When Times are Tough

[chaosnut]

When the bite gets tough what Lure do you fall back on? Even if you know it's not right for the situation but you feel that you fish it good enough to be able to at least get 1 bite at any given time. What is that lure/Technique?

I'm talking about the lure that you sit and think about at work, the one where if your wife would let you, you would have a place for it on the wall. I mean the Almighty, the one where trumpets should sound when you get ready to tie it on lure. Thats the one I'm talking about.

[Bassackward]

Senko.......keep it simple in tough conditions.  Can fish it deadsticking or like a fluke..both work

[paulheelsc]

Arkansas Shad fluke, bless the heart of that inventor

[powerman970]

watermelon candy Zoom finesse worm, Texas rigged on a 1/0 hook with 1/8 oz. weight with the tip of the tail dipped in Spike-it.  Beat the bank and I'm guaranteed a bite even under the worst conditions.

[Alpster]

7-1/2" Culprit worm. Texas rigged with a bullet weight.

Ronnie

[Bob Kavanaugh]

1/8oz Shaky head with a Zoom finesse worm.

[CJ]

I guess it's a 6" Mann's Finesse Worm on a shakey head. I can drag it slow on bottom or hop it high in the water column. Dad always mentioned how a bass is more likely to eat something that isn't spiney or scaley and would be easy prey when the bite is tough.

Some more food for thought:

I feel alot of fisherman make the mistake of blaming their lack of daily success on the fish's feeding mood. Alot of times it's their positioning relative to cover or bottom contour. That meaning, are they looking up to eat or are the foraging on the bottom? Or is it just local all togather?

However, if I feel the fish are in a negative feeding mood I first go after a reaction strike. Then I pick up the finesse worm which I am comfortable fishing in all water columns at any depth.

CJ

[Pond Hopper]

Depends on the time of the year.  Early in the year it would be a jig or a creature type bait on a shakey head.  In the summer I would say a 10 inch worm texas rigged and fished slow.  Either way when the fish slow down so do I.

[jrhennecke]

4" Yum Dinger T-rigged weightless on a red Gammie.

[ohiobassmaster93]

shaky head...with the berkly finesse worm

[BassFishingMachine]

For the winter months, its a 2inch(its small, im guessing 2inch) rapala huskyjerk.

For the warmer months its a GYCB Kut-Tail, t-rigged weightless.

[island bassin]

senko

[Catt]

Texas Rigged Plastic  

[Bassin_Fin@tic]

4" Yum Dinger T-rigged weightless on a red Gammie.

X2 Can be used in different areas of the water collumn. If the bite is that tough, I'll go with the 4 incher.Also take that and make a splitshot rig to cover more water.

This lure can give me confidence when the fish gods are punishing me.

Edit:I would have to agree with bassfishingmachine that during the hot months a GYCB kut tail weightless is just an unfair advantage sometimes.

[Dean]

The senko never fails

[fathom]

1/8 ballhead/zoom finesse.

4" senko is close.

[low_pro]

Texas Rigged Plastic

x2!

Charlie's Worm or Lizard with 1/16-1/8 black bullet weight

[Tin]

1/4 straight black jig or a green pumpkin 4.75" finesse worm with a screw in it.

Always gets the job done. 8-)

[.dsaavedra.]

my go to when times are tough would be a 4" *** in junebug.

in a VERY close second would the the original floating rapala in silver size 11. seems i can always squeak out a few on this bait when i fish it in cover.

[Chad.]

worm and bobber when things are really tough ;D

[HesterIsGod]

when all else fails i go with:

search bait: swimming a 3 or 5 inch KALINS grub on a jighead

saturater: 4 inch ringworm on a drop shot.

[MN Basser]

Either a 1/2oz Football jig, or a 1/2oz all-terrain jig

[set_the_hook]

dropshot 4inch sculpin

[brianbjk]

for shallow up to 5-6 ft 5 inch yum dinger watermelon red flake wacky rigged and for anything deeper samething only t-rigged 1/8 - 1/4 oz tungsten bullet weight

[EastTexasBassin]

A GYCB Flappin Hog t-rigged or a Lake Fork Tackle magic shad