Same old, same old lures

[Swamp Girl]

When I fish, I use these lures 99% of the time: wacky Senko, frog, T-rigged Senko, paddletail, Whopper Plopper, Mepps, and wakebait. I'm fishing again on Thursday and I plan to have none of these on my six rods. I'm going with a T-rigged Rage Craw, a chrome Spook for smallmouth, a Livingston Bull Nose, a T-Rigged Mann's Jelly worm for old time's sake, a bigger walking the dog lure, and one more, TBD. 

[PhishLI]

39 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

When I fish, I use these lures 99% of the time: wacky Senko, frog, T-rigged Senko, paddletail, Whopper Plopper, Mepps, and wakebait. I'm fishing again on Thursday and I plan to have none of these on my six rods. I'm going with a T-rigged Rage Craw, a chrome Spook for smallmouth, a Livingston Bull Nose, a T-Rigged Mann's Jelly worm for old time's sake, a bigger walking the dog lure, and one more, TBD. 

Nothing wrong with switching things up, especially when you're playing with house money. It's a good opportunity to learn the best way(s) to present each bait.

[Pat Brown]

Honestly, I try to constantly shake things up.  It's often how I stumble on patterns, areas, baits and presentations that REALLY work well that I never thought of being something that would work.

 

I was having this discussion with my 10 year old son about lure choices.

 

He was pointing out that I rarely fish anything new or wild and I pointed out that the things that have worked forever will continue to work forever and they are the things worth our time in the end.

[WRB]

Kids have a way of trying new lures if you let them. My tackle was open to my son since he was pre teen. If I had in the box it was there to use.

Tommy would be bored of dragging a split shot worm and would re rig something completely inappropriate for the area we were fishing imo. Tommy caught some big fish doing silly things. He once tied on a Shurmy Shad aluminum spoon design for near surface bass feeding on shad and dropped straight down in 50’ of water and started catching big 2 lb slab crappie, 1 pushing 3 lbs! You never know unless you give it try.

Tom 

[WRB]

1 hour ago, ol'crickety said:

When I fish, I use these lures 99% of the time: wacky Senko, frog, T-rigged Senko, paddletail, Whopper Plopper, Mepps, and wakebait. I'm fishing again on Thursday and I plan to have none of these on my six rods. I'm going with a T-rigged Rage Craw, a chrome Spook for smallmouth, a Livingston Bull Nose, a T-Rigged Mann's Jelly worm for old time's sake, a bigger walking the dog lure, and one more, TBD. 

My favorite smaller dog walking  lure is Owner Cultiva Zip ‘n Ziggy baby bass color. 1/3rd oz 3 1/5” long, deadly lure.

Tom

[GreenPig]

Big walking bait. How big you gonna go?

[Spankey]

I have my favorite confidence baits. I find myself starting out with them. There was a time (for a long time) I’d throw them exclusively. Would buy some and never got used. But for quite a few years now I’ll throw in the 6th Sense, SPRO, Googan, Z-Man stuff I have. I’m a long time Rapala, Bomber and Bandit Junkie, swear by them. I have only limited numbers of cranks from these other manufactures but one I chose catch fish. Switch it up. Give them something different to look at. 

[softwateronly]

2 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

When I fish, I use these lures 99% of the time: wacky Senko, frog, T-rigged Senko, paddletail, Whopper Plopper, Mepps, and wakebait. I'm fishing again on Thursday and I plan to have none of these on my six rods. I'm going with a T-rigged Rage Craw, a chrome Spook for smallmouth, a Livingston Bull Nose, a T-Rigged Mann's Jelly worm for old time's sake, a bigger walking the dog lure, and one more, TBD. 

 

I think a finesse swim jig with a paddle tail should be your new addition.  It can handle your cover and should be effective swam straight or popped through the weeds/on the bottom.

 

scott 

[Catt]

Experience is the best teacher!

 

Kick Bass ?

[Swamp Girl]

Just now, softwateronly said:

 

I think a finesse swim jig with a paddle tail should be your new addition.  It can handle your cover and should be effective swam straight or popped through the weeds/on the bottom.

 

scott 

 

Scott, can you please give me a Tackle Warehouse link to one you like?

