Creating A Confidence Kit

[Ohio Dave]

Hi fellow bass fishermen,  

 

Some of you may know but just in case: I am David Bowers, I coach a High School Bass team here in Ohio.  One of the winter projects I want my students to work on this year is to create a single tray "confidence" kit.   A box you can reach into and know that you are going to at least get a few even if you can't work your way on to the podium.  Any fish are better than being blanked.  (at least that is my view)

 

I have my own ideas but know that some of you are much more experience in competitive fishing and/ or are just plain better than me.  I would like to hear the must haves for this 911- the student can't seem to buy a bite save the day from being skunked kit.  

[A-Jay]

What you know is going to be much more effective than what you have.

 

Having a decent grip on season pattern and bait preference & life cycle offers confidence.

 

After that the bait selection gets a little easier.

 

 A Magic bait offers false hope but believing in your own knowledge & instincts can save the day.

 

A-Jay

[Choporoz]

When things are slow, if I haven't already dismissed them, I'm probably going to be trying a ned rig, a fluke, a lipless crank and a trick worm.  In moving water, an inline spinner and/or a smaller soft swimbait.  Lately, one of my 'last resort', more or less sure-thing is a 3-3/12" paddletail (usually Larew or Keitech) on an Owner finesse ballhead hook.  Doesn't get attention from the bigger bass, but will nearly always get bit.

[Ohio Dave]

A-Jay,  Of course you are right but building that knowledge basis takes a great deal of time.  I preach that as the number one to be looking for and working toward.  

 

If I were telling an adult I would be saying those words too but I would also offer up something they can believe in right now to get them going and keep the faith as it were.

 

I liken it to learning to play guitar:  learning hand placement, notes, music theory, music history, guitar types, the inner workings of amps create a magnificent foundation upon which to learn how to play.  But if you can't play a couple songs to impress the girls right now you will get bored and drop it.  LOL 

[NJSalt]

Dropshot hooks, weights, 4.5in roboworms

 

Shaky heads to be used with the above roboworms

 

Chatterbait

 

Ikes Mini Flip Jigs

 

3/8oz compact spinner bait like a War Eagle.

 

Strike King 1.5 Squarebills

 

Senkos and Wacky Hooks

 

 

 

That would be where i would start if I was putting together one tray PERSONALLY. I think that the kids should have a starting point, but obviously should tinker with it based on their own personal confidence baits. One example for me would be a Chatterbait, not everyone fishes them but to others it's a huge confidence bait (me included)

[A-Jay]

I get it.

 

However planting the seed early that there is a "Need" or a reliance on a  "Confidence kit" is not the direction I would head.

 

Either way, a jig & trailer is an extremely versatile bait and one that once learned, can help with other techniques a well.

 

When bass aren't suicidal (other wise know as "a tough bite") in competition or not - the drop shot, shakey head & worm, and a small stick bait have the ability to attraction attention.

 

A-Jay

[blckshirt98]

A small 4" dropshot worm is my last resort bait.  Something like a Jackall Crosstail, Yamamoto Kut Tail, Molix Sator Worm, Damiki Pen 2.  Big bass, small bass, crappie, bluegill, they all eat or peck away at something that small.  If I throw one of those out there and nothing even pecks at it, I know it's going to be a tough day no matter what I throw.

[Raul]

A  bag of 4" senkos, that´s all you need.

[Crankinstein]

I typically have a couple rods rigged with seasonal baits or baits that i'm wanting to get better at and then have a few "back up" combos rigged with my old stand by baits. For me when nothing is working I throw senko, crankbait, and a topwater popper. Those three baits work year round on my water and I can usually salvage a day if nothing else is working. The brand, style, and color of those three can vary on conditions but that three pronged attack has proven its worth to me many times over.

[Ohio Dave]

The confidence kit is not going to be sold as something better than thinking your way through the situation:  but as something that evolves as the student does.  

 

It was not that long ago that I would have only stocked that senko worm and two hook styles.  Now my kit would have four basic baits that I have a great deal of faith in.  

 

But my students are not going to have that level yet.   I want them to have a simple set of tricks that they can turn to and maybe even a little card they write to themselves that reminds them about the back up plan box and how to use it.  I am thinking three basics:  a robo worm in maybe a wilder color to drop shot.  A pumpkin senko that is medium rather than the four inch.  and maybe a swim jig and a shad body that looks bait fish ish    

 

Give them the assignment of using that box when plan A fails and to think critically of why A failed and what if any success the back up gave:  let the box evolve but keep it very simple.  I don't see the box working if it becomes a grab bag of the whole tackle box

[bowhunter63]

Craws,Jigs, spinner baits, Rage Blades.You can cover the water top to bottom and down size a bit and your gonna catch some fish.

[HoosierHawgs]

http://mikeiaconelli.com/article.php?id=16

This would be a good read

[the reel ess]

Just Google the top 10 bass baits and buy them. Then do a lot of study on season, times and conditions to use them in. Then do it.

 

It helps a lot to have access to a place where the fish bite easily like a stunted pond to try things out and gain confidence.

[gulfcaptain]

I tend to pack for my trips depending on season, place, and parameters (IE water temps/weather).  I pack my bag with what I believe will be most productive in experiences with those conditions and make adjustments on the fly.  They need to have confidence in what they are fishing with and the technique they are using.  In otherwords, well rounded fisherman I believe does not have a kit, they just adapt and fish the conditions at hand and fall back on experiences and knowledge.  And when all else fails, cover lots of water with the trolling motor on high.  I'd give them reading homework to read ALL the articles on this site in reference of how they fish, seasonal patterns, conditons, etc.  So much useful info on this site, it could be the ultimate confiedence kit.....Knowlege and information.....just an idea for that winter project.  Then they can base their "kit" around conditons and seasonal patterns which will result in a better understanding instead of a "hail mary" aproach when it gets tough out on the water.

