Best technique to learn

[Big dreams]

I am trying to determine which technique I should try to learn this year.  Last year, Laport showed me how to drop shot which is amazing.  I caught a lot of fish last year with the ds.  This year I was thinking between these three: Shakey head, deep diving cranks, or c-rig.  Of course I will try all but I usually take a few days with only one or two rods with the same thing rigged to learn new to me techniques.

Question is, which of the three listed above have you all caught more fish on here in Michigan inland lakes?

[bob o]

why not all three?

[fiker]

It wouldn't be that difficult to learn all three in the same season. 

[dartag]

Learn to fish a Jig. Nothing better than feeling the tap on the line and setting the hook.

[gmetime24]

I will be working on my shakey head more this season, more for the big water fishing tho. Out of the 3 you named deep cranking would be a good one to learn. You can learn a lot about an area with deeper cranks and draw up an image in your mind about dropoffs, weedlines and what's on the bottom. I've learned a lot about areas of lakes with just cranking and not focusing on my graph as much

[21XDC]

Pick the one you think you would enjoy most... Carolina rig and deep cranks are no fun in Michigan weeds..    Bass will eat any and all techniques when you put it in front of them. 

But if you fish some lakes with sparse weeds, Then I would consider these....

[YpsiBass]

Learn to fish a Jig. Nothing better than feeling the tap on the line and setting the hook.

I'm very bad at this.  Teach me, zen master.

[thedude]

Jig is good year round. You'll have a lot of time from opening day until mid-summer where a DD crankbait and carolina rig won't be all that productive.... so i would concentrate on seasonal baits.

ice-out to pre-spawn - traps, jerkbaits, blade baits, drop shot
pre-spawn-spawn - traps, jerkbaits, shallow cranks, swimbaits
spawn to post-spawn - plastics, shallow cranks, swimbaits, jigs, poppers
post-spawn to summer - DD cranks, jigs, c-rig
fall - topwater, traps, spinnerbaits

plastics can always work. boom. do work.

[djkimmel]

Two words...

Deep

Diving

Crankbaits...

(but I would be loose on the definition of 'deep' - more fun)

[detroit1]

Bob is right- why not all three? I could never go to the lake with just a rod or two to learn a new technique. There will always be a situation where you wished you brought this or that, that may be more productive than what you were trying to learn. I can't limit myself to one presentation for the whole day. Even if i'm catching them, i'll want to see what else I can catch them on....

[dartag]

If you are truly trying to learn an new technique I would only take rods rigged with the bait you are trying to learn.  It is frustrating at first but stick with it.  Spend 8 hours on one bait and you will be surprised how much you learn.