Baits you plan on trying this year.

[softwateronly]

2 minutes ago, SAL321 said:

Jumping on the underpin bandwagon and investing in some more spy baits. 

 

I've had some serious smallmouth on the spy bait pop off. I'm going with a single hook as a hack I saw to see if I can get one of these hogs in the boat.

I like that idea, you're referring to switching out your spybait treble hooks with single plug hooks correct?  I'm kicking myself for not trying it sooner.

 

 

scott

 

[Munkin]

On 1/29/2024 at 9:39 AM, Friggs said:

The one I'm trying this year is a fluke. Never fished one before. I was very successful last year with baits I either never tried or never caught a fish on. Before last year I had never caught fish on a spinnerbait, jig, large worm 10" plus, or a shaky head. And trick worms. Both regular and magnum. These have become a favorite of mine. I caught fish on all of them. In fact a few were my most successful lures. I'm hoping to be successful again with the fluke. I'm thinking it might be one of my best lures of the year. I hope you are successful with your lures you are trying this year. Tight lines.

 

Bill

 

Amazes me when people say they are not using Flukes or a similar bait? I got started fishing a Fluke style bait with the Slug-go back in like 1989? Fished one of the Jr BassMasters Tournaments at 14 and the adult boat captain was asking me for tips after I caught so many fish. From May to October I have a Fluke tied on as it works so well. Only use a few colors as well; Pearl white, Albino, and a Grayish bait I pour myself in the Yamamoto color Natural Shad.

 

Allen

 

[RipzLipz]

@Munkin Same here minus the tournament aspect regarding a Slug-go. Taught myself how to fish it & detect bites prior to the next jerk (controlled slack). Always loved seeing a bass come up & turn on a Slug-go. Same went for a weightless Trick Worm. I caught tons of fish on them but the size was usually lacking other than around spawning period. I started fishing more "power fishing" type baits in search of better quality fish & it has consumed me.

[Munkin]

9 hours ago, RipzLipz said:

@Munkin Same here minus the tournament aspect regarding a Slug-go. Taught myself how to fish it & detect bites prior to the next jerk (controlled slack). Always loved seeing a bass come up & turn on a Slog-go. Same went for a weightless Trick Worm. I caught tons of fish on them but the size was usually lacking other than around spawning period. I started fishing more "power fishing" type baits in search of better quality fish & it has consumed me.

 

Flukes catch fish of all sizes for me not just smaller fish. During the summer usually the biggest fish caught is on a fluke or topwater.

 

Allen

[softwateronly]

I have some of the same problems as @RipzLipz, flukes get annihilated but the class of fish is usually subpar.  But I think it's about inefficient/ineffective presentation in my case.  I'm hoping a 5&7" profile lightly weighted, free rigged, or carolina rigged out in 15-20' of water will change that.  Large preacher jigs and swim jigs do damage out there for me, I think it would be smart to bring a "weightless" option to mix in.

 

scott

[the reel ess]

Some vintage and otherwise cool things I got from my late brother in law. I also plan to fish creeks/small rivers this year since I lost access to the private honey hole. So some smaller lures, swimbaits, grubs, etc.

 

[Team9nine]

16 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

Some vintage and otherwise cool things I got from my late brother in law. I also plan to fish creeks/small rivers this year since I lost access to the private honey hole. So some smaller lures, swimbaits, grubs, etc.

 

That last one is a fun bait…love catching fish on vintage stuff.

 

[Reel]

On 1/30/2024 at 6:29 PM, softwateronly said:

I like that idea, you're referring to switching out your spybait treble hooks with single plug hooks correct?  I'm kicking myself for not trying it sooner.

 

 

scott

 

I use spybaits regularly to catch large smallmouths, mostly I Props from Jackall that have really small hooks and tried the single hook at the back.  It didn't work out that well.  I went back to trebles using some really high end ones that flex less and that was an improvement.

[RipzLipz]

1 hour ago, Munkin said:

Flukes catch fish of all sizes for me not just smaller fish. During the summer usually the biggest fish caught is on a fluke or topwater.

