Best Fishing Lures Of All Time

[Jason George]

I am looking to get back into competitive fishing as a co-angler.  I do have a boat but I am more interested in learning some new tips and tricks than winning tournaments and going pro. My day job is my other passion so I'll stick with it. I have been hitting the lakes pretty much every week for about 6 months now. Once I figure out the lake, I try new ones to see how long it takes me to figure it out. I noticed I focus on the same style fishing on every lake, which has been productive. However, I want to expand my skill set.

This pushed me to start hiring guides to take me artificial fishing. On my latest trip I hired Chuck Pippin out of Orlando, Florida. We were fluke and spinnerbait fishing and we had a decent day. I've never fished a fluke before so it was nice to learn something.A couple of days ago he released this video:
 

 

So this video has me thinking, maybe I am missing out on a world or opportunity. Maybe those big bass are interested in more than what I typically throw.
 

My question is what are the go-to lures you like to throw?

What type of situations do you typically choose that lure?

Edited September 22, 2019 by Jason George
Spelling errors

[TnRiver46]

A plastic worm is good for any situation 

[Jason George]

My wife and I are moving to Knoxville January 2021. Such a beautiful place. I am looking forward to figuring out the Tennessee River.

[A-Jay]

19 minutes ago, Jason George said:

I am looking to get back into competitive fishing as a co-angler.  I do have a boat but I am more interested in learning some new tips and tricks than winning tournaments and going pro. My day job is my other passion so I'll stick with it. I have been hitting the lakes pretty much every week for about 6 months now. Once I figure out the lake, I try new ones to see how long it takes me to figure it out. I noticed I focus on the same style fishing on every lake, which has been productive. However, I want to expand my skill set.
, maybe I am missing out on a world or opportunity. Maybe those big bass are interested in more than what I typically throw.
 

My question is what are the go-to lures you like to throw?

What type of situations do you typically choose that lure?

Hello Jason and Welcome to Bass Resource ~

 

 I do not fish competitively, but after spending 5 decades or so on the water, I do not have a Go-To lure that I reach for most or when the going gets tough.  In all that time I haven't been able to find that one lure, bait, presentation or technique that produces fish everywhere all the time.

While it may exist - I'm still looking.

In the mean time, I plan on continuing to try my best to apply techniques & presentations and use lures & baits that seem applicable for the waters, conditions and season I'm fishing. 

Sometimes it works out - sometimes it does not.

Good Luck 

A-Jay

 

 

[Jason George]

21 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

A plastic worm is good for any situation 

The worm is definitely in my arsenal. I had an okay day yesterday on Lake Panasoffkee flipping a 8 inch black with blue flake worm. The lake was terribly covered in thick grasses, hydrilla, etc. Plus the wind was 20+MPH so casting was limited. 

6 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Hello Jason and Welcome to Bass Resource ~

 

 I do not fish competitively, but after spending 5 decades or so on the water, I do not have a Go-To lure that I reach for most or when the going gets tough.  In all that time I haven't been able to find that one lure, bait, presentation or technique that produces fish everywhere all the time.

While it may exist - I'm still looking.

In the mean time, I plan on continuing to try my best to apply techniques & presentations and use lures & baits that seem applicable for the waters, conditions and season I'm fishing. 

Sometimes it works out - sometimes it does not.

Good Luck 

A-Jay

 

 

Thank you, my go to has been a soft plastic variation. I think when I absolutely need to catch a bass I will go to a worm or creature bait. However my favorite technique is suspended jerkbaits.

[Tennessee Boy]

Welcome to Bass Resource and thanks for posting an interesting video.

 

I view lures as tools.  I don't have a go to lure in my tackle box just like I don't have a go to tool in my tool box.  I don't ask myself what lure will they bite today.  I ask myself where are the fish and why are they there.  Then I ask myself what lure is best for that situation.  If I could only use one lure,  it would be a plastic worm because it can be used in so many different situations. 

[scaleface]

30 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

I don't ask myself what lure will they bite today.  I ask myself where are the fish and why are they there.  Then I ask myself what lure is best for that situation. 

Thats how I select lures . There will  usually be  several that  are suitable  . I just go through them until I find something thats working . Thats the simple plan anyway . 

[tcbass]

We are really down to 4 lures; 2 for topwater and 2 for underwater. 

