Per the title, someone comes on here looking for advice on what to catch bass on next year. What is the lure you tell them to fish? Why is that the thing you tell them to fish? It can be a regular fish catcher or a little off the wall suggestion. When does it work for YOU (conditions, time of year, etc)?

Selfishly, I’m always looking for another thing to expand the box or something that interests me in trying. I have a couple thoughts in mind for the year but always looking for something more/different.

Well it's not new but is still mostly slept on. Deps Cover Scat.

It flat out works but I still think it's ignored probably because of how it looks.

Use in cover, along cover, edges, riprap, structure, etc Not too many places it doesn't work.

I have some new, new baits. But I can't recommend them yet because it's winter here and I haven't fished them yet.

I recommend they try everything, then tell me what works.

I haven’t tried a single new bait for 2026 so I can’t honestly say! But I always recommend people fish worms. Boy do worms work for bass fish.

Throw a worm. Get a new pack of any color or size and wacky, split shot, Carolina or Texas rig it on sunny, rainy, cloudy, hot, warm or cold day. Catch fish!

Old (proven) is always new.

10 hours ago, RRocket said:

Well it's not new but is still mostly slept on. Deps Cover Scat.

It flat out works but I still think it's ignored probably because of how it looks.

I've heard some good things about it on here but yeah, it just flat out looks creepy.

What size do you use and how do you fish it?

Zoom thick trick worm

Black Label Cliff Pace Snapshot and a 1/2oz white double willow spinnerbait.

Beaver type bait on a flippin rig. Puts 'em in the boat ice out till ice over, clean water and dirty, shallow and deep, and comes through the thickest of cover.

4 hours ago, bowhunter63 said:

Zoom thick trick worm

The magnums are great. How do you rig them?

2 minutes ago, woolleyfooley said:

The magnums are great. How do you rig them?

Neko, Wacky and Texas . Really good on a Neko.

Not new but Ned rig.

I camped on a lake for 2 weeks last year in early September and couldn't find a consistent bait until I succumbed and went with Ned.

Was catching bass in every scenario,

Rocks, wood, points, flats and even on a slow swim.

Throw Ned in 2026.

@bowhunter63 thick trick vs the standard trick worm- what is the difference in how they fish? I picked up the trick worm last year to good effect and it’s my #2 plastic now (after a rage bug). I like variations on a theme so a pack of thick tricks might be interesting.

@Siebert Outdoors 3/8 oz green pumpkin / black jig with matching Rage Chunk trailer.

If they want to catch numbers then I would tell them to use a ned. It is a go-to for me on the heavy pressured lakes when everything else fails. If they are looking more for size then a 3.5” tube for SM or willow leaf spinnerbait for LM. Any season for these 3 for me. I will sometimes slow swim or drift with the current a ned or tube.

7 hours ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

I've heard some good things about it on here but yeah, it just flat out looks creepy.

What size do you use and how do you fish it?

Studies have shown bass will eat a craw with no claws before one with claws. Makes sense, I guess. So the Cover Scat is a craw with no claws. But looks like a fat bug, leech, worm, etc

I fish 3 ways.

1) Cast and let sink to bottom. Wait 5-10 seconds. Then 2 swift jerks to get it off the bottom. Then let it sink again and repeat.

2) Bottom dragging.

3) under water walk the dog.

I fish a combo of 1 & 2 the most.

Also skips beautifully.

There are some really great videos of skeptics fishing it and having a great time.

Largemouth: Fogy with Spunk Shad

Smallmouth: Hula Grub

I recommend two lures that are very similar; Strike King's Rocket Shad and a Little George. Both can be fished in a similar way. The big plus for these two is that they get deep quick and can be jigged or cranked. I find a Rocket Shad much easier to maintain depth with than a spinnerbait, which I always have trouble keeping at a steady depth with during a retrieve.

If you aren't fishing any bigger soft swimbaits, the 6th Sense Super Sweep swimbait. It fishes "bigger" than a similar sized 5" swimbait, probably about 6 1/2. But very fishable on a heavy rod, so no specialized gear. Shad and gill colors depending on your forage.

I prefer an underspin usually - 7/0 works best so it's trokar or 6th sense as the beast hooks don't fit quite right.

Dinks won't eat but anything 2lbs and over will. Fishes well in grass and trees/laydowns, can fish reasonably deep because the body is thin and has very little lift.

Doesn't blow out at speed.

It is a significantly larger bait than 95% of what's going by them.

3 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

@bowhunter63 thick trick vs the standard trick worm- what is the difference in how they fish? I picked up the trick worm last year to good effect and it’s my #2 plastic now (after a rage bug). I like variations on a theme so a pack of thick tricks might be interesting.

The head is thicker so it holds a Neko weight better and the tail is thinner. Well worth a try

Probably the dice baits.

8 hours ago, papajoe222 said:

Strike King's Rocket Shad

I dont throw Rocket Shads enough. For some stupid reason I overlook them but they get bit. I like them deep and in current. My favorete lure in tailraces.

I've mentioned this bait a few times. It was new to me about two years ago.

Bassday Mononofu 50s

It's a sinking trout lure. You definitely need light BFS gear for it and a box of extra hooks but it's a fish catching machine. I've caught everything from big bluegill and crappie to 5lb largemouth, and even a few big catfish and drum.

Megabass Karashi 80, tough to find a pic since they technically don't exist yet.

The original Karashi is a ton of fun to fish but not the most accessible since you really need a BFS rig to run it properly.

Really looking forward to a full size version that can be thrown on regular casting gear, and hooks that don't explode when you look at them funny.

2 hours ago, Peacedivision said:

Megabass Karashi 80, tough to find a pic since they technically don't exist yet.

The original Karashi is a ton of fun to fish but not the most accessible since you really need a BFS rig to run it properly.

Really looking forward to a full size version that can be thrown on regular casting gear, and hooks that don't explode when you look at them funny.

I just learned about this yesterday. Weighs almost a half ounce, but is a slow sink just like the original. This should be an absolute killer lure and I am sure I will end up with a dozen or so.