I'm working on my building my skillset.

 

So far, I am confident in:

Flukes

Weighted Texas Rig Worms

Weightless Texas Rig Lizard and trick worms

Shallow water crankbaits

Roostertails

Split shot with finesse worms/curly tail worm

Curlytail grubs on jigheads or t-rig

Topwater frog

Topwater walking baits

Jitterbug

Popper

 

That said, I could use more experience and confidence with most of those. More time on the water.

 

Things I have some experience with, but mild to moderate confidence in are:

 

Spinnerbaits

Jigs

carolina rigs

drop shot

shaky head

lipless crankbaits

jerkbaits

buzzbait

senko

Punching

Johnson Silver Minnow

 

Things I have no confidence in, which I may or may not have ever caught fish on:

 

Soft plastic swim jigs AKA paddle tail

glide bait

swim bait

swim jig

plopper

double fluke rig

tubes

soft plastic toads

bladed jigs

blade baits

tailspins

A-Rig

Ozark rig

deep cranking

casting spoons

 

So, I am trying to decide what to focus on next, and, if anything, what to remove from the 2nd and 3rd lists.

 

Anyone have insight?

Jigs, Spinnerbaits, and Shakey Head are must have in my area. Over forty five years and I'm still learning about chasing bass. 

 

P.S. Don't take any Glidebait advise from A-Jay.😁

I’d be an advocate for spinnerbait, jerkbaits, lipless, buzzbaits, jigs (inc swim), bladed jigs, swimbaits and tubes.  My opinion of the rest is they are redundant, overhyped, novelty, or gimmicks.  

Free Rig.

 

So versatile...

We share a lot of baits of no confidence, Bazoo. 
 

I think you should make it a point to throw the spinnerbait more. It’s an easy bait to fish and learn. There was a time when I had zero confidence in a spinnerbait, couldn’t even imagine catching a bass on it. Shared a boat with someone who only threw a spinnerbait and watched him catch smallie after smallie. After I witnessed that I made sure I threw it more often. 10 years later, the spinnerbait is without a doubt my #1 confidence bait. Size, numbers, any water temp, any conditions. 

5 hours ago, RRocket said:

Free Rig.

 

So versatile...

I really need to try a free rig out. Just haven’t done so. Got some bull flats just for this purpose and they still look great in the package!

I’ve fished a lot of different baits over 15 years. And I really have just nestled into what works. Jigs, T rigs, spinnerbaits, jerk baits in cool water, and a few top waters. Honestly I don’t fish much more than that. I’ll throw a bladed jig occasionally. Or a frog. But I got tired of spending money on All kinds different baits I’d try and build confidence in. Because even if I did? I went back to my old presentations lol. Or I found they are just a variation of an already popular presentation. No need to reinvent the wheel just because. 

10 hours ago, Bazoo said:

I'm working on my building my skillset.

 

So far, I am confident in:

Flukes

Weighted Texas Rig Worms

Weightless Texas Rig Lizard and trick worms

Shallow water crankbaits

Roostertails

Split shot with finesse worms/curly tail worm

Curlytail grubs on jigheads or t-rig

Topwater frog

Topwater walking baits

Jitterbug

Popper

 

That said, I could use more experience and confidence with most of those. More time on the water.

 

Things I have some experience with, but mild to moderate confidence in are:

 

Spinnerbaits

Jigs

carolina rigs

drop shot

shaky head

lipless crankbaits

jerkbaits

buzzbait

senko

Punching

Johnson Silver Minnow

 

Things I have no confidence in, which I may or may not have ever caught fish on:

 

Soft plastic swim jigs AKA paddle tail

glide bait

swim bait

swim jig

plopper

double fluke rig

tubes

soft plastic toads

bladed jigs

blade baits

tailspins

A-Rig

Ozark rig

deep cranking

casting spoons

 

So, I am trying to decide what to focus on next, and, if anything, what to remove from the 2nd and 3rd lists.

 

Anyone have insight?

Try them all and adopt the monkey.

11 hours ago, GreenPig said:

P.S. Don't take any Glidebait advise from A-Jay.😁

Hey now ~ I can totally offer some very useful info regarding Glide Baits.

Falls directly into the category of "Exactly what Not to do".

So I am seriously shortening the learning curve right there.

My first tip is - Don't buy any.

🤓

A-Jay

 

Do you do most of your fishing from a boat or kayak on open water or from the bank? Asking because my answer would be different based on your answer but if you are primarily throwing from the bank I'd consider adding these:

• Jigs
• drop shot
• senko
• Punching
• soft plastic toads
• bladed jigs

and if you can get out on open water at least some of the time I'd consider adding these in addition to the list above:

• swimbait
• A-Rig
• deep cranking
• shaky head
• lipless crankbaits
• jerkbaits

For the a-rig I prefer to size down to a mini 3 blade 3 wire. You can use core 1/16oz core tackle tush hooks with that one and the total weight will be under 1.5oz which means you can throw it on a standard 7'4" heavy fast casting setup rated up to 1.5oz lures. You could also go with a 6" bass mafia daingerous with a 7/0 trokar swimblade for the swimbait and the weight will be just about the same. For the senko although most people seem to wacky rig it if you are around a lot of grass I prefer to go with a 3/0 screwlock swimbait hook (weightless) and texas rig it. The action is almost as good and it also helps them last a little longer and get through cover better than an exposed hook.

