biteme Posted August 1, 2011 Report Share Posted August 1, 2011 I went out yesterday and today. I bought a new 8 inch floating freestyle. Bait looks awesome. Problem was I tossed it a couple times and then went back to the Hudd and wakes that seem to always get me bites. I can see the freestyle working but I just couldnt make myself throw it. So how do you guy break in new baits? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TacklemanTybs Posted August 1, 2011 Report Share Posted August 1, 2011 I had the same issue with a few baits. The way I fixed it was to leave the other baits at home on purpose. I did this with a baby wake and then it became my confidence lure and i dont throw the old ones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flaswimbaiter Posted August 1, 2011 Report Share Posted August 1, 2011 I had the same issue with a few baits. The way I fixed it was to leave the other baits at home on purpose. I did this with a baby wake and then it became my confidence lure and i dont throw the old ones Could not have said it better myself, I did the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jfish Posted August 1, 2011 Report Share Posted August 1, 2011 A few thoughts. Your absolutely correct about getting the "confidence" factor going-its the number one weapon you have out there, especially when the bite is tough. With that said sometimes you need to force yourself out of your comfort zone to make new progress and have some new tricks up your sleeve. Think of it as a personal challenge. I will go about it one of two ways. Sometimes I will just devote an entire session to a bait to give it a chance. If you just throw it a few times you won't get anywhere with it. You need to learn the most effective ways (for you) to retrieve it...slow rolling, twitching, stop and go, walking, mixing it up.....the freestyle is one of those type of baits. You can do everything from deadstick it to working it fast and aggressive and everything in between. So if your serious about it just commit to throwing that bait for a given amount of time and cover ground with it so you can be sure your showing it to several fish and mix up your retrieves. Of course you will sometimes wonder the whole time..."If I were throwing my other baits would I be getting bit right now?" Get that out of your mind and work an entire area relentlessly and just focus on what your doing with the bait. Sometimes if I'm trying to work a new presentation in and I didn't have any success after I've committed a certain amount of time and covered ground. I will let the areas rest and then go back through with my "confidence" baits and see if I can get something going. Sometimes it verifies why I have confidence in my go to baits and other times it makes me realize I could be more versatile and I walk away with a new trick. Sometimes I learn-the fish just aren't biting. Learning those distinctions is important in keeping your perspective together. For example, the other night I went with my own wakes that have been doing real well lately then after a few hours of nothing I switched over to the Wake Jr to see if I could get something going. I did get one big blow up and then nothing more. Finished with some rat wakes to give a little different look and all proved unsuccessful. It told me that the "wake" bite wasn't happening as I had three different reference points to work from. Blah blah blah....bottom line you have to commit to throwing it and keep it in your routine for weeks and months before you make too many judgements about its effectiveness. Sometimes seasonal changes will make one type of bait way more effective than another. Personally I throw that style of bait more during the fall winter period when we get trout stocks and I stick with the wakes during the summer baby bass/gil based bite but that doesn't mean its the right choice for you. Set a time and commit to it....you might be surprised what happens.True confidence only happens through catching...no amount of reading, good review, etc. will bring true confidence....only getting your bones rattled by a hard strike will it become part of your DNA....where it needs to be. Have fun. JK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDHanson79 Posted August 1, 2011 Report Share Posted August 1, 2011 A few thoughts. Your absolutely correct about getting the "confidence" factor going-its the number one weapon you have out there, especially when the bite is tough. With that said sometimes you need to force yourself out of your comfort zone to make new progress and have some new tricks up your sleeve. Think of it as a personal challenge. I will go about it one of two ways. Sometimes I will just devote an entire session to a bait to give it a chance. If you just throw it a few times you won't get anywhere with it. You need to learn the most effective ways (for you) to retrieve it...slow rolling, twitching, stop and go, walking, mixing it up.....the freestyle is one of those type of baits. You can do everything from deadstick it to working it fast and aggressive and everything in between. So if your serious about it just commit to throwing that bait for a given amount of time and cover ground with it so you can be sure your showing it to several fish and mix up your retrieves. Of course you will sometimes wonder the whole time..."If I were throwing my other baits would I be getting