This came up in my YouTube feed. Thank goodness Mercer disagrees because otherwise I was going to have to stop listening to his podcast, lol. 

 

 

Click.  Bait.

Thank You.

I'm here all week.

Try the Veal.

A-Jay

@A-Jay took me way too long to get it

 

I need more coffee, or maybe the veal

The bladed jig minus the bladed part is the greatest lure ever invented.  But I do like a jig with blades.  But the ones that spin or buzz are more fun than the ones that chatter.  Aren't these all jigs with blades?  I think therefore I fish.

The plastic worm...period ?

I'm going to look at the other side of the coin.  The chatterbait is a great hard lure.  It's got the shape of a jig, it's a spinnerbait with a different kind of blade, it's a cranbait with a single hook.  That's a lot of qualities into one lure.

#1 most productive lure

 

Doug Hannon's Answer

Plastic Worm (Texas rigged) It's a long, thin shape resembles the profile of a wide variety of forage in the world of the bass, including earthworms, snakes, eels, and baitfish. Its action is almost entirely dependent on the contours of the bottom; and the rod movements of the fisherman, making it very random. It moves with little noise; the noise that it does make comes mostly from the random clicking of the sinker as it hits bottom. Bright colors and larger size can be used to increase its attracting qualities. Because of its basic resemblance to a wide array of living forage, this lure presents very few negative cues, and is hard for big bass to learn not to hit.

 

Studies have proven that the plastic worm is the only lure made that a BASS CANNOT REMEMBER!

That is, a bass will continue to strike a worm even after repeated catches, whereas a bass will "turn off" to other lures, spinner baits and crank baits etc. after wearing them out on them. That's why you cannot continue to catch them on your honey hole with the same lure over and over. Bass will stop eating that which will eradicate them. Not true with the plastic worm, however. Although we all know bass will prefer a different bait at different times (i.e. "the pattern") you can always go back to the worm to catch them.

It's not really that crazy especially depending on what type of lakes you fish.  

 

I can't name many big fish baits that are better.    It's a true big fish bait in terms of normal sized chatterwidgets.    My biggest this year came from a bladed jig, a 9.1.   Won't see me bad mouthing them.   

37 minutes ago, Catt said:

#1 most productive lure

 

Doug Hannon's Answer

Plastic Worm (Texas rigged) It's a long, thin shape resembles the profile of a wide variety of forage in the world of the bass, including earthworms, snakes, eels, and baitfish. Its action is almost entirely dependent on the contours of the bottom; and the rod movements of the fisherman, making it very random. It moves with little noise; the noise that it does make comes mostly from the random clicking of the sinker as it hits bottom. Bright colors and larger size can be used to increase its attracting qualities. Because of its basic resemblance to a wide array of living forage, this lure presents very few negative cues, and is hard for big bass to learn not to hit.

 

Studies have proven that the plastic worm is the only lure made that a BASS CANNOT REMEMBER!

That is, a bass will continue to strike a worm even after repeated catches, whereas a bass will "turn off" to other lures, spinner baits and crank baits etc. after wearing them out on them. That's why you cannot continue to catch them on your honey hole with the same lure over and over. Bass will stop eating that which will eradicate them. Not true with the plastic worm, however. Although we all know bass will prefer a different bait at different times (i.e. "the pattern") you can always go back to the worm to catch them.

Thank you for sharing. That's good info to know. I'd like to read about that study, do you have a link to it, or an idea of the name or people involved?

26 minutes ago, Bazoo said:

Thank you for sharing. That's good info to know. I'd like to read about that study, do you have a link to it, or an idea of the name or people involved?

I'm not sure about an actual study, but it's generally accepted that baits like a whacky rigged Senko are "pressure proof".      I'd imagine a T-Rig/Free Rig 6-10" worm would be similar.   

 

I think every new age Bass fisherman which I consider myself, should watch Doug Hannon's stuff.    Most of it holds up.    

 

 

50 minutes ago, Bazoo said:

Thank you for sharing. That's good info to know. I'd like to read about that study, do you have a link to it, or an idea of the name or people involved?

