What lures do you intend to use more in 2025?

[Swamp Girl]

Springing off the question/thread about the lures that catch 80% of your bass, what lures do you intend to use more in 2025 and why?

 

At the end of 2024, I started scoring with big walking baits and big Deps Sakamata Shad flukes. I'd had little success with walking baits and flukes prior to the fall of 2024, so I want to continue using them to see if they work as well in the spring as they did in the fall. I also want to use jerkbaits more because they're hard flukes and also because so many of you have reported catching big bass with them, especially in the spring. So, as I've grown comfy and confident twitching a fluke and walking baits, I hope to continue twitching with a jerkbait. 

[LrgmouthShad]

Jerkbait

Dropshot

Frog

Swimbaits 

[Skunkmaster-k]

With my arm healthy I intend on stroking a 1/2oz jig more this year. The jerkbait might get a little more play time too. 

And the blade bait this winter 

[MIbassyaker]

I always think I'm going to use a crankbait more than I do. A shallow- or medium-diver will get a little work earlier in the year, and then I'll put it aside for something else and never get back to using it again.

 

So maybe that, but i dunno...I just intend to use what the fish want.

 

[Swamp Girl]

2 minutes ago, MIbassyaker said:

I just intend to use what the fish want.

 

Just between you and me and I promise not to tell anyone else, what exactly do the fish want?

 

#yeahI'manidiot

[scaleface]

If the conditions are right I would like to throw a Bomber Long A Minnow with the tail prop more. It gets big bites .

[A-Jay]

I've already had some time to think about this one.

When the conditions aren't 'right' for a jerkbait bait early season.

instead of trying to force feed the Lake Menderchuck brown bass one,

I'm going to slow the whole show down a bit and fish a light hair jig and a

tube. 

Both have produced for me in the past but the last few years a jerkbait has dominated.

So it's been hard to put it down.

 

Additionally, there a decent chance the flat sided square bill will come into play as well.

 

My late summer/Fall approach will not change - it's been too good.

Topwater early morning, then an assortment of wiggle wagons,

spinnerbaits, shallow running crankbaits and old Faithful - The A-Rig.

Especially in any & all windy and or obscured sky conditions. 

A-Jay

 

 

[Swamp Girl]

@A-Jay: Andy, you are the most organized angler I've ever seen. Do you cringe when you see photos of my sloppy canoes? I nearly swoon when I see photos of your gear. @gim and some others are also ship-shape, but you're the best. 

[Jar11591]

Bladed jigs/chatterbaits. I’ve yet to unlock the magic with these. The success I’ve seen people have on them makes me want to get in on that action, but I just don’t have the confidence to throw often. Gonna spend a lot of time throwing it this year. 

[DinkDonkey30]

Given the conditions are right I plan on using big glides more often. I tried them a little bit last year but didn’t give them enough effort. Got my eyes opened to the success they can bring late last fall. I’m also planning on throwing punching setups more. I got some of my biggest bass punching. Swim and chatter baits are leaving the boat. I’ve thrown them for the last 3 years withouta single fish on either one. I know they are raved about but for me they are absolutely the worst things I own.

[Swamp Girl]

4 minutes ago, Jar11591 said:

Bladed jigs/chatterbaits. I’ve yet to unlock the magic with these. The success I’ve seen people have on them makes me want to get in on that action, but I just don’t have the confidence to throw often. Gonna spend a lot of time throwing it this year. 

 

When you read about those anglers who score with lures you don't use, don' cha wish you could sit in a boat with them and watch them fish? I wish YouTubers would aim a camera at their hands so that I could watch them work a lure I don't use or can't use well. 

[Pat Brown]

This year I'm getting back to my roots.  I'm gonna fish a lot of worms and jigs.

 

The frog and buzzbait will be close by at all times.  

 

Definitely big swimbaits and glide baits and Jerkbait mixed in there when conditions allow for it.

 

Not seeing much lipless happening this year - maybe the water will get muddy next winter.

[Swamp Girl]

2 minutes ago, DinkDonkey30 said:

Swim and chatter baits are leaving the boat. I’ve thrown them for the last 3 years withouta single fish on either one. I know they are raved about but for me they are absolutely the worst things I own.

 

I truly believe that we have the find the lures that work for our local bass. I use to fish with six or seven rods, each with a different lure, and switch rods continually throughout the morning, but now that I know what my local bass prefer, I fish with four rods and often two will have the same lure. 

[gim]

22 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

@gim and some others are also ship-shape

 

I'm generally an organized type A person though.  Everything has a home and I return it there when I'm done with it.  I hate clutter.  Sometimes I take my dog with in the boat and hooks or other things sitting out is just a big no no.

 

A visit to my Father's garage drives me up the wall.  There's crap laying around all over and he can never find what he needs when the time comes.  It drives my Mother crazy too.  She has to rent a commercial grade dumpster every couple years just to throw stuff out (I'm not kidding either).

[Catt]

Jig head & Minnow 

 

Got a real aversion to throwing exposed hooks

[Glenn]

All the lures in this thread

 

[Craig P]

I spent last year narrowing down lure selection to what works for me so I’ll continue with what has been working. That has come with a side effect though.  Since I am not buying as many variations of baits, I find myself spending more on those baits I do like.  I seem to have developed a special liking to megabass baits and purchased some pricey JDM chatterbaits and V9 spinbaits.  I can only hope they don’t catch! lol 

[MediumMouthBass]

Football jigs, lipless cranks, Chatterbaits, wacky rig, and ned rigs will be the main lures like always for me.

 

However this year i would like to try fishing crankbaits, jerkbaits, texas rigs, topwaters, spinnerbaits, swim jigs, finesse jigs, frogs, and tube jigs more. Ive used these years ago but most have faded away onto the shelves and tackle trays and havent had much if any use. So my confidence in them dwindled to the point if i did fish them they would get cut off after 10 minutes.

[Swamp Girl]

I'm out of reactions, but @Glenn's post made me LOL. 

 

30 minutes ago, MediumMouthBass said:

So my confidence in them dwindled to the point if i did fish them they would get cut off after 10 minutes.

 

^This^ is my issue. If I don't catch a bass pretty quickly on a new lure, I stop using it. Then I get stuck with the same old, same old.

[Tennessee Boy]

I'm planning to spend more time on smallmouth waters this year so I'll be fishing more smallmouth lures.  Which smallmouth lures will be determined by the fish.

[C.Tucks]

With the exception of walking topwater baits in the summer I typically gravitate towards finesse techniques so this year I want to try to round out my game by throwing more moving baits

jerkbaits and swimbaits in particular 

[MIbassyaker]

2 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

 

Just between you and me and I promise not to tell anyone else, what exactly do the fish want?

 

#yeahI'manidiot

 

You're the one who catches all the bass, you tell me! 😄

[Swamp Girl]

26 minutes ago, MIbassyaker said:

 

You're the one who catches all the bass, you tell me! 😄

 

Well, in Maine (YMMV!), they want Crush City Mayors on underspins pitched against shorelines. In the summer, they want spinnerbaits and underspins. In the fall, they want walking baits and flukes. And from spring through fall, they want poppers. 

 

This is all I know and only what I know, so I won't be taking any follow-up questions. 

 

#Itrulyamanidiot

[Rockhopper]

Crankbaits, large swimbaits, chatterbaits, and strolling.

[Bankbeater]

Jerkbaits and Lipless Crankbaits.  I've gotten away from using them the past few years.