Lure switching

I know this question is 100% personal preference but I’m just looking to get some opinions and see what everyone else does in this situation.
So, you pull up to a spot you have caught crappie in before, you start casting or dropping your favorite jig, but you aren’t catching crappie. How long do you wait until you switch colors or styles of baits? And what justifies what you switch to? A lot of times I find myself second guessing my choices when I get home. Was I stubborn and stuck with the same jig too long? Did I not give a certified jig enough of a chance? What if I was using he right type of jig, but the wrong color.

I have so many different colors of jig in my box I find myself constantly switching and maybe not giving the right combos a chance. I will switch from a baby shad, to a curly tail, to a roadrunner, to a joker, all in different colors and never get a bite... does that mean there are no crappie in the area, or have I just not found the right combo they are looking for?

1) how long will you try a jig before switching?
2) how often do you switch colors of jig?
3) how do you decide wether you will try a different color of the same jig or different type of jig next?

Again, I know it’s personal preference and feel for the situation. I’m just curious how everyone else handles it.

Thanks everyone
Jesse





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I usually rely on my fish finder and I will have 6 or 7 rods rigged up with different jigs. If no hits in an hour or 2 I will try different spots and may return later and try again. If still no hits I may try for a different species. Later watch Richard Gene videos, get educated and inspired![emoji3][emoji226][emoji476]

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I’m overwhelmed and just cry....:Rofl

My thing is its called fishing and the fun part is trying to figure them out each time. If I always knew what, how and when to do something it wouldn’t be nowhere as much fun. Heck I’ve seen them go from taking a jig good to not touching it. A slight switch in size, color or even presentation and they bite again.
:dono
I usually have two rods with different jigs on to increase chances. I’ve seen times they would take anything. I’ve seen times they wouldn’t touch nothing. I just take my best guess as to what they want and then after I feel I’ve given it a decent chance switch to my next best guess. I’ve switched lures after a couple cast because I didn’t feel confident in my decision. So many variables and possibilities and trying to figure them out is what I enjoy and keeps me coming back. :ThumbsUp

Be great to see some others reply, this thread could become a good one!!!

In that situation....I change jigs often ....and I move often. I also chose my jig colors by what the water looks like dark water gets dark colors....clearer water gets lighter colors. Most of the time in the waters I fish I use 2 inch tube jigs on internal jig heads....the two colors I use the most is orange/ chartreuse and purple/ chartreuse. You just have to figure out the waters that you fish...takes lots of time on the water. And remember fishing is not always catching so dont get discouraged if you have a bad day. Everyday fishing is fun for me....the fish are just a bonus.

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We are moving almost constantly with side pulling two rods each over the main lake basins. I'm nuts about switching things up all the time. If I'm not changing jig head weights, I'm switching plastics. Rarely do I stick with one option. That's half the fun!

I usually start out with a lure I have complete confidence in! For me it is a two inch soft plastic stinger tail. My preferred presentation is under a slip float or long line trolling. I will switch colors as long as there is chartreuse in the lure until I determine what color works best that day due to light and water clarity. When I have fished an area and do not receive a nibble then after fifteen or so minutes I will move or change color. It is all about confidence in what you are doing and the structure you are fishing.

Personally , it really depends on where and when I’m fishing.
I typically run thru my proven 3-4 colors in about 15 min. Or so.
A lot of the time I think it’s more of them finally deciding that it’s time to feed has more to do with catching than lure color


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I always scan the area I’m going to fish. I have over 200 spots marked on my gps for my home lake so I’m always in an area with marked spots. If there’s no fish in the area, changing jigs or colors won’t do any good. If I marked fish and start catching some and they slow down or even quit biting, I’ll change colors a half dozen times with my favorite colors for that lake. If no bites in the next 20 minutes, I’m scanning that spot to see for sure if they moved before I do. If they’re still there, I’m downsizing to lighter and smaller baits and adding a crappie nibble to see if I can get them going again. Usually works well for me. If not, it’s on to my next spot choice and repeat the process.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GreenLine

Personally , it really depends on where and when I’m fishing.
I typically run thru my proven 3-4 colors in about 15 min. Or so.
A lot of the time I think it’s more of them finally deciding that it’s time to feed has more to do with catching than lure color


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^^^What he said.

I fish the same waters often and have found 4-5 colors that work regularly. It usually doesn't take too long to find the right combination. Lots of times I'll go find other fish to crack the code on, then return to other proven spots. Most of the time, the pattern holds up, unless the upper end of the lake is muddy. Then I stay in similarly colored water (especially in winter). If the water is stable, uniformly colored, and fish are in the same stage, the pattern will work from one end of the lake to the other.

Jim

I start with a color i’m Confident in. No action in a few minutes like they usually do when you have this on in the past, and another confidence color comes into play. I can’t say how long but i have an idea what it should be producing, and when it seems slow, i change color, style, and then size. I find myself downsizing and slowing down more than changing colors.

If I have caught fish in a spot and they quit biting, I change colors every 10 minutes or so. If I catch a couple on a different color then they quit biting again I switch again. You should never answer the question “ well when they quit biting what did you do different “ with nothing. Those fish didn’t leave , they just need a different incentive. We have a perfect example of this in our next video it will hit YouTube first of next week. Good luck and tight lines.

Even though I am a jig fisherman I seldom leave the docks without my minnow bucket. I try jigs in different colors and sizes. If I know they are at home and they will not hit a jig I will drop them a minnow. If they will not hit a minnow I simply move. I'm the mind that if they will not hit live bait they will seldom hit anything else.