I see you guides and experienced folks mention different baits to locate them. Then you go to different baits after you have found them. Jigs, drop shot, c-rig, etc.....

These search baits cover water more quickly I understand that.

I know this sounds silly but how do you know when you have found them? Are they striking your search bait but won't take it?
If you caught one or two on a "search bait" than why change baits?

Could someone explain to me their search and change bait process?

Thanks

They call them "search baits" because they can cover water more quickly and efficiently than jigs, worms, etc. And usually if you can find them with a search bait and catch a few alot of times they will stop reacting to the crankbait or whatever you may be using and then you can go back over the same area and catch them with a jig or worm, etc. It's just a more efficient way to find fish. Now it wont always work if there is only one or 2 bass in the area you are using your search bait. You have to be able to use your electronics as well and also important is finding cover/structure near by that should be holding more/several bass. Hope this helps.

It's also a quality thing. My experience is larger fish will bite a slower presentation, so going back over an area make sense.

Thanks Nathan that helps. Typically if I have gone over an area with a crank and caught one or two I would have just kept on moving.

Guess now I will make another pass with a plastic or something.

In any given school of fish some will be more active than others. Search baits will locate these fish faster by covering more water and once you catch one or two and a school is identified on electronics you can keep fishing this bait, or slow down and look for better quality fish.

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You can also cover the same area with the reaction bait with a different retrieve or color to see if you can narrow down a pattern

As mentioned, this can help develop a pattern. Use the search bait to find fish, then you can take note of the conditions (depth, type of cover/structure, etc) then use that information to repeat in similar areas on other parts of the lake.

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You can locate fish fast with search baits. I run points with search baits and will usually find some fish. As far as quality fish this is my theory. Big fish don't get big by being dumb. They don't exert a lot of effort in going after a small fast moving prey. They will normally go after something that is larger and that they don't have to use a lot of energy to chase down. Not saying you can't catch lunkers on moving baits, but you have a higher percentage of catching the bigger fish after you have found them with something smaller.

im just as curious as you are, heard guys refer to this but never really understood it, thanks for asking! so search baits are for the most part crankbaits?

I would really classify search baits as any FAST moving bait. Something that covers a lot of water in a short time. If you get a strike but no fish then slow down and/or use plastics or some other slow moving bait.