Hard Bait Or Soft Plastic.

[papajoe222]

We all know that there isn't any one bait that is always the best choice given the current conditions.

What if there was and you could dictate which type of bait. Would you choose a hard bait over a soft plastic one? No need to mention specific brands, just the category that bait fits into. Either way, give your reasoning; ease of use, cost, because it's fun to use, whatever.

For the sake of this discussion, let's consider skirted jigs as a hard bait and a bare jig with some form of soft plastic a soft plastic bait.

As much as I love my Spooks, I'd go with a plastic worm. To me, there is just something special about fishing them. They're a discovery tool, relatively cheap, are both a numbers and big fish bait, it isn't a no brainer bait so I'm always concentrating and it takes a bit more skill to present and to determine a bite vs. most hard baits. There's that moment of anticipation and uncertainty that takes place between the bump or tap you feel or you line jumping or moving off and your actual hook set.

[MassBass]

Wire baits and hollow bodies.

[Raul]

I HATE soft plastics, I will always throw a spinnerbait or any kind of crankbait before I even consider throwing a soft plastic bait ( except for soft swimbaits ) or a jig, only if I can´t get a bite with spinners or cranks or where I just simply can´t make my way through dense cover then I will fish with a soft plastic/jig.

 

That is unless I´m on the hunt for a big momma ( the bigun fever is long gone ), then it´s jig n´trailer time.

[Bankbeater]

I HATE soft plastics, I will always throw a spinnerbait or any kind of crankbait before I even consider throwing a soft plastic bait ( except for soft swimbaits ) or a jig, only if I can´t get a bite with spinners or cranks or where I just simply can´t make my way through dense cover then I will fish with a soft plastic/jig.

 

That is unless I´m on the hunt for a big momma ( the bigun fever is long gone ), then it´s jig n´trailer time.

My Dad use to be the same way.  The only way he would throw a plastic bait was if he had gone through all of his favorite crankbaits without a bite.

[speed craw]

Soft plastics and jigs cover most of my arsenal but jerbaits are quickly filling alot of gaps.

[Catch and Grease]

If the bass were biting a hard bait and a soft bait equally on one day and one was not producing better than the other in anyway I would throw the hard bait.

[annexation]

I'm a rigging junky and have more plastics than I know what to do with.

 

There are some hard baits that I never leave home without, but plastics are my true love.

[Frenchman83]

Skirted Jig & Trailer and Spinnerbaits are my go to baits. So I would fall under hard baits. I feel those 2 baits can be fished under many different circumstances. That being said I am starting to get into flipping and pitching so I am toeing the line.

[primetime]

I could fish a floating Jerkbait or Ripbait all day long, topwater lure of any kind, or Spoon etc....I fish plastics for flipping and because they work but if I can get a Jerkbait in the water without getting snagged, I am fishing a hardbait because I would argue they catch larger fish then a fluke and see them less but who knows, all preference.....I look at what everyone has on their rods in the morning, or what is selling best, and then go in opposite direction..I fish Tubes, Spoons, blade baits like the silver buddy and do great on pressured lakes.

[starweldpro16]

I cut my bass fishing teeth pond fishing with rubber worms. Texas or Carolina rigged. Then about 1981 the first boat came along. It was hard to convince me there was another bass fishing method. The black and grape worms just kept putting nice fish in the boat. Finally,my brother-in-law basically challenged me to a fish off...................crank baits only. I had to accept.  It was a long and rocky road,but I finally realized there was more to catching bass than chucking worms. I run with something like 200 assorted hard baits in the boat now. Don't get me wrong here. There must be 10 pounds of soft baits too. Just not out of the locker nearly as much. So,at this point in time it's hard baits for me. I must say all this fluke and senko talk has me convinced not to let bull headedness get in the way of success again. I'll be trying some of these new to me techniques very soon.

[einscodek]

I throw hardbaits more in early spring and late fall but I throw spinners all year long though they peak in spring and fall as well.. but I throw soft plastics (largely plastic swimbaits) all year long

[Ratherbfishing]

For sheer  involvement in the catching process (from A -  Z), few things beat a soft plastic.

[Felix77]

Plastics all the way ... looking to devote more time to hardbaits BUT for now my confidence is with plastics.

[FirstnameLastname]

Hard baits all the way. I only use plastics when I am out if hard bait options. Plastics can get destroyed after one fish; can be expensive ( senkos); and just don't produce like my hard baits.