How many baits do you actually use?

[Will1248]

So whenever I fish with some buddies there are a few that carry huge tackle bags to the boat with 10 or so rods. However, they usually only throw about 5 different baits most of the time and use 3 of those 10 rods that take up space on the boat. I try to have all my colors and sizes covered for each technique I use. But somehow find myself throwing the same 4 baits over and over. I have to force myself to try jigs so I can improve with them, and after awhile I just go back to old faithful. That leads me to the question. How many baits do you actually use from your tackle box? Tournament fishing is different because I will actually switch out things until I can narrow down what is getting bites. But it always ends up coming back to my "confidence baits" anyway. They just produce more. Do yall branch out and try new things only to put them down? Or just diversify what works for you and buy in bulk? 

[Bluebasser86]

In a day? Hopefully just a couple, but usually 5-10.

[GreenPig]

I use a plethora of different baits. I'm always trying new baits. It's the deal I worked out with my monkey. I buy new baits on a regular basis and he won't hit me while I'm sleeping.? Seriously when I fish in my partners boat I'll take 6-7 rods and a 25 lb box of tackle. When I go out in my boat I'll have a minimum of 12 rods up 20 and 80 plus lbs of tackle. It's a problem. But it ain't my fault it's those temperamental bass. Are they deep, shallow, feeding, not feeding, want a bright color, natural color, want a Ned rig, 10" swimbait or something in between? Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. 

[crypt]

3 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

In a day? Hopefully just a couple, but usually 5-10.

this....

[Mike L]

3 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

In a day? Hopefully just a couple, but usually 5-10.

That’s about right. 
 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[scaleface]

I carry one gear bag that holds 6 boxes and I have them stuffed .   One is terminal tackle and jigs, One is lipless and squarebills . One is for long lipped cranks . One for spinner and buzzbaits .One for top waters and one for misc. lures .I stuff the pockets with packs of soft plastics .

 

I'm probably only going to use a few lures a trip ,may  just use only one or two . I wont know for sure what they are until I'm on the water and fishing . My crankbaits for example , cover the water column from 1 to 25 foot . Theres been days where I had crankbaits tied on four rods all for different depths and all catching fish . 

[Jig Man]

Only 1 if it produces, if not the sky is the limit.

[NYWayfarer]

Some follow the “Better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it” mentality.

 

I pack light and I still bring more than I need. Usually 3 to 5 confidence baits and about the same amount of lures I think I might use or want to try. That’s for shore fishing and depends on the amount of time I have to fish.

[Catt]

Topwater, mid-depth, & bottom  ?

 

Each is selected based on conditions.

[RichF]

If I'm going out on the big boat, I usually bring around 15 rods.  I rarely touch all of them but I do challenge myself to catch a bass on at least 7-8 different rods (that means 7-8 different baits).

[lo n slo]

ok, some of y’all are gonna laugh but i don’t care. i am what i am. 95% of the time it’s 2 rods and my texas rigged plastics. certain times of the year i’ll throw a trap or weightless worms but that’s about it. most of the time i can catch them but sometimes i’m sure i’m fighting a losing battle. it’s ok with me.

[813basstard]

The best days have been on the fewest baits and combinations.

 

That being said, only twice I have been out there and said “d**n I wish I had brought this...”

 

Most football games are won up front. Most bass are caught with pretty much the same stuff. It’s how well you do what you do.

[garroyo130]

About 1-4 types of baits

 

If i can find the bite then its time to experiment with colors. At the end of an average day 6-8 baits.

 

I do however carry a lot more out with me because while it may be 6-8 baits i don't necessarily know WHICH 6-8.

[scaleface]

 Being bass are often unpredictable , I like being prepared . I have my laydown baits , standing timber lures , weed lures ,flats lures , points lures , rip rap lures ...

[Maxximus Redneckus]

I used to be the 6 plus rod guy and big arse bag or box of tackle..over the yrs 2 rods and one small bag ..plastic worm,manns wake bait,fluke,mepps zara spooks, and grubs do ot all now ...this goin from farm ponds to Chesapeake bay in the same day .. shore fishing and kayak 

[Choporoz]

10 hours ago, Will1248 said:

 Tournament fishing is different because I will actually switch out things until I can narrow down what is getting bites.

Unless I'm just graphing, I am usually working to get bites even on days that are being evaluated against others.

