What Are The Essential Baits

[Lunker Chunker 88]

My girlfriend and I are taking a trip up to lake Geneva in Wisconsin and she said we can try fishing since we will be right on the lake. I won't have the boat and we will be limited to bank fishing. We will be there in late May. From experience I've caught smallies on flukes, dropshot rig, and grubs. So my question is what am I bringing with me in my tackle bag to have success up there from the bank? Am I good with flukes, grubs, and a dropshot? Or is there anything else that'll help?

[Felix77]

Yoda voice:  "senko ... you must bring the senko."  

[retiredbosn]

Yoda voice: "senko ... you must bring the senko."

No Yoda would say "senko, bring the senko you must. Catch fish you will."

On a side note Slone, AJay and Dwight all live in the Great Lakes area hopefully they'll chime in.

[WiTundra]

Tubes

[RoLo]

One for good measure

 

> Jig & Grub

> Jig & Tube

> Hard Jerkbait

> Soft Swimbait (e.g. Keitech)

 

Roger

[ChrisWi]

Spinnerbait, dropshots, shakey head would by my top 3

[ColdSVT]

I must have a jig, beaver or craw trig, sammy, crankbait of some sort, tube and dropshot...must!

There is not one single senko in my bag...none lol

[roadwarrior]

Fat Ika, BPS Tender Tube #71, Keitech Swing Impact Fat, Siebert Outdoors

Swim Jig (Blue Sapphire)/ Rage Tail Menace trailer and Sworming Hornet/ LFT

Live Magic Shad.

 

 

 

[fisherrw]

Tubes

X2 to be exact a gitzit brown craw sat and pepper. Wth a 1/4 ounce head.

[WiTundra]

X2 to be exact a gitzit brown craw sat and pepper. Wth a 1/4 ounce head.

Actually one of my go to tubes.

[offsidewing]

Actually one of my go to tubes.

Which size?

[WiTundra]

I believe the 3/1/2", looks more like a 3 though. They only last a few fish though. I mostly use 1/8 ounce exposed tube hooks.

[*Hank]

Drop-shot................................................Enough said.

[mod479]

Don't forget the hard jerkbaits. Since you're on shore I'd try one that doesn't dive too deep. Ima Flit 100 and/or a flash pointer both run shallow in my experience. Running thicker dia. line will also keep them up in the W.C. A floater will back up out of snags sometimes. I like suspending models though, so do the brown fish you seek.

 

Pick up one that is translucent, a perch pattern with stripes on side, and one that has flash/chrome sides and a white belly.   One of those 3 will usually get bit if they happen to be feeding "up" that day. Sometimes they just don't want a jerkbait. Those days I fish tubes, weighted soft jerkbaits, paddletail swimbaits and dropshot near or on the bottom.  

 

Fish your strengths. Bring what worked for you last time. Experimentation is good, but only when you know the fish are there.

[Hurricane]

Silver Buddy!

[zeth]

You are going to get a lot of different responses. 

Good luck. It's been probably 20 years since I fished that lake. Maybe a little less.

I think you are right on with what you said for yourself. 

don't worry about hard baits, spinnerbaits etc. Just bring along a spinning rod and what you said. I would probably use larger grubs or Keitech Swing Impacts or Small Fat Impacts if I were you.  That may help you to avoid bluegills etc. The 5" Keitech shad impact is a good more finessy jerkbait you can use with lighter line and lighter hooks like the owner J light hooks (get the red ones). 

Keitech also makes very nice jig heads with various hook sizes to match your bait.  

Roboworm for your drop shot and Gamakatsu Aaron Martens drop shot hooks.

Keep it simple and have fun. You'll catch a lot more rather than chucking around a bunch of big baits that will get bit less often.