Best soft plastics 2016

[jr231]

I figured it would be a good idea to share some of your most successful plastics this year. That way I (and others) can maybe try something new next season. Tell us how you rigged em if you want!! 

 

Mine were 

-gyb double tail hula grub. Year after year they catch bass for me, In basically every color Ive tried but I like the root beer the most. Almost always weightless. 

-rage craw (new to these, I know they've been around though) I like to Texas rig it. Usually 1/8oz unpegged. 

-reaction innovations sweet beaver. I had good luck pegging this bait and punching it through some thick stuff to find some decent bass In the summer. 

Obviously the senko. weightless t rigged and wacky. 

Several others but I could get by with these. 

[bchase44]

Desert Craw and Bold Bluegill Roboworms drop-shotted have been working for me quite a bit around docks.  T-rigged on a wide gap red #1 Gamagatzu finesse hook with about 1/8 weight.

[Darren.]

4" Bass Pro Stick-O (Wacky, TX)

4" Senko (orig) (Wacky, TX)

4" GYCB Shad Shaped Worm (Wacky, Drop Shot)

1.5" Bass Assassin minnow (Drop Shot, split shot)

[IndianaFinesse]

Half of a Z-man zinker-z and the senko.

[jr231]

8 minutes ago, IndianaFinesse said:

Half of a Z-man zinker-z and the senko.

I'm assuming the zinkerz is rigged on a mushroom jighead... what's your most productive rig for the senko? 

[Mike L]

Cut R

Rage Craw

Sweet Beaver 

Magnum Speed Worm

 

 

Mike 

[IndianaFinesse]

Just now, Yeajray231 said:

I'm assuming the zinkerz is rigged on a mushroom jighead... what's your most productive rig for the senko? 

Yep, pretty much the only way i use them is on a 1/16 ounce mushroom jig.  I would also use the 1/32 ounce size but my mold only goes down to 1/16 and there aren't any mushroom jig molds on the market with a 1/32 ounce cavity.  I really don't care weather the senko (unless it's a tournament i use a knock-off for price reasons) is weightless wacky rigged or weightless texas rigged.  I usually start with it rigged texas style since it is less likely to fall off, and once the end get's to torn up to use i wacky rig it so i can get a little extra mileage out of it. 

[jr231]

6 minutes ago, IndianaFinesse said:

Yep, pretty much the only way i use them is on a 1/16 ounce mushroom jig.  I would also use the 1/32 ounce size but my mold only goes down to 1/16 and there aren't any mushroom jig molds on the market with a 1/32 ounce cavity.  I really don't care weather the senko (unless it's a tournament i use a knock-off for price reasons) is weightless wacky rigged or weightless texas rigged.  I usually start with it rigged texas style since it is less likely to fall off, and once the end get's to torn up to use i wacky rig it so i can get a little extra mileage out of it. 

I don't know who said it but I read somewhere to cut off about 1/4 " and re rig it. You know you're having a good day when you started with a 5" senko and before you get a new one it's about 3 3/4"

[IndianaFinesse]

Just now, Yeajray231 said:

I don't know who said it but I read somewhere to cut off about 1/4 " and re rig it. You know you're having a good day when you started with a 5" senko and before you get a new one it's about 3 3/4"

That's a good idea, i'll have to try that next time.

[MassYak85]

I honestly didn't fish plastics a whole lot this year. I kind of made a concentrated effort to focus on learning some new techniques. My most used plastic was probably a kietech fat impact on the back of a swimjig. I used that almost exclusively for a good part of the spring with good success. Summer was dominated by hard lures for me. 

[Jar11591]

I re-discovered the YCB Fat Ika this year. I forgot what a great bait that is. It was my third-most successful bait this year. More than once it was the only thing I could get bit on. 

I fish them weightless on a Gamakatsu 4/0 EWG hook with the skirt up, until after one fish its torn beyond belief then I switch it to skirt down. 