 

Topwater:

 

1.)  Whopper Plopper

 

2.)  Whopper Frog

 

 

Underwater:

 

1.)  Nose-hooked Zoom Super Fluke 

 

2.)  Wacky Rigged Senko

[greentrout]

where one man fishes is usually different from another man's fishing ... 

 

1. plastic worms ... all sizes, lengths, colors and shapes ...

 

2. spinnerbaits all kinds ...

 

3. buzzbaits, walkers and poppers...

 

4. jerkbaits ...

 

5. lipless and squarebill crankbaits 

 

down to one ... w/o hesitation plastic worms ...  

 

 

[r83srock]

If I’m filling up a Plano container for a day of fishing, a jig is the first bait that goes in that box. It is the most versatile bait, to me. The second is a Texas rig, with a bag of senkos, a bag of power worms, and a bag of beaver/craw baits. A Spinnerbait is third, a frog is fourth, and a buzz bait is fifth. I’d also consider a lipless crank, a square bill crank, and maybe a jerk bait. 2 colors max for each bait. Not a perfect system, but covers the bases well. As a co angler you need baits you can work in different ways, baits you can cast well and be efficient with. I would carry the least amount of tackle possible as a co, to avoid possible confusion. Are you planning on fishing BFLs?

[kayl.]

If I had to choose 2 lures to fish with I'd go with a senko (wacky rigged is my favorite way to throw it, but it's so versatile!) and the ned rig. I suck with jigs, which is the only reason they aren't on there. I love catching on spinnerbaits and jerkbaits, but the senko and ned rig are my go-tos when I absolutely need a skunk breaker.

[Bird]

I can tell you my personal favorites.....doesn't qualify as best. 

 

1. Nose hooked flukes/assassins 

2. Roboworms....drop shot, weightless, texas.

3. White spinnerbait in double gold willow.

4. Top water hard plastic jerk baits.....very aggressive is key for me.

5. Ned rigged craws, mostly greens.

 

At dawn I may start with buzzbaits/Spooks.

[Jason George]

11 minutes ago, r83srock said:

If I’m filling up a Plano container for a day of fishing, a jig is the first bait that goes in that box. It is the most versatile bait, to me. The second is a Texas rig, with a bag of senkos, a bag of power worms, and a bag of beaver/craw baits. A Spinnerbait is third, a frog is fourth, and a buzz bait is fifth. I’d also consider a lipless crank, a square bill crank, and maybe a jerk bait. 2 colors max for each bait. Not a perfect system, but covers the bases well. As a co angler you need baits you can work in different ways, baits you can cast well and be efficient with. I would carry the least amount of tackle possible as a co, to avoid possible confusion. Are you planning on fishing BFLs?

Thanks for the thorough reply.
I am going to start with small local (Florida) tournaments. Grab some knowledge. If I am successful, and I have the time to dedicate to it, I would be open to it. I have been reading the results on some of the local tournaments on lakes that I fish and and some clubs will have a winning 5 fish bag of 8 lbs. Another is 20 lbs. I went out to one of the lakes and caught 35 bass but all dink's (7lb bag). Another day I went to another lake that had a 14lb winning bag (just a few days before. I was fortunate enough to slam a 31lb bag. I am inconsistent, love fishing, and want to learn more. 

13 minutes ago, Bird said:

I can tell you my personal favorites.....doesn't qualify as best. 

 

1. Nose hooked flukes/assassins 

2. Roboworms....drop shot, weightless, texas.

3. White spinnerbait in double gold willow.

4. Top water hard plastic jerk baits.....very aggressive is key for me.

5. Ned rigged craws, mostly greens.

 

At dawn I may start with buzzbaits/Spooks.

Man I love suspended jerks and cranks. Most of the lakes i have been fishing lately has been flip only. Primarily due to the level of hydrilla/weeds and the insane winds. I use drift and flip the open water hitting the underwater structure. I suck at flipping and do not like doing it. Out of my dozens of rods/reels and such I have 1 dedicated to flipping. Because of this I am building another setup dedicated to the flip and going to force myself to fish this way for a while. 

