Most effective techniques

[roadwarrior]

Overall: Still Soft plastics, but my #1 producer for numbers of largemouth over 5 lbs was the Fat Ika. I had particularly good luck fishing for big bass with the Micro Munch Tackle El Gordo tube. Two other GYCB lures that really produced this year were the Kreature and Kut-Tail. A surprise bait was the Roboworm, producing numbers when nothing else seemed to work.

Most exciting: Crankbaits in general, Norman Fat Boy in particular. I never thought cranks were big bass lures until I caught my PB in September. Other crankbaits of note: Bagley BII, Bomber Square A, and DD22.

Most rewarding: Micro Munch Tackle jig, GYCB craw trailer. Jig fishing was my #1 priority for 2005. I had very limited success fishing jigs off and on all year. I finally caught a monster in November. This will remain my focus lure/ technique in 2006.

For smallmouth bass: Live shiners, split shot rig. My partner and I caught a total of forty-four smallies over 5 lbs in 2005. Last weekend was my last trip this year and we finished on a high note: thirty-five largemouth and Kentucky, three of the largemouth 5+; fifteen smallmouth, one 5 lbs; a gigantic blue catfish, 40+ lbs on medium light tackle, #6 Y0-Zuri Hybrid.

[Guest the_muddy_man]

Well lookin over the log for this year my 2 best were a weightless 6 to 8 inch t rigged floating worm I use mostly Zoom Swap Crawlers and Trick Worms and Manns Jelly Worms in mostly green and purple shades I spin fish so I put a barrel swivel on the tag end of my line to revent twist then 12 to 14 in leader the hook and the worm If I had to go a little deeper I added ome split shot about 8 in in front of the worm Also very productive mostly at night were #7 to #11 jointed original floating rapalas  

  The most important thing I had goin this season is how and where to find them I got a little better at this and Its all due to the information the more knowlegable fellas on this forum share so freely Once again I am grateful to you all

[Peter E.]

Hey Ya'll

    For me the most effective technique i used this year was to take the time to break down an area with three or four baits before moving on. First i would locate the most active bass with a search bait like a spinner bait (I like a tandem spin)  or carolina rig in deep cover (if ya'll haven't tried those 3x plastics by strike king for that then you are really missing out!) then move over it with a crank bait moving slower across the area then slowing down farther with a texas rigged plastic. Finally i would work the area with a slow falling jig with either a craw worm or pork rind. Slowing down and really working the area instead of running and guning has helped me to really improve the numbers and quality of fish that i can catch in one day. It seemed to me that I caught the biggest fish off of the crank baits and jigs.

                                                      Peter

[Siebert Outdoors]

1 Jigs would be my first one.

2 tubes

[Rattlinrogue]

My most effective was the floating Rogue in gold and chrome(just like KVD).Spinnerbaits were a close second.I learned and got pretty good at two techniques that I had never tried.Carolina-rigs with lizards and finese worms.I also fell in love with pitching tubes and jigs into cover.I'm most proud of becoming proficient with pitching because when those cold fronts roll in next spring ,I'm going to look forward to it instead of dreading it.Pitching tubes and jigs has become my favorite technique.I may have to change my name to Pitchnflip(not).

[basspro48]

Hey guys, I'm happy to report that I now have my most productive technique for winter, a suspending rogue in clown, a drop-shotted watermelon/red GYCB Kut-tail, and a 1/4 oz. pumpkin/craw Terminator finesse jig with a ZOOM tiny chunk.

[abelfisher]

Two things for me.

T-rigged Senkos, and C-rigged Lizards.  (Zoom Cotton Candy) and Doc Waters lizards.  If I could only have one lizard brand, it would be Doc Waters.  For what it's worth.

[Lightninrod]

Matt's Baby Bass brought dozens of Bass to my boat after it was released in 2005 ;D, including my new PB:

9 lber/Matt's BB

5 lber/Matt's BB

6 lber-same bait

3 lber

4 lber--shallow

3 lber--his Yellow bait

I've caught Bass from 1.5 lbs to that 9 lber on one of his baits. They are hand-poured and hand-painted and have detail like very few other baits do.

The worst one was this little bugger which I gave away after being given it when I renewed my BASS membership. And they want $5 for that piece of .......... :ugly :nono

Dan

[GobbleDog]

This year I gained A LOT of confidence in crankbaits.

