What to do next?

[LittleLuey]

[size 3]I have been trying to lear some bass fishing technics, I have tried dopshooting, a little bit of texas rig, spinnerbaits, crankbaits but at this time I don't feel like I am very good at any of them, I have caught fish doing all but the texas rig.

My question is, should I try something completly new for me and if so what? or should I just keep practicing until the technics I have tried give me fish consistently?

There is so much information out there and I don't want to miss out on a good lure or technic, but I don't want to be chasing too many ways of catching fish.[/size]
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[lunkerhunter2]

It is my opinion that no matter what, you can't go wrong with plastics. I began using Senko type baits last spring and am completely addicted to them now. They catch me so many more bass than what i used before it is eye-crossing![]
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[fsh4fun05]

Practice, practice, practice. Confidence has alot to do with bass fishing. Find a technique that works for you (I like the Texas rig) and keep working at it. Soon you'll pick up on things and before you know it you'll be experimenting with different ways to fish that rig.
If one technique isn't doing any better than the other change retrieval speeds, depth, color, size etc. Sometimes even the slightest color variation can be the difference.
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[LittleLuey]

Thanks for the replies guys. I keep thinking that I need to practice the texas rig a lot. All the info I have been reading say that the texas rig is a good producer of fish.
What kind of retrive do you guys use? I just retrive very slow, some pauses here and there.
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[tubeN2]

I noticed that you haven't tried the Wacky rig. That one works well too.

With the cold water conditions of this season, all your presentions need to be very slooooooooooooooooooow. Instead of a Twitch, Twitch Pause, you will be better with a "Cast, wait 10 to 20 seconds, twitch, wait up to 30 seconds, and repeat the twitch/ pause sequence."

Sometimes the Bass will hit it after setting for quite awhile.[cool]
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[gdn443]

I texas rig all the time as well as others. You do have to work the rig slow to let the bass home in on the bait. Practice the styles your doing now before getting into new ways. I've been drop shotting for two years now with no success while others swear by it. maybe this year.[crazy] Each style has it's place on the lake. Thats why we have to have so many poles rigged up at once.Thats what I tell the wife anyway.[]
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[LittleLuey]

Thanks guys, I will definatly practice with plastics.
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[bendopolo]

Try to add some shakes and an occasional hop to your retrieve. It helps to picture a big bass watching as you try to get them to bite. Also you can only retrieve too fast, You can never fish a worm too slow. Add scent, works wonders.
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[fsh4fun05]

Dropshotting is definately learn by experience it produces fish but knowing how to do it effectively is a challenge. I'm not too bad at dropshotting for smallies but have a hard time keeping largemouth on the hook. I was thinking about your post while at work today and realized I'm in the same boat (pun intended []) as you are and I've been bass fishing for several years. You can take the basic techniques that catch fish and it may work it may not. I like taking newbies out fishing with me and sometimes the most unorthodox spurratic movements that I've ever seen have caught fish. Sometimes I'll set my pole down to help my daughter and pick it back up after a couple minutes and that twitch after the worm has been sitting there for so long will trigger a bass to strike.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that the best way to catch bass is to have a hook in the water. After a while you will learn what triggers a strike. You will notice that if you miss a fish on plastic a fast moving crank right over his head will be the ticket to make 'em bite again. There are so many possibilities and variations when it comes to bass fishing that sometimes we forget the basics, never underestimate a texas rigged black curly tail worm. The most generic setup you can have and yet it still works for me. Sorry for the novel [crazy].
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[LittleLuey]

That is kind of what I was talking about.
Do I want to know many technics and be able to catch few fish on each one without being very confident on them?
or do I want to just know 2-3 things and be good at it, having the confidence that this particular technic will give me fish?

One guy I go tubing with all he does is dropshotting and texas rig, he lands lots of fish all the time, he talks about other technics but I have not seen him doing anything else. He has been fishing the same area for a few years and I am sure he knows by now those two methods will give him fish all the time there.

I think I will practice the texas rig then move on to something else.
Thanks guys for the help.
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[scartinez]

It helps a little to know what kind of bass your chasing. I do quite a bit of bass fishing and plastics rule my world. If your chasing LMB spinnerbaits can be deadly at times. I would stick to just a couple techinques. Texas rig is a great bass producer. I like to shake the jig to get the bass to bite. It doesn't move much, it just quiveres in the same place. If you don't get bit, give a big jerk then wait a second. Let the jig fall to the bottom and start shaking again. Weightless is one of my favorite ways to fish plastics in shallow water ( water less then 10 ft.) A 5 inch senko is dense enough to get you to the bottom in no time. Don't pull the bait just jerk it and let it fall on slack line to the bottom and repeat. Use natural colors. Green and smoke are hard to beat. If your not catching fish it may not be your technique, but rather your location. Keep moving. Try deep to as shallow as inches deep. LMB love heavy cover such as moss and broken timber. Fish these areas hard.
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[LittleLuey]

As I am reading your answer I am picturing in my mind what that senko must be doing, LOL. Thanks for the comment and all who have commented. I think I just learned a few things without being in the water.

I will be practicing plastics from now on, this should help me lighten my load everytime I go fishing.
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[gdn443]

You always hear the big boys and girls talk about their confadence baits. Thats the style they catch the most fish on. I also do well on texas rigs and senco weightless here in the NE. Last couple of years I have used crankbaits to some success as well as caralina rigs and poppers. Now I have to get to learn the dropshot to make that work. Never took to spinnerbaits that do well for alot of peaple. Thats the challange of bass fishing, you never stop learning.
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[LittleLuey]

[black][size 4]Well, I got out this weekend to practice with my texas rig, that was all I did, as I did not get a bite, but neither did all the guys I spoke to out there. I am not sure if it's still too cold and the fish are still in winter pattern. I gave the plastics a shot and I am going to keep practicing, I know when they finally start to get more active I will have a blast![/size][/black]
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[scartinez]

Try a spinnerbait or rattle trap if the water is cold. Try different retrieve speeds from burning it in to slow rolling on the bottom. I've never had really good luck with plastics in cold water.
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[gdn443]

When water temps get to 40-55 I pull out my blade baits and work it like a dieing shad. Good time for a hair jig as well.

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