Follow-Up: How Many Lures Do You "USE?"

[Alpster]

Being a crankbait guy,I'll probably use a total of 30 different cranks this year.

I'll use probably 10 different plastic baits. Maybe 8 different jigs. 3 different spinnerbaits. 4 different topwaters. 8 different jerkbaits. 2 buzzbaits.

This thread reminds me of my dad. I remember growing up,he owned 3 or 4 huge tackle boxes stuffed to the hilt with this and that. Now when I take him out,he's got what looks like a mini-tackle box with just a few different things and he catches his share of bass with what he's got in that little box. He only uses one plastic worm (Culprit) in 2 different colors,about 5 old Bomber cranks,a few black and/or brown jigs and a couple of topwater baits.

Your dad sounds like a role model to me!!

Ronnie

[5bass]

Being a crankbait guy,I'll probably use a total of 30 different cranks this year.

I'll use probably 10 different plastic baits. Maybe 8 different jigs. 3 different spinnerbaits. 4 different topwaters. 8 different jerkbaits. 2 buzzbaits.

This thread reminds me of my dad. I remember growing up,he owned 3 or 4 huge tackle boxes stuffed to the hilt with this and that. Now when I take him out,he's got what looks like a mini-tackle box with just a few different things and he catches his share of bass with what he's got in that little box. He only uses one plastic worm (Culprit) in 2 different colors,about 5 old Bomber cranks,a few black and/or brown jigs and a couple of topwater baits.

Your dad sounds like a role model to me!!

Ronnie

He's a heck of a fisherman and I'll probably trim down my arsenal one day,just like he did.....and if I did it now,I probably wouldnt miss 80% of the stuff I have.

I bet dad doesnt spend $60 bucks a year on fishing tackle......I spend more than that in one week,pretty much every week. I dont tell dad though! ;D

[Bluecraw]

I read somewhere that the average bass fisherman only uses 1/3 of his tackle, 95% of the time...now that I think about it, that's probably about right for me.....

....but, I still load all of it in the boat for the day! ....doesn't hurt and when you're getting skunked you can say that you tried everything, but the fish "just weren't biting today." :-?

[Guest avid]

I own waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to many baits.  I'm talking like Raul said.  Suitcases full.

I can't carry them all but I do go out with a huge tackle bag and a hard shell box

I use alot of baits.  I  enjoy it.  

It's one of the reason I could never be a successful tournament fisherman.  It's not uncommon for me to catch a bass on a bait, and then cut it off and tie on something else.  the theory being "I fooled one on that bait, let's see if I can fool one on another)  

There are certain baits that I enjoy fishing more than others.  I like crankbaits, jigs, tubes, horney toads, hollow frogs, poppers, chatterbaits, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, flukes, finesse worms,  trick worms, and fat ika's.  

I get bored with Senko's but will throw them because they work so well.  Plastic worms are not a fun bait for me but again I use them cause they work.

probably my #1 is a ratltrap or other similar ratling lipless crank.  I almost always have one tied on.

PS > I like the "less is more" philosophy.  As I use up certain baits I'm not replacing them.  

[cart7t]

My answer was "actual different lures used."

With the exception of soft plastics and jigs, I just realized that I don't fish many lures.

I don't either. I could probably take the baits I usually use, throw them in a plastic grocery bag and still have room left over for a loaf of bread or two.

[bass109]

I use up to 20-30 lures,i always stick to what works for me. lures that caught tons of bass 50+ years ago, will still catch tons of bass today.

[RI_Bass_Guy]

If you really know the lake you are going fish you can bring what usually works there.

I have dozens of 3700's loaded with baits specifically for certain lakes.

Same with soft plastic.

But usually once I start throwing a jig, if I am catching fish, I will throw it until it stops working.

The jig produces bigger fish for me.

[senile1]

I posted actual brand and types of lures used for 2006, but some of these weren't used much. I have 5 -10 baits that are "go-to" baits and then I use the other baits to fill in the gaps and make minor adustments when the go-to baits aren't working.

[Siebert Outdoors]

% I use these baits

Jig 80

jerkbaits 1

buzzbait 1

topwater 1

crankbait 5

spinnerbait 2

soft plastic 5

GMAN

What do you use the other 5% of the time? DYNAMITE?????????????

other stuff like spoons, inline spinners, little george's and other types of doo dads.  But yes I should have added that under a misc label.  

[roadwarrior]

I wasn't counting lures for other species, but that Little George is THE BOMB for white bass.

