Top 5 Producers?

[ReggieT]

Hey guys,

Been trying to get back in the swing of things bass fishing wise.

Yet, I've noticed I'm in a habit of just tossing whats comfortable,

i.e. "KVD 1.0 Sexy Chart Shad, Spinner-bait, Rattle-Trap, an

occasional Fluke...yet I've got a ton of quality lures!

 

Guess I've grown kinda lazy...

I don't have a boat and many of the great spots are limited from the shore

& the gator explosion around here is also a formidable game changer!! ?

What are you guys tossing that is putting decent bass in the boat or on the stringer? 

 

I really need to put more time on the water!

 

Thanks,

Reg 

[Koz]

I bank fish as well here in SC. Earlier this spring chatterbaits were a top producer in stained waters with either a Pit Boss trailer or a paddletail trailer depending upon how deep I need the bait to travel. For the past few weeks (except tonight!) a white buzzbait has been landing them include one over 5 pounds last night. Willow blade spinnerbaits in white and chartreuse/white are always good here in the spring. especially with a Keitech trailer.

 

We have plenty of alligators here as well, so in some lagoons it's not always possible to throw a buzzbait without attracting unwanted attention.

[Boomstick]

I also don't own a boat and spend a good time fishing from the shore. I do find that in days when it's not too hot, or it's early or late in the day I am much more likely to throw a moving bait or topwater if the conditions are appropriate to cover more water, as that's often what is landing me the fish. On hotter days, I will get out the ned rig or drop shot (my choice is usually determined by water depth) and on hotter days that will often be what lands me fish. If there's any sort of current in the water, it will give my bait all the action it needs, so I'm just waiting for a fish to come along and see it.

 

I have probably caught more fish on a spinnerbait, usually dual willow sexy shad or white colored models than any other. Last year, I probably caught more fish on a River2Sea Biggie Smalls crankbait than any other lure, that thing just produced really well for me.

 

This year however I can't seem to find the bass, so maybe you shouldn't listen to me.

[scaleface]

Crankbaits

Spinnerbaits,

Buzzbaits

Texas rigs

jigs

[geo g]

Stop worrying about what other throw.  Throw what makes you happy, what you have confidence in, and what catches fish for you.  Most lures are made and promoted to catch fisherman, and not so much fish.

[ReggieT]

Awesome feedback!

Seems like I caught more, the less tackle/lures that I had.

Spinnerbait, Buzzbait, and a bag of GillRakers use to do the trick...of course that was in late 80's also! ?

2 minutes ago, geo g said:

Stop worrying about what other throw.  Throw what makes you happy, what you have confidence in, and what catches fish for you.  Most lures are made and promoted to catch fisherman, and not so much fish.

Geo, I'm not a man given to worry...just sharing my situation.? 

[scaleface]

All those lures on the shelves catch fish . If they dont  then people dont buy them and lure companies dont make money . They all have their time and place .

[rod snapper]

If you want to get down to the simplest form of bass fishing, then you t-rig a senko weightless, and fish it slow. All you need are a bag of senkos, and some worm hooks, and you'll catch fish almost any day. all those hard baits are just so dang pretty though ?, especially when they are on sale. but everyone else is right. fish what you enjoy. if you hate fishing worms slow, use something else, you'll still catch fish.

-Rod Snapper

[CrankFate]

T Rig Worm

C Rig Worm

Crankbaits

Smaller Jigs

 

I have not had much luck with much else.

[Mike L]

For me it's been.,,

Spook

Magnum Speed Worm/Rage Cut R

Rage Bug

Fat Max Rinbon Tail

Weightless Stick Bait

 

I throw plastics probably 90% of the time. 

 

 

There's no substitute for "time on the water" and useing what you're "comfortable" with

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

 

 

 

[Jrob78]

I've probably caught 90% of my fish so far this year on Chatterbaits, sq bills, t-rigged creature baits and jigs. I always have these baits tied on and have confidence in them so I fish them a lot. 

 

If you are just looking to try new stuff and expand your repertoire, pick a new topwater bait, a moving bait and a bottom bait that you want to try and start there. Keep them in your hand and build some confidence with them. You can add stuff as you go.

[ReggieT]

1 hour ago, Jrob78 said:

I've probably caught 90% of my fish so far this year on Chatterbaits, sq bills, t-rigged creature baits and jigs. I always have these baits tied on and have confidence in them so I fish them a lot. 

 

If you are just looking to try new stuff and expand your repertoire, pick a new topwater bait, a moving bait and a bottom bait that you want to try and start there. Keep them in your hand and build some confidence with them. You can add stuff as you go.

Yep....gotta get comfortable tossing some plastic.

