Co-Anglers - Soft Plastics

[Felix77]

In order to be versatile from the back of the boat it's not uncommon for me to carry around more soft plastic than what I need.  How much plastic, and what type, do you bring to cover all the different presentations that you may be asked to do on a given day in a tournament?

 

For me ...

 

Senko

Crawdad of some sort (Rage Cray, UV Craw)

Fluke

Swimming Fluke

Tubes

Finesse Worm

Trick Worm

Roboworms

Shakey Worm

Beaver like bait

 

I try to stay with 2 colors - Green Pumpkin and a Junebug(ish) color unless I know for sure that another color works well on a given lake.

 

Thoughts?

[ww2farmer]

Go with what you have 100% confidence in. Both in color and style. Your better off having a few extra rigging/presntation options than tons of baits.

[Marty]

Can't comment on the lure assortment, other than the confidence thing like the above mentioned, but I firmly believe that you don't need more than two colors.

[roadwarrior]

If you C-rig the Rage Tail Eeliminator you will outfish the boater!

[ww2farmer]

If you C-rig the Rage Tail Eeliminator you will outfish the boater!

 While Rage tails are great products, and are great sponsers here, making a blanket statement like that is rediculous.

[LgMouthGambler]

Lots of Zoom lizards, brush hogs, UV speed craws, UV speed worms, Gambler EZ swimmers, Culprit worms. All in respective confidence colors.

[Gangley]

For each tournament it is vitaly important to see out your angler and figure out how he is planning on fishing.  If he is planning on running and gunning with spinnerbaits and crankbaits, then my soft plastics assortment would be pretty small.  If he is planning on camping out on one or two spots the entire day, bring a full arsenal of plastics and a video game or two

 

To answer your question though, if I needed to limit the amount of soft plastics I carried with me, I would take my single favorite soft plastics in three basic categories: some action(trick worm or senko), more action(ribbon tails), and crazy action(Rage Tails or equivelant).  I would cary a light and dark in each color for a total of 6 plastic soft lure choices (3 different types with 2 colors of each type).  With those plastics I am only limited by my ability.

 

However, like mentioned in a prior post my main focus would be on making sure I had the appropriate terminal tackle to fish soft plastics in most any condition.  For example, it's pretty hard to fish soft plastics as a co-angler behind a guy who is flying down the bank throwing a crankbait unless you have some heavy sinkers that get that bait where you want it quickly and are heavy enough to keep it there while being dragged down half a mile of bank in under 5 minutes.  Otherwise you might as well be fishing a weightless worm in hurricane.

[MCS]

Lots of Zoom lizards, brush hogs, UV speed craws, UV speed worms, Gambler EZ swimmers, Culprit worms. All in respective confidence colors.

Ur right about lizards and i know Felix knows those vibe worms good call on those. But ribbon tails are growing on me, I am catching more and more fish. Culprit is good but I got some gambler and like those a lot better. They are a must add to the tackle bag along with grande bass rattlesnakes.

[LgMouthGambler]

Ur right about lizards and i know Felix knows those vibe worms good call on those. But ribbon tails are growing on me, I am catching more and more fish. Culprit is good but I got some gambler and like those a lot better. They are a must add to the tackle bag along with grande bass rattlesnakes.

 

Yeah, the Gambler worms are great for really big presentations, always have 2 bags of black/red with me.

[tbone1993]

This is more of a pro style tactic but essentially your pre fishing bag should look polar opposite to your tournament day bag. Pre fishing day you should be loaded down with gear and multiple colors of different style of baits. Once you develop a pattern then you know what you can leave out of your bag. If it turns out that the boater is going to be cranking then it is a waste of space to be loaded down with plastics. That being said you can do what I do and have  two bags. The big bag is basically everything I need for a tournament not narrowed down. This bag stays buried under the consol. The other smaller bag has terminal tackle and whatever hard/soft baits I am going to use. That way I dont have to search in a giant bag for my baits. Also in the winter I always have a jacket on with huge pockets that I carry the color of plastic I am throwing.