 

In 2 or 3 computers that I mothballed a few years ago. Doug Hannon has lots of information out there that I don't keep up with anymore. If memory serves he use to contribute here. @Team9nine might be any to shed light on where to find Hannon or Bass Professor content.

a bladed jig was everything for me for the first year or so I was fishing, basically until I ran into water under 50ish degrees. It can do so much - you can fish it like a lipless, an A frame, a jig, even a ned rig if you use one small enough. But it does get worn out and eventually that bite slows down. It takes a while but it does happen, I have experienced it firsthand. Still a top producer of good fish for me and a confidence bait, but like everything it has its limits. Don't know that I would call it the best though, not without defining criteria for "the best". Because "the best" can mean a lot of things.
In my world, dollar-for-dollar, no bait gives me more than a red-eye shad. Between the durability and efficacy, all for the price of a single high-end bag of plastic, I have a hard time seeing much else as "better". But it's not something you can throw in all situations, therefore it loses points for versatility. 

tl;dr without qualifying criteria for "best", debating "best" of anything is a bit of a time vampire

1 hour ago, Bazoo said:

Thank you for sharing. That's good info to know. I'd like to read about that study, do you have a link to it, or an idea of the name or people involved?

 

54 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

In 2 or 3 computers that I mothballed a few years ago. Doug Hannon has lots of information out there that I don't keep up with anymore. If memory serves he use to contribute here. @Team9nine might be any to shed light on where to find Hannon or Bass Professor content.

That one dates back to 1986 and Dr. Loren Hill, the Color-C-Lector guy, but he also had many other patents related to his studies, some of which involved Doug Hannon.
 

Bass Forget Worms article

27 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

 

That one dates back to 1986 and Dr. Loren Hill, the Color-C-Lector guy, but he also had many other patents related to his studies, some of which involved Doug Hannon.
 

Bass Forget Worms article

Thank you for that link, that is a good read. 

Bladed jig, chatterbait, whatever you want to call it.

 

Its a solid lure and produces fish for me, but to refer to it as the "greatest bass lure ever invented" is a stretch of the imagination.

 

I've been bass fishing since I was 10-11 years old (I'm 71 now) and my vote goes to the plastic worm as the best bass lure of all time.

Banjo minnow is the all time best.

2 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

I'm not sure about an actual study, but it's generally accepted that baits like a whacky rigged Senko are "pressure proof".      I'd imagine a T-Rig/Free Rig 6-10" worm would be similar.   

 

I think every new age Bass fisherman which I consider myself, should watch Doug Hannon's stuff.    Most of it holds up.    

 

 

Thank you! I just finished it, very informative, and good to hear again the things I already knew.

The 2 rods that are always at the top of the rod locker have a Spinnerbait and a plastic worm tied to them.

 

On 10/3/2023 at 10:13 AM, Catt said:

#1 most productive lure

 

Doug Hannon's Answer

Plastic Worm (Texas rigged) It's a long, thin shape resembles the profile of a wide variety of forage in the world of the bass, including earthworms, snakes, eels, and baitfish. Its action is almost entirely dependent on the contours of the bottom; and the rod movements of the fisherman, making it very random. It moves with little noise; the noise that it does make comes mostly from the random clicking of the sinker as it hits bottom. Bright colors and larger size can be used to increase its attracting qualities. Because of its basic resemblance to a wide array of living forage, this lure presents very few negative cues, and is hard for big bass to learn not to hit.

 

Studies have proven that the plastic worm is the only lure made that a BASS CANNOT REMEMBER!

That is, a bass will continue to strike a worm even after repeated catches, whereas a bass will "turn off" to other lures, spinner baits and crank baits etc. after wearing them out on them. That's why you cannot continue to catch them on your honey hole with the same lure over and over. Bass will stop eating that which will eradicate them. Not true with the plastic worm, however. Although we all know bass will prefer a different bait at different times (i.e. "the pattern") you can always go back to the worm to catch them.

I have to agree with Catt on this one. When Nick Creme invented the plastic worm, it changed bass fishing  for all time. There's a reason why so many guys like plastic worms. It's been my #1 producing bait for many years. The simple plastic worm still rules.

Some of my best catches came when I was using a plastic worm as a jig trailer.

I don't know about 'best', but the bladed jig gets the nod for best engineered bait imo.  When I picked up a chatterbait at a boat show when it came out, I didn't say 'why didn't I think of that?'.  How many people out there knew a jig would behave like that whith a blade and split ring attached?  Someone smarter than me.

Floating worm

T rig worm

Neko worm

Stick worm

Shakey head worm

Wackey worm

Swimmin worm

Doodle worm

Carolina worm

Slider head worm

Splitshot worm

Dropshot worm

 

Come on Man!!!!!

IMO its not a stretch to say that, legit gamechanger for sure.  Other then the Senko, I dont think any other bait has had such an effect in a small period of time.  

I've put a lot of miles on my Chatterbaitb this year...