That ALWAYS works....

[Hook2Jaw]

I would fish the 9 rigs that I stole from @MN Fisher while he threw his swimjig. 

 

However, if @J Francho stole 8 from me, I'd hopefully be left with a medium power spinning rod and a green pumpkin stick worm.

[MN Fisher]

14 minutes ago, Hook2Jaw said:

I would fish the 9 rigs that I stole from @MN Fisher while he threw his swimjig. 

Hope you like fishing with 'budget' gear.

Two Mitchell RZT, two Trion and one President - spinning reels are half my arsenal...best rod in that group is a Fury - rest are $50 and less rods.

[Jaderose]

Senko

 

[Hook2Jaw]

1 hour ago, MN Fisher said:

Hope you like fishing with 'budget' gear.

Two Mitchell RZT, two Trion and one President - spinning reels are half my arsenal...best rod in that group is a Fury - rest are $50 and less rods.

I fish with budget gear and a few gems mixed in.  My most expensive stick is a St. Croix LTB, but my current favorite stick is a 99 dollar Tatula XT. 

 

They'll all get it done.  I do prefer sensitivity for bottom contact, but I fished an Aird-X and Fuego for a long time for everything.  Shoot, you mention a Trion and it takes me way back to my first stops on BR looking for a good budget spinning reel.  That ended up being the one on a Berkley Lightning Rod Shock.  I caught an insane amount of fish on that combo with a Texas rigged Senko or Dinger.

[MN Fisher]

1 minute ago, Hook2Jaw said:

Shoot, you mention a Trion and it takes me way back to my first stops on BR looking for a good budget spinning reel.  That ended up being the one on a Berkley Lightning Rod Shock.

Ya - one of my Trions is on a M/F Aird-X - the other on an Okuma Stratus VI (DSG special) MH/M that I got for $50.

[scaleface]

Heres my choice . An Alabama rig with a spinnerbait , buzzbait , crankbait , lipless crankbait , Texas rig worm and a jig attached to it . Then I just remove the one I want to use .?

[Ben77]

A weightless yamamoto senko in a black blue fleck would be my first choice. 

[MassYak85]

Jig is probably the most versatile but my confidence bait is a spinnerbait. I usually put them away once the water gets into the low 40s just cause of the way I fish them.

[FryDog62]

All season long - from ice out to ice up - I would say the most versatile is an old standby:  Northland Tackle Mimic Minnow “SPIN.”

 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Northland_Tackle_Mimic_Minnow_Spin/descpage-NLTMMSP.html

 

Sometimes up here in the North in the spring a standard size spinnerbait or even many plastics are just a bit too large a profile early season.  
 

The compact Mimic Spin produces then - as well as throughout the rest of the year although I move to other lures as the season progresses. Sometimes mid-Summer or Fall I pull the Mimic Spin back out and it works great then too.
 

Since it’s more compact than a spinnerbait I will sometimes use it to cast in windy conditions... works very well year round, everything hits it - LMB, SMB, White Bass, pike, walleyes, etc. 

 

[Teal]

Always works...ummm none.  Most productive that work for me from January to December, jig, spinnerbaits, lipless crank and A rig are staples for me.   I can keep them rigged up year round.  I do hit a slow spell with the lipless in winter, but it's such a good search bait I keep one on.  Jig and spinner bait easily my top two.  Jerkbait doesnt always work from January to december for me, but just the same I keep one tied on or close by

[Steelhead]

On 11/9/2020 at 8:57 PM, RyneB said:

Ned rig, and its not even close

 

On 11/10/2020 at 6:24 AM, DSTN said:

Definitely the ned rig for me, specifically a 1/16 oz jig head and a TRD.

 

+2

 

[Fishes in trees]

Continuing on the subject of stuff that  " ALWAYS WORKS".  I have found that this past season that a Bell's Light Hearted Ale has always worked to improve my fishing attitude in the short term.

