Comfort zone fishing

Oldfart9999 · July 09, 2020, 03:30:45 PM

Most all of us, if not all, have a comfort zone, a technique we fall back on or even start with, it may not be what we catch the most or biggest fish with but what we use when when it's tough or were on new water without a clue as to what works there.
My comfort zone is a 6 inch curl tail tail worm on 12 lb test and with a 1/8 ounce weight not pegged unless I'm skipping. The weight is the first item changed, then the size of the worm, I'll use 7 and 8 inch worms also. I fish a lot of grass so of course I'm fishing it wrong because to start I don't peg the weight, I know, the weight will separate from the bait and go straight to the bottom pulling the bait behind it, sort of. The bait hanging up in the grass and then moving lower then stopping has put a lot of fish in the boat for me, takes a lot of concentration but it works. I use other techniques and am comfortable with them but I always have this rigged on the deck ready to go if needed, even if I don't start with it. I'm more comfortable with a worm than with a jig, I know, it goes against the grain, that's me wrong way Rodney, I do catch fish though.
What's your comfort zone, what do you turn to when all else fails or weather or something tells you it's going to be tough. What is rigged and ready 100% of the time?
Rodney

coldfront · July 09, 2020, 03:57:58 PM

3.5 inch tube, texas rigged. 1/8 oz weight. straight money.

Capt. BassinLou · July 09, 2020, 04:49:35 PM

For my home waters, there's no mystery here, a HB frog and a speed worm for a close second.

bro_drey · July 09, 2020, 05:26:10 PM

I always have a heddon spook jr (baby bass)tied up . And a 3/32 ned with trd in yoga pants

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coldfront · July 09, 2020, 05:45:08 PM

wondered if I shoulda dropped the fuzzy bunny slippers...

Donald Garner · July 09, 2020, 06:03:29 PM

Texas rigged Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver 4.20

Bud Kennedy · July 09, 2020, 06:16:50 PM

I am one of those who does not have a comfort zone. I am content to use just about anything that meets the criteria for the place and condition I am fishing. I may have favorites but certainly noting that I would call a comfort zone bait or a go to bait. I will fish with what ever is working.

Bassinkorea · July 09, 2020, 08:58:15 PM

A few years ago I would have said a 4" wacky rigged senko. I would catch fish on this all throughout the year and at just about any water.

These days it all depends on the time of the year. Right now it is a HB Frog, I just can't put the thing down and it is catching the bigger bass compared to other rigs

Capt. BassinLou · July 09, 2020, 09:10:25 PM

Quote from: Bassinkorea on July 09, 2020, 08:58:15 PM

Right now it is a HB Frog, I just can't put the thing down and it is catching the bigger bass compared to other rigs

Woohoo!!

Bassinkorea · July 09, 2020, 09:24:10 PM

Quote from: Bassinlou on July 09, 2020, 09:10:25 PM

Woohoo!!

I've been out 3 times this week and I've only used one rod. It was nice not having a bunch of other rods on the deck to stand on

Capt. BassinLou · July 09, 2020, 09:43:11 PM

Quote from: Bassinkorea on July 09, 2020, 09:24:10 PM

I've been out 3 times this week and I've only used one rod. It was nice not having a bunch of other rods on the deck to stand on

Sounds about right.

coldfront · July 09, 2020, 10:04:31 PM

Quote from: Bud Kennedy on July 09, 2020, 06:16:50 PM
I am one of those who does not have a comfort zone. I am content to use just about anything that meets the criteria for the place and condition I am fishing. I may have favorites but certainly noting that I would call a comfort zone bait or a go to bait. I will fish with what ever is working.

hold on bud. part of the original question? what is almost always tied on in your boat? surely, there's one bait. just one.

Wizard · July 09, 2020, 11:43:04 PM

For me, it is a jigworm. It closely mimics a wounded bait fish if the angler uses his mind to work the bait. I use a Zoom 4 inch worm because of it's flexibility. The worm will imitate any movement I think of. A great bait for fun fishing or getting a limit on a tough tournament day.

Wizard

apenland01 · July 10, 2020, 09:38:40 AM

Weightless fluke in a myriad of colors depending on season...

kdubracing · July 10, 2020, 10:02:17 AM

I've only recently gotten back in to bass fishing somewhat seriously. I have acquired a lot of stuff in the last year and have been going through it to see what I like. I've recently started having good luck with jigs after getting a decent assortment. I had some luck with jerkbaits early in the season and haven't thrown them lately. Got my first 2 bites on chatterbaits just the other day. Been doing really well with weightless t-rig senkos. And have also found the excitement with hb frogs. But when I'm a little frustrated and want to hook a couple of bass, I have been going straight to the wacky rig. It seems like if there is a fish anywhere around, he'll bite that.

Oldfart9999 · July 11, 2020, 06:29:00 AM

Quote from: Bud Kennedy on July 09, 2020, 06:16:50 PM
I am one of those who does not have a comfort zone. I am content to use just about anything that meets the criteria for the place and condition I am fishing. I may have favorites but certainly noting that I would call a comfort zone bait or a go to bait. I will fish with what ever is working.

I would agree and there are times I don't pick up the worm, I use what's working for the moment but those times when a jig worm, crankbait, tube, dropshot or ned aren't working it's the old "T" rig worm. It's the way I roll to paraphrase a pretty good stick here.
Rodney

Bud Kennedy · July 11, 2020, 06:46:08 AM

Coldfront, I usually have a worm rig ready to go on deck. It may be T rigged or Wacky or on a jig head. It all depends upon the area I will be fishing.

Deadeye · July 11, 2020, 07:45:45 AM

Year in and Year out, a Swimming Speedworm puts more fish in my boat than any other bait.

I always have other choices on the deck, sometimes they change, but there is usually a Crankbait, Spinnerbait or Chatterbait, SwimJig, Two Flipping Outfits with different weights, Buzz or HB Frog, and a 2nd Worming Setup that is either a Senko or Ribbontail.

But the Speedworm usually gets in my hand first.

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JSilva · August 01, 2020, 06:41:56 PM

Hollow body frog is always tied on.

Jig is my second but I can't seem to get bit on one this year.

weightless paddle tail senko has given me numbers this season but frog by a large margin is the top numbers and size producer

Terry G · August 01, 2020, 08:30:26 PM

Texas rigged senko and a close 2nd. is a swim bait

zippyduck · August 01, 2020, 10:11:51 PM

a jig, any jig. Put a piece of plastic on a jig and I will fish it.

caddyjoe77 · August 01, 2020, 10:33:01 PM

jig(football, swim, or skip) or shakeyhead

Tatsu Dave · August 02, 2020, 05:16:45 AM

Wow thats an easy question to answer, 5" senko style bait texas rig on bare or weighted hook. Yes 4-5 rigs all with same lure in different colors to fall over all the time.

That said I believe we educate bass on our favorite lakes especially with our go to techniques. That lure that always worked and brought in the most and biggest ones slowly stops being the hot set-up. I'm in that place now and starting to rig those other rods with different lures I've never fished or rarely used and learning new techniques and fishing methods.

zippyduck · August 02, 2020, 03:46:46 PM

Tatsu Dave,

Thats my go to when the bite gets slow.

Smallie_Stalker · August 02, 2020, 03:59:03 PM

For me I'd rather throw a crankbait than anything else but a jig is a close second.

But thinking back on the many years of fishing I have under my belt I have probably caught more fish on some type of plastic rigged depending on the condtions of the time.

So my comfort zone is a crankbait but most productive lure is likely some type of plastic.