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Describe a time you figured out a pattern

I figured one way we could learn about bass behavior is to hear about a pattern that you stategically unlocked, or maybe one you just stumbled onto. I'll lead off.

I was fishing on Oxbow Reservoir in Oregon/Idaho last year.....The evening we drove in, we didnt have enough light to put the boat in and wet a line, so I just banked it. This was my first time on the Reservoir. It was late April and warm and sunny about 70 degrees. Instead of launching I just fished the bank and hit about 5 fish on a 4inch power worm on a shakey head in an hour before the sun went down.

The next day woke up to heavy clouds, fog, and pouring rain. No wind though. Went right for the shakey head in current seams and back bays. Nothing. Bite was gone. I had my fiance throwing a 4 inch grub, and I was trying all the usual baits like lipless cranks, tubes, drop shot, and hard jerk baits. Only fish caught was a dink by the wife to be on the grub.

I decided to fish for crappie since the bass bite was toast. I put on a 1/8 oz "road-runner" in brown/red on a 5' ultralight that had 4lb test on the reel.

I immediately started hooking bass. Not huge fish, but some decent fish. ended up catching about 25 bass in the next few hours on this rig before the rain finally got my better half begging to get off the water.

I don't know enough about bass behavior to come to a conclusion, but I figure the low pressure system had the fish wanting a downsized presentation and I was lucky enough to accidentally find it by trying for the crappie. Tell us about a pattern that you unlocked!

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Permalink Reply by P.J. Koshi on March 8, 2010 at 11:14pm: Combat fishing is awesome...

Jeff Grimes said:
Well, the situation was similar to the scenarios in which I had been catching fish elsewhere on the River that morning...and I didn't actually KNOW that there were fish there.

If you are going to tournament fish, or fish on the weekend on the River, or other popular Lake near you.....you have to face the fact that you are going to fish behind or around other people on some areas. You have to get your mindset straight and tell yourself....that no matter who it is, what they are using, and how they are using it.....you can still catch fish. Community holes get pounded here on the River in the Spring....and on many occcasions, I have pulled up on one to visit with a few other friends...and make a few casts.....and caught some decent fish. One of the 6 pounders I caught....was after the guy I was with , pulled up in line with 5 or 6 other boats on a bank and we were all within talking distance of each other. Some had been there for hours and after about 10 minutes I hooked a 6lb 7oz SM. I don't think that fish just got there.....I believe that it had seen an arsenal of lures and finally found mine attractive.

In Texas, Especially in the Spring.....you can look either direction along the bank you are fishing....and count 20-25 boats in EACH direction. Most are all using one of the same 3 or 4 baits that are popular....and ALL are trolling in and out of the stick-ups in the same direction. A few years ago I caught a 10 lber on a stump field with literally 7 or 8 boats that were close enough that I could FLIP into them all. It isn't easy to be confident that you will catch fish around or after other fishermen....but Like an old -timer told me once......." The fish don't know what kind of boat you are in, they don't know who is casting the lure, Your goal is trick the fish into biting and forget about the other fishermen"

Jeff

Joel Alinen said:
Hey Jeff good post.

I'm going to play devils advocate for a second. How do you know those fish where there when your buddies were fishing? Could those fish have just moved up to feed when you got there?

Fishing is funny, when I think I got it all figured out I go fish with some one who kicks my butt doing something I would have never thought of...or catches fish right behind me fishing the same lures, just a little different...like a different trailer...that happened today when Parnicky pulled two nice fish off a log I had already fished!

I love fishing and spend a lot of time studying the behaviors of bass, but there are so many variables when your out on the water! Its ALMOST impossible to say for sure why exactly you caught them.

Jeff Grimes said:
The "P" word......is more than a solution, it is all of the pieces of the puzzle that matter. Just because the "pattern" for the day may be a reaction bite, doesn't mean everyone throwing a reaction bait is gonna catch em. I know I can't be the only one to do this, but for example, I have pulled up on a point or bank and seen other guys fishing. One time in particular, these guys were friends, so I eased up next to them to visit and see how the day was going for them so far. Their response was " well, it has been slow.....kinda hit and miss" I noticed what and how they were fishing and it was basically they same as what I had been using elsewhere with moderate success. After a few minutes of story-telling and B.S. the other guys left and I began to fish. I analyzed the area ( an underwater point and current break) and within 10 minutes or so, I boated about 24 lbs of Smallmouth. The difference was in the detail ( Like Ron said) like boat position, cast angle, lure size or weight. The lure of choice was the same as the other guys.....color and size.....but I just changed the boat position a little and figured out how the fish were relating to the area.

My point is this. Just because you are using the bait of choice for the day ( whether it is through "dock Talk" or past success or it is just what everyone uses) doesn't mean you are magically gonna catch a bunch of 5 lb ers.

Think about that next time you find out that the guys that kicked your butt in a tournament were doing the same thing that you were, the difference was in the details.

my 2 cents

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Permalink Reply by Johnny Walker on March 12, 2010 at 11:59am: I heard the best pattern is a carton of cigarettes and bag of senkos...; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Joel Alinen on March 12, 2010 at 9:20pm: I heard bass dont like the smell of nicotine=)

Johnny Walker said:
I heard the best pattern is a carton of cigarettes and bag of senkos...; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Monte J. Sweeney on March 13, 2010 at 4:05am: Ron is right, patterns are very complex. Start with a simple pattern and build on that. The one thing is that more time you spend on the water the better you can become if you pay attention to your surroundings. If you don't go fishing in all types of conditions:(weather,seasons,tides,water levels,flow,fishing pressure) you'll be clueless when hit with changing conditions during a tournament. Its gets easier to see the patterns develope and gives you the confidance in what your doing. Equals better fishing.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Monte J. Sweeney on March 13, 2010 at 4:08am: Johnny you weren't suppose to tell. At least you didn't tell them what brand.; ▶ Reply to This