20 minutes ago, kayl. said:

If I had to choose 2 lures to fish with I'd go with a senko (wacky rigged is my favorite way to throw it, but it's so versatile!) and the ned rig. I suck with jigs, which is the only reason they aren't on there. I love catching on spinnerbaits and jerkbaits, but the senko and ned rig are my go-tos when I absolutely need a skunk breaker.

I am working on finding a passion for flippin and getting better at it. 

[WRB]

I was curiuos why the op who wants to be a pro tournament angler hired a guide to learn artifical lures, suggesting he was using live bait prior? Hiring a pro is always a good plan to teach you your electronics and a few presetnations.

The vedio the op posted was very long and covered nearly everything, excellent overall.

Everyone is a critic so I will my critique. If you own a rod capable of casting A-rigs you can also cast larger swim and glide baits under the less popular but one of the best category.

Tournament anglers need to learn how to catch 3 lb bass under pressure of time constraints and weekend boat traffic. Focusing or relying on specific lures can be or IMO misleading.

The most effective bass lure ever made can't catch bass if the bass are not where you are fishing or isn't suitable for the location.

1. Soft plastic worm, including Senko's, rigged multiple ways.

2. Jigs of all types.

3. Crankbaits of all types, for lakes with sparsh cover.

4. Spinner baits, including buzzers for lakes with aquatic cover.

Learn how to fish the above 4 categories under all weather and lake conditions if tournament fishing is your goal.

Tom

[roadwarrior]

 

[Catt]

Once the boat comes down off of plane the first thing I grab is a Texas Rig, Wacky Rig, Shaky Head Weightless T-rig, Carolina Rig, Jig-N-Craw, Mojo Rig, Rage Rig, Drop Shot or anything that takes me to the bottom.

 

I'm gonna be casting, flipping, pitching, punching, hopping, dragging, shaking, dead sticking, or skipping.

 

I don't care if its grass, brush, timber, rocks, docks, pads, lay downs, shore line or off shore. I don't care if its pre- spawn, spawn, post spawn, summer, dog days, fall, winter, morning, noon, or night.

 

Give me 2 rod-n-reels with any of the above techniques & I be happy, happy, happy!

[TnRiver46]

21 hours ago, Jason George said:

My wife and I are moving to Knoxville January 2021. Such a beautiful place. I am looking forward to figuring out the Tennessee River.

Awesome! January is big smallmouth time 

[roadwarrior]

7 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Awesome! January is big smallmouth time 

[Jason George]

18 hours ago, greentrout said:

where one man fishes is usually different from another man's fishing ... 

 

1. plastic worms ... all sizes, lengths, colors and shapes ...

 

2. spinnerbaits all kinds ...

 

3. buzzbaits, walkers and poppers...

 

4. jerkbaits ...

 

5. lipless and squarebill crankbaits 

 

down to one ... w/o hesitation plastic worms ...  

 

 

Thanks for sharing this. I will check it out today.

16 hours ago, WRB said:

I was curiuos why the op who wants to be a pro tournament angler hired a guide to learn artifical lures, suggesting he was using live bait prior? Hiring a pro is always a good plan to teach you your electronics and a few presetnations.

The vedio the op posted was very long and covered nearly everything, excellent overall.

Everyone is a critic so I will my critique. If you own a rod capable of casting A-rigs you can also cast larger swim and glide baits under the less popular but one of the best category.

Tournament anglers need to learn how to catch 3 lb bass under pressure of time constraints and weekend boat traffic. Focusing or relying on specific lures can be or IMO misleading.

The most effective bass lure ever made can't catch bass if the bass are not where you are fishing or isn't suitable for the location.

1. Soft plastic worm, including Senko's, rigged multiple ways.

2. Jigs of all types.

3. Crankbaits of all types, for lakes with sparsh cover.

4. Spinner baits, including buzzers for lakes with aquatic cover.

Learn how to fish the above 4 categories under all weather and lake conditions if tournament fishing is your goal.

Tom

Thanks for your response and I apologize for the confusion. I do not want to become a pro tournament angler. I know how to fish artificial and catch bass pretty regularly. Never use live bait even when I fish saltwater. I know there is a big difference between catching bass and catching a bag big enough to win an event. I really just want to take my fishing to another level.

