The "puzzle"

Weather conditions. Is it sunny, cloudy, or maybe even raining? Water conditions. Is the water clear, muddy, or stained? Temperature. What is the water temp? Tide. Is there a falling tide, rising tide, slack tide?  Food source. What are the fish feeding on? crawfish, shad, shrimp, bluegill? The possibilities are endless. These are all just pieces of the puzzle. People always ask me, "which bait is the best bait?' This my friends is a loaded question. There are so many variables that go into figuring out what lure to fish with. Ever seen a professional Angler's arsenal? The professional angler's boat is loaded down with various fishing rod combos and a seemingly endless supply of different lures. With "money on the line" they have to be prepared to fish whatever conditions present themselves. Make no mistake about it, for the most part you have to fish the conditions. There is no one "perfect' bait or lure. Every lure is just another tool in the tool box and they all have a time and place to be fished. The key is to put all the puzzle pieces together to figure out which lure under certain conditions is going to be effective. If you figure it out there is a great feeling of accomplishment. If you want to catch fish do some research, make a game plan, but don't be afraid to think outside the box. Your either catching or your learning.