(Silver Buddy, too!)

[Siebert Outdoors]

I wasn't counting lures for other species, but that Little George is THE BOMB for white bass.

(Silver Buddy, too!)

I wasnt either but you are right.  The little george is simple and dynomite for whites.  I have a couple local ponds I fish with that type of stuff because the majority of the fish arent big but its fun to just catch a bunch sometimes on ultra light gear.  

There is also another pond I fish with musky spinners.  But the bass are big.

There are more little lures like that but my mind isnt working this morning.

[roadwarrior]

Panther Martin.

This is my #1 artificial on the White River fishing for rainbows. Specifically, gold spinner, black body and chartreuse spots, 1/8 & 1/4 oz. The stretch of river I fish is not noted for smallmouth (we were trout fishing), but I caught a total of twelve small bass in two days and several were caught on the Panther Martin.

[Bankbeater]

Sub-Wart -1

Minus 1 - 3

Big-O - 5

Spinner - 2

Rat-L-Trap - 15

Pop-R - 1

[WBFishing]

Zoom tricks in pumpkin and junebug red

Stacey King Flipping Jig purple/pumpkin with a pumpkin double tail grub trailer

Zara Spook Jr and a Lew's Speed Pencil

White/Blue 1/4 oz tandem williow/colorado with a pearl Zoom Fat Albert Trailer

Black.Chart 1/4 oz single colorado with black grub trailer

Rapala DT10 Blue Shad, Shad, or Baby Bass

Shad color lipless crankbait

I try to keep these tied on cause they are my confidence baits. I told myself I was never going to buy stuff and just let it sit around.  But if none of the above produce, I switch to that stuff that I have in my box and wraps that are taking up room, like FLW Flipping Tubes--I still can't lose the last 9 but I can't bring myself to throw them in the trash either.

[The_Natural]

I have go-to baits like everyone else, and if I didn't fish tournaments; I would probably have a fraction of the baits I have.  I fish lakes every year that I have never fished before, and each have different water clarity, structure, and different patterns that work for that particular impoundment.  Fishing as a non-boater, I have to be prepared for all these different conditions, and in the larger pro-am's, I am at the mercy of my boater as to where I will be fishing and to an extent the pattern.  I try and do something different than my boater, but if he is running down bank at mach 3, I have limited choices, just as I do if we are sitting in 30ft of clear water on the main lake.   My local waters are stained to dirty, and have a lot of shallow wood, which are my favorite conditions to fish.  I can get away with just a handful of baits, say 5 or 6, and feel I have worked the water over well.

[roadwarrior]

The_Natural,

Man, I saw the pictures in the post on "stash." So, you have a medium size bait shop in your closet, how do you "pack a bag"?

Scenario:

The lake is a flooded forest (Lake Fork).

This is a four day event.

Third week of March, the weather can be "volatile."

You get to carry six rods and one soft tackle box (bag).

What's your plan?

[BassFishingMachine]

Rubberworms: 10+

Creature baits: 5

Topwater: 10+

Crankbaits: 2

Jigs: 1

Buzzbaits: 3

Spinnerbaits: 2

Jerkbaits: 6

[The_Natural]

The_Natural,

Man, I saw the pictures in the post on "stash." So, you have a medium size bait shop in your closet, how do you "pack a bag"?

Scenario:

The lake is a flooded forest (Lake Fork).

This is a four day event.

Third week of March, the weather can be "volatile."

You get to carry six rods and one soft tackle box (bag).

What's your plan?

