Lure changing

[Danoutdoors]

Went out a couple of weeks ago with about forty lures in my box and think I only changed 3 times, I have lures that I have very high confidence in and plenty of lures that stayed in the box have great reputations but I just tend to stick probably to the same old 5 or so.
I have a few friends that can’t help changing lures constantly, very interesting that we can all be so different with our approach.

I have been catching fish but even if I’m struggling I like to keep my banker lures on as I have the confidence that that particular lure will do the damage, I will of course work different depth bands but it does revolve around my fave lures.

Which are you and why?

[winniethepooh]

I'm firmly in the take less and travel further camp as I believe it offers me the best chance of catching fish.

[Flipflopjoe]

I am the same as you, I tend to stick to the same 5 or 6 Lure, and a couple of them are the same lure just different colour/patterns
Fox Replicants in perch, roach and fire tiger are 3 I just can’t be without, especially on my local river.
It’s the same with my bass fishing too, same few lures get constant use out of about 30-40 lures I take with me !!
I do force myself to try a few different ones every now an then but I still always end up back using the my faves !

My biggest problem is I have is I have ZERO confidence with hard plastic lures for pike. All my fish are caught on softs.
But just to be a total weird one, I have the total opposite issue with bass, all caught on hards and never on softs

[davethehawghunter]

I used to own literally hundreds of lures and worked my way through all of them until I found patterns that worked for me and my style of lure fishing,( this probably took me a couple of decades).Once I had done that I settled on around a dozen different patterns that I wouldn’t go fishing without. I have total confidence in these lures which in turn makes me confident every time I used one. I firmly believe that some lures catch far more anglers than pike!!!!
You live and learn i suppose, I was one.

[John Milford]

I'm a terrible fidget with lures. I like to change after a dozen or so casts, particularly if I'm lure fishing around baits and not roving (where, admittedly, my approach is more conventional). A lure change in more static situations can often produce a result when a new lure triggers a fish that was 'stirred' but not triggered by a previous offering.

I often surprise anyone I am fishing with, by immediately changing my lure as soon as I've caught on it. Can't help myself - I just like to ring the changes

[Mark_Houghton]

Take 50 lures, and sods law states you`ll end up catching on the same one all day....take one lure and sods law states the fish will want something else

I usually take a good mix of baits with me, knowing that most of the time they won`t be needed and the banker lures will work, but I`d rather have them with me for the hard sessions, than have them sat at home with me wishing i`d brought them

[Will Smith]

I actually like catching on different lures and often take a new lure or lures out with me to do just that, having said that, I also have my favourites as well which are always in the box .

Will.

[Mark_Houghton]

I actually like catching on different lures and often take a new lure or lures out with me to do just that, having said that, I also have my favourites as well which are always in the box .

Will.

"BoxES" Will

[Will Smith]

I know Mark, it's nice to be able to ring the changes as John has mentioned .

Will.

[Mark_Houghton]

I know Mark, it's nice to be able to ring the changes as John has mentioned .

Will.

I was just messing mate We both know that there can be days when they want something totally different, and often it`s something you wouldn`t normally take if you restricted your lure choices

[Danoutdoors]

I think my biggest fear with taking just a few is that my mate unlocks the place on the right lure and I’ve not got one.

[Will Smith]

I rarely feel restricted in that department Mark .

Will.

[Danoutdoors]

I am the same as you, I tend to stick to the same 5 or 6 Lure, and a couple of them are the same lure just different colour/patterns
Fox Replicants in perch, roach and fire tiger are 3 I just can’t be without, especially on my local river.
It’s the same with my bass fishing too, same few lures get constant use out of about 30-40 lures I take with me !!
I do force myself to try a few different ones every now an then but I still always end up back using the my faves !

My biggest problem is I have is I have ZERO confidence with hard plastic lures for pike. All my fish are caught on softs.
But just to be a total weird one, I have the total opposite issue with bass, all caught on hards and never on softs

Oh how different we all are, I just can’t get in to soft plastics, I’ve had replicants in my box for years they probably get a few casts everyso often but I never do any damage on them, I opt for hard plastic jerkbaits probably 95% of the time

[Mark_Houghton]

I am the same as you, I tend to stick to the same 5 or 6 Lure, and a couple of them are the same lure just different colour/patterns
Fox Replicants in perch, roach and fire tiger are 3 I just can’t be without, especially on my local river.
It’s the same with my bass fishing too, same few lures get constant use out of about 30-40 lures I take with me !!
I do force myself to try a few different ones every now an then but I still always end up back using the my faves !