[Sam]

Felix, as a nonboater you have to fish along with the boater.

 

This means that if the boater is fishing fast with spinnerbaits, crankbaits, Chatterbaits, Cavitrons, etc. it doesn't matter how many plastics you have. You will be traveling too fast to properly fish them.

 

When the boater slows down to hit the docks, piers, wood, structure, etc. you can then use whatever plastics you like. Just remember the boater up front will have the advantage as he will get to fish the targets before you do.

 

However, there are many targets in the water and you can hit the ones he doesn't or go to the ones he hit and try your plastics.

 

So what do you throw? Depends on water temperature and water clarity for plastics. Here is what I suggest you consider along with what the other guys have posted:

 

Shaky Head with a Zoom green pumpkin trick worm or Swamp Crawler on a 1/8 jig head

Drop Shot with a Roboworm of your choice

Wacky Rigged Senko in green pumpkin on a spinning rig so you can pitch and flip it along with casting the stick bait

Baby Brush Hog in green pumpkin

Carolinia Rig with the bait of your choice

 

You can flip, pitch and cast these plastics. You can use an offshoot color like watermealon candy or any color of your choice.

 

Keep an eye on the boater and watch what he is throwing if he is catching bass. You want to throw what he is throwing if you have it or throw another selection. Option is yours.

 

Always check with the boater before your adventure to find out if he fishes fast or slow. Remember, plastics are designed to be fished slow so if your boater is going to haul a__ you may be stuck with treble hook and moving baits.

[Felix77]

Thanks to all. Great insight.  In other words K.I.S.S.  (Keep It Simple Stupid!) 

[webertime]

Fat Ika's

Senkos

Pitbosses

Hags Tornado

Zoom Speed Craws

Keitech Swing Impact Fat and Regular

 

You can do everything you will need to with these 6 baits.  Flip/Pitch, DS, Shaky, C-Rig, T-Rig, Swim, Trailers, Weightless.

 

Carry 2 colors, Green Pumpkin in all then one color of your choice for each.

[bassin is addicting]

as a non-boater i know what you mean....need to narrow it down.

i usually use these basic baits and bring color based on which body of water we are going to.

 

senko

zoom speed craw/ultra vibe craw/rage craw

yamamoto hula grub

baby brush hog

rage smokin' rooster

swim senko

trick worm

curly tail worm....powerbait/ rage anaconda

rodent/beaver style

fluke/ caffeine shad

rage shad

 

i'll have other soft plastics also but use these 90% of the time

[BassinB]

If you C-rig the Rage Tail Eeliminator you will outfish the boater!

 Unless your boater happens to be throwing.........a C-rigged Rage Tail Eeliminator!

[roadwarrior]

.

Always check with the boater before your adventure to find out if he fishes fast or slow. Remember, plastics are designed to be fished slow so if your boater is going to haul a__ you may be stuck with treble hook and moving baits.

 

HUGE issue. Always be rigged with a moving bait option.

[Bankbeater]

If I can fit it in my bag I bring it along.

[Hooligan]

I greatly disagree with those saying you have to fish along with the boater.  That is exactly what you should not be doing, but that's a different argument.  

As far as plastics go, take jig trailers, take a stick, a finesse worm, a curl tail of some sort.  If you are completely comfortable with the lake you're fishing, limit your colors, and maximize selection.  If you have no idea, limit your selection and maximize colors.

My typical load as a co- angler looks like this:

Rage Craw in Candy and Falcon two each.  Rage Chunk in Okeechobee two each.

Recon Worm in Blue Fleck and Candy Craw Two each.

Senko in GP and some shad color Three each.

Ring Fry in Special two.

Finesse worm usually watermelon gold and Aaron's Magic.

I can easily fit this in my primary bag without taking a satchel.  I will often take a full satchel jammed with plastics If I know whom I am fishing with.  It will allow me to vary my presentations and change what I am throwing to maximize my effectiveness.