CHEAP BASS LURES THAT WORK

[Festivus]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Zoom flukes or super flukes. Get a pack of green pumpkin flukes or larger super flukes and either 3/0 to 4/0 EWG hooks. Can work them fast on the top for a top water bite or you can let them sink and jerk them in the middle or even towards the bottom of the water column. 

[Run2jeepn]

Get on Facebook market place and search for tackle Boxes. I have bought a few tackle boxes with tackle for $5-10 and full of gear.

 

I like this for a few reasons. I get a tackle box or Plano box. I get random tackle to try out. I also like getting dirt cheap crankbaits this way. I will throw one of these a few times in new spots I don't know well. Then break out one of my newer store bought cranks. That I have a few bucks invested in. 

[Glenn]

Are you fishing from shore or on a boat?

On 11/22/2019 at 10:08 AM, Caliyak said:

Hey Glenn, I still remember your comment about "the" and I being from the California. LOL 

LOL!  Yup, I remember that too!

[Bluegillslayer]

mostly from shore

[snake95]

I think there are plenty of cheap lures that work well.  Case in point: Cotton Cordell Spot and Super Spot.  Very versatile lures for sure!

 

 

 

 

[Raul]

On 11/19/2019 at 9:43 PM, Bluegillslayer said:

I am vary new to the site and to catching bass that are not dinks I am new to bass fishing. Part of the reason why I have not caught bigger fish (my pb is a 3 ponder) is because I have almost only used ultralight or multi species lures like grubs and tiny trout/panfish crankbaits. I made a topic the other day titled "getting into bass fishing" and many people said to get stick baits and spinners because they are good for beginners I plan on buying some "stick-os" for the stickbait selection but what about spinner baits? I do not want to spend a lot of money on lures because I am only a kid, so if their are brands that are cheap like "Creme" or "Bigbite baits" lures that work good that would be great, by the way the bass in the pond I fish a lot are no more than 3 pounds. The water is vary dark in the deeper parts and clear and shallow in other parts of the pond, forage is bluegill their are also trout, the pond is not vary weedy and their is not a lot of structure any suggestions? thanks.

-Bluegillslayer     

I have something like 150 spinnerbaits in all sprts of weights, blade combination, skirt color, 99.7% of the time I fish spinnerbaits is with the same bait, 3/8 oz single Tennessee white skirt Strike King, so, to answer your question: how many spinnerbaits do you need ? 2 or 3.

[Manly Studson]

Ike’s Micro Jigs by Missile Baits and Strike King’s Bitsy Bugs are inexpensive and versatile. Pair them with Kalin’s grubs or Z-Man TRD Crawz and you’re bound to catch fish.

[soflabasser]

Rebel Pop R's are relatively cheap and you can catch dozens of bass on one of these lures. 

[schplurg]

Walmart.

 

You say you want to try some cheap lures, you can get Zoom Super Flukes for a few bucks a bag (anywhere) but you can get crankbaits that work for $2 each at Walmart.

 

I caught my PB (5.25 in my avatar) on a fluke and tons of LM including my second biggest with various Walmart/Ozark Trail hard baits. They are comparable to BPS cheap baits.

 

I haven't bent a hook or damaged one yet. I've lost many but that's my fault. At $2 a pop it's not a big deal.

 

One cool thing about cheap baits is I'm not afraid the throw them into snaggy areas. Not all of my baits are that cheap but I use these a lot.

 

[snake95]

On 11/19/2019 at 10:43 PM, Bluegillslayer said:

I do not want to spend a lot of money on lures because I am only a kid

I think this is an issue for a lot of guys, and I remember what it was like when I was a kid saving up for lures.  I still get down when I snag lures and have to break off.

I would say that learning to fish weedless plastics has been one of the biggest steps I've taken in recent years, and suggest you do that too.  Packs of YUM, Zoom, and Big Bite Baits are often $3 or less, and I haven't found a bait from these companies that doesn't work great.  Another great inexpensive lure for me has been the $1.50 packs of YUM grubs that they sell at Walmart.  You need jigheads for them, and I often use the smallest Z man Ned Rig heads that they sell at Walmart for this.  They are not really cheap at about $5 a pack, but if you pick up one of those and two packs of YUM grubs you have a bass catching machine for less than $10. 

I think it is always a good idea to stick to the basic colors and popular baits: Zoom Trick Worms and Super Flukes and Lizards.  Although I love to fish a $15 Whopper Plopper or more expensive topwater, honestly a weightless trick worm fished on a 2/0 or 3/0 light wire hook will work great as a topwater too.  

Also keep in mind what guys say about the sales.  If you can get to Walmart or DSG in late January, or February, you might find some great deals on lures you couldn't otherwise afford.  Good luck!

 

[Bandersnatch]

Hard to say a pack of TRDS and some Ned heads aren't the cheapest 

[TnRiver46]

13 hours ago, Chief250 said:

Hard to say a pack of TRDS and some Ned heads aren't the cheapest 

I say it all the time! Those Ned heads are too rich for my blood. I use round ball heads that cost less and other worms that cost less 

[kayaking_kev]

I just started fishing 2 years ago, before that I never caught a bass and didn't know what one looked like. I started out with a $10 zebco 202 slingshot combo from walmart and some $1.47 Ozark Trail 1/5 oz minnows and caught a couple hundred river smallies with it, most the time just trolling it behind my kayak.

