Your most versatile lure/technique?

[Thad]

I'm just curious to see what you guys consider to be your most versatile lure/technique. I'm looking to add one lure/technique to the arsenal this coming winter for next season and I want to choose something versatile. Something I can gain confidence in no matter the situation. Now I know the jig will probably rule this discussion and if that's your choice that is fine but I'm looking for something that covers water a little faster.

I found myself not really having a confident bait this season and that has to change.

Thad

[BassFishingMachine]

Hmm, fast moving you say.. Then mine would have to be a single willow blade white/chart spinnerbait 1/4oz.

[EastTexasBassin]

If you're looking for something to cover water then I'd suggest a small soft plastic swimbait like BassMagic, The Money Minnow (yum), the Berkley hollow body swimbait, the Lake Fork Tackle Magic Shad, or Shadalicious by Strike King. They can be fished fast or slow, you can use them to find fish and then work it slow like a dying baitfish to really 'clean up'

My best method has been to cast it out and let it sink to the bottom, then use my rod to lift it 3 to 5 feet off of the bottom in one fast sweep- then let it sink to the bottom again. Watch your line on the fall because thats when they pick it up.

[Muddy]

JIGS

[Grey Wolf]

Spinner baits , you can fish them at any depth , fast or slow.

[Raul]

If I were to limit myslef to only three lures for the rest of my life they would be:

1.- Spinnerbait

2.- Jig

3.- 5" curly tail grub.

Why ?

Spinnerbait: you can fish it almost anywhere, deep, shallow, fast or slow

Jig: you can do a lot of things with it

Grub: you can rig it any way you want it, work it in practically any place and you can use it as a trailer for the jig and the spinnerbait.

[CWB]

Try a fluke or Z-Too. Can be fished like a spook but at different depth ranges. Paddle tail worms work good for fast wormin in cover.

[Castamasta]

jigs X2

[roadwarrior]

I don't have a "versatile lure/technique" for covering a lot of water,

but soft plastics and jigs will catch fish year around in all situations.

They may not be the "best choice" when bass seem focused on

baitfish, but they are always an option.

8-)

[Bassboss]

A spinner bait for sure, use them in cover and in open water, you can jig them like a jig, retrieve them like a crank bait and use them up top like a buzz bait (but of course with less buzz), they are good in almost all water clarities.

Next would be a chatter bait, only because they are less weedless, and won't get as much of a buzz from them. They would be a better jig though.

[garry77]

I'd have to say one of my most versatile lures this year has been the swim senko.As with any soft plastic you can rig it many different ways.Plus you can fish it fast,slow,or deadstick and the fish still seem to like it.Just something new that worked for me.

[detroit1]

Mine would be a dropshot. Any depth, any soft plastic,any cover,or any structure. You can cover alot of water without a lot of "downtime". (casting past your target, getting the bait to the depth or location you want, reeling back to make your next cast, etc.) Just my .02  

[BassinBoy]

Any type of plastic.  You can fish em fast, you can fish em slow. You can fish them on top, you can fish em down low.  Hop or swim them for a faster, more active presentation or shake them for a slower, more subtle presention.  My favorites are the tube, craw, senko, and ribbontail.

[Catt]

Texas rigged plastics

Are effective on top, at mid-depth, or on the bottom

Are effective winter, spring, summer, or fall

Are effective in thick vegetation, timber, & in rocks

Are effective on the east coast, west coast, third coast & every where in between

Come in a larger varity of sizes & colors than all other lures combined

[Muddy]

Hey Catt how do they do on frozen lakes?

[Brian_Reeves]

I'd say a half ouce jig.  Specifically of a bullet head or poison tail design.  You can swim them and easily control their depth.  This is the technique that I favor over spinnerbaits 90 percent of the time.  I can also keep one on and switch to flipping, pitching, dead sticking, hopping, dragging, stroking, popping, skipping, or probing deep, deep water bass.  A half ounce jig stays tied on at all times every single day that I'm on big water.  A smaller version for smaller ponds...same concept in mind.

And Catt's right.  Texas rigged soft plastics probably cover everything imaginable in bass fishing with slight changes to weights and hooks.  Pinning down which soft plastics can be a daunting task.

[Brian_Reeves]

Hey Catt how do they do on frozen lakes?

They work wonders in frozen lakes.  Just use a 300lb tungsten bullet sinker pegged with a broom stick.  You have to cast it WAY up in the air and make sure that it lands nose down.  Fish usually die upon impact and are washed up onto the ice by the tsunami.  You may need to upgrade your terminal tackle a bit though. ;D

["Lunker Hunter"]

I carry three rods, with a jig, soft plastic and either a spinnerbait or crankbait. When I am covering a lot of water I use a spinnerbait in the morning and evenings, and a crankbait in between. The plastic and jig are used when I find structure or cover and slow down and work an area.

[CWB]

5" Senko.

Anywhere, anytime

[Big Bait Fishing]

Mine would be a dropshot. Any depth, any soft plastic,any cover,or any structure. You can cover alot of water without a lot of "downtime". (casting past your target, getting the bait to the depth or location you want, reeling back to make your next cast, etc.) Just my .02

i have to say dropshoting also . nose hooked for open water or minimal vegatation , texas-rigged wide gap worm hook for thicker vegatation and rip-rap .

[FD.]

A bait similar to a Booyah Boogie Bait.  I have one tied on at all times with a black/blue skirt.  You can pitch it, flip it, burn it, crank it, slow roll, hop it.  And they catch big fish.

[basspro48]

Drop-shot and jigs are my two most versatile techniques, they both can be fished slow or fast, in any type of cover, and will catch fish in almost every situation.

[Speed Worm]

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[indy basser]

Here's a response you most likely weren't expecting but maybe stay away from a versatile technique.  Sometimes those are the hardest baits to gain confidence in.  For example a jig took a lot of time for me to develop confidence in.  I was always afraid that I was fishing it wrong. Even when I would catch a fish I would wonder if a diffrent presentation would work better and all that second guessing drains confidence.  A crankbait now is more of a simple bait.  Basically straight retrieve, or stop and go maybe some switch in retrieve speed.  The crankbait is a lure that is both simple to use but versatile in catching fish.

[Bassn Blvd]

10 inch T-rigged worm.