Went to Lake Bonham on Sunday Morning found an area that had cuts into a point from main lake into a small cove . Point 3' to 4' water dropping into 12' , there before sun up bugs getting slurped, shad flickering ,fish rolling on top and couldn't buy a bite.
I had 13 rods out on front of boat top water , crank , jerk ,spinner ,chatter , jig , worm , creature , and a frog. I guess my question is I would throw a bait 5 to 6 times rethink and change, throw 5 - 6 times and so on not given any a real chance. Should have I just picked a couple of different baits and stuck with them instead of tripping on so many rods on the deck ?
TRING TO LEARN
Thanks for any help
Monte

I'm learning too Monte, from what I've found and been told in situations like that is if there are bass there and actively feeding, it shouldn't take several different lures to get bit, most likely the fish just aren't there "where they are supposed to be".

AND

If your experience at Bonham was like the several I've had, those fish rolling on top were catfish and carp, I thought I was in for a 100lb MLF day the first time until I couldn't buy a single bite either.. cause they weren't bass.

It's a transition period and the bass are moving. I'd give a location no more than 20 minutes, throwing search baits (moving baits) until I had moved to find more active fish.
Sounds like you threw some of the right things.

What I have confidence in this time of year to search for active bass.

Lipless crankbait
Spinner bait
Medium depth crank
Sq bill
Spoon
Chatter bait
Spook and other topwaters

Once you've found more active bass you can then start using slower presentations
Jerkbaits
Flukes
Swimbaits
Jigs

Three - Top (braid), plastic (rigged), and spinner/crank/jerk (w/swivel).

Any more for me, is just in the way.

Looking at my rod racks I must think I need 30.But I use 6.

If you would have had a 14th rod you would have caught em!

I only use one, at a time. I may have 8 to 10 on the front deck.

Some days I use 2 or 3 all day, some days I use 15. Some days I wish I had more to use lol

I generally try to plan out 8 rods based on the lake and weather conditions. Tie on everything perfectly how I want. Align them all nicely on the deck of my boat. I make 5 casts with a top water, then throw my favorite soft plastic on the same one rod all day thinking "if they don't bite this they wouldn't bite anything else anyway."

"How many rods do you need to catch BASS ?"

Usually one more than I have with me...

4

a rod and reel combo is just a tool. gotta use the right tool for the right cast. could be once, could be a 100 times.

"it ain't the arrow, it's the indian"....

Only one but you just have to run through the other 30 to find that one. As far as spot time if I see fish I am not leaving to go to a spot similar to the one I am on. If I leave it is a tactic change. That brings the other 30 rods below deck into play.

Clearly one more than the 14 or so I've used the last couple of trips. Thank goodness deer season starts in a couple of days.