Need Help Expanding My Tackle Box.

[skeletor6]

I am looking to buy some more tackle to expand my inventory in my tackle box. I am looking for some advice as of what more I need. Here's what I have...

1) SK spinnerbaits 3/8 oz colors are only variations of white yellow and green. No bluegill or darker colors here.

2) scum frog white with green. Also some rapala poppers for my top water.

3) Yamamoto twin tail hula grubs and 5" Senkos. (I am going to buy more of these.)

4) I am all set as far as crank baits go I have square bills and deep diving cranks in various colors. Also I have many lipless crank baits like red Eye shads and some diamond shads in other colors. plus a rat-l-trap in chrome and blue and a KVD 5xd. Just one though. I do not have dark colors in any of these.

5) jigs I only have 2 one in brown and green 1/2 oz football jig. And a 1/4 oz white and yellow swimming jig. I need more of these and from reading on here it seems blue and black, pbj, and green pumpkin are good colors. Also, I feel I need to buy trailers for them so I was thinking matching color zoom super chunk or using my DT HULA GRUBS. Also, the lakes I fish in do not yield bass larger than 3lbs. Are 1/2 oz jigs too big? I am looking at buying the north star Premier hairy Craw football jigs or is there a better choice of north star on TW.

6) No buzz baits or trick worms except power bait 7" worms with the swirly tail.

That's about all I have so some advice and specific name brand suggestions would really help. I'm buying everything from tackle warehouse so they must have it there. Also the weight and colors I need would be much appreciated. I hopefully can complete my tackle box with your guys' help. Thank you so much!

[TheHuntress]

Sounds like you have an alright start on everything except your soft plastics. I would pick up some creature baits and some plastics worms. For creature baits I like Zoom Baby brush hogs, Berkley Power Hawgs, and GYCB Kreature. Also, one my personal favorites for topwater that you don't have is in my picture, Zara Spooks.

[skeletor6]

Sounds like you have an alright start on everything except your soft plastics. I would pick up some creature baits and some plastics worms. For creature baits I like Zoom Baby brush hogs, Berkley Power Hawgs, and GYCB Kreature. Also, one my personal favorites for topwater that you don't have is in my picture, Zara Spooks.

I can't seem to find Zara spooks at TW. Is there an alternative? And in what color

[TheHuntress]

TW has them. Go to shop by brand, then go to "H" and select Heddon Lures, and it is the Super Spook. Everyone has their own color preferences. I like the bone.

[Gangley]

I am looking to buy some more tackle to expand my inventory in my tackle box. I am looking for some advice as of what more I need.

This is a conversation best had with the Bait Monkey!

In all seriousness though, you are lacking most in soft plastics and topwater. These are my "must-haves" when I go out as far as soft plastics and topwaters are concerned. Everybody has their preference of brand so I listed a few off to the side for you.

Soft Plastics to cover all water columns:

Get some 7" and 10" curl tail worms(ol' monsters, powerworms)

Stick baits (senko, strike king)

straight tail (Trick Worm)

flukes or paddletail flukes (Zoom Superfluke, Yum Money Minnow)

creatures (beaver, brush hog, craws)

soft plastic buzz baits (Horny Toad, Rage Toad)

Topwater:

Buzzbaits (cavitron, lunker lure, booyah)

poppers (pop-r, zel-pop, chug bug)

jitterbug

spook

[Fontana Finesse Man]

X2 on the spooks, also the bone color as well. Seems to be a good color no matter where you fish.

I would maybe look into a jerkbait or two for the fall and spring like a smithwick rogue or rapala husky jerk (inexpensive and catch fish), if you don't want a hardbait look at some soft plastic jerkbaits like a zoom super fluke, I like pearl, but another color may work better in your area.

Also, I would get a couple packs of straight tail worms like a zoom finesse worm or trick worm. Some days shaky head or T Rig is the ticket and hard to beat a finesse worm, also double them up as a floating worm. Green pumpkin, watermelon, junebug seem to work universally.