I wrote an article on Medium about it. Basically, I've been fishing for years and inherited my grandfathers 87' Bassmaster. I am motivated to get better at fishing, and learn some new tricks along the way. The best way I figured is to sign up for some tournaments as a co-angler. This will force me to practice and learn. I want to start small with local tournaments and then maybe do a BFL in Florida. 

The video is the most recent guide I went with (paid). I had a great time and he introduced me to a new soft plastic I have never used. So that had me thinking... What else am I missing? 

Thanks again for taking the time to respond I really appreciate it.

[J Francho]

It's not what you throw, it's where you throw it.  Big fish is a location game, not really a bait game.

[Harold Scoggins]

14 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

 

Whenever I'm getting ready to launch and I hear folks leaving say, "They got lockjaw today," I run back to the truck and grab a bag of Senkos.

[WRB]

When bass anglers speak of bass it's always northern strain Largemouth bass. Bass are bass but each species has different behavior traits and Florida strain LMB.

The op lives and fishes in the State of Florida that has predominately FLMB in shallow water natura lakes or larger natural lakes connected by navigation channels and locks. 

The heartland of bass fishing where the vast majority of tournaments are held and bass articles written are deep structure Highland and Hill Land man made impoundments with Northern strain LMB or a mix of Smallmouth, Spotted aand LMB with Threadfin and Gizzard Shad forage. Florida terrain is basically flat, no hills or mountains, natural lakes and rivers or Low Land reservoirs. Bass adapt to their eccosystem but Florida LMB evolved in thier eccosystem.

FLMB genetically prefer golden shiners as prey fish over all other types of prey. Prey always dictates bass location outside of the spawn cycle. Locate the predominate prey and the bass will be nearby. Lure selection should be something that replicates the prey the bass are feeding on and be able to be presented where the bass located.

What lures replicate golden shiners?

Top water bone color Spook walking lure and pearl white buzz baits.

Shallow mid depth shiner color soft jerk baits and double willow bladed spinner bait with soft plastic shiner color trailer.

These are high percentage lures in Florida.

Large soft plastic worms replicate bottom critters everywhere, water snakes in Florida,  and a good choice for wary FLMB.

Weedless golden shiner swim baits like 3:16 Mission Fish is another consideration.

I would focus on the above lures in Florida presented where the bass are located.

Tom

 

[Jason George]

22 hours ago, J Francho said:

It's not what you throw, it's where you throw it.  Big fish is a location game, not really a bait game.

Thanks for your input and I agree with that. Specifically with these hydrilla filled lakes down here in Florida. The other day I found a really productive spot on Lake Rousseau. The bass were stacked. 16 dinks on a senko. When they stopped biting I switched to a super fluke caught another 11, all small. Switched it up to a jig and caught 3 more between 3-6.2 lbs. Caught nothing in every other spot we fished except 1 speck

On 9/22/2019 at 1:56 PM, greentrout said:

where one man fishes is usually different from another man's fishing ... 

 

1. plastic worms ... all sizes, lengths, colors and shapes ...

 

2. spinnerbaits all kinds ...

 

3. buzzbaits, walkers and poppers...

 

4. jerkbaits ...

 

5. lipless and squarebill crankbaits 

 

down to one ... w/o hesitation plastic worms ...  

 

 

Thanks again for the video. After watching, the advice everyone offered is exactly what I am doing. Fishing with as many people as possible. Spend time on the water. Force myself to work techniques I do not like doing. Thanks again for the post.

[greentrout]

6 hours ago, Jason George said:

 

Thanks again for the video. After watching, the advice everyone offered is exactly what I am doing. Fishing with as many people as possible. Spend time on the water. Force myself to work techniques I do not like doing. Thanks again for the post.

you got it ...

 

enjoy fishing those perfect weather bluebird skies with not a cloud in the sky ... a good challenge ...

 

good fishing ...

[Titan]

Take one type of lure with you on the lake.  Spinnerbait, crankbait, worm, jig it doesn't really matter.  Spend the day learning to catch bass on that lure.  Use your electronics to locate likely spots that hold bass.  Stop and fish those spots with the lure type you've chosen for that day.  Whether you catch fish or not, you've learned something.  Most lures (except top water) can be fished in different depths and cover types.  Learn to use the lure you chose for that day in each depth and type of cover.  Have a learning experience out of the lake.  Sometimes that doesn't translate to a "catching" experience but what you'll learn is invaluable.