Best soft plastics as of 2020!!

[Matt Hardwick]

Alrighty guys!!! I fish nothing but plastics. Not a hard bait fan at all. With that said, we all know plastic companies come and go and some stay.... as of this year 2020, what brands are still quality and what has declined? I'm a die hard ZOOM fanatic and Strike king and Net bait fan. But I will never drop a line with out a few packs of robo worms as well. So far this year my ol faithfuls zoom trick worms have been getting hit on pink or black trick worm, June bug mag shakey head. My SK dream shot have been stellar on drop shot and my net bait baby pacas are earning there keep. But my rage craws, flukes, zoom finesse, missle bait d bomb, and zoom brush hogs are not producing as well as my space monkey or structure bugs. But my roboworm never let me down!! As well as only stick baits I ever use hands down are BPS stick-o

 

Anyways I'm looking to clean house with my tons of plastics (maybe) and start with new styles and brands. I love my worms and creatures and craws.

 

The colors I throw are both worm and creature  are:

Black

Green pumpkin 

Watermelon red

June bug

Bubble gum

 

For this year what styles worm and  creature are working well and what brands are still maintaining and what brands are falling.

 

The only Companies that have maintained for me at least are:

Zoom

Strike King /Rage

Robo Worm

Missle Baits

Bass Pro Shops (stick -o)

Big bite baits

 

Ones that have gone down hill for me are:

Yum

Manns 

Jackal

Keitech

GYCB

Lake fork

Don Levino 

Bass Pro Shops (creatures)

 

What are yalls opinions?

 

Also looking for new/same style straight tail worm I rig only on t rig or drop shot

 

And creatures because my ol faithful brush hog just quit producing.

 

Let me know what yall think.

 

I'm trying to keep it simple and stay with 2 or 3 brands only as I bank and kayak so hate dragging boxes of bait everywhere.

 

My current bag set up for everyday fishing ( med retired army grunt ) fish 8 to 10 hours a day, contains following

Zoom trick worms

Zoom mag shakey head worms

BPS stick-o

Netbait paca craws

SK/Rage  craw and structure bug

Sk dream shot

Roboworm straight tail 6"

Missle baits d bomb

 

Thanks guys. Guess I'm just wondering why my old faithfuls are producing like they have been last few years. 2020 seems to be a off bite this far.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RoLo]

 

I generally agree with your lure choices (Roboworms, Paca craws, Trick worms ~ ~~),

but would probably include Jackall Rhythm Wave & Keitech Fat Impact on that list.

With regard to colors, I also place 'black' on top of the heap.

 

I might add, when my results fall short, I normally fault my location or delivery, before my lure or color. 

 

Roger

 

 

[Bluebasser86]

Not really the time of year that I fish a lot of soft plastics yet. Caught a good amount on the Zoom mag finesse worm this winter along with the Berkley Ribsnake, both on a shakyhead. Zman TRD and Big TRD on a Ned rig like usual have been solid. Had my first short lived bite pitching plastics last Tuesday morning on a YUM Bad Momma, a bait I don't hear much about that flat out gets bit.

[soflabasser]

Zoom makes very good soft plastics such as the horny toad, super fluke, trickworm, etc.

[Bird]

I've yet to throw a soft plastic in 2020, they certainly work year around but much prefer power fishing pre-spawn and during the spawn. 

 

Once the water warms it's a heavy dose of Roboworms, TRD finesse worms, Zoom finesse and Texas rig in general. 

 

Nothing wrong with your presentations, just prefer quicker responses this time of year. 

[Hammer 4]

I would add Rage Tail plastic's to the list..

[Bluebasser86]

Guess I should add the Rage baits since a Menace in the Moonjuice color is what I caught my biggest smallie of the year on Saturday and another one of our 5 fish bag. Plus I caught another smallie over 4 on a Rage bug and a swinghead back in April.

[Nick-CFH]

I have never been a huge fan of YUM

Z-man has grown on me over the last year but my tried and trues are

 

Rage Tail- for bugs and craws

Yamamoto- for stick baits

Roboworm- fat straight tail for dropshots

                  And their ned bait

Keitech- for swimmers, paddle/boot tails 

 

I just ordered some Strike King dream shots to try out on dropshots, a guest on my boat caught his PB smallmouth the other day on one.

                   

[Catt]

Y'all need to check out, Double Z Custom Lures.

 

I still throw Mr Twister, Bass Assassin, & Gene Larew 

[The Bassman]

I've gotten to be a big Z-Man fan of late. Kinda nice not having to deal with torn baits. Also, I'm starting to believe there's some merit to the concern that plastisol baits are ending up in the guts of fish. That said, I do make an exception for GYBC Fat Ikas. 