My biggest problem is I have is I have ZERO confidence with hard plastic lures for pike. All my fish are caught on softs.
But just to be a total weird one, I have the total opposite issue with bass, all caught on hards and never on softs

Oh how different we all are, I just can’t get in to soft plastics, I’ve had replicants in my box for years they probably get a few casts everyso often but I never do any damage on them, I opt for hard plastic jerkbaits probably 95% of the time

You`re lot alone there Dan, they don`t do much for me either mate....always preferred hardbaits, and always will i think

[Flipflopjoe]

I am the same as you, I tend to stick to the same 5 or 6 Lure, and a couple of them are the same lure just different colour/patterns
Fox Replicants in perch, roach and fire tiger are 3 I just can’t be without, especially on my local river.
It’s the same with my bass fishing too, same few lures get constant use out of about 30-40 lures I take with me !!
I do force myself to try a few different ones every now an then but I still always end up back using the my faves !

My biggest problem is I have is I have ZERO confidence with hard plastic lures for pike. All my fish are caught on softs.
But just to be a total weird one, I have the total opposite issue with bass, all caught on hards and never on softs

Oh how different we all are, I just can’t get in to soft plastics, I’ve had replicants in my box for years they probably get a few casts everyso often but I never do any damage on them, I opt for hard plastic jerkbaits probably 95% of the time

Yeah weird isn’t it !
I do own some salmo hard plastics and some vibes and jointed swim baits but I haven’t caught with any of Hagen and I just don’t have confidence in them !!!
I do intent to give them more of a go next season to try to get out of that mind set !
(I’m sure I’ll still have my replicants in the bag as back up tho )

[Daniel]

I have been known to clip on a lure, have one cast and then change it. There was nothing wrong with it, it just didn't feel right.
Always trust your gut feeling.

[Danoutdoors]

I have been known to clip on a lure, have one cast and then change it. There was nothing wrong with it, it just didn't feel right.
Always trust your gut feeling.

I try to let the pick pick the lures I use

[Flipflopjoe]

I have been known to clip on a lure, have one cast and then change it. There was nothing wrong with it, it just didn't feel right.
Always trust your gut feeling.

I’ll be honest, I’m probably more guilty of thrashing a Lure for a lot longer than I ought to, “because it’s worked before, why wouldn’t it work again ???”
I should be more pro active (and less lazy) in my Lure changes !!!

[ecky]

could we believe the pike are not feeding,because we have not presented a lure they are wanting on that particular day ?

[alan behenna]

Just take a small selection of your (very) well proven lures, lures that have proved themselves well, without question for you. Have a different pattern of said same lure available as well and throw in your "something totally different" into the box. If you raise a fish that follows a lure but does not hit home, fire that "different pattern" or that "totally different" out quickly along it's line of retreat and you might have done enough to get a hit from that turnaway'.

[Mike J]

I only carry six or seven lures max. all but one are of the same pattern and size and the other always an experimental design.
My last go resulted in hard work with the look-alikes and arm wrenchers with the experimental lure.

Trouble is that when your retired there is so many other methods, locations and species that many may never get a swim.

[Mark_Houghton]

could we believe the pike are not feeding,because we have not presented a lure they are wanting on that particular day ?

I`ve seen enough instances of a very specific lure, pattern or retrieve taking fish on slow days when everything else has failed, to come to the conclusion that what you suggest, may be happening more than we realise Ecky

[John O Grady]

I generally find it can be presentation moreso than the lure? I always start out trolling fairly shallow over maybe 3-4m with a couple of reliable lures on the boat and if I get through a couple of spots that look good with nothing I switch to casting softbaits fished from those 3m deep areas out to the deeper water, maybe 7-8 meters. If I'm on a spot I know, generally if trolling produces a bite they are on the hunt and if not casting does it by getting the softbait down to them. If neither works I try to the fish in the shallows so I move in there and thats where I generally find jerkbaits/shallow crankbaits work.

I find specific patterns can be better on some days but generally I bring about 12 good lures in a couple different colours. I start out with the bright colours troll, fish deep, fish shallow and then repeat with natural colours. So far its been pretty bomb proof for me!

[Cod]

The driving factor for me is weather or not I know the venue, once that first trip or two is under my belt I will cut down to single figures.
I couldn't care less regarding hard or soft, I am confident in both. When you become more experienced your confidence level reaches a higher level, often I find retrieve speed or depth plays a bigger part than just changing the lure.
As always, it pays to keep an open mind.

[peteren]

I think my biggest fear with taking just a few is that my mate unlocks the place on the right lure and I’ve not got one.

I think it's very rare that really happens.
I'd bet most times "unlocking" is down to right place / depth / speed; rarely specific lure type.
If I have a miss or follow, covering the same spot with a completely different lure, often gets another take.

[alan behenna]

I think my biggest fear with taking just a few is that my mate unlocks the place on the right lure and I’ve not got one.

Iv'e seen that one Dan..........it's a lure called paranoia............