My BWCA fishing skills are probably just below mediocre. One of the things I struggle with when I'm not catching anything is whether or not to stick with it, switch to another lure, or just try somewhere else. So I'm wondering, for those of you with mediocre or above fishing skills, how long will you stick with a lure before switching?

There are many factors that determine whether or not the fish will bite. There is no standard answer to your question. It could be how one is fishing the lure. It could be whether or not you are fishing where the fish are located. Most game fish are opportunistic feeders. Sometimes a strike will be reactionary. Not knowing how you approach fishing, it is difficult to give a one-size-fits-all answer.

For example, if I am trolling, I will add action to the lure by pumping, or zig-zagging, speeding up or slowing down. When I decide that none of these adjustments are working, then I will change lures. Since everything I carry is a proven lure, I'm slow to blame the lure. So, if nothing is working, vary what you are doing.

If I’m casting I will try to let the fish see it from a few angles and cover the whole area with it. Then move to another area and repeat. If I’m not getting any bites or strikes I will change lures. Another color, another size, another type.

If I’m trolling with a lure for 15-20 min through an area a lot of fish have seen my lure and did not bite. So then it’s time to change.

Just be sure you are working the lure correctly before changing. Eliminate you as the problem. What I mean is are you fishing with the lure as it was designed? Like are you pulling a top water lure underwater, or pulling it too fast, too slow, not stopping or pausing, are you presenting it too shallow or deep, not rigging it right, etc.

Then you change color, size and type of lure in that order. What I mean by type is when you are not getting any bites with a spoon, switch to a Rapala and try that.

If you have two people in your canoe, you should be using different presentations until something stands out as being the "lure of the day". If we're trolling open water, I like to be at a different depth than my partner and have a different style lure.

It depends on my confidence in the lure. And, how the other fishermen are doing. For starters, if you fish with a partner make sure to start with different lures. Maybe one subtle, and one flashy. If you ever get behind two to zero, switch to something closer to their lure.

Worst case scenario no one is getting bit. In that case I tie on a "dinner getter" and stick with it until someone finds fish. Once you have on a lure that you know will catch fish, keep moving and working on the pattern. If you spend an hour fishing shallow with no bites, move out deeper. Look for things that are different (weeds on a rocky lake/ rocks on a weedy lake). 95% of the fish are in 5% of the water. Find the 5% that is different and fish there.

To recap, when the going gets tough pick one lure that you know catches fish and then change places until it does. Don't spend more than an hour in an unproductive spot. Once you figure out the pattern you'll paddle by empty water without wasting any time fishing it. Your fish per day numbers will go way up.

My top three dinner getters are:
1. Silver #10 husky jerk
2. #5 rattlin rap in a natural color
3. Glow white jig and a leach (cast/ troll/ jig/ slip float)

I pick a lure based on the depth I want to fish and how fast I want to fish. You need to learn the individual specie's preferences for different times of year and/or conditions. Last Fall I had 1 crankbait on my trolling rod the entire trip. I varied the depth by adding or subtracting snap weights. That being said I probably have a 1000 crankbaits at home and take 40 on my trips. I'm a marketers dream and yes I have a problem!

Knowledge is key in determining what tool (lure) to use. Fish cant bite your lure if you don't put it in front of them. I can keep changing lures all day long but if I am not fishing where the fish are it will be fruitless. On the other hand I will probably catch something regardless of the lure if I can put that lure where the fish are.

You must become more concerned about understanding your target and less concerned about what kind of lure you throw.

The most important thing to a fish is groceries. There must be some chow around. So, put your observation cap on and look for food chains. Environments which promote places where the food a fish needs can survive. A crayfish won't last long on a smooth rock facing with no where to escape. Minnows often like weeds where they can find food and protection and places to hide.

Start to look for these kinds of places.........avoid steep rock facings and smooth rock banks and instead focus on gradually sloping banks which have rubble on the shore. What is on the shore often translates to what is below the surface.

Knowledge is the key, not the lure. Find the fish and you will usually catch some regardless of what lure you are using.

Great advice MT. This ^^^

If I'm not catching anything with a certain lure it is kind of a gut and head reaction to change the bait. There is no standard time. Most of the time I am catching fish, but if I am not after a period of time I will switch and keep switching until I find something that will hopefully produce some fish. I really only need 4 lures and presentations in a warm water scenario. Start with topwater ( torpedo or pop-r ), if that doesn't work, go to sub-surface lures like a Zulu (soft plastic jerk bait ), if I need to start searching for them I switch to a chartreuse spinner bait, and if I need to slow down my presentations I will use a green pumpkin tube. This is geared towards smallmouth bass fishing.

Make a plan, fish the plan.
Sometimes, though, the plan is to wing it.
I switch after about 10 minutes if I know fish are present.

It also depends on what kind of fish you are targeting. If you are trolling for suspended lake trout, especially on big fish lakes, you should expect that most of your time will be spent trolling and not catching. Going for a few hours or more between strikes is likely. When the fish turn on, you may get them one after another. I'll go for an hour or so and switch. Like someone else said, I'll be speeding up, slowing down, and making S-turns while I'm trolling. When I switch, I usually move up or down in the water column. At some point, I'll switch style of lures radically, e.g. go from a spoon to a crankbait. Big fish lakes tend to be big; there's lots of water to eliminate.

As someone said, most of the fish are in a small fraction of the water. Figure out where and lure selection is less important. Lures are tools. Pick the tool that lets you efficiently fish the depth/structure you are targeting. If it's a nice, thick cabbage bed, a spinnerbait is a wonderful tool!

The most important thing to a fish is groceries. There must be some chow around.

That is true most of the year. But, if your target is pre-spawn or spawning groceries come in a distant second.

I also agree with Lundojam, if you know fish are present (you can see them, someone else is catching them) then 10 minutes is plenty of time to determine if your lure is working.

If you don't know there are fish where your fishing, then change spots before you change lures.

I really like brightly colored top water baits. I can fish them slowly and not loose sight of them. The bass were hitting well so I tied on a new rapala with a foil belly and a bright yellow back. It fished perfectly. Nice and flashy below and I could see it clearly anywhere. Aaaand... the bass were having none of it. My brother caught a couple fish to my zero and I went back to a neutral color. Once I knew that the water was too clear for a neon yellow lure I didn't waste anymore time.