Imported into Missouri all the way from Comstock, Michigan,  Low Carb, Lower Alcohol content and mighty hoppy taste, this might be the perfect fishing beer.

 

I say might be - fact is that there are other products in contention.   Founders All Day IPA  -  Lagunitas Day Time IPA  -   Firestone/Walker  Easy Jack & Sky Jack are also in contention.   Right now though, the Light Hearted Ale is the club house leader.    There are a couple of Colorado low alcohol IPA's that currently are in outside contention.  They might be better contenders if they were more readily available.

 

Another thing I know that always works.   Space Dust from Elysian Brewing in Seattle is NOT a fishing beer.   At 60 some IBU's and 8% alcohol, it is a crack one (or 2) after truck is parked, everything is plugged, fishing shed doors closed and not going anywhere for the rest of the night beer.

[Spankey]

Banjo Minnow

[roadwarrior]

25 minutes ago, Fishes in trees said:

Continuing on the subject of stuff that  " ALWAYS WORKS".  I have found that this past season that a Bell's Light Hearted Ale has always worked to improve my fishing attitude in the short term.

Imported into Missouri all the way from Comstock, Michigan,  Low Carb, Lower Alcohol content and mighty hoppy taste, this might be the perfect fishing beer.

 

I say might be - fact is that there are other products in contention.   Founders All Day IPA  -  Lagunitas Day Time IPA  -   Firestone/Walker  Easy Jack & Sky Jack are also in contention.   Right now though, the Light Hearted Ale is the club house leader.    There are a couple of Colorado low alcohol IPA's that currently are in outside contention.  They might be better contenders if they were more readily available.

 

Another thing I know that always works.   Space Dust from Elysian Brewing in Seattle is NOT a fishing beer.   At 60 some IBU's and 8% alcohol, it is a crack one (or 2) after truck is parked, everything is plugged, fishing shed doors closed and not going anywhere for the rest of the night beer.

Surprising...

Not many in our generation like "millennials" beer. Heavy hops do not appeal

to my tastes.  I prefer aged rice...Bu...Bu..Bu...Budweiser.

 

[MN Fisher]

Just now, roadwarrior said:

Surprising...

Not many in our generation like "millennials" beer. Heavy hops do not appeal

to my tastes.  I prefer aged rice...Bu...Bu..Bu...Budweiser.

I was a Guinness man until being introduced to Murphys...now that's the only brew I drink.

[ajschn06]

On 11/11/2020 at 9:12 AM, Teal said:

Always works...ummm none.  Most productive that work for me from January to December, jig, spinnerbaits, lipless crank and A rig are staples for me.   I can keep them rigged up year round.  I do hit a slow spell with the lipless in winter, but it's such a good search bait I keep one on.  Jig and spinner bait easily my top two.  Jerkbait doesnt always work from January to december for me, but just the same I keep one tied on or close by

A few times that's been mentioned- nothing ALWAYS works.  Are we sure that's true. I feel like, for the most part, Hackney could go on any body of water at any time of year and catch fish on a jig.  Similar thoughts for Omori and a squarebill.  Might not be the best option, might not catch the biggest or most fish, but they could always catch them...

[dgkasper58]

2 hours ago, Spankey said:

Banjo Minnow

I was seriously debating even if I should write it on here lol... I have done so much better on a banjo then a fluke its insane.

 

I would have to say Texas rig #1 though, banjo #2, and jerkbait/jig #3.

[Fishes in trees]

I don't see my beer choices as " Millennial" beer.   My choices are more political than that.   A long time ago I became not a big fan of the political choices that mega-breweries make (most especially the mega -brewery that is headquartered in Missouri.  So I looked around for alternatives - went through a number of imports, then  I met the guy who started Boulevard Brewing in KC, he was 2 or 3 years into the process at the time.  Mostly I liked the idea of beer with no preservatives in it (with the exception of hops which tend to act as a natural preservative ).  Now, after a decade and a half of sampling different craft beers (only the ones which are available in the KC Metro area market ) I've decided that I currently like lo-cal - lo- carb, low alcohol and heavily hopped beers.   This doesn't make me a beer bigot.  From time to time I consume other beers.   Summertime - 80+ degree days - it is hard to beat an ice cold Shiner Ruby Redbird, for instance.

