My Tackle - What to get next?

[Stephen D.]

Hey guys!

I just started fishing this July and have become addicted to it. I mainly fish a local pond that has somewhat stained water, a few places of underwater timber, has a weedy bottom, and averages about 6-8' in depth, with the deepest area being around 12'. Here is the tackle that I have acquired this year, and was needing your help on what items to look at getting next?

Soft Plastics:

Zoom Finesse Worms - Black, Green Pumpkin, Green Pumpkin with Chartreuse tails

Zoom Trick Worms - Pumpkin

Zoom Super Flukes - Albino

Yum Dinger - Watermelon/Red

Rebel Pop-R

Rapala SR-5

Strike King Bitsy Flip 3/8 oz Black/Blue

Strike King 7/16 oz Black/Blue Spinnerbait with Colorado blade

Super Spook Jr.

Any suggestions?

[Raul]

Soft plastics:

Zoom Baby Brush Hog

Zoom Salty Fat Albert

Zoom G-Tail Ringer

Lures:

Arbogast Jitterbug

Heddon Baby/Tiny Torpedo

Rebel Wee Frog

Rapala Shad Rap 7

Rapala Original Floating Minnow size 11

Bandit Footloose

Bandit 100,200,300 ( same body, same size, different lip )

Those are some things I can recommend.

[Scorcher214]

One white and one chartreuse 1/2oz spinnerbait (willow blades).

[roadwarrior]

Here a list to build on:

Soft Plastics:

GYCB Senko, Fat Ika, Kreature, Kut-Tail & 8" worm, double tail and

single tail grubs and Hula Grub. Micro Munch Tackle El Gordo, 3 1/2"

Mizmo tube. Slug-Go. Roboworm, 6" Shakin' Zipper.

Rage Tail Baby Craw, Lobster, Anaconda, Smokin' Rooster, Eeliminator

and Space Monkey.

New for 2010: MegaStrike MegaBug

Top water: Zara Spook, Lucky Craft Sammy, Chug Bug,

Rage Tail Shad, Frog & Toad

Cavitron Buzzbait.

Crankbaits:

0-2' Bomber Square A, Norman Fat Boy, Mann's -1

2-4' Bagley BII

4-6' Lucky Craft Rick Clunn 2.5 & 3.5

5-10' XCalibur Xr50, Lucky Craft LV-300, Rapala DT10

10-15' Lucky Craft LV-Max-500, Yo-Zuri Rattl'N Vibe, DT16

15-20' Norman DD22, Mann's 20+

Deep Mann's 25+, DT20

Jerkbaits:

Lucky Craft Pointer 128, 100 & 78

Staysee 95 SP

Rapala Husky Jerk & X-Rap (4").

Jig & trailer

Northtar Pro Series

3/8 oz Evolution from MegaStrike

GMAN 1/2 oz jigs

Rage Tail Baby Craw, Craws and Lobster

GYCB Flappin' Hog

Net Bait Baby Paca Craw

Spinnerbaits:

MegaStrike Strikeback (one chartreuse and one white)

Ledgebuster 3/4 oz single willow blade

Small swimbait: GYCB Swimming Senko

Medium swimbait: Mattlures Baby Bass,

Keitech Swim Impact Fat 4.8"

[brushhoggin]

what Raul said. you can throw lots of different things, but i've found that at these small ponds, plastics will be your most productive. buy some Strike King Perfect Plastics Game Hawgs (junebug for your slightly stained) and hold on for dear life!

[johnnie724]

Strike King 1XS Sexy Shad or Tennessee Shad 0-2ft. crankbait.

[bassman018]

I would get a hollow body frog like a spro scum frog, and also there is this lure called the moss mouse I use that has been productive, also a zoom horny toad in green or brown on a 4/0 EWG hook is a killer in ponds

[Dockhead]

Ya, I have a suggestion.

Fish with what ya got for awhile. You have a good selection of baits, and after just a month or two of fishing, spending quality time with the baits you have already will pay dividends later.

I see a lot of guys who are a "jack of all trades, but master of none." Versatility is great, and definitely necessary, but the more stuff you have the more likely you will be to spend your time thinking about the next bait choice as opposed to fishing the bait that's in the water to the best of your ability.

Don't worry, the bait monkey will catch up with you soon enough.    ;D

[OHIO]

I was in your same boat awhile ago, I wanted as many lures and baits as I could get my hands on because I thought it would make me a better fisherman (not saying this is you exactly). Well, turns out, it doesn't. Just spend some time with the baits you have and get really good with them and then you should start thinking about buying more. Having more lures will obviously increase your chances of catching fish in different situations, but don't get it in your head that you need a million different brands and types of lures to make yourself a good fisherman. If you do get more, here are some suggestions:

Scum Frog

Senko or Senko imitations

Prop baits (Cotten Cordell seem to work for me)

Zoom Baby Brush Hog and Brush Hog

Strike King jigs with Super Chunk trailer

Strike King lipless cranks

Rattlin Spook and Zara Spook Puppy

Booyah buzz bait with clacker