I understand, and I am not disagreeing by any means, it just hasn’t produced the quality for me compared to a jig. Might be time to revisit it. Typically by end of June at latest, I am fishing at night.

[Pat Brown]

I'm going to try to catch fish on a Carolina rig this year....harder than I tried last year.   Which wasn't very hard.  Probably also gonna redouble my efforts with the free rig.  So far it got one nibble back in the fall and that's it. 😂

[casts_by_fly]

12 hours ago, Munkin said:

 

Amazes me when people say they are not using Flukes or a similar bait? I got started fishing a Fluke style bait with the Slug-go back in like 1989? Fished one of the Jr BassMasters Tournaments at 14 and the adult boat captain was asking me for tips after I caught so many fish. From May to October I have a Fluke tied on as it works so well. Only use a few colors as well; Pearl white, Albino, and a Grayish bait I pour myself in the Yamamoto color Natural Shad.

 

Allen

 

 

I too started fishing sluggos when they first came out 30 years ago.  My dad and I fished club tournaments and my grandma had a bait shop.  There wasn't the variety of baits available then and the sluggo was pretty unique.  I still have some original packaging 4.5" downstairs in pearl and (i think) smoke.  The baits themselves are a little stiff now so don't fish as well as a new one and I've retired them from the tackle bag.

 

That said, I was away from bass fishing for so long that I didn't keep up on soft jerkbaits. Last year I posted here in BR some questions and ended up ordering a couple types to try.  I'll be throwing them a lot more this year as they can fish like a walking topwater through all of the grass we get, but I can also drop them down into holes like a swim jig where bass tend to pounce on stuff.  

[herder]

Would like to try the Drift Fly if the price comes down, every time I see that name though I read it as Dwight Frye 😃

 

[WRB]

8 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

 

I too started fishing sluggos when they first came out 30 years ago.  My dad and I fished club tournaments and my grandma had a bait shop.  There wasn't the variety of baits available then and the sluggo was pretty unique.  I still have some original packaging 4.5" downstairs in pearl and (i think) smoke.  The baits themselves are a little stiff now so don't fish as well as a new one and I've retired them from the tackle bag.

 

That said, I was away from bass fishing for so long that I didn't keep up on soft jerkbaits. Last year I posted here in BR some questions and ended up ordering a couple types to try.  I'll be throwing them a lot more this year as they can fish like a walking topwater through all of the grass we get, but I can also drop them down into holes like a swim jig where bass tend to pounce on stuff.  

Put the Sluggo's in boiling water. Get the water boiling, remove the pan form the heat, add your Sluggo’s let sit for 5 minutes or so. Remove the Sluggo’s and lay straight to cool.

Good as new.

Tom

 

[WRB]

WI was just pondering what to use this weekend.

My hair jigs and Lefty’s Puff Ball he made for me go in the bag. US Bait co Reapers and Screamers, Fish Lab Nymphs along with standby Roboworms are going.

2 jars of pork rind, purple & brown along with Berkley 3” Chigger Craws GP.

Box of hard lures including LC Pointers, Custom Bomber 7A’s, a few pets, Top water Sammy & River, Twinspin, spinnerbait & buzzer, my standard hard baits.

Kietech Fat Impact with Owner Flashy Swimmer.

Enough to keep me busy for days outing.

Will add 5” Senko’s wacky rigged in another month and that should be my 2024 tackle bag.

Tom

[SAL321]

On 1/30/2024 at 6:29 PM, softwateronly said:

I like that idea, you're referring to switching out your spybait treble hooks with single plug hooks correct?  I'm kicking myself for not trying it sooner.

 

 

scott

 

Yep I saw this on a deck from a really good stick on Lake St Clair. I asked him about it and he said try a single hook hanging off the back and your hook up ratio will go up big time. He told me any straight shank light wire hook will work. 

[softwateronly]

1 hour ago, SAL321 said:

Yep I saw this on a deck from a really good stick on Lake St Clair. I asked him about it and he said try a single hook hanging off the back and your hook up ratio will go up big time. He told me any straight shank light wire hook will work. 

