Beginner Bass Fishing Tackle Box

[jttacka]

I got into bass fishing last summer and didn't have a lot of good tackle specifically for bass fishing. I know there's jigs, crankbaits, spinners, and topwater lures, but what are some specific lures to get to have some success on the water this year? 

[12poundbass]

5" Senko hands down

A top water popper

A spinner bait 

 

[FCPhil]

If you have a baitcaster with braid (which I highly recommend!):

-stickworm (Yamamoto senko, Yum Dinger, Strike King Shim-e-stick, etc. I like Cabin Creeks oval sinking worm.) in green pumpkin with a 4/0 wide gap worm hook. 

-Whopper Plopper 110 (pricey but worth every penny)

-Strike King KVD 1.5 crankbait (some sort of white/black Shad color). 

-Jerkbait (Luck-E-Strike STX 4.5 inch, or Rapala XRap)

-Rebel POP-R (the larger version)

-Casting jig with craw style trailer (lots of options but look for a streamlined head on the jig and a decent weedgaurd.)

-Boyah Poppin Pad Crasher

 

If you have a spinning rod/reel. 

-Berkley Flat Dawg worm with 4/0 worm hook

-Rebel Pop-R

-Octopus hook to wacky rig the Flat Dawg worm

-save the rest to buy a baitcaster!!! You be glad once you try it. 

[Log Catcher]

In addition to what @12poundbass said I would add some crankbaits, Zoom Baby Brush Hogs, Trick Worms, and the Mag 2 worms.

[AirborneNautilus]

Inline spinners are often overlooked. 1/4 oz catches a little bit of everything. I still throw one on when things get tough.

 

Plus, roostertails are pretty dang cheap

[ratherbfishin1]

5” senko for sure. Go with green pumpkin black flake and either wacky or Texas rig it (you can look it up if you don’t know what either of those are). Good luck!

[MIbassyaker]

2 hours ago, 12poundbass said:

5" Senko hands down

A top water popper

A spinner bait 

 

This would be my list too,  just add a texas rigged worm for bottom presentations.

 

 

[EWREX]

• 5" stick baits (senko, yum dinger, etc) texas rigged or wacky rigged
• Chatterbait is great alternative to a spinner bait and foolproof to fish
• whopper plopper 110 worth every penny and will build your topwater confidence
• 3-4" swimbaits on a swimbait jighead or weighted EWG swimbait hook

[Mobasser]

Think top, middle, and bottom, and pick your lures accordingly.

[bigjean663]

Like @EWREX said, a good 3-4 inch swim bait like a Keitech swing impact fats (sexy Shad, bluegill flash, sight flashetc.), strike king rage swimmer, and of course.....a fluke (smokin Shad, watermelon, albino, pro blue pearl) I throw the fluke weightless but throw the Keitechs on a 1/4oz weighted swimbait hook. Slow roll with the occasional pop to draw attention. 

[deadadrift89]

@jttackaI highly recommend if your not already to become proficient at using a Texas rig. Start with 3/16-1/4 oz. bullet weight, Gamakatsu 4/0 ewg hook , Zoom Trickworm or Zoom MagII and you will catch fish. I use numerous techniques but the Texas rig is my most reliable and favorite way to catch bass. Second choice would be early/late during day(Spring-Fall) a walking topwater bait--KVD Sexy Dawg or Spook jr. 

[tander]

If you want to keep it cheap for a while, get a Bandit 100 in a few colors ( I like Baby Bass, Tenn Shad,Chart. Crawfish) and get some Z Man TRD's ( I like Junebug and Green Pumpkin). Go catch a bunch of bass.

[kenmitch]

Welcome aboard. There's lot's of good advice around these parts.

 

Not sure what type of rod and reel your using? 

 

Nobody mentioned lipless crankbaits yet. They don't always work but when they do at least you get the aggressive ones. Just match the hatch best as you can with the color. Your local Walmart may stock Rat-L-Traps or the Cotten Cordell Spots. 

[scaleface]

spinnerbaits , buzzbaits , crankbaits and soft plastics with some hooks and bullet weights .

