Essential Must Have Plastics

[loudcherokee]

Looking to check out some sales/clearance items and wondering what you guys consider the essential plastics that every bass angler should have on hand. I've got several plastics that are about 8 years old because I took an 8 year break from fishing after moving to PA. My stock mostly consists of Culprit curly tail worms. I do have some lizards in brown pumpkin seed and some craws in brown pumpkin seed, and I got some blue yum saleemanders for $1.00 at Walmart not long ago.

Since joining this forum, I've learned about the senkos and have some of those, but I'm also reading a lot about craws, brush hogs, rage this and that, tubes, finesse and trick worms. It just seems like there's so much to choose from. To be honest, its all a bit overwhelming with so many different types and combinations. I think I read somewhere of someone even putting a worm inside a tube.

Just wondering about some of the key items I should have in the tackle box. I want to become more experienced with plastics and feel like I'm behind the curve with outdated worms, except for the senko. I've NEVER caught anything on a Texas rig or Carolina rig. The only plastic fish I have been catching were on wacky rigged senkos or a drop shot with the worm wacky rigged.

LC

[aavery2]

shakey head jigs + Roboworms =  lots of fish

[Chris at Tech]

Your wallet may regret this post

Flukes in white, shad

Straight tail worms (Zoom Trick and Finesse), curly tail worms, lizards, brush hogs, craws, senkos, paddle tail worms (like Zoom Ultra Vibe), French fries (like Hag's Tornado) in a few different colors. Generally watermelonseed, green pumpkin and junebug are my staples. Size is also a factor, where you may want a few different sizes for a few of those baits. Worms and lizards are ones I always carry at least 2 sizes of.

[Stren_g]

What Chris at Tech said, plus anything in junebug and watermelon candy!

[bigbill]

I buy anything that's on sale or clearances that I use or may like to try in the future.

In the past its been split rigged worms, carolina rigged brushogs and senkos. I need to get into

using more and different plastics. I'm sure we all tend to limit ourselves with what works for us

rather than trying different patterns.  The more patterns and presentations we know the better.

Don't forget to store your used plastics in zip lock bags and keep your plastiss in another tackle

box so the salt salt in the plastics won't rust your hooks on your lures.

[annexation]

In terms of action, it may overlap with the senko a bit, but I always bring a bag of Fat Ikas with me in case I need to outfish my partner. I don't know what it is, but around here they kill in every shallow water hole around. Rig it texas style with the skirt up front and drag them slowly across the bottom. Every. Freakin. Time. Beeeyaam Baby!

 

Something about the bulk of the bait just turns bass on. It's basically an overgrown grub with a bunch of wiggly tentacles instead of a curly tail. They love it.

[A-Jay]

 A Texas rigged 10 inch Black Berkley Power worm.

 

It's a bass fishing staple.

 

A-Jay

[nascar2428]

I would pick up some 6 or 7" ribbontails in the color that your fish catching senko's are in. Then peg a 1/4 oz bullet weight T-rigged and fish it until you catch fish. I don't beleive worms get outdated, add some megastrike( or the scent of your choice) to your outdated worms and see what happens.

[Kevin22]

Without naming too many actual products... these are what I feel every bass angler needs. 

 

Stick bait (senko style) in 5". 

Curl tail worm in 7.5" and 10". 

A craw with active claws (rage craw type) in 4"

A couple different creature baits (beavers, hawgtails, etc) in 4"

Topwater buzz frogs/toads

A fluke style bait in 4.5-5" 

 

For colors, a green pumpkin, a watermelon, and black. On the fluke, I like the bluegill color zoom has, the smokin shad, and just a plain old albino white. 

 

 

Now if you want to really get a variety you can get some finesse/trick worms for shakey heading. Some tubes for flpping/jigging. And any of the other thousands of plastics out there. 

[Bair]

The straight tail Roboworm. They flat out produce on the drop-shot, shaky head, wacky rigged, T-Rig/C-Rig.

[bigbill]

If your fishing from shore or a boat it's different because we fish backwards. From shore using a split shot rig or my 1/8 oz carolina rig with a ticker it's all about location, location, location. I look for dropoffs,  in channels a long side weedlines or Rocky points. If I fish rivers I fish the backslashes or the sides where the water slows down. For the carolina rig.  For the split shot rigged worm I find weeds and move the boat away from them till they disappear then anchor and fish the split shot rigged worm into the weeds. It's a very slow presentation, letting the worm sit, then move it, let it sit for 3to 5 minutes, then repeat many times, then recast and start all over. You can also use the carolina rig this way too with a wacky rigged senko or a creature bait. It's a waiting game but we do have success at it. It all works once we find the right location to use it

[Grantman83]

Senko

6-8 inch curly tail worm

Havoc pit boss

Brush hog

Fluke...

That can cover almost anything

[200racing]

baby brush hogs, trick worms, finesse worms, u-tail worms, flukes, 4'' ring worms,pit boss, paca craw, roboworms, 4'' & 6'' lizards, senco, and simbaits.

 

you will need a variety of tackle. besides classic trig. i would get slider heads, shakey heads, weighted swibait wooks, some bell weights for dropshot, and swivels and beads for crig.

[Hogsticker]

GRUBS!!! The smallest weight football head you can get away with while maintaining bottom contact, and a good old grub!! Hop it, drag it, swim it. Grubs, Senkos of all varities, and some R2S standin yabbies and I'm set! Now if you look inside my jerk bait box it's a whole different story!

[loudcherokee]

so I just placed an order with tackle warehouse. hopefully this gets me set for awhile. I want some more colors, but had to compromise due to out of stock or budget.

Kriet Kreature Black Neon 6"

Kriet Kreature Green Pumpkin 6" Kriet Kreature Watermelon Red Flk 6" Big Bite Baits LE Swimming Craw Black Blue

zBig Bite Baits LE Swimming Craw Green Pumpkin

Live Target Hollow Body Frog Black Yellow

Megastrike Fish Attractant Crawfish

Big Bite Bait Coontail Worm Green Pumpkin

GrandeBass Mega3 Finesse Worm Watermelon Seed

Big Bite Bait Double Tail Finesse Grub Watermelon

Big bite baits Brush Pig Creature 25pk Watermelon Candy

Terminator Tandem Buzz Black/Blue 3/8

Gamakatsu SP Red Trailer Hook 3/0

Big Bite Bait Swimming Craw Black Blue Flk

Big Bite Bait Swimming Craw Tilapia 4"

FREE Tackle Warehouse Sticker

Big Bite Bait Chunk Black Blue Flk 3.25"

Big Bite Bait Chunk Watermelon Seed 3.25"

W.E. Night Time Black Blue Col Black 3/4

W.E. Flipping Jigs Green Pumpkin Orange 3/8

Strike King Rage Craw Bama Craw

V & M Buzz Frog Swamp Frog

Hopefully that list looks OK and isn't a jumble. I copied and pasted but I'm working with a cell phone here.

LC