I've got a good selection of "Baby brush hogs, flukes, lizards, trigger X BIG MOE, SwimSenkos, Yamasenko's, Yum Dingers...just gotta TOSS EM!! LOL? 

[N Florida Mike]

I fish mostly shallow, weedy lakes that are neither Chrystal clear or murky. What works best for me in my situation is: Soft plastics

• Senkos 

• flukes

• worms

• creature baits/frogs

 spinnerbaits are my 5th choice.

 

I Texas rig the plastics, and go as weightless as possible.

Mike

[Gorris317]

I fish from shore as well. I throw plastics 97% of the time. My lake has thick vegetation so spinnerbaits and cranks dont work well from shore. 

1. T-rigged Pit Boss
2. T-rigged lizard
3. T-rigged worm
4. jig
5. Hollow body frog 

[NittyGrittyBoy]

1. Red craw square bill

2. War Eagle Finesse Spinnerbait

3. Buzzbait Cavitron

4. Punch Rig 3/8 w/zoom Dead Ringer

5. Zoom Super Fluke

 

Those are my top 5 in order of most fish produced since January 1st. That Cavitron is climbing the ladder quickly though

[Fishes in trees]

Bank fishing around gators . .. even back in the day, when I was a die hard, meat fishing bush hippie, no way would Ibe bank fishing around gators - I might have gotten into gardening, who knows?  No clue how old you are, but my advice is to make acquaintances with guys who have boats and go with them.  Or buy a boat and learn that way and everything else that goes along with boat & tow vehicle ownership.

I'm in Missouri, not Alabama, so this doesn't really effect me one way or the other, however, if I lived further south there isn't any way I'd be bank fishing anywhere near alligators, I'm too old and too slow.

[greentrout]

we don't get near the press but i can assure you we got alligators in ms.-- big ones ... run and get away fast if you ever see a clutch of eggs ... mama gator is fast ...

 

lately, i'm a one trick pony ... t rigged worms weight and weightless ... like colorful floating worms, too ... getting into jig and worm also ... like it ... spinning tackle ...

[WRB]

Is there a reason you don't have a boat? Shore fishing where you share space with dangerous critters like gators and poisionus snakes limits your ability to fish with any lure especially after dark.

90% of my bass fishing from shore is using T-rigged or slip shot rigged plastic worms, creatures or fat Ika's. The other 10% is surface lures like a buzzer or weedless spoon*.

I don't like fishing jigs from shore, prefer Fat Ika but they are my go to lure using a boat because I can control how and where to present them. I just fan cast soft plastics from shore and don't worrying about losing rigs, a bag full of weights and hooks with a few bags of soft plastics, couple of surface lures makes it easy.

Tom

* Johnson Silver minnow with CPS to attach soft plastic or Nemire Red Ripper skirted spoon. 

[Black Hawk Basser]

My top 5 from shore:

 

1. Double Colorado spinnerbait, usually black/red, sometimes double willow in shad

2.  Smokin shad or bluegill flash Flukes

3. Storm Chug Bug, clear or bullfrog

4. Texas rigged worms/Senkos

5. Black/blue or white Chatterbait

 

Honorable mentions to red craw Super Spot & silver Husky Jerk, but they are nearly impossible to fish from shore after April here.

[txchaser]

Swim Senko (Black w/blue flake, GP/Watermelon Laminate, Watermelon/white Laminate)

Fat Ika

7" Magnum Fluke (Baby Bass in Zoom or Strike King has worked well in clear and muddy water)

 

 

[keagbassr]

Fishing from the bank my top 5 would be:

Spinnerbait

Chatterbait

Buzzbait

Frog/toad

Plopper

 

[Harold Scoggins]

T-rig.

Sensei say,"Mushin, and go fishing."

[Boomstick]

23 hours ago, scaleface said:

All those lures on the shelves catch fish . If they dont  then people dont buy them and lure companies dont make money . They all have their time and place .

Or perhaps an idea that is so original that people have to try them and see if they work?

[Kermit Turner]

Shakey head , id be lost without it !

Fluke , when there is a lot of vegetation 

Rage bug 

and of course jig 

 

I believe geo g to be correct , throw what you have confidence in most importantly." my opinion"

Edited May 19, 2019 by Kermit Turner
forgot to add in a part

[ReggieT]

1 hour ago, Kermit Turner said:

Shakey head , id be lost without it !

Fluke , when there is a lot of vegetation 

Rage bug 

and of course jig 

 

I believe geo g to be correct , throw what you have confidence in most importantly." my opinion"

I had old friend who was die-hard Shakey head fan...unfortunately he passed away in 2016, before we could get out on the water together...he swore by em!

I've got some shakey jig heads...whats the key to working and getting them to produce?