[bigbill]

My highest confidence baits are(just a few)

Topwater torpedo prop. Reeled steady just fast enough to spin the prop. Or my famous "1", "2", "3" rip n pause. Perfect timing is the key to success with this presentation.

Bomber crankbaits, model A or FAT A if you can find then. Size 05. Slow reeled. Just a steady retrieve, with a smooth right and left wobble. All the craw colors, silver and citrus. Don't forget a firetiger. Or a sit n twitch.

Rapala Orginal Floater F7. Blue or black. Again slow reeled not too fast. Or a sit and twitch.

Mepps Anglia #3 inline spinners. Silver blade grey dressed. Gold blade, Brown dressed. Retrieve just fast enough so the blade spins.

Mann's Classic Spinnerbaits, 1/4oz Gold Indiana blades, blue glimmer skirt, mister twister white 4" split double tail grub used as a trailer, and a trailer hook.

Mann's Classic Spinnerbaits, 1/4oz Gold Indiana blades, hot chartruese skirt, mister twister chartruese 4" split double tail grub trailer with trailer hook.

Norman Thin N crankbaits, with a slow twitch presentation.

Chartruese, violet, panfish natural colors. I use all there colors.

C-rig plastics. From shore I use a 1/8oz bullet weight. I wacky rig senkos. Red black flake, motor oil flake.

A good bass scent/attractant too.

The presentation is very important. Anyone can throw a lure it's all about the presentation that catches fish.

[Missourifishin]

How much gear do most of these kids have? If they have a bunch, like most of us on these forums do, I would think it would be pretty easy and fun to go through it all and separate out the lures they have a history of success with. 

[Ohio Dave]

Ike's paper on his panic box is a very good read.  I would not have thought about hair jigs or in-line spinners but they do make sense.  I will be printing that article out for the students to read as well

[Ohio Dave]

most of the kids are going to be pretty sparse when it comes to baits.  Many don't have a dad or don't have a dad that fishes (so blessed that I grew up with a fishing loving dad in many more ways than just the obvious here)  

 

one of the BR crew ;went through his bags and sent us a big box of plastics which got me thinking about not only panic bags but a bare minimum that would get the kids out and give them a fair chance of success regardless of the time of year or their experiences.  

 

I like hearing both sides of the aisle here.  Those that have some "go to"  set and those that think the conditions should be the go to kit.  

 

Early on, especially if the  young person does not have a load of experience (very likely in my case) having a few lures you really feel good about will make the difference in being able to catch a couple and have some fun v. being shut out.  

[blckshirt98]

You can also go with a panic bucket - i.e. a bucket of live minnows lol.

 

I've read that article on Ike's panic box but one question that keeps crossing my mind is, if he or other pro anglers have a box of baits that they go to when nothing else is working, is why not use the baits in the panic box from first cast?

[Choporoz]

I can't speak for Ike, but for me, its because I don't have confidence that those 'last-resort' baits are going to land me the biggest fish that I come across.  Most of my casts are optimistically targeting the biggest bass within a 100 yards.

[Paul Roberts]

So... a kit that will catch some fish. Baits that are easier to get results from than others. And you say four. Here are some options your students might choose from. Could do all this with two rods –a M spin and a MH casting:

 

Finesse -Wacky’d Senko-type, or Jig-worm (what they call “Shaky” now), or jig-n-grub (what they call “Ned-rig” now)

 

Cover: T-rigged worm

 

Cover or open, warm or cold: jig-n-trailer -flipped (3/8 to 1/2oz) or swum (1/4oz). Choosing weights gets a little tough with cover density, depth and speed considerations.

 

Power: lipless, buzzbait or SB (more versatile)

 

Deep: C-Rig or DS

 

Cold water: lipless, hard jerk, hair jig, blades

 

I love Mepps Aglia #3’s (in open water), tubes, swimming worms, floating Rapala’s, wakers…

 

OK… honed down :

-Ned (or Wacky’d 4” Senko)

-T-rigged worm

-Jig-n-Trailer

-Lipless

--tough not to add the buzzbait/SB

…

[buzzed bait]

Best lesson you can teach them is that there will be days when you cannot buy a bite...

otherwise, look at the seasonal fishing articles on this site as a good basis.

[bigbill]

On the days we can't buy a bite change colors. I believe the water clarity can change in the water column as we go deeper. The different water clarity can be stacked vertical. Firetiger can be your friend.

I throw a variety of different baits, different colors, different sizes while trying different presentations. Sooner or later one will work. My confidence is I'm going to catch something.

Staying motivated and focused is the key to success.

Fishing isn't luck that's for the casino. It's our skills that catches fish.

Read every article here over and over all winter. Watch every bass fishing video. Watch what Glenn and the guys do besides what they say. Watch how they use the rod with different baits n presentations.

If you want to learn bass fishing basics your at the right place. Then go on the water and home your skills.

[BaitMonkey1984]

Senkos. Crankbaits. SpinnerBaits. Grubs. Jig. Craw.

 

Moving baits and stationary. Covers the entire water column too. 

[duff75]

I would recommend each one build their own box and not something everyone on here tells them if they don't know the right way to fish them they will rarely catch fish. 

 

Like what was said before small plastics are a great way to start fishing and building the knowledge and confidence in those baits.

 

Drop shot

shake head

split shot

wacky rig

 

Those are 4 great ways to start fishing and building confidence.  The only other item i would recommend them learn is small spinners around 1/4 ounce or smaller.

 

Best of luck 

 

Duff