So I'm looking to hone in on a few key lures/techniques, to practice and really develop some skill with each. I saw Glenn's video on the Bass Resource YouTube channel that suggested 7 lures that work year round which are jigs, crank baits, jerk baits, craw/creature baits, spinner baits, finesse worms, and lipless crank baits. Now, I've fished mostly all of these lures a bit, but want to select a few to spend some serious time with. What are your picks/suggestions? Thanks!!!

Jigs.

Work it low & work it slow; especially this time of year.

Second choice would be a lipless bait.

And if you work it like the jig you, might get your arm broke.

Good Luck.

A-Jay

Jigs, Plastic baits on the end of a T-rig or F-rig, learn to perfect the walk of a top water bait, master the differences between a swim jig, a chatter bait and a spinner bait.   Mix in a little finesse like the different cadences of an effective ned rig, or read up on AMart and the drop shot.

 

Get bored and want to try something new that is old, make yourself a few Jika rigs and give that a go.  Lot's of fun.

 

That will keep you going for a while.

It would depend on where you fish, and structure. Off shore, or in a boat. 

Ask other anglers fishing where you plan on fishing, many are willing to help. 

Buzzbaits .

 

 

Instead of baits I would try to perfect techniques by bettering myself on when and how to use them.

 

1) Analyzing/Mapping an area

2) Search baits to catch active fish

3) Slowing down/Finessing to catch less active fish

4) Using the above to thoroughly fish an area

 

 

Don’t get stuck on using one single technique for the duration of a trip all over the lake.

I suggestion, pick just 3 ?

 

Topwater, mid-depth, & bottom contact.

 

Topwater & mid-depth would be lures that are prevalent to your locale.

 

Bottom contact would either be a Texas Rig or Jig-n-Craw.

 

Texas Rigs would include everything from Weightless to Punch Rigs.

 

I would also suggest starting now & fish em until this time next year.

Topwater:  Megabass PopMax (Chug Bug as a less expensive alternative)

 

Shallow Crankbait:  Bandit Rack-It squarebill and Bandit 200

 

A little deeper:  Red Eye Shad

 

Bottom contact:  GYCB Senko & Fat Ika, Rage Tail Structure Bug and

Siebert Outdoors 3/8 oz Gridiron G2 jig/ Rage Tail Craw

 

The one thing that builds confidence in bass fishing is catching bass. Spending hours on the water learning various lures can be unproductive and discouraging.

Trying to become efficient with 5 to 7 new lure types can take a lifetime, depending on your skills.

My suggestion is start with a lure type you have confidence with catching bass, whatever it maybe. When you locate active bass by catching a few then pick up the new lures you want to master and try catching those active bass.

I agree with Catt, don't over do it use 3 types for a year before adding more. Being effiencent with top water, mid water column and bottom contact lures cover the entire spectrum of bass fishing.

Good luck,

Tom

Chatterbait is what I will work on. 

 

Allen 

Man... all worth your time. I guess I'd pick two, for specific reasons:

 

-Jigs: If you were to pick one -even for the rest of your fishing days ahead- this would be it. Jigs are the best way, IMO, to learn the most significant fundamental part of presentation: depth and speed control. With jigs, the two become obviously inseparable.

 

-Jerkbaits. Bc they suspend, they offer insights into the attraction and triggering aspects of presentation. 

 

You can, and must, do these with all lures. But, I think these two may just be the most obvious route there.

I would spend my time on a technique, not a particular bait. You can have the right bait, present it wrong, and not catch a single fish. On the other hand, you can skip the wrong bait under a dock and still get hammered because the bait was put in the right spot at the correct presentation. Bass are opportunists and often bite because of the convenience and availability rather than seeking out that perfect color, style or size. That said, work on skipping jigs and swimbaits.  Also, perfect your pitching accuracy. Where and how you put a lure in the water is often more important than the lure itself. 

Good thread and some great advice. I myself am going to focus on the jig this year as it's a technique I need to improve on. 

Thanks for the replies guys! I truly appreciate the advice?

I don't know that you can "dial in" any one type of fishing in one year. I've been at this for almost a half a century, and I'm still adjusting the rabbit ears, and turning the broken knob with small vise grips....

Where did I put the clicker?...

23 hours ago, WRB said:

-The one thing that builds confidence in bass fishing is catching bass.

-Spending hours on the water learning various lures can be unproductive and discouraging.

-I agree with Catt... Being effiencent with top water, mid water column and bottom contact lures cover the entire spectrum of bass fishing.

X2

 

Good thread!

 

1) Texas Rigged Worms

2) SpinnerBaits

3) ChatterBaits

4) SquareBills 

5) Sammys

6) Frogs

7) Jigs

 

If you fish locations with any deeper clearer water, the drop shot for sure. 

On 12/15/2018 at 2:43 PM, Paul Roberts said:

Man... all worth your time. I guess I'd pick two, for specific reasons:

 

-Jigs: If you were to pick one -even for the rest of your fishing days ahead- this would be it. Jigs are the best way, IMO, to learn the most significant fundamental part of presentation: depth and speed control. With jigs, the two become obviously inseparable.

 

-Jerkbaits. Bc they suspend, they offer insights into the attraction and triggering aspects of presentation. 

 

You can, and must, do these with all lures. But, I think these two may just be the most obvious route there.

This is a good answer. Like Catt suggested you need top of the water, middle column & bottom. The jerkbait can cover both top & middle. The jig can cover middle (swim jig) & bottom. These two baits can cover it all. 

I don't fish the same techniques in different times of the year.  In other words, some techniques are seasonal.  Some are better suited for certain bodies of water.  Some are better suited for parts of the country.  Without knowing where, when, and what you are fishing for, nothing is off the table.  You can fish em, you just might not catch em.  Nothing builds confidence better than catching.  Being able to feel how exactly a bite feels on different techniques is key.  

I agree with focusing on one, maybe two techniques/lures at a time.

 

This past summer was the jig for me.......it also happened to coincide with my catching many larger bass this summer.

I always had a jig tied on, with either a Rage Tail craw or a paddle tail depending on what I was using it for. 

 

Once the water cooled a bit I was slamming them on various cranks from squarebills to medium depth. 

 

So those were my two for the year, I couldn't imagine trying to learn 5-7 in a summer. 

I would go with Glenn's suggestion personally. Of course, in the summer I will be fishing frogs and poppers as well but that really is a solid starting point and a ned rig or drop shot is great in clearer water as well, but those are a fairly reliable 7.

Focus on what you want to build not what tools you want to build it with.

“Dialing in” a bait, to me, means learning how to fish it and knowing you’re doing it properly because you’re catching fish. Problem is, that bait probably isn’t going to work every single day. So even if you fish it properly, there’s other factors involved that affect how well it works. 

 

It'd be be smarter to learn when and where and why a bait might work in a certain scenario, and then focus on “dialing in” your technique. 

Texas Rigs would include everything from Weightless to Punch Rigs.

 

It can be used with every piece of plastic on the market.

 

It is productive winter, spring, summer, or fall.

 

It is productive in ponds, lakes, reservoirs, streams, bayous, creeks, rivers, & marshes.

 

It is productive in vegetation, brush, timber, or rock.

 

It will catch Largemouth, Smallmouth, & Spotted Bass.

 

The Jig-n-Craw should be you #2 choice!