[Steveo-1969]

I'm either wading or shorebound when fishing my local river so I don't carry much with me. Enough to fit in a small over-the-shoulder tackle bag (think smaller than a loaf of bread). When I got back into fishing 10 years ago I bought and tried lots and lots and lots of new stuff but I've whittled down what I regularly use to just a couple baits. Based either on productivity or how I like to fish.

 

Finesse jig and trailer

Small paddletail swimbait

T-rigged small plastic (worm, craw, creature)

Ned rig

[king fisher]

Some days I only take one rod and a couple lures determined to catch fish by fishing those lures in different places, experimenting with retrieves and location instead of baits.   Most days I throw everything the bait monkey made me buy.  I am opposite of my friends.  When the fishing is good I'm always trying more baits, and ways to fish them.  When the fishing is slow I will stick to my old favorites.  Drives one friend crazy when we just start to catch fish and I start switching baits as fast as I can tie them on.  I have to remind him I don't fish to catch fish, I fish to have fun.  I look at fishing as a scientific experiment.  My friends tried and true lure is the control group and the Bait Monkey and I are the experimental group.  A few days a year I like to relax and just use a bobber, with a night crawler, and see whats for dinner.  Most of the time I am a tackle junkie.

[Smokinal]

11 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

In a day? Hopefully just a couple, but usually 5-10.

^^^This

I usually start the day with 10-12 rods on the deck and try to narrow the bite down to 2-3

[WRB]

If you know what is going on you only need to use what is working. 

I carry 15 rod-reel combination in the boats rod locker, some are seasonal and get little use outside of a specific bite. A few I use nearly every outing, the fewer the better.

For example if I am on a jig bite I only need my jigs and jig rods, no need for a drop shot spinning rod.

Bass anglers like to collect rods, reels and lures it us part of bass fishing. Do we need all this tackle to catch bass.....sometimes we do,most of the time we don't. If I leave my big swimbaits and tackle home and it's a big swimbait bite that day I am not happy.

Tom 

 

[Dens228]

4 hours ago, Maxximus Redneckus said:

I used to be the 6 plus rod guy and big arse bag or box of tackle..over the yrs 2 rods and one small bag ..plastic worm,manns wake bait,fluke,mepps zara spooks, and grubs do ot all now ...this goin from farm ponds to Chesapeake bay in the same day .. shore fishing and kayak 

My buddy always told me he only needs plastic worms.  One time we were out in our kayaks and he told me he's out of worms.  I said how is that?  He said he only brought four..........lol   So I gave him some of mine while I caught fish on crankbaits.  Fast forward a month or so and he takes me to a lake he fishes all the time but in a regular boat.  We head to the docks and he says all I need is a plastic worm.  We aren't catching a thing so I switch to a swim jig/paddletail and start catching fish.  After about 5 or 6 bass he finally asks me what I'm using.  He lasted longer than I thought he would.  I gave him one and he started catching.  When it slowed down I threw a crank and caught a few more.  He brings more than four plastic worms now.   

[geo g]

Just a personal gripe.  I seldom fish alone and always invite different people to come.  I hate it when I see someone come to the boat with 6 to 10 rods and 50 pounds of gear.  Throughout the day these people will usually primarily use one or two rods and seldom go into the 50 pound bag of gear for anything more then another plastic bait.

 

The few times I fish from someones boat I take no more than three rods and a fanny pack with hooks, a couple bags of plastics, plyers, scissors, and some weights.  As a back seater less is better!

[MGF]

The baits I use usually change once or twice through the day and it changes a little through the season.

 

I have a small boat and a canoe. I most often fish our local river. An outing usually consists of mostly floating, depending on water level. Meaning that not all my fishing is at "prime" times of day nor am I necessarily at the choice spots at those choice times of day. I carry 4 or 5 rods in the boat and two in the canoe. I almost always use at least two of them.

 

I go through stages where one or two baits are my "go to" or favorite and I have to force myself not to be a "one trick pony".

 

 

[roadwarrior]

Hmm...

 

The ONLY lure that  KICKS ASS this time of year is the Alabama Rig.

Number #2 is the RES, orange and of course, the Senko and Fat Ika.

 

[Cgolf]

On the vacation lake fishing 12 hours a day, many days I will use 5 or less lures because I am dialed in. When out on my local lake for 2 hours with no clue what mood and where the fish are I may burn thru 10 to 20 lures.