 

 

I appreciate all the responses and suggestions.

I think spinnerbait and swim jig are something I need to focus on, as they are core techniques.

 

As well as wacky rigged. I have caught 1 fish on that.

 

Then, shaky head and drop shot, as they are sort of core finesse techniques

Sticking with the core stuff is a good plan. I’ve seen way too many people get hung up on “flavor of the month” techniques and end up with nothing to show for it except frustration.

The spinnerbait being 2nd tier is troubling.

If you have any submerged lay downs or wood in general, hard to beat a spinnerbait.

Most of your " no confidence baits " I agree with except swim jig.

 

1 hour ago, Bird said:

The spinnerbait being 2nd tier is troubling.

If you have any submerged lay downs or wood in general, hard to beat a spinnerbait.

Most of your " no confidence baits " I agree with except swim jig.

 

It's second tier because I get skunked a lot with it. I have caught some fish on spinnerbaits, but I haven't had consistent results yet.

Being primarily a bank angler, I don't get to fish laydowns or stumps much. A couple years back I put my boat in and went right to the stumps with a spinnerbait and got one. So, yes, I know it's fire there.

 

It's probably the 1 lure I wish was at the top of the list, followed by the swim jig.

I would recommend you become proficient with spinnerbaits.  I grew up fishing from the bank.  Most days all I truly needed was a single colorado blade spinnerbait.  I would bulge it next to bulrushes by the bank, crawl it along the bottom, over rocks, retrieve it up, over, through any wood, and sometimes just cast out and reel it in mid water column.  Back then I used a solid black bait, but now I am more likely to cast a white or chartreuse spinnerbait.  I use double willow more now, but if I had to pick only one the single Colorado would be it.  Smaller sizes are best to build confidence with.  Heavy baits, or ones with giant blades have their place, but most of the time a lighter bait with smaller blades will get the most bites.

 

T rigs, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jigs, and topwater baits are huge categories that cover any situation in bass fishing.  Everything else has it's place but is not a necessity.

 

 

Thanks for all the input. I got 1 + a couple bites on a swim jig today.

Tried a spinnerbait some, to no avail.

1 hour ago, Bazoo said:

Thanks for all the input. I got 1 + a couple bites on a swim jig today.

Tried a spinnerbait some, to no avail.

Spinnerbaits can take some tinkering, don’t get discouraged. 

I haven’t fished a rooster tail in years. I wanna try it now after reading your post. I’m sure the fish here have never seen one.

13 minutes ago, woolleyfooley said:

I haven’t fished a rooster tail in years. I wanna try it now after reading your post. I’m sure the fish here have never seen one.

I normally throw the 1/4oz size and add a size 3 ball bearing swivel to them to stop line twist.

On 8/16/2025 at 11:26 AM, Bazoo said:

As well as wacky rigged. I have caught 1 fish on that.

I avoided the Senko for way too many years. And, even when I did begin to embrace it, I thought it was a pretty one dimensional bait. For quite a while I thought the main way to fish it (weightless wacky rigged 5" Senko) was to chuck it anywhere from the water's edge to10' to 15' deep, let it flutter straight down, give it one or two lifts and then reel it in and let it fly again. I caught a lot of bass that way. So many that in some years it has accounted for more bass than all other baits combined and I was more than OK with that.

 

Then, this past spring, I out a new trolling motor on my boat that has spot lock that allowed me to sit on main lake points and ledges with much more control than I have previously been able to achieve. One of my most successful presentations has been to fish the weightless wacky Senko in 15' to 30', and not just cast it out, take a few lifts and reel it in. I have been over and down steep ledges and get many bites from near vertical to totally vertical.

 

It takes some patience to let it get to the bottom, and some focus to keep it near the bottom if not in contact with it as it drops off the points and ledges. But that patience has been rewarded with numbers and some relatively decent fish too. Most don't really think of the WW Senko as a deep water bait, nor a bait to be fished more vertically in the same manner as many would a dropshot. 

 

I know you're primarily a bank angler, but you can cast it straight out, or completely parallel, and everywhere in between.

 

At any rate, I think you may be missing out by not giving the weightless wacky rigged Senko some serious time and effort.

 

Another one I see on your mid-confidence list is the carolina rig. Another very versatile presentation that I have a LOT of confidence in all year round. Just about any chunk of soft plastic can be used with a carolina rig, deep to shallow, finesse to heavy-duty, super-slow to just slow enough to keep contact with the bottom.

