Lures

[Jonas Staggs]

Got heavily into bass fishing the last 5 years or so, since not fishing since I was a little kid. 

 

After the past few years of fishing regularly sometimes up to 5 days a week, I'm beginning to care alot less about the newest and greatest soft plastic with it's extra swirly tail or what not.

 

Seems to me, if they won't hit a senko or a lizard, they probably won't hit anything.

[Deleted account]

16 minutes ago, Jonas Staggs said:

Got heavily into bass fishing the last 5 years or so, since not fishing since I was a little kid. 

 

After the past few years of fishing regularly sometimes up to 5 days a week, I'm beginning to care alot less about the newest and greatest soft plastic with it's extra swirly tail or what not.

 

Seems to me, if they won't hit a senko or a lizard, they probably won't hit anything.

 

If it only took you 5 years to figure that out, then you are way ahead of the curb.

[scaleface]

19 minutes ago, Jonas Staggs said:

Seems to me, if they won't hit a senko or a lizard, they probably won't hit anything.

Plenty of times bass are not hitting such lures very well but crushing other baits .

[gim]

Tell that to @NorthernBasser.  He literally has a shed mostly full of various soft plastics.  LOL

[Mobasser]

Most times it's good to carry a few different things, to fish the whole water column. But, you don't need a huge amount of stuff. We don't know exactly where the fish are holding until we get there.

[Boomstick]

2 hours ago, Jonas Staggs said:

Seems to me, if they won't hit a senko or a lizard, they probably won't hit anything.

Sure they will! Try a nose hooked Roboworm Alive Shad or ned rig

 

But yeah, I see where you're coming from. There's always something new to try if you keep your eyes and wallet open...

[JediAmoeba]

IDK, I have seen many times where they are hammering other sift plastics and not the senko.

 

Case in point - Bluegill shaped soft plastics. 5 other guys were fishing a local community lake with Senkos and other things- I was fishing berkley gillies and caught over a dozen decent sized bass in short order. Also, salamander shaped baits are some of the worst in my neck of the woods because we have so many red-spotted newts that are toxic so they shy away from that profile.

 

But overall, the senko is probably the most consistent.

 

 

[Team9nine]

A little too limited in scope, and a bit of a wash in the expense category, but you’re at least sailing in the right direction 

[NorthernBasser]

2 hours ago, gimruis said:

Tell that to @NorthernBasser.  He literally has a shed mostly full of various soft plastics.  LOL

 

No hablo ingles. 

 

 

[MAN]

3 hours ago, Jonas Staggs said:

Got heavily into bass fishing the last 5 years or so, since not fishing since I was a little kid. 

 

After the past few years of fishing regularly sometimes up to 5 days a week, I'm beginning to care alot less about the newest and greatest soft plastic with it's extra swirly tail or what not.

 

Seems to me, if they won't hit a senko or a lizard, they probably won't hit anything.

I would say there's a little bit more you could add to that. But you defintly woudn't need more than a 3600 once you have honed in on you tried and true baits. 

[NorthernBasser]

I will say, all anglers should have at least 1 bag of Berkley Pit Boss in the Perfection Blue Fleck color with them at all times. 

[gim]

You should definitely have a mountain of purple plastic worms.  I bet @TnRiver46 has an underground bunker full of them.

[TnRiver46]

6 minutes ago, gimruis said:

You should definitely have a mountain of purple plastic worms.  I bet @TnRiver46 has an underground bunker full of them.

Every time I get a surplus, the fish chew thru my supply 

[Bankc]

I'm of the opinion that the bass will bite whatever you throw at them, so long as you throw it at the right place, during the right time, and retrieve it the right way.  Bass rarely care about action, color or profile, but care greatly about speed, timing and proximity.  

 

Then again, I'm also of the opinion that a chartreuse and black Norman Fat Boy is a magic squarebill that will catch bass with nothing else will.  And lipless crankbaits work better without hooks, because they snag less grass while still catching an equal number of fish.  

 

The moral of this story is I have no idea of what I'm doing and am in no position to offer advice on tackle to anyone.  And somehow knowing that hasn't stopped me from developing these deeply held yet self-contradictory beliefs.

[NorthernBasser]

15 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Every time I get a surplus, the fish chew thru my supply 

Sounds like a good problem to have! 

[Catt]

Probably 80% of the time I'm throwing a Ultravibe Speed Worm or Speed Craw. 

 

I'm more likely to change locations than lures. 

[Mobasser]

2 minutes ago, Catt said:

Probably 80% of the time I'm throwing a Ultravibe Speed Worm or Speed Craw. 

 

I'm more likely to change locations than lures. 

Plastic worm is the ticket most of the time for me too Catt.

[Susky River Rat]

Ned it or forget it.

[Craig P]

I personally don’t think you need many varieties of plastics. It amazes me how you can send the same plastic, add or subtract some weight or give a specific cadence and bang! Fish on!

[Cbump]

40 minutes ago, Bankc said:

Bass rarely care about action, color or profile, but care greatly about speed, timing and proximity.  

Did you ask them?

[Reel]

No, I don't agree !

 

If they don't hit a senko or a lizard, they will hit something else.

When I first started using senkos ( 1999), the fish would go crazy over them.  Now, Senkos are just another good lure. 

It might be the same for something else that's new.

[roadwarrior]

23 minutes ago, Reel said:

When I first started using senkos ( 1999), the fish would go crazy over them.  Now, Senkos are just another good lure. 

 Not for me. For largemouth bass the Senko is still the gold standard.

[river-rat]

 

 

When it comes to plastics I too rely on the Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Craw a great deal especially in Black/Red Glitter, White, and Sapphire Blue.

 

But I can't imagine not having a Texas rigged  4" flipping tube and a 4" Gene Larew Salt Craw in the boat.  

 

 

[WRB]

Recreational bass anglers tend to mimic what they see on video, fishing forums or read in magazines.

Bass are Bass but behave differently for each of the 4 primary species Northern LMB, Florida LMB, Smallmouth and Spotted bass. Florida being the most selective feeders I have encounter over 60 years trying to figure what these bass are willing to strike.

Soft plastics appeal bass that are active to neutral mood and the largest population most of the time you are on the water, a high percentage lures that covers the water column. The Lowly Worm is by far the most productive over the past 60 years in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Jigs are more difficult to use and detect strike but also very effective lure.

Soft frogs and toads are very effective depending on the bass location.

Faster moving hard baits from diving crank baits, spinnerbaits, surface buzz baits, walking surface lures, opting surface lures, Minnow shaped slender lures including jerk baits all catch bass if you use them.

If restrict your lure selection to only soft plastics you will miss out on the excitement of top water strikes, the skills needed to catch bass on every type of lure. A bag full of soft plastics, hooks and weights will catch bass of all types a high % of the time. If catching bass is your only goal a carton full of Canadian night crawlers gets it done better then soft plastics.

Tom

[A-Jay]

Regardless of my on board soft plastic or trailer selection and associated supply,

the Best Bait of any day Will Forever be

whatever bait/color I have the very least of with me.

And to take it a step further, once I 're-supply' and head back out.

That particular bait might never get another bite. 

#truethat

?

A-Jay