 

Back to the original topic - What always works . . ..    I find that when the fishing is poor, most of the times I'm just not looking at the situation right and a Light Hearted Ale seems to adjust my attitude and give me some confidence,  or I just tell myself, Hey, I'm just fishing for big fish - I don't care about little fish and I know big fish only come around every so often.

[Spankey]

16 hours ago, dgkasper58 said:

I was seriously debating even if I should write it on here lol... I have done so much better on a banjo then a fluke its insane.

 

I would have to say Texas rig #1 though, banjo #2, and jerkbait/jig #3.

I’m just joking around. Old commercial that popped in my head. It was like a 500 piece kit of some type. My other favorite commercial was the lure that lit up. Think it put out some special secret vibration. 
 

But I sure many have caught fish on these. To each his own. 

[dgkasper58]

On 11/13/2020 at 5:29 AM, Spankey said:

I’m just joking around. Old commercial that popped in my head. It was like a 500 piece kit of some type. My other favorite commercial was the lure that lit up. Think it put out some special secret vibration. 
 

But I sure many have caught fish on these. To each his own. 

I am not ? Probably well over 1000 fish on this bait throughout the years.

 

I have so many Ver 1 minnows still (version 2 were terrible) but I have since changed a few hardware things to my liking since I did not like their hooks.

[OCdockskipper]

On 11/10/2020 at 3:33 PM, scaleface said:

Heres my choice . An Alabama rig with a spinnerbait , buzzbait , crankbait , lipless crankbait , Texas rig worm and a jig attached to it . Then I just remove the one I want to use .?

I REALLY want to see someone throw that!!

 

 

 

My choice is a Ned Rig.

 

Over the years, I have noticed that if I am not getting bit with most other lures/techniques, my thought process is they want something else, at a different speed or different depth.  If I am not getting bit with a Ned rig, then my mind goes to "There are no bass here".

 

However, that doesn't mean a Ned rig is always the best tool for the job, but it often helps me figure out what that tool is.

[Spankey]

On 11/14/2020 at 1:55 PM, dgkasper58 said:

I am not ? Probably well over 1000 fish on this bait throughout the years.

 

I have so many Ver 1 minnows still (version 2 were terrible) but I have since changed a few hardware things to my liking since I did not like their hooks.

I have not seen that info around in a long time. Are you still able to get them? 

[Elkins45]

If I were starving to death and had to catch a bass to survive I would fish a 6” worm in purple, blue or black rigged Texas style. But I suck as a fisherman so who cares what I think?

 

My deceased uncle said a grenade tied to a railroad spike was a pretty good producer, but his supply of grenades dried up sometime in the late 90’s so he pretty much quit fishing after that. ?

[crypt]

worm...any worm.......t-rigged primarily.

[dgkasper58]

On 11/17/2020 at 7:41 AM, Spankey said:

I have not seen that info around in a long time. Are you still able to get them? 

Not that I am aware of but they may be out there. An unopened original is on ebay for like 110 (LOL)

At first it was a simple plastic minnow 

Then they added eyes 

Then Fat head

Then the ribbed style

Then whatever they are selling now.

 

The reason I think I do so well on them is because of the size- its a 2.5-3" minnow that is thin and flat.  Once it bends a little off it doesn't keep gliding like a caffeine shad or super fluke- It stops and goes straight down.  I have fished tiny and regular zoom flukes using the same set up and have had success (just not as much as the banjo- not sure if the tail in the horizontal position changes anything from the fish's perspective).

 

Just like anything there is a right tool for the job at different time and I have a lot of confidence in it, but still don't think it beats that worm!