 

Towards the end of my first year I upgraded to a Ugly Stik GX2 and Black Max, and got my first Whopper Plopper, a size 90. I caught lots of river smallies on that lure that first year and I used the same thing a lot this past season and caught a bunch more with the same setup. I have since bought 6 more Whopper Ploppers, but I still have that first one. They may be a bit pricey, but you have to be a bit unlucky to lose one. I've only lost one after a big smallie jumped with it and broke me off only because I failed to check my knot after several catches.

 

This year besides the Whopper Plopper, I started fishing plastics, mainly 5" worms of a variety of brands and it was a game changer for me to be able to catch fish in ponds and reservoirs and not just on the river. But, I agree the price can start to add up with plastics, weights & hooks, that's why I usually just get the cheap stuff. Wal-Mart has the CREME brand worms for $1 sometimes and I think normally under $2, and they are really soft. I've caught 30+ fish once on the same worm using an o-ring.

 

I also had some success fishing those $1 spinnerbaits on the bottom shelf at Wal-Mart this past season. I had a couple of good KVD Finesse spinners, but didn't like throwing them from the bank, so I would use the cheap $1 ones and they seemed to work good.

 

The gear might not last as long or might not be as exciting to fish with when you're not catching them, but they will work. 

[deadadrift89]

     Texas Rig

Zoom Trick worm

Gamakatsu 4/0 ewg hook(rig it texpose in plastic)

3/16 oz bullet weight

 

Cost effective, catches fish ?

[J Francho]

I've said this before, I have a $25 Popmax that has caught more fish than ANY OTHER BAITS, COMBINED.  That one topwater owes me nothing.  Buy good, proven baits.  Plastics can get pricey, quick.  It's why I used mostly hard baits when I was young.  One $5 crank could catch me 100 fish.  A $5 bag of plastics might catch 5-10 fish and last me a couple hours.

[Hewhospeaksmuchbull]

6 month ago I bought several lots of jerkbaits on Amazon, something like 20.00 for 12 baits. Currently slaying smallies with them.

 

Did the same with a lot of crankbaits and jigs, same result.

 

Hooks and split rings sucked, still saved a bundle after upgrades.

 

I did however get burned on my first jointed swimbait (didn't swim) of course Amazon accepted return.

[Jermination]

1 hour ago, Hewhospeaksmuchbull said:

6 month ago I bought several lots of jerkbaits on Amazon, something like 20.00 for 12 baits. Currently slaying smallies with them.

 

Did the same with a lot of crankbaits and jigs, same result.

 

Hooks and split rings sucked, still saved a bundle after upgrades.

 

I did however get burned on my first jointed swimbait (didn't swim) of course Amazon accepted return.

ive had these in my cart on amazon several times just have not rolled the dice yet. how heavy are the jerkbaits?

[Hewhospeaksmuchbull]

18 hours ago, Jermination said:

ive had these in my cart on amazon several times just have not rolled the dice yet. how heavy are the jerkbaits?

Jermination: Sougayilang minnows weigh in at .49oz and wLure Minnow (divers) .51oz.  Terrible hooks and rings and some funky colors however they are catching fish.

[Munkin]

On 1/6/2020 at 1:46 PM, J Francho said:

I've said this before, I have a $25 Popmax that has caught more fish than ANY OTHER BAITS, COMBINED.  That one topwater owes me nothing.  Buy good, proven baits.  Plastics can get pricey, quick.  It's why I used mostly hard baits when I was young.  One $5 crank could catch me 100 fish.  A $5 bag of plastics might catch 5-10 fish and last me a couple hours.

I have a LC pointer that cost $18  which is on like its 11th set of hooks.  This thing has 100's of fish to its name. 

 

Allen 

[A-Jay]

Best $10 bucks I've spent in a long time . . .

 

A-Jay

[Joe_w1234]

On 1/6/2020 at 12:46 PM, J Francho said:

One $5 crank could catch me 100 fish.  A $5 bag of plastics might catch 5-10 fish and last me a couple hours.

^^^^ Very true

[soflabasser]

Zoom makes lots of soft plastic lures that are cheap and very good such as the Zoom horny toad, Zoom super fluke, and others.

[swhit140]

The free Strike King crankbait that someone lost.?

[Catt]

On 11/19/2019 at 9:43 PM, Bluegillslayer said:

I am vary new to the site and to catching bass that are not dinks I am new to bass fishing. Part of the reason why I have not caught bigger fish (my pb is a 3 ponder) is because I have almost only used ultralight or multi species lures like grubs and tiny trout/panfish crankbaits

 

Ya catching "dinks" cause ya fishing where dinks live!

[Maxximus Redneckus]

Cheap made lures  work ...cheap lures work my idea of cheap is a 1 six inch manns jelly worm about 20 cents 1 owner 3/0 worm hook about 60 cents and a 1/4 bullet weight about 10 cents ...with 90 cents i caught my personal best in maryland in 1985 at 10 lbs 4 oz .....cant get any cheaper IMO spending over 10 bucks for a swimbait like a rapala j 14 is all about...hey look at me i paid 200$ for a bait that will catch the same size bass as you ....its just for prestige