[skeletor6]

I actually have a rapala jerk bait I forgot to mention and a green jitterbug. Should I get the standard 5" or jr 3.5" super spook?

As far as buzz baits. Should I get the boohyah pip squeak or the regular? And in what color.

[NBR]

You have a good start. Knowing where you fish in terms of lake, river or impoundment type as well as water clarity etc. For example where I fish the cover is boulders/rocks with little or no vegatation. Forage varies from baitfish like perch, sunnies and smelt to crawdads. I don't currently even own a frog but if I was fishing a lake that is about 1.5 driving hours south I'd buy some frogs before I fished there in the summer time.

[skeletor6]

You have a good start. Knowing where you fish in terms of lake, river or impoundment type as well as water clarity etc. For example where I fish the cover is boulders/rocks with little or no vegatation. Forage varies from baitfish like perch, sunnies and smelt to crawdads. I don't currently even own a frog but if I was fishing a lake that is about 1.5 driving hours south I'd buy some frogs before I fished there in the summer time.

Very good knowledge there sounds like I should grab up on another frog too then. I fish three different lakes here in Michigan. They don't yield bass like a lot of you guys have as your avatar pictures. So I think I need to go smaller with some of my lures. The water clarity, vegetation, and forage are very different in each lake so that's why I was looking to have a nice variety to match conditions.

Any input on whether to get the jr or standard super spook?

[TheHuntress]

I like the regular super spook.

[JunkYard814]

I don't think you can ever have enough soft plastics. Worm fishing is one of my most reliable tactics and I have tons of colors and styles. Also I always tip my jigs with crawfish (the Wooly Hawg Craw is my favorite) and a lot of time I use them on my spinnerbaits.

Also don't forget about some tubes!

[mikey5string]

dont forget shakey head jigs. I like owners ball head with offset EWG worm hooks.

Have some 3-5/0 EWG worm hooks (Gamakatsu is a good brand)

Some bullet weights. 1/4 - 3/8oz are good. Need these for texas & carolina rigs.

#1 or 2 Gamakatsu Octopus hooks for wacky rigging.

For Plastics:

Get a big worm 9" + with a curly tail. Brand isnt important but Berkely Powerbait and Zoom make nice ones. Get green pumpkin or watermelon.

Look for Berkely Powerbait "Power Hawgs" in green. They are a great little craw/creature bait and work well on shakey heads.

Zoom super flukes in white.

Zoom trick worms (the larger ones) . Get a natural color like green or brown.

And of course some 5" senkos again, green pumpkin is a good all around color.

For other tackle:

I LOVE buzzbaits and wouldnt go out without one. I would get a large black one and use it at dusk.

A rapala husky jerk. The 5" natural looking shiner one.

get a 3/8oz flipping jig with a "craw" colored skirt. The Paca chunks by netbait are good trailers.

[NBR]

Skel.... Where do you fish in MI? I lived in both SW and SE MI and fished many lakes and a few rivers.

[Raul]

Sorry but if you don´t tell me how much you have to spend I can´t help you.

[skeletor6]

Skel.... Where do you fish in MI? I lived in both SW and SE MI and fished many lakes and a few rivers.

I fish Bills lake a clear water lake with many points and drop offs. Seems to have more pike in it then bass than previous years. Clifford lake a lake that is really weedy with deep long extending weeds. I've only had success with top water here. Also, there's a lot of lillypads as well. The third one being Mona Lake in norton shores where I. Have only caught one 2 lb bass and huge catfish and carp.the water at Mona lake is more murky.

Sorry but if you don´t tell me how much you have to spend I can´t help you.

I am looking to spend no more than a $100. Sorry I did not post that earlier.

[skeletor6]

dont forget shakey head jigs. I like owners ball head with offset EWG worm hooks.

