Give ‘Em What They Want OR The Presentation Puzzle

Posted: October 15th, 2014 by Bill Dance

We all remember that relative in our childhood that used to always give us socks and underwear at Christmas, right? Sure it was practical and well-intended. But was it really what we wanted?

Underwear? Socks? Heck no, you gotta know we all wanted a Zebco 33!

But as fishermen we are often like that aunt, especially when it comes to giving fish what they want. Our presentation of a bass lure is a very big deal. It can be a trip-maker as a matter of fact.

So, why is it so important? How you refine lure presentation to draw more strikes? Both are questions that I’ve been asked for years and years.

And I gotta tell ya, far too many people pay no attention to presentation

They hear the fish are biting from Johnny Joe Lunchbucket and blast off to the lake to catch ‘em while it’s hot. But once they get there, they fish with one lure, and usually with one method. As a result they miss lots of fish. Or when you think about it, maybe they don’t miss ‘em as much as the fish simply ignore their presentation.

Basically, though the fish might be there, in the famed SPOT, anglers simply fail to adjust something that is really easy to change…presentation.

Yep, of all the things that they could alter in their angling arsenal, people tend to forget about presentation. And when you think about it, this really is a quick fix. I mean how hard is it to slow down, to speed up, or use a different reel ratio? And hey, that is just the basics.

Day in and day out, in pressured waters, bass see lots of lures; so they become guarded, if not picky. Sure, you always need to give them a natural presentation, but it often may need to be different than the day before, even if only slightly. And sometimes, you simply need to come at them from another angle with the lure…give them a different viewpoint. Cast to them from varied angles and your presentation changes.

Bass are opportunists. They’re predators waiting for the best location to strike. So not only to you have to get the bait there, you have to present it to the fish in the way that’s most likely going to make the fish’s attack worth its effort.

Remember, most of the time a bass’s strike zone isn’t that big of an area. And in tougher conditions, that area becomes even smaller. Big bass have seen it all, and normally they are only going after a bait that appears to be a sure thing or “just right.” It’s got to be moving the way fish want it, and it’s gotta be in their zone.

This presentation stuff is a major part of the fishing game and what makes it special is just that…always trying to figure the rascals out…trying to lure them out of their world and into ours.

Succeeding at the often-overlooked tactic of lure presentation is a major accomplishment. And I love the chance to catch hard-to-fool fish. So finding the right presentation is a major accomplishment, in my book. And oh yeah, presentation would also be mentioned in the first chapter, if not on the first page. It’s that important!

As always, catch one for me!