Its a been a mediocre day of fishing and you're about to head back, but then, you see it: the bass of your dreams.

If you had one cast to catch the monster bass, what "no-fail" lure would you use?

You can place the bass wherever you want: in a weedbed, a laydown, rockpile, shallow/deep, winter/summer, bluebird skies/downpour. The only place you cant put him is in your net!

For the sake of this question, you just have to get the fish to bite to catch him, so you don't have to worry about using stout hooks or heavy line.

The bait I would throw is a weightless flick shake worm. I've found that the shimmy on the fall is key to fooling wary fish.

What lure would you use?

Been there done that.  Last summer (2014) on the 4th of July, no clouds, bright skies, no bites.  Chatting with another angler and spotted a big fish just off the bank.    I threw a 8" Line Thru floating swimbait past her, watched her swim up behind it, paused it and she sat underneath it.  Gave it a quick pull and moved it about 3 feet, she quickly followed.  Paused it again and she inhaled the bait....Next words had some explict language and the fact I hooked her.

 

3 minutes ago, gulfcaptain said:

Been there done that.  Last summer (2014) on the 4th of July, no clouds, bright skies, no bites.  Chatting with another angler and spotted a big fish just off the bank.    I threw a 8" Line Thru floating swimbait past her, watched her swim up behind it, paused it and she sat underneath it.  Gave it a quick pull and moved it about 3 feet, she quickly followed.  Paused it again and she inhaled the bait....Next words had some explict language and the fact I hooked her.

 

That's a nice fish right there GulfCapt. Congrats!! 

Just now, BassinLou said:

That's a nice fish right there GulfCapt. Congrats!! 

Yeah, that's my best so far.  Not too shabby for a LA/OC public park fish.....lol  And the way it happened fit the OP's question perfectly.  Only had a swimbait with me because I had one rush in and follow a Mini BVD the day before and turned away last minute when it got close to the bank.

2 minutes ago, gulfcaptain said:

Yeah, that's my best so far.  Not too shabby for a LA/OC public park fish.....lol  And the way it happened fit the OP's question perfectly.  Only had a swimbait with me because I had one rush in and follow a Mini BVD the day before and turned away last minute when it got close to the bank.

That was your fish to catch on that day. Good Job!! 

 

Water Red Trigger X or Swing Oil tube on a slider head. Had my largest WI bass hooked and half way to the boat when she came unbuttoned on this combo. Also got the pleasure of watching a bigger late spawning bass head butt this combo last year, spent quite a bit of time trying to find that fish again lol. 

I would use a swimbait.

I would want it right next to a culvert pipe or small creek coming into the body of water after some rain, with some color to the water but not too much. Seems like in that scenario a big fish really lets its guard down. I'd flip a jig to it

Dynamite

Black trick worm t-rigged with a 1/8oz tungsten weight. 

Swim jig with a swim bait trailer.

Anytime other than the spawn and I want a swimbait. Even during the spawn I might want a swimbait depending on how locked on the fish is. 

1/2 or 3/8 jig and craw. 

I would throw whatever I had available till I caught it lol. Probably shaky/senko, wacky/senko, jig and craw, I would imagine it a shallow fish on a bed if I could see it. Would want something not to big to spook it at first and work my way up. If it is on a bed throw at it for a few minutes mark the spot and move off and come back later

Shakey head. With trick worm or tiny fluke.

For shallow water, especially water standing over weeds... Cant beat a weightless strait tail worm rigged with 2 small (#6 or #4) hooks... Casted on light tackle, with a jiggle/pause retrieve... It looks so alive, its scarry!

Caught my PB on a Roboworm fished this way several years ago.... Since then, i designed my own worm for this application, 8" long with slow taper down to a whip like tail, one of the most successful baits ive made yet!.... So that's what i would use 

Hard to beat a wacky trick worm. The Ned Rig is a really good sight fishing bait as well. 

Topnocker

I love big bass I can not lie.

My two best baits are a T-rigged craw (I'm going to experiment with Rage rigged) and Trick Worm, no weight. Most of my biggest fish have come on those or a Rat L Trap But the Trap is more of a search bait

17 hours ago, Montanaro said:

Dynamite

Beat me to it. LOL  Although if you have trouble with that use Nitro.

I would use a drop shot. That's what I mainly use sight fishing and I have had more success with it than any other sight fishing bait. There's just something about a worm sitting still in their face that they can't resist.

10 hours ago, GetBent said:

I would throw whatever I had available till I caught it lol. Probably shaky/senko, wacky/senko, jig and craw, I would imagine it a shallow fish on a bed if I could see it. Would want something not to big to spook it at first and work my way up. If it is on a bed throw at it for a few minutes mark the spot and move off and come back later

Took enough post to hear this. This is what I would want 10 times out of 10.

A 10" Power Worm fished weightless with a 6/0 EWG.