if that frog is still in that pigs mouth !!

Bigbass Dez wrote:

davidwat1 wrote:

Bigbass Dez wrote:Im selling all my lures and gear !! going to one bait and two rods period !! ribbit , ribbit, !! lol j/k .. hd to mess with Dave , im sorry , carry on !!!

It's all about the FROG baby!!!! Dez, all ya gotta do is fine tune that draggin' technique of yours and combine it with the Frog and you've covered your top two arsenals completely!!!!!!!:cheers: I recommend a 1 oz sinker, some big beads a barrel swivel and about 3 feet of leader to which you attach that big ol' Frog! You will be unstoppable!!!!!:bounce:

First of all Dave , You just lost like 15 cool points for even using the "D" word and my name in a sentence ..lol Secondly , im not interested in learning your advance sheephead rigs ! Now that iv said that , Thank you for changing my life sunday !! besides my wife , your the only other person that has heard me get that loud before .. LMAO !!!

I wonder if that frog is still in that pigs mouth !!

Frog still in that pig's mouth? Dez, were you running your Shrek frog combo again?

CLASSIC!!!!!!!A great comedian too..HAHHA

tagwatson360 wrote:

Bigbass Dez wrote:

davidwat1 wrote: It's all about the FROG baby!!!! Dez, all ya gotta do is fine tune that draggin' technique of yours and combine it with the Frog and you've covered your top two arsenals completely!!!!!!!:cheers: I recommend a 1 oz sinker, some big beads a barrel swivel and about 3 feet of leader to which you attach that big ol' Frog! You will be unstoppable!!!!!:bounce:

First of all Dave , You just lost like 15 cool points for even using the "D" word and my name in a sentence ..lol Secondly , im not interested in learning your advance sheephead rigs ! Now that iv said that , Thank you for changing my life sunday !! besides my wife , your the only other person that has heard me get that loud before .. LMAO !!!

I wonder if that frog is still in that pigs mouth !!

Frog still in that pig's mouth? Dez, were you running your Shrek frog combo again?

Tag, all I can tell ya is 1) Dez is converted now, and will probably be hitting you up real soon for one or two of your sweet lami frog rods, and 2) What he started throwing frogs on had about the same lb test as that shrek combo. You would not have been proud of your boy, but I tried to straighten him out as best as I could! He'll be feeling the sting of not having 65lb braid and a bona fide frog stick for weeks to come!#-o Dez, you know I feel for ya bud, but I had the right gear and left one hanging too, so ya just never know!

Ok, I lied. It hasn't been 8 or 10 years since I caught a carolina-rig fish, it's been only 2 hours ago. Not big, but a largemouth about a pound or little more.

Even got 2 fish on the 'Deep Little Ripper' lure that was in the plastic bag we all got at the picnic.

tagwatson360 wrote:

Bigbass Dez wrote:

davidwat1 wrote: It's all about the FROG baby!!!! Dez, all ya gotta do is fine tune that draggin' technique of yours and combine it with the Frog and you've covered your top two arsenals completely!!!!!!!:cheers: I recommend a 1 oz sinker, some big beads a barrel swivel and about 3 feet of leader to which you attach that big ol' Frog! You will be unstoppable!!!!!:bounce:

First of all Dave , You just lost like 15 cool points for even using the "D" word and my name in a sentence ..lol Secondly , im not interested in learning your advance sheephead rigs ! Now that iv said that , Thank you for changing my life sunday !! besides my wife , your the only other person that has heard me get that loud before .. LMAO !!!

I wonder if that frog is still in that pigs mouth !!

Frog still in that pig's mouth? Dez, were you running your Shrek frog combo again?

BIG OL MEANY FACE !! And for the record i just finished cutting down a light pole , im on the way to home depot to get spooled up 1000lb test ..:batman: oooo it's on like popcorn now baby !!!

Bigbass Dez wrote:

tagwatson360 wrote:

Bigbass Dez wrote:
First of all Dave , You just lost like 15 cool points for even using the "D" word and my name in a sentence ..lol Secondly , im not interested in learning your advance sheephead rigs ! Now that iv said that , Thank you for changing my life sunday !! besides my wife , your the only other person that has heard me get that loud before .. LMAO !!!

I wonder if that frog is still in that pigs mouth !!

Frog still in that pig's mouth? Dez, were you running your Shrek frog combo again?

BIG OL MEANY FACE !! And for the record i just finished cutting down a light pole , im on the way to home depot to get spooled up 1000lb test ..:batman: oooo it's on like popcorn now baby !!!

LMAO!!

Right on, Dez, now we're talkin'!

Stick those big fish hard and skate 'em accross the surface. You can play with 'em all you want once they are in the boat/livewell. However, I would stick with 50# or 65# braid. The casting distance on 1000# fiber core galvanized wire rope is fairly limited. It is great for flipping heavy vegetation though.

Have fun!

tagwatson360 wrote:Right on, Dez, now we're talkin'!

Stick those big fish hard and skate 'em accross the surface. You can play with 'em all you want once they are in the boat/livewell. However, I would stick with 50# or 65# braid. The casting distance on 1000# fiber core galvanized wire rope is fairly limited. It is great for flipping heavy vegetation though.

Have fun!

it's great for flipping heavy vegetation ! ! ! Classic ! thats why we homies man , you keep me on my toes bro..

I'm pretty new to bass fishing so I'm trying to learn one thing at a time. That being said 70% of what I've fished this year is crank baits and about 80% of my fish came from it. 20% was a soft plastic texas rigged and 20% of my fish came from that.

I've fished a jig a bit this year as well as a senko with no luck. I have a feeling i was fishing way too fast with them and my dad doesn't understand the need to use finesse style fishing so I switched gears. When I get out alone or have my own boat I plan on experimenting and finding what works better with finesse fishing.

davidwat1 wrote: hmmm, I would guess that you two are targeting different types of fish (SMB for island, vs LMB for AA), just an observation, but interestingly enough, I have targeted SMB more than LMB, and my ratio is probably something like this...

Crankbait - 30%
Jerkbait - 30%
dropshot/c-rig - 20%
Shakeyhead- 10%
Spinnerbait - 10%

I tend to start out covering as much water as I can as quickly as I can, and then slow down and fish d-shot and shakeyheads. For the times I'm targeting LMB I'd probably put the spinnerbait at the top of that list, and remove the dropshot/c-rig altogether, and then add the Frog to the 10% category.
Neat topic! Best-Dave

I do fish for both, but I concur that LMB is probably 60% and SMB is more like 40%. I just tend to push for bigger SMB, so I get away with more LMB like methods.

My breakdown so far this year would be ...

Creature bait - 49%
Senko - 35%
Jig - 7%
Topwater - 2%