[softwateronly]

On 7/10/2023 at 3:15 PM, ol'crickety said:

 

Scott, can you please give me a Tackle Warehouse link to one you like?

You're spinning gear correct?  I throw this on a MH baitcaster with braid to leader absolutely no problem, I would think a medium would work just fine too.  This is all I use right now.

 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Dirty_Jigs_Finesse_Swim_Jig/descpage-DJFISWJ.html

 

I have used these before and liked them too.

 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Santone_Lures_Rayburn_Finesse_Swim_Jig/descpage-SNRYFSJ.html

 

Big fan of alabama bream, crappie, hematoma, and perch as colors, but I'm sure they all work.  If you're placing an order, these trailers work so well and last forever.

 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/search-tackle.html?start=0&count=30&searchtext=d+walker

 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Gambler_Little_EZ_375_Swimbaits_9pk/descpage-LITEZ.html

 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Gambler_EZ_Swimmer_425_Swimbaits_7pk/descpage-GTEZ.html

 

hammonds herring might be my favorite trailer color for either bream or crappie skirts

 

scott

 

 

[Woody B]

The way you catch bass you don't need to change anything.   

 

I try to pay attention to what other people are using and doing where I fish.  Most of the time I try to do something different.   If I stumble onto something "magic" I try to ride that until it's done.   

 

(I'm going to be long winded on this)  In the past I haven't believe in "colors" making much difference.  Just light, dark, natural, flashy ect.   Last month I think I accidently stumbled onto a magic color, at least for a while.   I had been doing real well with "Bloody Shad" colored bladed jigs, and "Sexy Shad" colored DT6's.   That bite pretty much went away.   I was still seeing what I believed to be Bass on sonar, in the same places, just couldn't get them to bite.    I like DT6's.  With the exception of the terrible hooks they come with they check a BUNCH of boxes for me.  They're wood, very light rattle, heavy enough to be easy to cast, but light enough for me to make them land like a feather.   However, being balsa, they're fragile.   I was down to 1, so I went by my local tackle shop to pick some up.  They were out of "Sexy Shad".   I bought several that were "Live River Shad".  My DT6 bite came back.  I think that color may look like a bluegill to some bass.   My bladed jig bite came back somewhat by switching to "Bluegill Flash" color.   My topwater bite has been pretty much non existent this year.  I normally use a chrome/silver Devils Horse, or a really dark colored one.   I thought about the bluegill thing, and switched to a "perch" colored one.   In the past couple weeks I've caught several on it, including a couple 3 pounder and one 5 pounder.   

 

I'm not ready to change my motoroil colored worms yet though.  I still manage one every now and then on them.   

[Swamp Girl]

Thanks so much, Scott. I'm placing an order tonight.

 

Yes, I mostly use spinning gear, but I do throw a couple baitcasters too. I actually dropped a baitcaster into the water today. It was only four feet of clear water, so I hooked it using a Whopper Plopper at the tip of another outfit.

[softwateronly]

That would be by far my best WP catch this year!  WP's and buzzbaits are lures I want to catch more fish on, but I just lose confidence on my lake.  I'm keeping one tied on though, trying to find the right time/place.

 

I hope they work for you like they do for me.  Your beautiful bog water looks like a perfect place to try them out.  They catch fish for me day or night, fast or slow, high in the water column or bouncing along the bottom.  Really really versatile.  Don't be afraid to throw them in the thickest junk, that head can get through all plant material.  5/16oz is my current favorite light weight head.  Best for me mid to higher in the water column and dropping into any holes.  

 

scott

 

 

[Swamp Girl]

Thanks so much, Scott. I bought the colors you suggested too. I am terrible at jig fishing for black bass. I've caught lots of white bass and walleyes with jigs, but not black bass and I know that they're one of the best lures. Time for me to catch up...I hope.

[softwateronly]

Thank you, jigs don't know what they're in for!  I'm sure I'll see a yellow bump board with a fat, dark green 20"+er soon enough. 

 

scott

[LrgmouthShad]

I am very old school. Not really set in my ways, but rather I just find myself using basic stuff most of the time. That’s spinnerbait, jig, and t-rig.  
 