Nice!  Grabbed a gammy B10 stinger finesse size 1 on my last order, might be perfect.

 

scott

[A-Jay]

I'll be throwing the Megabass X-Nanahan +1 & Megabass X-Nanahan +2 Jerkbaits

around Lake Menderchuck this season. Both are pretty small baits when compared to

the standard Vision 110's.  Be fishing them on ML spinning Gear and light braid.

And while I did spend quite a bit of time fishing the Z-Man Chatterbait Mini Max

last season, with less than expected results, I'll be giving this one another go.

Although I am planning on changing how, where & when I fish it, compared to my initial attempts. 

I think I'm up for it.

A-Jay

 

[casts_by_fly]

13 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

 

And while I did spend quite a bit of time fishing the Z-Man Chatterbait Mini Max

last season, with less than expected results, I'll be giving this one another go.

Although I am planning on changing how, where & when I fish it, compared to my initial attempts. 

I think I'm up for it.

A-Jay

 

I’d love to hear your initial thoughts about why the mini was different for you vs the regular. I remember your thoughts going into the season why it should work. Was the regular size a good bait for you last year?
 

apologies if I missed your usual year in review post and covered this. 

[PhishLI]

On 2/1/2024 at 7:30 AM, Pat Brown said:

I'm going to try to catch fish on a Carolina rig this year....harder than I tried last year.

Same here. Got a few 6th Sense pre rigs.

6th Sense Carolina Pre-Rig Tungsten 1pk | Tackle Warehouse

[casts_by_fly]

11 hours ago, A-Jay said:

The standard Jackhammer has been a top big brown bass producer for me for I guess the past 3 seasons or so.  Several over 5 and a few over 6.  Just doesn't get much better than that for me.

https://youtu.be/o9xew3tWuuU?feature=shared&t=1013

Mini max was presented in much the same way, in the same places & at the same times.

No explanation why I didn't get anything close. 

Tough aspect of this is I don't really care what they eat, as long as they eat.

And if they are chewing the paint off one bait, why am I trying to force feed them something else ?

If after some productive time this season with little to no change in results,

I'll be dumping them..

Time will tell. 

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/258333-productive-baits-2023-~/

A-Jay

 

Thanks.  And thanks for the review link.  I did miss it the first time around.  A couple things in it already being implemented here on the desk.  

[KP Duty]

I want to try the molix short arm spinnerbait.  Quite diffetent than my Zorro short arm baits and looks like it would burn nicely.

 

 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Molix_Short_Arm_Spinnerbait/descpage-MSRSP.html

[gim]

On 2/1/2024 at 9:01 PM, A-Jay said:

And if they are chewing the paint off one bait, why am I trying to force feed them something else ?

I was thinking of trying the mini max myself but after the lack of success you posted about, I changed my mind.  I am going to stick with the standard size version.  Although I might try one of the new EVO ones.

 

I've had so much success with the elites and jackhammers, I see no reason to deviate.  If it's not broke, don't fix it.  Strike while the iron is hot.

[Cgolf]

After having some success with a big bite line through swimbait last year I am upping my soft swimbait game. Already bought some of the new Rapala 4” paddle tail swimbaits, hadn’t planned on it, but saw them at a store, some Largo Shad’s and a 6” mag draft. 
 

Need to get some 5” spark Shad’s and some beast coast baits too. Saw a video on the Nessie and it didn’t look half bad and maybe the cull shad. I know the Berkley baits are copies, but I can afford them. I did pick up an S waver I will work with too. 
 

Trying to not let this get too expensive. 

[Dogface]

45 minutes ago, Cgolf said:

Trying to not let this get too expensive. 

 

Not good! You're going to get the monkey PO'ed!! 😉

[DaubsNU1]

I have been a "beat-the-bank" fisherman all my life. With the new boat and electronics, I'm "seeing" deep structure that is just taunting me.  

 

The goal for this year is to catch fish in deeper water, and off-shore. I also want to target walleye and crappie more.