There are so many. But I will pick eight by four brands that I think are excellent:

 

Berkley Power Worm & Chigger Craw

Yamamoto Senko & Hula Grub

Rage Tail Menace & and Cut-r worm

Zoom Super Fluke & Ultravibe speed worm

 

My philosophy of plastics is that value is determined by three factors: Design, Composition, and Cost (per body).  I like baits that give a high net value based on some combination among these three.  Because the factors trade-off somewhat, brands that excel at one factor typically must sacrifice another. But this also means there is more than one way to arrive at high value.

 

Berkley, in their powerbait and maxscent lines, has always been about unique composition for scent & taste effect at reasonable cost, but at the expense of some originality in design.

 

Yamamoto and Rage Tail are champions of bait design, with composition that is carefully-tailored for weight, softness, suppleness, but with higher cost-per body. 

 

Zoom delivers great affordability for well-designed baits, but with nothing much special about composition.

 

 

2 minutes ago, NorthernBasser said:

the Berkley Pit Boss

This was my best jig-trailer producer the past year.

Second best was the RI Skinny Dipper.

2 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

This was my best jig-trailer producer the past year.

Second best was the RI Skinny Dipper.

4" version? That's the main size I use. I'll throw the 3" on finesse jigs, tho. 

Just now, NorthernBasser said:

4" version? That's the main size I use. I'll throw the 3" on finesse jigs, tho. 

Ya - 4" on 3/8oz swim jigs

1 minute ago, MN Fisher said:

Ya - 4" on 3/8oz swim jigs

Oh on a swim jig eh? I haven't tried that. I either throw them as stand-alone t-rig, on flipping jig or on a buzzbait. 

Just now, NorthernBasser said:

Oh on a swim jig eh? I haven't tried that. I either throw them as stand-alone t-rig, on flipping jig or on a buzzbait. 

I haven't tried them on T-Rigs or buzzbaits - they're my first pick though for swim jigs and spinners/chatters.

How did I not mention the yamamoto senko? I held off buying them for years but one time I caved and wow I can't get away now. They live up to the hype both ways: catch fish when nothing else does and if a fish even farts on it they come back ripped in half.

Bass Assassin Rail Worm & Tapout Worms

BoneHead Ringworm

Culprit Orginal Worm

Double Z Mag T

Lake Fork Tackle Worm & Live Magic Shad 

Mr Twister Phenom, Hang 10, & Mag 12

Rage Tail everything 

Roboworm

Smash-Tech Big Perm

Xzone Blitz Worm 

Yum Dinger

Yamamoto Senko

Zoom everything 

Z-Man

Reaction Innovations Beaver - my best flipper

UV Speed Craw - my best jig trailer

Missile Bomb Shot - my best drop shot

Max scent is great also.

 

20 minutes ago, DitchPanda said:

if a fish even farts on it they come back ripped in half

Lol that’s part of their grand scheme. You need to constantly buy more.

Keitech Swing Impact Fats deserved all the hype they get, the senko of paddle tails.

 

I can't argue with any of the baits already mentioned but I have to add the Dark Sleeper. That bait has been my limit finder.

Biffle bug 

2 hours ago, evo2s197 said:

GYCB 5 inch Senko thought it was all hype back in the early early 2000's after fishing it for 18 years I'm convinced it's far from hype.

Quoted for truth.

Berkley Champ craw

Mann's Jellyworm, and Zoom baits. 

 

1 hour ago, MIbassyaker said:

Zoom delivers great affordability for well-designed baits, but with nothing much special about composition.

I get that, as compared to some of these other baits their composition doesn’t seem very special. But there has to be something as they (to me) are very consistent in catching bass. Whether weightless or weighted. So it’s not as simple as sink rate. Looking at a Zoom Trick, even the design doesn’t look all that special, but even a slight twitch gets that worm moving all sorts of ways. It’s starting to become my favorite soft plastic. 

Hype, I don't see a lot of hype for this bait, but I have had great luck with the Big Bite Baits BFE and I have only had them a little over 2 months and only been out a handful of times with them. I think they are going to be a major producer for me this year.

Berkley Power worms were a game changer.

Western finesse worms like Roboworm and Iovino.

Big hand pours like Uptons Customs.

Gary Yamamoto Hula grubs and Senko’s

Mr Twister Phenom Curl tails

Zoom Brush Hogs

RI Beavers

I am a fan of Berkley Chigger Craws and the new Jester.

Tom

My list of impressive soft plastics is way too massive. So I'll tell you one that ticks me off: Zoom Flukes. It seems impossible to get a pack that isn't half junked with twisted, bent tails and bent noses. It's called clamshell, people.

3 hours ago, Jig Man said:

Elaztech has impressed me more than anything else in years.  That is why I have around 100 pks ot the stuff.

That ought to last you about 30 years!!!

If it has Rage in the front it’s the real deal.  I’m giving Max Scent a fair shot this year.  It may be hype to gripe. I dunno.

41 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said:

I get that, as compared to some of these other baits their composition doesn’t seem very special. But there has to be something as they (to me) are very consistent in catching bass. Whether weightless or weighted. So it’s not as simple as sink rate. Looking at a Zoom Trick, even the design doesn’t look all that special, but even a slight twitch gets that worm moving all sorts of ways. It’s starting to become my favorite soft plastic. 

 

Yeah, not intended as a knock on zoom -- there is nothing wrong with their composition, just that it's sort of ordinary as a trade-off for affordability. They have many excellent designs, though, even the simple trick worm: length, width, taper, tail end, etc. were all well chosen.

Rage and Keitech swing Impacts

The Rage and Zoom product line. 

 

 

 

Mike