I can and do toss other stuff, but I  sometimes astound myself how much I toss those three. 

[Mobasser]

Sometimes you kind of " rediscover" an old bait you haven't used in years, and it becomes new again. I rediscovered Mepps spinners last summer. I hadn't used one in several years. I like the #3 Black Fury.

[Catt]

13 hours ago, LrgmouthShad said:

I  sometimes astound myself how much I toss those three.

 

If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten!

 

I'm pretty satisfied with my results 

[volzfan59]

I'm with you @ol'crickety, I pretty much own every lure known to mankind, always purchased in quantities of 2 or 4. So much so they won't fit into my boat. I tend to fish the same thing, what I have confidence in, over and over. Of course one has to ask themselves the question, how do you gain confidence in lure X or presentation Z if you never give them an honest chance. Who knew bass fishing had such a dynamic?

[T-Billy]

On 7/10/2023 at 6:43 PM, Woody B said:

The way you catch bass you don't need to change anything.   

 

I try to pay attention to what other people are using and doing where I fish.  Most of the time I try to do something different.   If I stumble onto something "magic" I try to ride that until it's done.   

 

(I'm going to be long winded on this)  In the past I haven't believe in "colors" making much difference.  Just light, dark, natural, flashy ect.   Last month I think I accidently stumbled onto a magic color, at least for a while.   I had been doing real well with "Bloody Shad" colored bladed jigs, and "Sexy Shad" colored DT6's.   That bite pretty much went away.   I was still seeing what I believed to be Bass on sonar, in the same places, just couldn't get them to bite.    I like DT6's.  With the exception of the terrible hooks they come with they check a BUNCH of boxes for me.  They're wood, very light rattle, heavy enough to be easy to cast, but light enough for me to make them land like a feather.   However, being balsa, they're fragile.   I was down to 1, so I went by my local tackle shop to pick some up.  They were out of "Sexy Shad".   I bought several that were "Live River Shad".  My DT6 bite came back.  I think that color may look like a bluegill to some bass.   My bladed jig bite came back somewhat by switching to "Bluegill Flash" color.   My topwater bite has been pretty much non existent this year.  I normally use a chrome/silver Devils Horse, or a really dark colored one.   I thought about the bluegill thing, and switched to a "perch" colored one.   In the past couple weeks I've caught several on it, including a couple 3 pounder and one 5 pounder.   

 

I'm not ready to change my motoroil colored worms yet though.  I still manage one every now and then on them.   

My experience jives with yours Woody. My lakes have both shad and sunfish. LM seem to key on shad spring and fall, and transition to sunfish through the summer months.

 SM seem to stick with shad, minnows and craws unless there's a mayfly hatch going down. When there's a hatch on, my local smallies seem to single mindedly feed on them in the mornings. They'll be slurping bugs off the surface all around me at first light, and ingnore everything in my box including little maribu jigs.

[Big Hands]

In the Spring, my nephew gave me an Owner Flashy Swimmer with a Yamamoto swim worm on it that got me thinking. . . . I use Keitech Swing Impact paddletails on my Carolina rigs with excellent success. . . . 

 

So, I got some 4.8" Fat Swing Impact paddletails and 5/0 Flashy Swimmer (they're an underspin type jig with either a Colorado or willow blade underneath. I caught several nice bass dragging them through tules that were just sparse enough to get them through. I'll even throw them up against the edges of the dense tules. 

 

I was having so much success with them, I started finding other paddletail baits to use with them like Megabass Spark Shad, and also a bait made by Deps that has a tail more like a Fluke, but had a 'lip' that sticks up instead of down and gives the bait a wobble (in addition to the blade on the Flashy swimmer). So now, I have a box (two actually) dedicated to Flashy Swimmers in every size up to 8/0 (1/0, 3/0, 5/0, 6/0 & 8/0). I have caught bass on the 8/0 size using a bait called a Little Creeper. 

 

I use a pretty slow retrieve, just fast enough to turn the blades and get bit most  often when pulling them through and bouncing off of cover/tules in fairly shallow water (< 5 feet). Seems like something that could work in the water you fish.