[MGF]

I wouldn't want to be without a tube...I have several different brands in my bag.

[J Francho]

May bag is usually full of Senkos, Ragetails Craws and Chunks, Crosstail Shad, Keitech Fat Impacts, and whatever bait I'm trying.  I try to keep it pretty simple.

[Mobasser]

This summer, I'll be using Zoom, Mann's, Culprit, older Mr. Twister, and Roboworms.

[Cgrinder]

RI Kinky and Spicy Beavers. Awkward names though. A guy and his young son asked me what I was whackin' em on.

 

"Uhhhhhh. . . a plastic."

[Mobasser]

I'm still using up some of my older ones. They still work good. Mann's 6" Jelly Worm, Blk/Blue Culprit ribbontails, and Mr. Twister 6" Phenom. Zoom Critter Craw, and Zoom.U Tail worms. I've always liked grape, purple, and blue shades. The Roboworm color Folkstead Special has been good for a few seasons now. I also like the Rage Menace grub in summer craw color. Usually always with a t rig. 

[plawren53202]

I'd give a look at the 6th Sense products. Was out this weekend, no fish until I tied on a Junebug Divine Shakey Head worm rigged weightless t-rigged. Tossing into some lily pads. It could have been the color switch as well, but the fish instantly started nailing it. As in, going from no bites to bites every other cast or so. I also like the profile, especially for dirtier water like I was fishing, and the action on this weightless setup. In the name of science ( ?) I have ordered a couple of other colors. This was my first try of these worms, but so far I am impressed.

 

Also have fished once or twice with the 6th Sense Divine Swimbaits. I really like the action on them as well, they have a nice side to side wobble that makes it look very lifelike. Also, the swimbaits seem to be made out of a durable plastic, and the connection to the tail is a little thicker than the Rage Swimmers I usually use, so I am hoping they hold up a little better to catching fish--yet the action is still good and starts up as soon as the bait starts moving.

 

I am a big fan of Strike King, Zoom and Yum soft plastics (in addition to Z-Man Ned rig stuff), but so far I have been very impressed with the 6th Sense plastics I have tried this spring.

[MIbassyaker]

Only fished 4 times this year; I've caught bass on a senko and a rage swimmer, but that's it for plastics. We're still early pre-spawn -- i've been throwing mostly hardbaits.

[Bird]

I also don't throw much plastic until post spawn but am I big fan of soft plastics. 

 

Tackle bag is predominantly made up of

ZOOM

ROBOWORM 

ZMAN 

With some Culprit and Yamamoto. 

[Dens228]

Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver and Spicy Beaver, three colors in each.  Black/Blue Flake, Green Pumpkin or similar, watermelon/red flake.

Yum Dingers in three colors, black/blue flake, Green Pumpkin, watermelon/pearl laminate

Zoom worm, can't remember which one, it has the ribbon tail, in two colors, green pumpkin, black/blue flake

 

That's it. 

[roadwarrior]

Steve Parks (Big O, Owner of Rage Tail) favorite soft plastic is the Space Monkey.

You might want to give it a try.

 

[Siebert Outdoors]

My two go to baits are Rage and ZMan.  I throw others but these are my main ones.

Rage- Craws. Baby Craw, Bug, Menace

Zman- TRD, Palmeto Bug,

[Hook2Jaw]

I'm a big fan of tons of YUM baits.  Dingers, Craw Chunks, and Kill Shots are some of my top producers from their line.  The Bad Momma that was mentioned by @Bluebasser86 has been putting fish in the boat for me as well, but I haven't truly put it through it's places yet.

 

ZOOM Trick Worms, Fat Alberts, and Super Flukes are good stuff.

 

Big Bite Baits Cane Thumpers come in 30 packs for a reason, they're great paddle tail swimbaits.

 

As far as Ned plastics go, I haven't found any as good as the Z-Man products.

[NYWayfarer]

1 hour ago, plawren53202 said:

I'd give a look at the 6th Sense products. Was out this weekend, no fish until I tied on a Junebug Divine Shakey Head worm rigged weightless t-rigged. Tossing into some lily pads. It could have been the color switch as well, but the fish instantly started nailing it. As in, going from no bites to bites every other cast or so. I also like the profile, especially for dirtier water like I was fishing, and the action on this weightless setup. In the name of science ( ?) I have ordered a couple of other colors. This was my first try of these worms, but so far I am impressed.

These worms have replace the Zoom Trick Worm in my arsenal. Blasphemy I know.

 

I find them to be a true floating worm.

[Hawkeye21]

Z-Man

Berkley

Strike King Rage

[OnthePotomac]

Yep, anything in the SK Rage series and anything from Gary Yamamoto