bit right now?" Get that out of your mind and work an entire area relentlessly and just focus on what your doing with the bait. Sometimes if I'm trying to work a new presentation in and I didn't have any success after I've committed a certain amount of time and covered ground. I will let the areas rest and then go back through with my "confidence" baits and see if I can get something going. Sometimes it verifies why I have confidence in my go to baits and other times it makes me realize I could be more versatile and I walk away with a new trick. Sometimes I learn-the fish just aren't biting. Learning those distinctions is important in keeping your perspective together. For example, the other night I went with my own wakes that have been doing real well lately then after a few hours of nothing I switched over to the Wake Jr to see if I could get something going. I did get one big blow up and then nothing more. Finished with some rat wakes to give a little different look and all proved unsuccessful. It told me that the "wake" bite wasn't happening as I had three different reference points to work from. Blah blah blah....bottom line you have to commit to throwing it and keep it in your routine for weeks and months before you make too many judgements about its effectiveness. Sometimes seasonal changes will make one type of bait way more effective than another. Personally I throw that style of bait more during the fall winter period when we get trout stocks and I stick with the wakes during the summer baby bass/gil based bite but that doesn't mean its the right choice for you. Set a time and commit to it....you might be surprised what happens.True confidence only happens through catching...no amount of reading, good review, etc. will bring true confidence....only getting your bones rattled by a hard strike will it become part of your DNA....where it needs to be. Have fun. JK Amen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwimbaitsatLMV Posted August 1, 2011 Report Share Posted August 1, 2011 Catch a fish first cast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biteme Posted August 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2011 Catch a fish first cast I wish,lol. Thanks guys. I think next time Ill leave the other few baits at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwimbaitsatLMV Posted August 1, 2011 Report Share Posted August 1, 2011 Trust me, it happens more than once Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolley Posted August 1, 2011 Report Share Posted August 1, 2011 don't give up, it's probably not the bait, there are many more factors involved...keep chucking it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalliebigs Posted August 1, 2011 Report Share Posted August 1, 2011 In addition to the above, fish it somewhere that you can see its action so you can understand your control effects the bait. If you can't get to a clear lake, even a half an hour in a pool can put you more "in touch" with the bait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biteme Posted August 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2011 Naw one of the days I fished a clear lake and the other lake was a little dirty. I like the movement of the bait. It sure doesnt take much to get the freestyle moving. One twitch and its GOING! It was just one of those deals where I tossed it a while and notta then I tossed my other baits and I got bit. I know the 8 inch floating freestyle will get bit. So I just have to toss it more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surferdave Posted August 1, 2011 Report Share Posted August 1, 2011 I kind of agree in the "just go out and throw it" mentality, but there are other factors. If you want to build confidence in throwing a frog, you don't throw it on open water points in the winter. Find the absolute IDEAL time for that bait to produce. The first two times I took out my 3:16 baby wake, I had 20 blowups and about 12 fish. I let the fish dictate how long to throw it though, and each time I only tossed it for about 1 hour before the sun came up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CombatWombat Posted August 1, 2011 Report Share Posted August 1, 2011 In addition to the above, fish it somewhere that you can see its action so you can understand your control effects the bait. If you can't get to a clear lake, even a half an hour in a pool can put you more "in touch" with the bait. +1. I often go to the pool and watch how my baits react to different twitches and what the actual sink rate is. And if I like what I see, then I'll fish it till I get a fish. Also keep fishing swimbaits until you develop your own style. Once you have that, selecting swimbaits and gaining confidence will be so much easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali Posted August 2, 2011 Report Share Posted August 2, 2011 Mentally you have to be committed. I was convinced I need to put my freestyle away until late fall. Then I saw the two videos Bassindon69 threw up and that gave me confidence like never before. When I went back out, I knew the bait could catch fish, I just needed to trigger them. I played around until I got a few follows, a boil, and then a fish. Now I have all the confidence in the world in the bait -Ali Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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