[JK Jake]

Wacky rig 5" senkos (stick worms). This rig is very simple and easy to fish. I would throw it anywhere no matter the water color. Best in shallow water. Green Pumpkin is a good universal color.  I personally love the Bass Pro Stiko worms, they are good in quality and amazing in price. Just cast it out, let it sink, "hop it", and then let it sink again. Throw this on a spinning rod.

[ike8120]

I was in the same boat as you:

Here is what I bought:

Chatterbaits

Frogs and Froggin Rod and Reel

Crankbaits and Crank Bait Rod and Reel

Neko Rigs

Drop Shot Rigs

Wacky Rigs

Ned Rigs

I didn't go crazy just took the recommendations from the members on this site. Now I have a nice starter collection and will find out what works for me.

[LCG]

Welcome to the forum. Over the years these have become my go to confidence baits... 

 

Zoom trick worm

Senko 5"

Zoom fat albert grubs

Zoom brush hog / baby brush hog 

Havoc Pit Boss 

Zman TRD 

Roboworm 4.5"

 

I keep colors simple, some shade of watermelon, white, black, black and blue and junebug. Dark colors used in darker water, lighter colors used in clearer water. 

 

Don't fish a ton of hard lures but a Mepps inline spinners #4 gold, chatterbaits, and jigs with skirts have produced very well for me. 

 

Good techniques to start with are ned rig, drop shot, Texas rig, and jigs. 

[TotalNoob]

On 1/25/2019 at 11:08 AM, Mobasser said:

Think top, middle, and bottom, and pick your lures accordingly.

Yea this is how I'm starting to think about my presentations - in terms of the water column.

 

To completely simplify, and if there's one presentation that (I would think?) is #1 to master, it would be the Texas Rig. Weedless plastics on the bottom probably give you your highest overall probability of literally just "catching fish".

 

The point is, when you aren't getting skunked very often you're more likely to enjoy fishing, build confidence, and want to branch out to different presentations as a result. Just my two cents. 

[LonnieP]

Gotta have some Lipless crankbaits. 

[jttacka]

On 1/26/2019 at 7:09 PM, kenmitch said:

Welcome aboard. There's lot's of good advice around these parts.

 

Not sure what type of rod and reel your using? 

 

Nobody mentioned lipless crankbaits yet. They don't always work but when they do at least you get the aggressive ones. Just match the hatch best as you can with the color. Your local Walmart may stock Rat-L-Traps or the Cotten Cordell Spots. 

My main combo is a halo Starlite 7 ft with an Abu Garcia Silver Maxx reel, but I also like use a lews american hero fast action baitcaster combo as well, those are my two main rod/reel setups

 

On 1/25/2019 at 10:35 AM, FCPhil said:

If you have a baitcaster with braid (which I highly recommend!):

-stickworm (Yamamoto senko, Yum Dinger, Strike King Shim-e-stick, etc. I like Cabin Creeks oval sinking worm.) in green pumpkin with a 4/0 wide gap worm hook. 

-Whopper Plopper 110 (pricey but worth every penny)

-Strike King KVD 1.5 crankbait (some sort of white/black Shad color). 

-Jerkbait (Luck-E-Strike STX 4.5 inch, or Rapala XRap)

-Rebel POP-R (the larger version)

-Casting jig with craw style trailer (lots of options but look for a streamlined head on the jig and a decent weedgaurd.)

-Boyah Poppin Pad Crasher

 

If you have a spinning rod/reel. 

-Berkley Flat Dawg worm with 4/0 worm hook

-Rebel Pop-R

-Octopus hook to wacky rig the Flat Dawg worm

-save the rest to buy a baitcaster!!! You be glad once you try it. 

Thanks for all the suggestions!

[FCPhil]

3 hours ago, jttacka said:

My main combo is a halo Starlite 7 ft with an Abu Garcia Silver Maxx reel, but I also like use a lews american hero fast action baitcaster combo as well, those are my two main rod/reel setups

 

Thanks for all the suggestions!

If you jump on the whopper plopper train, check out the Teckel Sprinker frog. It makes nearly as good of a plopping action but runs across the surface and has an excellent hookup ratio. It is worth the price tag. 

 

Also, my favorite and most productive lure in the post-spawn is a topwater walking bait. Takes some practice to learn but it is a lot of fun once you get the hang of it.