 

[Burtonxj]

Zoom Baby Brush Hog in Africa Special

Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Craw in Green Pumpkin

Zoom Fat Albert in Green Pumpkin

Strike King Coffee Tubes  4.5" in Watermelon Magic

Keitech Swing Impact FAT 4.3" in Blue Gill Flash

 

 

[Ktho]

Reins Bubbling shaker 4", 5" and 7" - mainly drop shot and Trig

6" Roboworm straight tail - Trig

Keitech Fat swim impact 2.8" and 3.8"

Keitech crazy flapper 3.8" - Trig

Strike King structure bug - Trig

Netbait Baby Paca Craw - Trig and trailer

Zoom Superfluke

Slim Senko and Senko 5"

Finesse TRD - ned rig

Pretty much it for soft plastics this year
 

 

[Yakalong]

Bass pro stick

black yum dingers 

[riverbasser]

The plastics I used this year are nothing new but I just started using the spike it dye markers this year and idk if its made a huge improvement but I can make my regular baits look way better and it has boosted my confidence in them even more since they are more specific. Everyone should try them if they haven't already

[Cmiller]

1. Zoom Tubes in green pumpkin

2. Zoom super fluke in pearl

3. Zman Finesse trd

[Avalonjohn44]

Tied between 4.5" Robo Worm Straight tail in Salt and Pepper Chartreuse or Black Grape.  Both on a drop shot, my go to presentation this year.

Runner up - Rage Tail Thumper 7" Green Pumpkin on a shaky head.

[fishwizzard]

Reins Bubbling Shaker, 4": t-rigged weightless and worked like a fluke or rigged on a 1/16oz Keitech shakyhead jig. 

4" Plasmatail, Easy Shiner, Sexy Impact, all also rigged on the 1/16 Keitech. It is a great jighead and is well worth the price, everything I tried on it caugh me fish.

Rage Menace Grub; weightless on a 3/0 Owner straight shank.  Can't say enough good things about this plastic, I set out to fish senkos a lot this year but the Menace just killed them in both numbers and size.  

Ned Rig; a cut down Hula Stick on a 1/20oz head worked the best in current, a 1/2 Zlinker on a 1/16oz head worked best in still water.  

 

[JoePhish]

I take about 10 lbs of soft plastics with me every trip. In reality I should just take 4 or 5 bags. I caught most of my fish this year on basically 3 baits Texas rigged.

3" Berkley Chigger Craw in Black/Red Fleck

Strike King Shim-E-Stick in Smokey Shad

Reaction Innovations Little Dipper in both Bad Shad Green and Guntersville Shad.

However, one of my tourney wins this year came on a weightless Zoom Trick Worm in Black.

[Gundog]

Mine are Arkie twin-tailed skirted grubs, Berkley 7" power worm in black w/ blue flecks, Mizmo tubes, and Lake Fork Crawtubes.

[roadwarrior]

#1 Rage Tail Structure Bug on an Owner J-rig

#2 Rage Tail Menace T-rigged

#3 Rage Tail Cut-R T-rigged

 

[Todd2]

1. Zoom Ol Monster / California 420

2. Zoom Orginal Trick Worm / Bullfrog

3. Strike King Cut-R worm in various colors

4. Yum Dinger in various colors

90% of my fishing this year has been with these 4.

[crypt]

gambler 7" ribontail worm. gambler burner craw and burner worm. bass assassin 5" shad.   all colors   any color  

[Siebert Outdoors]

Rage Tail Craw in bama craw on a sniper jig or brush jig.

Rage Tail Menace on a Dredge Football Shaky head 1/4 oz

[primetime]

Rage Menace....Culprit Punch Craw.  and the Rage Menace....Love that bait. I want Strike King to make a Menace worm to go with the Cut'r, maybe add that tail to the brush hog solid bait they have which is really good....I love that tail, I used to use the Havoc Devil Spear but now the Menace has taken over and I fish it from top to bottom on jigs, weightless, like a frog, punch bait, trailer....

Also found that the Ocho is really good as well, I forgot about it but now am back to using it....Something about the flash or fall from the shape make it better than a Senko some days, or a fluke.

Started using light line finesse Slider worms and slider grubs again on the slider heads and I like it better than the Ned Rig now,but I go back and forth....Slider worms 4-5" are just good any way you fish them.