What Are Good "scouting Lures"?

[soonerbass73]

So in my research i understand that a good game plan to catch bass is to use a lure that will cover alot of ground, to home in on where the bass are at (scouting lure, or as i call it). Then once you find them to use a different setup like a texas or carolina rig on that one spot. So, i guess my question is what type of lures should i use around grass and weeds that will cover alot of area? crank baits, spinner baits, jerk baits?

[BigBassBarry]

Lowrance or hummingbird! But my search lures are chatter bait spinnerbait and rattle traps.

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

Lipless cranks for me.

 

 

OU

!!SOONERS!!

[JeziHogg]

I use a 1oz football jig or a crank bait that dives further then the actual depth of the water.

[dcorp]

Glide baits have amazing drawing power. Fish don't always commit to them but on days they are active, glide baits will get them out of their cover and show you where they are. The 2 biggest bass I caught in 2013 followed a glide bait to the boat but didnt commit. I went back to that spot later with a different bait and a longer cast and got them.

I've found the bigger the bait the more drawing power it has but even the little s wavers will get some to show their faces. Plus you can fish them fast and cover a lot of ground.

[Nitrofreak]

The best tool you can have is your brain , finding the fish first and then separating the active from the inactive and in a lot of cases knowing how to get an inactive fish to strike , baits are always dependent upon water conditions , you can search all day and not find an active fish ,  your experience is what is called upon when you do locate fish and the best approach always comes from lessons learned and the conditions you face . 

 

Remain open minded , think about what's most important given the here and now and try to fish that first .

 

Good luck and be safe !!!

[aharris]

Depends on the depth your fishing. If I'm in deeper water looking for them, I'll throw a CB. Once I catch a few and they slow down, I'll throw a football head. If I'm in more shallow water, I'll throw a SB or a Chatterbait to find them, then slow down. Just remain open minded though. When you're throwing a "search bait", what you're really doing is trying to find the active fish. If you find a school, keep switching it up until you find something they want. A few of them may want one bait/color and the others may want something different. If I can run a CB pattern all over the lake and catch the active fish, I enjoy doing that verses sitting in one spot and trying to figure all of them out.

[JayKumar]

Swimbait or topwater, depending on how deep the grass is.

[ww2farmer]

Swim jig. I use it from the bank out to 15 fow. going up in weight as needed.

[OkeechobeeAngler]

For me, I'll use rattletraps, spinnerbaits or swimbaits.

[ced]

Never had good luck with spinnerbaits, so I use bladed swim jigs, a lot more weedless for me.

[Teal]

Any bait that I can move at a fair pace and cover the depth of water that I beleive the fish are in.

For me it really depends on time of year and what the fish are doing.

My two most common search baits or baits that I employ the most for this purpose is a jig and a lipless crank.

But it could be a day where I'm switching up between a spinner bait and topwater walker or a small wake bait or slim crank bait...so it really can be anything... Gotta use your head and give the fish what they want.

[Fish'N Impossible]

Spinner baits number one and then lipless cranks. and once you catch a couple keepers or a solid fish slow it down. I love to fish the Mojo Setup over grass pockets like that as a slow option, but the jig and worm are very effective too.

[Stingray23]

For me, its always a spinnerbait and lipless crank.

[olegs]

Lipless cranks, crankbaits, spinnerbaits

[0119]

Swimbait or topwater, depending on how deep the grass is.

 

Wow, Jay Kumar!  I always liked that show you did with that loud mouthed guy years back.  I miss that show....... no so much that loud mouthed guy!

[JayKumar]

What up Charlie? That was Zona - he's an awesome dude, man!

[J Francho]

In unknown waters, and trying to figure things out, I'll have a spinnerbait, walking topwater, 5" soft swimbait, jig, and crankbait out on the deck.  Doesn't really answer the question, does it?  Look for articles about "junk fishing" and you'll catch my drift.

[Bankbeater]

Rat-L-Traps and spinnerbaits in deep water. Mann's 1- minus in shallow water or when I am fishing from the bank. 

 

If I am familiar with a fishing spot and know the water pretty well, I will start off with a plastic, or a jig and start hitting some of my favorite spots right off.

[Zackbassmaster]

I would try something that moves a little fast. As mentioned cranks, spinnerbaits, lipless cranks. Just anything that gets around pretty fast.

[jignfule]

When I was a scout I used a lot of night crawlers

[Dr. Watson]

Spinnerbaits and smaller cranks are better "scouting" lures in my opinion, you can cover a lot of water somewhat quickly and the bass usually love 'em.

[TrapperJ]

I heard speed traps are a good search lure, grabbed couple to try myself. To me looks like a rattle trap with ya squarebill

[F14A-B]

Well for me it's a rattle bait, I also have been using a swim jig with a plastic thumper tail I put on.last is a spinnerbait ,That's early in the year though and seasons change things. Sometimes I don't have to search.. Then it maybe a non weighted fluke setup over mats or senko... Make them come out of the mats and grab those slow sinking plastics... That is a little later .. Like early summer but really as you have read from the other guys... Same baits keep showing up.. Cause they work! Good luck and as always happy fishing!

[Raul]

It´s been said " 90% of the fish are in 10% of the water "

 

The greatest "scouting lure"  you have is between your ears ---> knowledge. Conditions dictate where the fish will most probably be, once you´ve understood that principle it´s relatively "easy"  to find with what to fish in the location where the fish are. That, unless you like to cast "scouting" all day long to 90% of improductive water hoping to connect with that 10% of the water that actually holds the fish.