That's a fairly easy one considering the lake and time of year.  I am an extremely confident cooler water fisherman (48-55 degrees), and I have done my best in March tournaments.   Two seasons ago I took second in our club tournament on Lake Sardis here in Oklahoma (an impoundment nearly identical to Fork), and last season I won our March tournament on Eucha.  I'm a modest person, and certainly am not mentioning this to brag, but to illustrate that I know exactly what I want to do this time of year,  and can pack very light.  Regardless of the lake or time of year,  I just carry one of my red bags ( one of the two that is in the first pic of my tackle), and I can squeeze 8 3700 size boxes, with a 3600 (hooks and weights) in the the front zipper pocket, and a worm binder in each side pocket.  I don't need all 8 3700's for a March tournament, due to my small March playbook of what I want to do.  My main baits are a jerkbait and spinnerbait, followed by a crankbait and then a jig.  Red works very well in the south during the spring, and I have a 'special' spinnerbait I throw every year about that time.  It is a tandem 1/2oz white Red River Tackle spinnerbait with fluorescent red colorado 'kicker' blade followed by a heavy cupped #4.5 willow.  The heavy cupped willow allows it to come through the water with less resistance than willow blades of the same size, and also allows it to run deeper.  This makes it an ideal spinnerbait to slow-roll, and the red kicker blade gives it a special appeal.  I used this bait solely in the tournament on Sardis, and had a 15lb limit of spots to secure 2nd.  This spinnerbait is absolutely dynamite in the south, and Lake Fork is well known for bass prefering red baits down there as well.  Next would be a jerkbait, namely a Pointer or an X-rap.  The first time I ever tied on an X-rap, I won my club tournament on Eucha during VERY tough post cold front conditions.  I won a 14 boat club tournament with a 6lb limit if that tells how tough the conditions were.  During practice, there were a few fish on beds with the water temps in 61 degree range, but the night before the tournament a cold front blew in, pushing the fish back and dropping the water temps back to 58 degrees with 30-40mph winds.  When fish are in the worst mood possible, I have found that a jerkbait with a very erratic darting action worked with a several second pause is ideal.  I'll let it sit for a few seconds before giving it a full, rod-bowing rip.  My boater only had 1 keeper all day, and he was throwing a Pointer 100.  He was working the Pointer with a steady jerk-jerk pause, and the fish just didn't seem to like the consistancy.  I think working my jerkbaits on a spinning rod with 6 or 8lb fluorocarbon is equally key...this not only gives my jerkbait more action than my boaters, but it also runs a little deeper.   After around noon, when the sun warms chunk rock main lake points or ledges toward the mouths of large creeks, the fish get more active, and a crankbait like the Lucky Craft Moonsault CB or Berkley Frenzy is a great choice.  The Moonsault has an extremely tight wiggle, and is as loud or louder than a rattletrap due to its multiple rattle chambers combining glass, tungsten and lead.   Jigs are never a bad choice in March either, but I'd rather work a moving bait than slowly work a jig.  However, there are times when a slowly worked jig is the ticket.  My cold water jig of choice for working shallower cover is a 3/16oz Baby Boo Jig in Black/Red flash with a modified brush hog or Nories bug trailer.  This jig just seems to have that perfect size and descent for cooler water, and I also fish it on light 10lb fluorocarbon.  My other jig choice is for deeper ledges, and in this scenario I go with a 1/2 football jig and just drag it slow.  Sorry for the novel, but it's slow here at work .  PM me your address and I will be more than happy to send you one of the Red River Tackle spinnerbaits I mentioned; I did for GMAN on here (and bass pro's forum) and it has been quite the producer for him as well.  

Here is the spinnerbait I am referring to...

[roadwarrior]

Well, THANK YOU for the novel!

As a matter-of-fact...THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

[Bass Mekanik]

Jerkbait: 1 Husky Jerk

Crankbait: 1 Bomber Model A

Topwater: 1 Zara Spook

Spinnerbait: 0

Chatterbait: 2

Buzzbait: 0

Soft Plastics: 15+ too many to list

[roadwarrior]

So, the generic Lake Fork bag in March includes:

Spinnerbaits

Jerkbaits

Crankbaits (lipless & tight wobble)

Jigs

Soft plastics

Got it! Thanks again.

[Catt]

Is someone getting nervous about an impending trip?  :-/

[CJ]

I missed this thread somehow.Back on topic:

This is a list of lures that I caught fish on last year.

jig-about 12 different styles and sizes

crankbait-about 20 different ones

spinnerbait-8 different ones

jerkbait-6 different brands and colors

plastics-30 different styles and 6 different rigs

topwaters-15 different types

That would be a close guess on how many lures produced.This list will be smaller next year,I think.

[roadwarrior]

Catt,

Not nervous, just bored. January and February are (usually) my BEST months for smallmouth on the Tennessee

River. This year it has been a bust: #1 too cold to fish; or #2 too much water; or #3 not enough (any) water!

I have fished the Tennessee four days since November and have caught exactly -0- smallmouth over 5 lbs!

Anyhow, I've just been playing with equipment and trying to put together 1 bag only for the boat.

(I'm still bringing some "extra gear").

[Siebert Outdoors]

Natural,  that spinnerbait looks alot like one I have. 8-)  works great too.

RW,  LBH is taking all his tackle why dont you. ;D

So many lures, So little space.