Inexpensive baits that work

scaleface · September 23, 2022

The Original Lunker Lure

Drawdown · September 23, 2022

Plastics:

Zoom Trick Worm

Zoom UV Speed Craw

Zoom Z-Drop (my favorite drop shot bait)

5” BPS Stick-O Worms and 3” Stick-O Minnows (like a weightless mini soft jerk bait/topwater)

Hard baits:

Berkley Bullet Popper (80 size)

Booyah Buzz Baits

1/16 or 1/8oz Jig head + “crappie” curly tail grub (catch literally any freshwater species on multiple trips for less than $5 in lure costs)

Jigfishn10 · September 23, 2022

Lunker City Slug-O

Happybeerbuzz · September 23, 2022

H2O hard baits in general from Academy have been really great. When they go on sale, it is almost too good to be true. With that said, there was another thread suggesting they may have been discontinued because people are reporting them on clearance.

suzuki2903 · September 23, 2022

Bps stik-o is very underrated and the next best thing to a Yamamoto senko

cotton Cordell , change the hooks are you’re good to go ! Walmart always has them cheap.

Jigfishn10 · September 23, 2022

I forgot about the bucktail jig with a zonker strip trailer.

Occasionaly, I may have put on a little MegaStrike from time to time.

KSanford33 · September 23, 2022

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this yet, but if you go to any Wal-Mart, they usually have a clearance bin full of Cotton Cordell Spots and a bunch of discontinued soft plastics. Like @Bankc said, when you get them out of the clearance bin, you don't mind throwing them anywhere. Whereas my $15 Jackhammer, that's a different story...

BlakeMolone · September 23, 2022

16 hours ago, Munkin said:

So, I see on here all the time when people ask for bait recommendations and expensive baits like Megabass, etc, come up. Well based on a person's situation not everyone can buy a dozen Vision 110's. Wanted to start a thread about inexpensive baits that work but don't cost a mortgage payment to buy 4 of them. I ask that everyone adds to my list but don't just name a bait you caught some fish on last week? Please list tried and true baits that have performed for you for several seasons.

Crankbaits= Bandit baits from the footloose to the 300 just flat-out work and make my top 5 crankbait list no matter what the price. Manns baby1- no better sub 2' crankbait has ever been made and my PB crankbait fish of 6-1 was caught on this bait. SK 4 and 5 series deeper divers are the only bait I can consistently catch fish over 10' and I only use 4 different colors. Rebel Deep Wee-R, heard this way discontinued but I still see them at Wal-Mart so I don't know? What I do know is they are a silent fish catching machine, but you may want to change the stock hooks out?

Jerkbaits= I am just going to reference the ones that work for me? I say that because apparently, I am the only jerkbait fisherman in the US who can't catch a fish on the X-Rap. Smithwick Rogue- KVD won a Bassmasters Classic on this bait in like 2005? I have been using then since about 2001 and they just work, Rapala Husky Jerk- this one works great for me overall but does better in Lakes than it does the river.

Allen

Do you fish the huskie jerks on casting gear? Just got my first hj10 and the action is actually pretty fantastic but man does it cast like a potato chip.

fin · September 23, 2022

2 hours ago, Happybeerbuzz said:

H2O hard baits in general from Academy have been really great. When they go on sale, it is almost too good to be true. With that said, there was another thread suggesting they may have been discontinued because people are reporting them on clearance.

That might have been me saying that. (edit: Oh, I see now there's a new thread about it.) I don't know about discontinued for everything, but it looks like they are making some kind of change. I was in there a couple weeks after that comment and took this picture. This was on 9/12.

They are my best hard bait deal. I hope they don't go away.

Edited September 23, 2022 by fin

Bluebasser86 · September 23, 2022

10 hours ago, Catt said:

Mister Twister Phenom Curly Tail Worm 20pk

$2.99

One of the deadliest worms y'all don't throw!

I love the Poc-it Phenom. I've got a couple 100 packs and several smaller packs in the boat.

fin · September 23, 2022

I wish I could find a cheaper trick worm, but I wouldn’t be able to get the exact Zoom colors I love.

The little 6-12 inch bass are destroying my worm inventory this time of year. I can catch several 3-4# bass on a trick worm before it gets worn out, but let those little buggers hit it one time and then they go into a conniption fit and ruin the worm almost every single time. 25 cents is nothing when you’re catching decent size fish, it starts to hurt when you’re catching nothing but dinks.

Aaron_H · September 23, 2022

12 hours ago, Catt said:

Mister Twister Phenom Curly Tail Worm 20pk

$2.99

One of the deadliest worms y'all don't throw!

This was my dad's #1 worm for many, many years, caught his 8.5lb PB on it. I picked up a few packs a couple of years ago, they still have the magic. Nothing big on them, yet, though, but some day. I like their 5" SinSation bait also, solid swimjig trailer.

And I have to throw another vote behind the H2O line, and especially that Ultimate Jerk Shad. I'm still a newbie to jerkbaits, but it has caught my three biggest bass of this year so far, including two double digits. For six bucks, that lure is no joke.

Log Catcher · September 23, 2022

I like the Bandits, Academy H2O baits, and the Norman Middle N and Baby N, and Deep Baby N. Zoom Baby Brush Hog, Ultra Vibe Speed Craw, and Ultra Vibe Speed Worm.

Munkin · September 24, 2022

9 hours ago, Dirtyeggroll said:

The Cabela's Mean Eye Jerkbaits work pretty good. Got the one pictured for $1.99 during a sale. Caught a 32lb bag with it that day and multiple 20+-lb bags since then.