When to use different soft plastic baits?

[Matt Duprau]

Always has been a topic on my mind on the water that in what different conditions and fishing structure should you use different types of soft plastic baits? Example, fishing a senko vs a creature bait? Curious for some different opinions, thanks!

[scaleface]

Bass fishing can be as simple or as complicated as you make it . The vast majority of the time I use a six inch plastic worm . Shallow ,deep ,wood , rock ...  

Craws,  Lizards  , tubes ... will all work in the same places too . Whatever floats your boat .

[d-camarena]

My friend caught a 5 lbder on a batman action figure lure he made. He changed the way i look at fishing. I think color matters more than shape

[Raul]

85% of the time I fish soft plastics I fish a 6-8 inch straight tail worm ( "Trickworm" )

15% is something else, what ? well, I dunno, a 5" curly tail grub would be the 1st choice.

[Mike L]

21 minutes ago, scaleface said:

Bass fishing can be as simple or as complicated as you make it . The vast majority of the time I use a six inch plastic worm . Shallow ,deep ,wood , rock ...  

Craws,  Lizards  , tubes ... will all work in the same places too . Whatever floats your boat .

Ditto

 

Mike

 

[geo g]

We often give too much credit to the bait we use.  Regardless of what anyone says bass are not the brightest critters on earth.  Bottom line is if you can put it in front of their face, they will often bite it.  When things get tough, go too the bait you have confidence in, and enjoy throwing, and work the crap out of it. 

My go to bait is the 4" senko.  I can fish it deep, fish it shallow, I can fish it fast, or I can fish it real slow.  I can throw it weightless, or with different size weights depending on the wind.  I can throw it the thickest stuff, or in open water.  I can wacky rig it, Texas rig it, or Carolina rig it.  I can flip it or pitch it using a spinning rod.   It will catch fish of ALL sizes.  If you throw it in front of a ten pounder, she will slam it just like a 12 inch worm.  The key factor is placement, and targeting spots.  There just is not one magic bait, there are just better fisherman that get it done with what they like to use.  I used to be a top water guy and then turned to plastics.  As a Devil Horse, Rapala guy, I enjoyed the top water explosions but was neglecting a vast amount of the water column.  I turned to plastics and never regretted the change. 

[Dave A]

When I am not getting bit using small swimbaits, I slow it down with a wacky rigged senko. 

[Airman4754]

To me it comes down to practically for the situation the bass are in. 

1. How much water can I effectively cover? 

2. What technique will put my bait where the fish are the most/longest?

If I'm fishing a canyon reservoir and the fish are holding on bottom in 10'-15' I will fish a drop shot in areas with big rocks and a shaky head in gravel or clay bottoms/banks. I can cover at least 40ft per cast in the zone the fish are holding. 

Take the same scenario in 30'-35'of water and I'm going to run a T-rig in big rocks and a C-rig in gravel or clay with a big weight. 

If fish are suspended in open water I'll use a wacky rig or a magnum fluke and count it down and fish the level they are at. 

For points I use a Senko for the first 15' and a Neko when I get deeper than that. If fish are on points they are there to eat, period. Put something worth their time in their face. If there is a mud line I will burn a Keitech on the edge of it. 

The biggest problem I see, I won't say mistake because there is no wrong way to fish, are guys pull up to one spot and throw technique after technique with no purpose. If you want to change colors or the plastic you are using fine, but if you have the electronics you know where the fish are. Stop trying to luck out and get to where the fish are and stay there.