Dinks - what tackle?

[cal9323]

My son and I are going to kayak this smaller lake and they only have smaller bass (a few big ones but not many). As a kid, he just wants to catch bass - What are your top baits to catch “dinks”? We’ve had some luck throwing small paddletail swimbaits. Do you think something like booyah pond spinnerbaits or probably Ned rigs? I’m guessing just smaller profiles. Thoughts?

[wisconsin heat]

If it is full of small bass then I would suggest a small topwater lure . If you can find a small popper, or a small floating rapala, those are Awesome lures to catch small bass, and because they are topwater, your son will be able to watch the lure as he is working it, and see the fish react to his presentation - and see some cool topwater strikes!

[Mike L]

I’d give him a wacky rig, shaky head or a weightless stick worm. 
If he likes to cast and reel then the paddle tail is a good choice along with a swim worm like a Cut R or speed worm. 
 

 

 

Mike
 

[FishinBuck07]

Ned rig!  Fished a pond on Saturday just like that and the wife and caught about 40 in a little over two hours! 

[scaleface]

Anything in a small version. Kids every where catch them with Beetle Spins .

[GReb]

Beetle spin

[Todd2]

36 minutes ago, FishinBuck07 said:

Ned rig!  Fished a pond on Saturday just like that and the wife and caught about 40 in a little over two hours! 

x2

[looking45]

A 3"-5" curly tail grub on a 1/8" dart head. Cast it out and just swim it back, keeping it off the bottom

[DitchPanda]

Small popper and also a small weightless worm like a zoom swamp crawler or 4 inch Senko type bait on a spinning rod.

[Obi_Wan]

Been kayaking local small rivers catching 8-10” rock bass, 10-14” smallies, 10-15” largemouth and numerous sunfish.  Tearing it up on various Ned rigs.  Yesterday it was all crowded style baits and one paddle tail.  Baby Rage Craw, Z-man TRD craw.  I can’t remember the name of the paddle tail, but its 2-2.5” long and it has a short skirt on it.  I picked it up at Academy and it was killer yesterday.  Days before that, I have fished some small Keitech paddle tails and a blue/black micro chatterbait.  I love the micro chatterbait.  Caught some on a Zoom Fat Albert fished like a swim bait on 1/8 oz head.  

 

I bought a Lew’s Xfinity spinning combo from Wal-Mart for $49.99.  It’s a decent little reel, with a. ML rod.  It has been a blast.  6 lb line and I can cast a country mile.

[Kdizzle]

In-line spinners catch everything small.

[plawren53202]

My subdivision pond that I fish all the time is loaded with dinks. Ned rig is always a good choice. I get a lot of mileage out of 4" Yum Dingers, wacky rigged or Texas rigged depending on whether I'm fishing them in the weeds or not. I catch lots of dinks on a fluke, just the standard Super Fluke on a 3/0 or 4/0 EWG hook (doesn't have to be the mini flukes, the dinks have no problem with the standard fluke). Caught lots of dinks earlier this season on mini jigs, like the SK Bitsy Bug or the Bass Pro version (XPS Finesse Jig) with a Netbait Tiny Paca Chunk as a trailer. If they want a more active or moving bait, I have a lot of luck with the small size (1/4 oz. I think?) Cotton Cordell Spot that Walmart sells. They also like the SK or Booyah mini spinnerbaits.

 

In addition to all of this, I don't use but would imagine they would work great as well a lot of the suggestions above for more traditionally panfish baits like Beetle Spins, inline spinners, Rooster Tails, etc.

[cal9323]

15 minutes ago, plawren53202 said:

My subdivision pond that I fish all the time is loaded with dinks. Ned rig is always a good choice. I get a lot of mileage out of 4" Yum Dingers, wacky rigged or Texas rigged depending on whether I'm fishing them in the weeds or not. I catch lots of dinks on a fluke, just the standard Super Fluke on a 3/0 or 4/0 EWG hook (doesn't have to be the mini flukes, the dinks have no problem with the standard fluke). Caught lots of dinks earlier this season on mini jigs, like the SK Bitsy Bug or the Bass Pro version (XPS Finesse Jig) with a Netbait Tiny Paca Chunk as a trailer. If they want a more active or moving bait, I have a lot of luck with the small size (1/4 oz. I think?) Cotton Cordell Spot that Walmart sells. They also like the SK or Booyah mini spinnerbaits.

 

In addition to all of this, I don't use but would imagine they would work great as well a lot of the suggestions above for more traditionally panfish baits like Beetle Spins, inline spinners, Rooster Tails, etc.

I use jigs a lot and was kind of thinking about trying the bitsy bug jig. 

[Jaderose]

11 hours ago, Kdizzle said:

In-line spinners catch everything small.

I agree and will take this a bit further......Mepps Comet Mino.  Throw it out and reel it back.  The lure that got me started targeting bass.  Back in my hook, worm and bobber days, I literally found one of these one day.  I tied it on and caught my first bass.  Probably around 1lb.  I was hooked immediately and have caught several bass, crappie, panfish and even catfish on them throughout the years.  Then throw in the fact that this lure looks like something a kid would design.  So long as you got some open water, it's about as can't miss as you can get.  If it's weedy, don't bother.  This thing will snag every blade of grass it gets near and will frustrate the hell out of you.

 

[fishballer06]

Worden's Rooster Tail

2.8" Keitech with a 1/8 - 1/4oz jig head

Senko's

[scaleface]

I've been to these type of ponds . It doesnt matter what lure to use as long as its small . Often you catch a bass and there will be others following it . I use  something cheap and save my expensive baits for another day . A    Mister Twister Sassy Shad on a round jig head is another good choice. Might as well fillet some and improve the pond.

[Mobasser]

I fish one smaller lake with an 18" keep limit. The lake is loaded with bass in the 13" to 14" range. As has been said, Beetlespin, 4" worm, and small poppers work well. The Beetlespin covers the mid depths. Once it gets hot, the 4" worm catches the most fish for me.

[BlakeMolone]

If you just want to catch fish of any kind you just can’t beat a 2 inch white grub on a 1/16th or 1/8th ball head. I’ve even caught 5lb bass and 10lb catfish on them

[cal9323]

Well, we had 12 bass total. Some decent size ones as well. Here was our breakdown. Thanks to those who shared. 

2 - Paddletail Swimbait - Keitech

1 - Small Popper

1 - Beetle Spin (First cast of the day)

4 - 5” Senko

2 - 4” Stick bait

2 - Ned rig

[RoLo]

 

Worden's 1/8 oz Rooster tail

(R-bend eye rather than looped wire)

 

Roger

[Peddiesake]

Weightless 3” stick bait.

[J Francho]

On 6/8/2020 at 8:08 PM, looking45 said:

A 3"-5" curly tail grub on a 1/8" dart head.

I was gonna say a small twister tail grub and ball head.

[soflabasser]

Soft stickbaits are good lures for small to medium sized bass. You can also catch large bass with these lures. Other choices are inline spinners, small crankbaits, and other small lures.

[LCG]

I went out Kayaking in a pond last weekend and only brought Ned rigs. Caught 11 total, 5 good size ones. Zman TRD and zoom tiny brush hogs worked very well on a 1/16 oz ball head jig. Great day of fishing 

[Born 2 fish]

Wacky senko that’s one thing my youngest son kills it with.