Three lure choices

[AlexCastaway]

So I new to bass fishing, started last September, and I'm trying to find my "groove". I had some success with a weightless senko during the pre spawn but now am only catching maybe one fish a trip. 

I thought that I should master three different lures for three different types of fishing, moving bait, bottom fishing and finesse. My thought is the chatterbait, Texas rigged senko and dropshot. Any ideas if those are good techniques to start with or suggestions are welcomed. 

[Jigfishn10]

Bank fishing or boat?

[AlexCastaway]

I fish mainly from a kayak in south jersey. 

[FreddoB]

Try a chatterbait. I'm new to targeting  bass too and the Z Man ChatterBait Original; 3/8 oz. (black/blue) with a Berkley Havoc Pit Boss (Black Blue) for me has been a true producer. It's been great. There are MANY trailer options but the Pit Boss works and was all I could find in the shop the day I bought my chatterbaits. NO COMPLAINTS here!

 

 

[SWVABass]

My baits would be a drop shot, trig of some sort (craw/worm/tube), and mid range cranks (3xd or something along that depth range). Those would be mine but I fish rocky man made lakes out west.

[BareHook]

1. rattle trap and or square bill for murky or clear water search bait

2. TR worm or senko with or without weight, can also be used for light pitching

3. Top water hollow frog or swim frog

[Outdoor Zack]

Spinnerbait or squarebill 

 

TX craw/creature 

 

TX trick worm or senko 

[the reel ess]

Top: Topwaters like Spook, popper or buzzbait or a hollow body frog if it's a weedy place

Middle: spinnerbait or lipless crank

Bottom: T rigged worm/craw or crankbait

 

These options give you access to the entire range of water depth. You can tweak them as you need with other lures, but when you think about covering the entire range of possibilities, you get a better idea of the type lures you need in each. If you only have 3 lures in your box, there might be days when you catch nothing.

 

I fish from a kayak in smaller ponds/lakes. The deepest place I fish has maybe 25' of water at the dam. The shallowest, I could probably stand in.

[BrackishBassin]

I'm a bank guy, so I try to focus on depths like you're suggesting. That being said, I rarely get to fish 'good' topwater days. I may start with a topwater, crankbait of some sort, and a soft plastic/jig for the bottom, but I usually end up ditching the topwater and adding a finesse presentation instead. 

[Dorado]

Mid column - grubs on underspins and lipless cranks

 

Bottom - drop shot with Roboworms and TX- rigged Powerworms. 

[JustJames]

How about Fluke? You can fish this kind of top water, between water column and bottoms contact weighted or weightless.

I'm new to kayak as well and Fluke is my main lure. I can fish it fast like moving bait or slow under trees and very good along bottom weed line. 

Another good bottom contact would be weighted Texas rigged worm. And if you can start early or wait until sun down don't forget any top water anything would be fine.

[AlexCastaway]

27 minutes ago, JustJames said:

How about Fluke? You can fish this kind of top water, between water column and bottoms contact weighted or weightless.

I'm new to kayak as well and Fluke is my main lure. I can fish it fast like moving bait or slow under trees and very good along bottom weed line. 

Another good bottom contact would be weighted Texas rigged worm. And if you can start early or wait until sun down don't forget any top water anything would be fine.

For the fluke how are you rigging it?

[onetime]

Popper

Crankbait

T-rig

 

All three are pretty simple to use and produce well.

[JustJames]

Very simple any 4/0, 5/0 ewg hook should work for Zoom supersalt Fluke. I use mainly 3/0 twist lock hook for all my Fluke type lure. Be very carefully with Fluke or even Senko since you are moving a lot when you are in kayak, you might not be able to feel the bite right away and end up with gutted hook (I got two myself when skip Fluke under tree?)

[Boomstick]

Why stop at 3? Anyway if I was going to pick only three, I would say pick one from each category below and learn when and where to fish them.

 

Texas Rig, Senko or Drop Shot

 

Chatterbait, crankbait, spinnerbait, swim bait, swim jig or the like

 

Pitching Jig or Frogs

 

[Raul]

Dropshot is NOT A LURE !

 

Spinnerbait, lipless crank and that senko.

[fishwizzard]

I would go Spinnerbait and Ned Rig to complement the senkos.  

[fish devil]

13 hours ago, AlexCastaway said:

I fish mainly from a kayak in south jersey. 

 

which bodies of water? I have tons of info on many. 

[AlexCastaway]

Long post warning.  

 1. I fish hammonton, maple lake, oak pond and recently did a trip to newton lake. I mostly fish Atlantic County due to trying maximize my fishing time. 

 

2. So I only picked three lures because I find myself getting lure ADD. I'll throw something for like 10 casts the shift to another and so on. I wanted to work on three baits till I knew them in and out before shifting to more. 

 

Thanks for for all the replies and look forward to more advice!

[Hot Rod Johnson]

#1. Gary Yamamoto Laminate Senko in Dark Pumpkin Purple Blk Emerald...

 

#2 Roboworm Fat Straight Tail Worms in 4.5" Aarons Pro Magic...

 

#3. Strike King Pro Model 5XD in DB Craw Color...

[Dens228]

I'm pretty new to this also, at this point I'd go,..........

 

medium depth crank bait

Hollow body frog

Plastic worm

[mwh33]

I would go with a t-rig baits, a top water (frog or popper), and a spinnerbaits.

 

T-rig is my go to if I can't catch anything. It can be used anywhere and anytime.

 

Topwater is a great way to catch bass. A popper may be easier to learn to use than a frog. The hook up ratio is way better with a popper too.

 

Spinnerbaits are easy to use and can be fished all through the water column. They are easy to find in multiple sizes and colors. 

[Bankbeater]

Rat-l-trap, Jig and craw, and a 4" plastic worm. 

[papajoe222]

Fast (reaction) bait.........spinnerbait

bottom presentation........jig, or true Texas rigged worm

finesse...........................2.75in. tube bait

 

You can present a spinnerbait at most any depth, a jig can be hopped swam, or dragged along the bottom and a tube Canberra rigged any number of ways to cover from top to bottom.  

[fish devil]

On 6/22/2017 at 7:38 AM, AlexCastaway said:

Long post warning.  

 1. I fish hammonton, maple lake, oak pond and recently did a trip to newton lake. I mostly fish Atlantic County due to trying maximize my fishing time. 

 

2. So I only picked three lures because I find myself getting lure ADD. I'll throw something for like 10 casts the shift to another and so on. I wanted to work on three baits till I knew them in and out before shifting to more. 

 

Thanks for for all the replies and look forward to more advice!

 

You are going to be limited in what you can use. All the bodies of water you mention are shallow and getting really weedy/grassy...Newton is the best for quality bass but it gets pounded regularly by club tournaments. Hammonton use to be good way back. Septic overflow from surrounding houses caused major issues.....the lake was drained and cleaned up. The existing bass population is weak, lots of small fish. Oak has small bass, same thing with Maple which I fished for many years.

 

Buzzbaits and other topwater lures early morning can be very good for catching bigger fish. Throw it when its choppy too.  Chatterbaits and lipless cranks are really productive when the bite is on.  Soft plastics rule here in South Jersey during Summer months when most bodies of water are grassing up. A wacky or texas rigged Senko is a great choice.The Dropshot is also productive.

 

Make sure you try Bargaintown Lake in Egg Harbor Township(Atlantic County). Its loaded with stumps/wood. Plenty of big bass for you. Wacky rig Senkos!!!!!!