 

BTW, I know many top level sticks, and there isn't a single one I know that doesn't have some neglected areas in their game. Some are way better at some techniques, while be less than stellar at others. No shame in that. I used to think I had to maximize the number and size on every trip out. I don't think that way nearly as much as I used to. I live much more in the moment and have been able to develop/add many more tools and techniques to my arsenal, which is a far cry from one year where literally every bass I caught (over 50 days fished and caught bass on every trip) was caught on soft plastics. Be safe and have fun.

My thoughts are different. You don't need 27 different techniques. If your goal is to improve you should go to a lake that's known for bass fishing like KY lake or come on over to Table rock and hire a guide. 

You will learn more in a 4 hour trip than you will in years on your own. Compare your casting to his and see how he finds fish. You will see how you stack up against a talented fisherman and see where you need to improve. 

8 hours ago, Big Hands said:

I avoided the Senko for way too many years. And, even when I did begin to embrace it, I thought it was a pretty one dimensional bait. For quite a while I thought the main way to fish it (weightless wacky rigged 5" Senko) was to chuck it anywhere from the water's edge to10' to 15' deep, let it flutter straight down, give it one or two lifts and then reel it in and let it fly again. I caught a lot of bass that way. So many that in some years it has accounted for more bass than all other baits combined and I was more than OK with that.

 

Then, this past spring, I out a new trolling motor on my boat that has spot lock that allowed me to sit on main lake points and ledges with much more control than I have previously been able to achieve. One of my most successful presentations has been to fish the weightless wacky Senko in 15' to 30', and not just cast it out, take a few lifts and reel it in. I have been over and down steep ledges and get many bites from near vertical to totally vertical.

 

It takes some patience to let it get to the bottom, and some focus to keep it near the bottom if not in contact with it as it drops off the points and ledges. But that patience has been rewarded with numbers and some relatively decent fish too. Most don't really think of the WW Senko as a deep water bait, nor a bait to be fished more vertically in the same manner as many would a dropshot. 

 

I know you're primarily a bank angler, but you can cast it straight out, or completely parallel, and everywhere in between.

 

At any rate, I think you may be missing out by not giving the weightless wacky rigged Senko some serious time and effort.

 

Another one I see on your mid-confidence list is the carolina rig. Another very versatile presentation that I have a LOT of confidence in all year round. Just about any chunk of soft plastic can be used with a carolina rig, deep to shallow, finesse to heavy-duty, super-slow to just slow enough to keep contact with the bottom.

 

BTW, I know many top level sticks, and there isn't a single one I know that doesn't have some neglected areas in their game. Some are way better at some techniques, while be less than stellar at others. No shame in that. I used to think I had to maximize the number and size on every trip out. I don't think that way nearly as much as I used to. I live much more in the moment and have been able to develop/add many more tools and techniques to my arsenal, which is a far cry from one year where literally every bass I caught (over 50 days fished and caught bass on every trip) was caught on soft plastics. Be safe and have fun.

Thank you for this advice. I do need to invest some more time with the ww senko and the carolina rig too.

4 hours ago, rangerjockey said:

My thoughts are different. You don't need 27 different techniques. If your goal is to improve you should go to a lake that's known for bass fishing like KY lake or come on over to Table rock and hire a guide. 

You will learn more in a 4 hour trip than you will in years on your own. Compare your casting to his and see how he finds fish. You will see how you stack up against a talented fisherman and see where you need to improve. 

Thanks, I have thought of that actually, but not seriously. I'll have to really think about that more.

14 minutes ago, Bazoo said:

Thank you for this advice. I do need to invest some more time with the ww senko and the carolina rig too.

Thanks, I have thought of that actually, but not seriously. I'll have to really think about that more.

If you decide to head over this way let me know. I can give you a few guys to call. 

Honestly Bazoo,

     Bear with me, this is all IMHO.  I think if you really want to work on your game it don't over think it too much. Bottom contact baits (T-rig worms and jigs) are the base of the pyramid. Learn to use those two expertly!!! Learn the feel of a bite verses the feel of reeling your bait into something dead. So many words are used to describe a bite. I got slack knocked in my line, I felt a tic or tap, my line just started swimming, My line felt mushy.  My rod just loaded up!

     One is alive and the other is not. Once you get to know this feeling of alive, the light bulb comes on and the learning curve skyrockets.  It radiates outward to all of the other feel "detect a bite" techniques (ned, drop shot, carolina rig etc.).  Set the hook frequently and often. swings are free unless you set the hook in a snag. 

     Spinner baits, crank baits, chatter baits, swimming jigs and swim baits are moving baits.  They require you to impart more action to them. Retrieve speed, speed up, slow down, pull and pause. Run them into stuff.

     Sure you'll get hung up from time to time. But that strike often comes after a deflection off of something wood or jerked free from the weeds.

     Top waters are a whole nother ball game. Nothing is as heart stopping as a topwater explosion. 

     Personally for me is spinner baits. Making that magical cast that you can swear the Bass see's it in flight and hit's the instant the lure hits the water.

     Take just one or two of the same type baits and just fish those only for the entire day. By the end of the day your technique with that bait will have improved greatly and maybe your confidence in it too. 

Best regards,

Fishingmickey