When to change up your spread?

[mnort22]

Let's say you just got all your rods out and you're marking some fish in your targeted depths. My question is how long do you guys leave things alone before you start changing things such as, colors, distance away from the ball etc. Also what do you change first and second and so on? I feel like I'm constantly second guessing myself.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Chas0218]

I give it a half hour then I make a change to 1 rod let her sit for half hour change another rod. Usually by the 3rd or 4th change I decide on whether I'm staying in that location. I don't usually change up all my lures or colors knowing what works in set conditions and area is an experience thing. I can tell you I have friends that fish and enjoy going with me. They like to try "New" colors and whatever but my lures that are old work great. I usually tell my one friend that likes to go that he can have any 2 rods in the spread to do what he wants the rest get what I want. Usually I outproduce him 2:1 on my lures vs his. There are times fish just don't bite.

Edited May 16, 2017 by Chas0218

[John E Powell]

When the spread you started with no longer matches the mood of the fish. Feeding fish get a close tight pattern, neutral fish get a pattern more spread out, negative fish I cut back on gear and spread out more. As to colors, I generally start with white/glow/pearl tones in the morning and as the sunlight penetration into the water changes I'll trade in a few baits with more realistic bait colors like silver, greens, blacks. In low light it's about the fish being able to find your bait, in brighter conditions it's about your lure looking something similar to food. Sometimes, if the day is progressing per usual, I don't wait for a period of inactivity before I start adjusting. I'll make adjustments through the morning even if I'm still catching fish. I try to avoid waiting so long that a drastic or wholesale change is needed. Finally, I rarely leave fish to find fish without a very good reason. If the fish I'm on stop biting I'll think about my spread in 3 dimensional terms, not 2 dimensionally. Sometimes people focus on troll direction or lead lengths and forget to consider that the more active and feeding fish in your immediate area may have moved vertically in the water column, not for example, north or west...

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

 

 

[bout time]

another thing to consider is not just the lures, or your presentation but other factors including speed and direction. You will find that fish may like it slower or faster depending on their moods and you may also find that most of your hits are generated when going one direction versus another. just another part of the equation

[Sk8man]

In general it isn't a matter of just arbitrary amount of "time" spent it is about doing something different and persistence when you're marking and not getting anything to hit. If you combine what the above three guys have given you and then repeatedly keep after them where marked back and forth you should connect. If not they may not be trout or salmon that you are seeing OR they are just not hungry or active. So after several tries with negative results you move on and keep changing things up depending on what you are seeing on the screen and temperatures. Some folks give up too early.

Edited May 16, 2017 by Sk8man

[ontherise]

I usually set um and forget um... probably why I don't catch many fish.


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[mnort22]

Great points and things to consider so far, thanks guys


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[Xxx]

1 hour ago, ontherise said:

I usually set um and forget um... probably why I don't catch many fish.


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

 

Why doent that surprise me 

[guffins fisherman]

I am a firm believer in "if you run your best sh#t long enough, eventually something's going to hit it."

Sent from my XT1585 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[ontherise]

 
Why doent that surprise me 

It's a lot of work pap! I'm just not cut out for it. I'm more of a "sit back and stare at the rods" type of feller.


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Chas0218]

I am a firm believer in "if you run your best sh#t long enough, eventually something's going to hit it."

Sent from my XT1585 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

This right here! Haha best response yet.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Finders Keepers]

For us it's more of a feeling than anything else based on changing light conditions, water color and clarity, and most importantly what we feel confident in running. The more experience one has running various things in various settings and either having luck with it or not, all comes into play when deciding what to run what lures and for how long. Sometimes it is simply a matter of waiting until the fish turn on...