But Carolina rigged plastic worms (Chompers) still put most of the fish in my boat.

[BassNut]

Hi everyone!! First post here!

I've had an awesome season!

Spring time:

# 1 was a mini strike king spinner bait blue/black

for SMB.

LMB:

#1 was zoom superfluke white (3/0 TexposerHook)

#2 yumdinger blue/black t-rigged weightless (3/0 TexposerHook)

Summer:

#1 for top water in the slop salad spoons by LunkerCity (3/0 TexposerHook)

Monster Heart stopping top water hits!!! ;D

#2 c-rigged salamander

Fall:

#1FiveAlive craw (3/0 texposer Hook)

[IllinoisBasser]

T-rigged Zoom ol' Monsters. T-rigged sweet beavers, both in watermelon/red or green punpkin.

carolina rigged french fry or 8 inch lizard.

1/4 or 3/8 oz. brown jig w/ Uncle Josh crawfrog in Crawdad color. I

Every now and then i throw a jerkbait (Rogue).

Superflukes produce well for me in the spring. Mostly i pitch plastics and jigs. Slow fishin suits me fine.

[Spencer W]

For me it was the buzzbait it seemed like almost everytime i was out i had one on, i'll have to say almost all my largest fish came on a buzzbait this year.  I did have great success on cranks and traps too.  spinner bait always produces well for me too.  I'm gonna try throwing more jigs and slower techniques next season, but its hard when you have good bites on the faster lures.

[Bankbeater]

The top producer so far this year has been in this order:

Crankbaits

Texas rigged plastic worms

Tubes

I also learned how to fish a jig this year but by the time I was starting to know what I was doing the cold weather came in and froze everything up.

[soldier]

Did best with the Rapala F-7 perch pattern jerkbait and the 1/8 oz. Strike King black buzzer. Took a ton of LMBs on each. Had a blast bringing them in on a Mitchell 310 ultra-lite.

[mudcatwilly]

Being fairly new to the bass fishing game, but an experienced angler, I stuck with what the guys who catch 'em say works.  I caught the most fish on texas rigged worms on a stand up 1/4-ounce darter jig.  Every time I tried something else with no luck, I went back to the good 'ol worm stand-by and found a taker almost immediately.  What I took away from this year was that bass like to eat worms.

[CJ]

It was the year of alot of things for me.Crankbaits in the spring,followed by the t-rig,then the tube,to the ten inch worm,then the jig,then atlast the spinnerbait.

[Guest avid]

Seeing as how this thread is still alive and well I can update my response.  Right now I'm going minner crazy.  I'm having alot of fun working different minnow baits.  Floaters, suspenders, deep divers, I'm throwin em all and lovin it.

[Croatia]

Soft bait for bass

Spiners for trouth

and crankbaits for Nothen pike and Wally

[Rattlinrogue]

Nice fish,Croatia!

[Bass Hammer]

RR

You look slick in that new shirt and hat.

[basspro48]

lookin' good rattlinrogue    

[J._Bricker]

Spring- pitching a T-rigged sweet beaver or brush hogg

Summer- pitching a Senko

Fall-       Lucky Craft LV-500, split shotin' a super fluke.

Personal Best- in the Spring on a brush hogg

Best day- 50 bass, 48 large mouth (largest 8lbs), and 2 stripers (largest 14lbs), ALL on the LV-500.

Nice fish Croatia

[RoLo]

Phew...that's a tough one because the answer hinges on conditions

Overall, it's probably a toss-up between a 3/16 oz self-weedless 6" culprit worm

(any color) and an unweighted 5" Yum Dinger (vertical delivery).

In murky water I normally reach for an overhead spinner, so in turbid water

the 1/4 oz Lazer Eye single colorado gets the nod.

During subdued light conditions with a flat surface, I'd say the Chug Bug

was most responsible for pegging the needle on the fun meter.

[Jawjacker]

Overall this year it had to be a spinnerbait. I let the conditions dictate what size,color,blades,etc. I used. It produced in all seasons even though I've never considered it my go to bait. I caught at least one 6lb.+ in all four seasons. Mostly I'm a junk fisherman, on real slow days I force myself to try something new. I try not let myself become one dimensional. In 2004, crankbaits were king! That is why it's called fishing and not catching. :'( P.S. I love to dropshot, the size is not there at least not for me. ;D