Today I was working the bank with a suspending swim bait and probably 10 times had a fish follow very close. Very close. They’d even swim along side and bump it with their bodies. No short strikes or bites though. I tried varying presentation with speed and depth. Other baits they were not interested in at all.

So what do you do to entice a curious bass to eat?

Fish faster. Much faster. I'd throw a jerkbait and make it move as fast and erratic and I could. Don't let them get such a good look at it.

Exact same bait,, different color. See if that works.

Bass follow baits more than we know. Pros. talk about bass doing this and they call it Tracking. The articles talked about pulling the fish off of a good feeding slope toward deep water and how long it takes them to set back up on the point and begin to feed. One of the tricks they use is to cast across the point and bring the bait up-hill. The fish are then tracking it to the hot feeding zone where they normally push the bait fish to trap them and begin the feeding process. Instead of pulling them away; the lure is bring them to the best feeding spot on top of the point. The bass instinctively believe they are doing the work and not the fisherman. When the bait makes the next pass it gets bit. Also using scent on tracking fish will make the bait as real as possible and sew up the deal. Bass will follow a scent trail in a test tank when extracted into the water through a snaking device from one side to the other and out the other end. They will follow the scent trail with no visual of any bait at all. They will even compete with each other trying to be the first one to the finish line.

Now, I am sure someone will want to see such a report in writing. Sorry, these tests were done in a Gov. facility and the Biotech is not allowed to write reports for the public or do any videos. The test can very easily be repeated in any large tank; so it may be worth checking out.

change it up. speed, color, action are just a few things to consider unless you hang out with secret govt Biotechs. btw, i had very large tanks for many years and did quite a few "experiments."

While swimbaits account for lots of fish and many big ones too they are notorious for having fish follow them. In a non feeding mood I actually believe fish will follow swimbaits(especially larger baits) when they will not follow or even pay attention to other baits because of the realistic look and action.

Some have the following thoughts and opinion that I agree with: Bass are territorial, and also curious. A new big thing in their space begs to be checked out, even if they aren't interested in eating it. If you throw one, it's important to look for "follows" even if just a shadow that appears behind it for a period of time. The fish has shown itself. Watch for where they came from, and where they go back to. Now you have a good idea where their lair is. Come back later with a plan to catch the fish with a different lure.

weightless wacky senko will do it everytime

That's what I would do, or a fluke. Keep going down the bank and loop around and ease back and make a long cast to where the fish was. If you can make that swimbait turn around or reel it real quick like its running sometimes that will work. I will say though, swimming beside the bait and bumping it sounds like a big shad trying to spawn with your bait. I've had that happen

I get all that, the timing involved with how long to stick with a color, nail weight it to sink a little faster or go wieghtless, when or why wacky or when why this hook or that hook or or or on and on, drag it or jig it, then what of those 3 variables do you change first? I am really enjoying learning to slow down and fish senkos and have been catching, but when they aren't on I struggle with which way to adjust. I spent a lot of tome in my pool and clear water pond figuring out where to add a nail weight to get the action I "think" they should like.

A whole new world in itself

never stop learning it will keep you alive

imo, the answer you are seeking isnt one that anyone can give a defined simplistic written answer to. there are so many changing variables it all comes down to decision making based on confidence gained from TOW.

how long to stick with a color- i would guess till it stops working

when or why wacky or when- which ever action the fish prefer at that given situation

why this hook or that hook- size and style designed for the lure

drag it or jig it- which ever one they prefer during that situation

when to add a nail weight- are they on top of the grass, suspended in it or on the bottom, ie.

hope that makes sense. confidence is about percentages. you gain more confidence by making right and wrong choices on the water and learning from them. over time, your desicion making gets better and your percentages increase because you are making more better choices and less time experimenting or searching. its a whole environment to learn, not just bass, they are not that smart. all they know are 3 things, eat, relax and make babies. if there ever was a simplistic answer to anything bass related it would have been well known years ago. it always changes exponentially on so many levels by the second, the more you listen to their environment as one living entity, the faster it makes human sense. hope this helps.