Have some 3-5/0 EWG worm hooks (Gamakatsu is a good brand)

Some bullet weights. 1/4 - 3/8oz are good. Need these for texas & carolina rigs.

#1 or 2 Gamakatsu Octopus hooks for wacky rigging.

For Plastics:

Get a big worm 9" + with a curly tail. Brand isnt important but Berkely Powerbait and Zoom make nice ones. Get green pumpkin or watermelon.

Look for Berkely Powerbait "Power Hawgs" in green. They are a great little craw/creature bait and work well on shakey heads.

Zoom super flukes in white.

Zoom trick worms (the larger ones) . Get a natural color like green or brown.

And of course some 5" senkos again, green pumpkin is a good all around color.

For other tackle:

I LOVE buzzbaits and wouldnt go out without one. I would get a large black one and use it at dusk.

A rapala husky jerk. The 5" natural looking shiner one.

get a 3/8oz flipping jig with a "craw" colored skirt. The Paca chunks by netbait are good trailers.

What size shakey head do you use? I was thinking about the 1/4 but was not sure.

Also, would 3/8 jigs be too large for lakes that at best yield 3lb bass?

[JunkYard814]

Also, would 3/8 jigs be too large for lakes that at best yield 3lb bass

I've caught bass < 1lb on 3/8 ounce jigs with a 3" craw on the back. I'm still amazed at how small some of the fish are that hit certain lures.

[mikey5string]

1/4 and 3/8oz are good all purpose weights. Use the 1/4 on shallower water and the 3/8 on anything deeper. Tungsten is smaller than lead at equal weights so you can get small baits with heavier jig heads but like Junkyard mentioned, the LMB will readily take baits 75% of its size and I have caught bass on a 10" worm that were 8" long. The weight of the sinker doesnt dictate the size of the bait, the size of the hook is more important.

To get your tackle box started I would have 1/4 or 3/16oz shakey heads. I use 3/16oz bc I like the owner ball head type with the EWG worm hook and that is the only size I can find.

[BrianSnat]

Jitterbugs, traditional Rapalas and Heddon Torpedoes

[BASSclary]

You have no flukes 0.0

FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS FISH GO BUY SOME FLUKES!!!

seriously though, flukes are very versatile, and really catch a lot of fish. To start off get a pack of white and watermelon seed.

[skeletor6]

You have no flukes 0.0

FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS FISH GO BUY SOME FLUKES!!!

seriously though, flukes are very versatile, and really catch a lot of fish. To start off get a pack of white and watermelon seed.

What am I thinking!? In all honesty I never heard of a fluke til thes thread. Are they best used t-rigged or with a shaky head?

[mikey5string]

flukes are great all around plastics. I mostly use them as jerk baits, t-rigged with no weight. Cast, let them fall a bit, jerk/twitch, let them fall some more and repeat. Over the top of submerged weeds is a good spot to use this technique. I use the white exclusively.

The regular (not super) flukes work great as DS baits too.

[skeletor6]

Just wanted to thank you guys. I made a $100 purchase today buying mostly everything suggested and also A-Jay's rig that I think will be great at offering a different type of presentation besides regular Texas rigged plastics with a weight. It's interesting because I've been having success working a Yamamoto double tail hula grub with a half ounce shakey head and A-Jays rig should be even better with that double tail grub utilizing a jig skirt instead of yamamatos hula skirt.

Also, in addition I figured I'd give Matt Allen's California swim jig with the EZ shad swim baits a shot. Would that swim bait also be a good trailer for a Northstar flip and swim? I assumed it would and bought 1 DJ and 4 Northstar's. Also it seems a lot of the plastics that were recommended can be used as trailers or in multiple ways which is nice.

Overall I feel I have a huge selection of baits I can throw now and feel that I am able to fish more areas of the lakes I fish with confidence. Once again, thank you to everyone who chimed in and helped me spend my money wisely and took the time to explain rigs and presentations to me.