limited tackle on new lakes

[TrippyJai]

i'm new to the forum so i want to start off by saying nice to meet you all.

if you were to limit yourself to only 5 or so lures or baits to fish with all season what would they be? this is for largemouth and smallmouth bass.

please be specific with the colours and take these things into consideration:

1) its a new lake and you don't know anything about it. eg. water conditions, if the lake is weedy, etc.

2) you only have a motor rental boat with no gps or depth finder. where do you start fish if the locals don't give you any tips and the lake is big?

the reason why i'm asking these questions is because i always fish new lakes in a rental boat and on a limited amount of time and money, so i want to make the best of my trips.

[quant PT]

Welcome to the forums!

Baits I would recommend:  Senko, Sweet Beaver, Zoom Horny toad.  Fat Ika,  Zoom Super Fluke and rage tail shad.   If your tryng to keep it simple use natural and dark colors ( watermellon, green pumpkin, black etc.). I think you could fish anywhere anytime with these baits and catch fish.   Also, the soft plastics will let you get away with one all purpose 6'6"-7' MH rod

If you don't have any electronics, stay near shore and look for obvious structure - Laydowns, rock, stumps, docks - things you can see that serve as structure for bass.  

Good Luck!

[Gatorbassman]

Welcome,

That a pretty good question.

1. weightless Super Fluke

2. Green Pumpkin Finesse worm on a Spot Remover Jig head with the tail dipped in JJ's Magic.

3. Bandit Flat Maxx crankbait

4. C-Rigged Trickworm dipped in JJ's

5. Dropshot Aaron's Magic 4.5" Roboworm

[roadwarrior]

You don't need much to catch a few bass:

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1158577137

8-)

[Chris at Tech]

1) tandem spinnerbait in white/chartreuse

2) chrome lipless crankbait

3) green pumpkin trick worm (I'm counting this as 1 bait so you can t-rig, c-rig, split-shot, or fish weightless)

4) 1/4 oz black/blue jig (I'm not a great jig fisherman, but I'd recommend this clearly to pitch to visible cover like stumps, docks, etc)

5) Berkley Chigger Craw

[Chad.]

White double tandem spinnerbait

A koopers live target  lipless crank

*** baby brush bug grn pumkin charttail.

A trick stick shimmer shad

For sure a black and blue flipping tube.

[TrippyJai]

i actually have a lot of lures and baits because i used to collect them when i was younger, but never really used them to fish with. some are still in their original packages like the pointer 78sp's and a few fat free shad colors that i can't find anymore.

i remember taking my allowance money and would go buy fishing lures instead of baseball cards or whatever else we used to collect.

anyways, like i said, i have a lot of lures, but i seem to only use these ones only.

1) weightless 6" berkley power slug in pumpkinseed colour (can't get these anymore, but my uncle ordered 5x100 pack b/c he loves them so much)

2) a DW spinnerbait in chart.

3) x-rap jerkbait

4) a buzzbait

5) a medium depth crankbait - pearl colour

[Aaron]

1/2 oz Chrome & Blue rattle trap

3/8 oz Black & blue jig w/ blue berkley super chunk trailer

Watermelon senkos

Chartreuse trick worms

Rapala DT-6 Black & Silver

[LCpointerKILLA]

5 inch senko, any watermelon or pumpkin variation.

T-rigged curl tail worm, preferably a 7.5 inch culprit if this is a very weedy lake. Similar color schemes, preferably red shad

Lipless crank preferably a Yo-zuri rattlin vibe in baby bass or ghost ayu (depending on the water clarity and sunlight) or a Lucky craft LV 500 in ghost minnow or american shad

Start off with the Lipless crank and try to cover a lot of water. If you pick up a couple fish in the same area think about slowing down and throwing that senko or culprit worm through that same area.

This is my technique for a new body of water.

[Muddy]

LMB:

5/8 ounce black Jitterbug

F11 or J11 Original floating Rapala Silver/black back

5" Slaty Trick Stick(***) Watermelon/purple swirl 4/0EWG hooks

Football Jig heads with a 4.5 inch *** Beaver Craw

Shaky head jighead with a 3.5 inch *** Brush Bug

Rapala DT 16 in Crawfish or bream

Storm Model 8A Crank in Crawfish

[Pigsticker]

1. 5in slim senkos any color wacky,weightless rigged or t-rigged 2/0-3/0 extra wide gap,offset,or straight shank doesnt matter

2. 5in swim senkos weightless rigged,wacky rigged, or t-rigged with a 1/4oz bullet weight(weighted is the best option) 5/0 ewg hook

3. gambler cane toad any color rigged weightless on a 5/0 hook

4. Gambler 10in ribbontail worm any color

5.  flapping hog by GYCB weightless t-rigged on a 2/0-3/0 ewg hook

[Munkin]

1. LC RC 1.5

2. Zoom finesse worm green pumkin

3. Kinami flash 4" Natural shad

4. 4" Berkley power worm black

5. Brownish finesse jig w/green pumkin trailer

Other things that have been working are;

White buzzbait

Chart/white spinnerbait

3" Berkley power bait drop shot worm

Allen

[CookieMonst3r]

- Strike King Series 5 Crankbait (Sexy Shad)

- Zoom Trick Worm (Pumpkinseed)

- Terminator Spinnerbait (Just about any color)

- Rage Tail Shad (Smokey Shad)

- Strike King Bitsy Bug Jig (Black/Blue)

5 or 6" Senkos are also great in Watermelon Blk Flakes.

[Newman12Fan]

1.  6" worm t-rigged, watermelon or pumpkinseed color.

2.  replacement worm for when you lose number 1.

3.  replacement worm for when you lose number 2.

4.  replacement worm for when you lose number 3.

5.  replacement worm for when you lose number 4.

Then go buy more worms.

As you can see, I like to keep in simple and usually use worms!!

[TrippyJai]

thank you all for the replies... =)

[XbassmasterX]

top 5 is tough if you have no idea so i would try to keep it simple with natural colors not in order

x-rap size 8 (either slivers or the perch)

senko style bait rigged weightless and wacky or ribbon tail in               7.5"            worms

frog (watermellon is good greneral color ) if you have pads or heavy cover

jigs in different weights and grubs

then some sort of topwater chug bug  , hula popper its your call here

[Captain Chaos II]

Get a portable depth finder....usually around $100.  Not great on actually identfying fish but does a good job on depths and temperature.  Kinda fishing in the blind without one.....look for any irregularities on the bottom and helps when finding good deep spots.

+Welcome aboard.

[Jack Handey]

Rage Tail Craw - green pumpkin, 1/8 oz, t-rig

5" Senko - green pumpkin, wacky, weightless

Lethal Weapon Swim Jig, 3/8 oz. blue/black

Swamp Donkey - black

Johnson Silver Minnow - 3/4 oz gold, gold w black boogie tail