In today’s highly pressured and competitive bass fishing world, you can no longer just master one type of fishing technique or lure. If you do, when the checks are handed out at the end of a long day, your name will not be called.  You need to be skilled in as many techniques as you can learn.  If you have noticed over the past few years, some of the biggest names in Professional Bass Fishing who once where known for fishing specific baits such as jigs, crankbaits or topwaters have started winning tournaments by fishing other baits. You have to look at your tackle box the way a mechanic looks at his toolbox.

You may be able to loosen a nut with a pair of pliers, but a socket wrench is probably a better choice. The same principle applies to fishing. In the past, you may have caught good numbers of bass on a plastic worm, but what happens when the fish aren’t in the mood for worms and that is the only tool you know how to use.

My fishing partner and I found ourselves is this situation a few years ago. We were very confident in our abilities to flip and pitch worms and jigs to shallow water cover and had a lot of success. But when fishing conditions began to change, and others were bringing in big stringers of fish by throwing crankbaits on deep-water ledges, we were left standing around for the door prizes. We had a decision to make, stay with what we knew, or get a different tool (lure) and learn how to use it. For us the choice was easy, we pulled some crankbaits out of our tackle boxes, changed out the rusty hooks and spent hours and hours on the water learning how to fish these baits (new tools). It wasn’t easy, and it didn’t happen the first trip out, but in the end we were able to add another dimension or tool to our fishing.

Now it seems every year another technique or lure makes its way onto the fishing scene. I’m not saying every one will work for you on your home water, but I would at least get familiar with them and experiment to see how they work, and if it makes sense, incorporate them into your fishing.

It doesn’t just stop with techniques and lures, now most companies have rods and reels designed specifically for baits and techniques as well. Many fishermen may think these products don’t make a difference, but they definitely can. So don’t be afraid to experiment with new techniques, lures or equipment, because versatility is definitely the key to success!!!