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Different presentations have inherent blends of characteristics. Some cover water quickly, while others strain small spots where fish concentrate along edges or within distinct spots. Some extract fish from cover; others excel in open water. Tactics for triggering strikes typically incorporate higher speeds, while those used to entice bites from fussy fish often call for livebait presented at a slow crawl.

Some presentations are limited in scope, applying strictly to certain speed ranges and small areas: slip bobbers fished in and around cover at minimal speed, for example. Others require a minimum amount of speed to make lures work properly, like trolled spinners or crankbaits. Still others work at a wide range of speeds, such as jigs, which excel at everything from motionless, to subtle hopping, to snapjigging.

Prerig several rods with systems appropriate to the lake, river or reservoir you plan to fish. We suggest one precision-finesse system, one coverage system, and perhaps a third with characteristics of each. Then fish several likely areas to judge fish response. Once you determine that a certain presentation is working, begin fine-tuning it with modifications in sight (profile, color, flash, action), sound (vibration), or scent (livebait); or try refinements in the system itself, like switching to lighter line, smaller hooks, adding weight to achieve better depth or control, or speeding up or slowing down your coverage. But don't place too much faith in little things like color pattern or scent until you have the basic system in place. Appropriate systems catch fish; after that, refinements catch more and bigger fish.