I just got back in to fishing and am starting over from scratch. Just bought a new 6'6" MF rod and a new spinning reel spooled with 8# XL. Will be doing most of my fishing from shore up here at the lakes and ponds of NH. My main focus will be LM bass but I also like catching sm's, trout, pickeral, and carp. I bought a new tackle box and now need to start filling it up. So my question is what tackle would you guys buy if you had nothing to start with and only $100 to spend? Specifics about brand, color, lure sizes, hook sizes, weights, etc. will greatly help. Thanks in advance for advise.

Tackle box that needs filling: http://www.nbswebstore.com/cgi-bin/web_store/web_store.cgi?view=products&cart_id=2255249_2696&product=TackleBoxesBags&manufact=TACKLE%20LOGIC%20WORM%20FILE%20-%20HARD

Well seems to me you sealed the beast with that box "Worm File" says it all. Im sure you can search on here and find tons of stuff people like.

Get some big worms(7 1/2"->10 1/2") hard to choose one color

Couple rattle traps(again, hard to choose one or two colors)

Spinner Baits

Something Top Water

Yeah, then you need all the stuff to rig it, better get a loan! Or just dont pay the mortgage, they will hold off a month or two with the economy, tell them you lost your job.

Don't buy anything until you've answered some questions for yourself about where you'll be fishing. You can do plenty with $100, for starters. You can adjust, upgrade, add to, and replenish over time.

First, I'd start with the rod -since you've already purchased it. It will have range of what lures it can effectively use. What's the line test rating?

Next, I'd look at the waters you are choosing to fish. Pick a couple that you'll be fishing most and describe them. Are they deep clear and rocky? Shallow and weedy? Mud, rubble and wood? Streams or rivers (fast or placid)? Are these natural waters? Or man-made? What's the water clarity like: Clear, stained, muddy? How deep are they? Are there shallow areas? Being in NH, with LMB and pickeral I'm guessing you are fishing small clear natural lakes with a mix of rock, mud and weeds?

Hey Paul,  I have a Fenwick HMG 6'6" MF rod that has a lure range 0f 1/4-3/4 oz. lures and has a line rating of 6-15.  I have it spooled with Trilene XL 8lb. test.  I'm from MA and haven't done much fishing up here in NH yet but your guess about small clear natural lakes with a mix of rock, mud and weeds is probably right on.  It explains the 1st lake I've been to very well.  I already have some 5" senkos, fat Ikas,  and a 1/4 oz. white/chartruese spinner bait.  Looking to expand my tackle with a good variety of lures.

That's a good all around rod for largemouth. You can do quite a lot with that.

I'd definitely get an extra spool for your reel, and fill it with 12lb mono. No need to bother with braid or fluoro at this point. Mono floats and requires no special knots.

Here are my recommendations for basic lures (considering the rod you own, and location):

Topwater:

I'd get a three topwaters:

-Rebel Pop-R, or Rapala Skitter-Pop

-4 walking plug like the Zara Spook Jr, or one of the BassPro versions a little easier to manipulate. Tricky but well worth learning.

-A small buzzbait I like the Strike King Triple Wing, in 1/8oz. The small one will interest the majority of northern bass in a variety of conditions.

Minnow Plugs:

-#11 or #13 (or both) Rapala floating minnow in black/silver. This can double as a great calm water topwater.

-X-Rap (suspending) size 8 is great for northern bass.

Crankbaits:

-Rat-L-Trap

Optional:

-2 Cordell Big-O or Bandit in crawfish finish. Great relatively weedless plug. Deep and med/shallow runners.

Spinnerbaits: Although these are MUCH better for casting (levelwind) gear.

-A 1/4oz tandem blade. I believe you have one!

-A 3/8oz single spin for slow-rolling.

Jigs:

-Rubber-legged jigs in two sizes -a large and small (1/8 and 1/4oz) with a conical head and weedguard for weeds. I like the Zorro Booza for the larger and the Strike King Bitsy Bug in 1/8 with a matching trailer (down-sized). There many good brands though. Get a dark (black or brown) and a light (pumpkin). Get a trailer for these. I like pork frogs (#11), but you have to soften them. Or plastic craw chunks with pincers.

Tubes!!:

-Pick a 3-1/2 tube you like (lots of them out there). Rig with a weighted EWG hook (BPS Vertical Drop Hook) in 1/16oz. Great bait fished on the drop.

Plastics (you've got the Senko):

-Zoom Trick Worm 7 Texas-rigged.weightless or with light bullet sinker. If you go with the 8lb line only, use a wire weedguard hook, rather than Texas. Read about Carolina rigging too not a great $ investment for a great deeper water technique.

-Creatures. I like the Zoom Sooie (4 ½), but there are many good ones. Fish on weedless conical jig head or texas-rigged.

Frogs if you have slop (surface weeds and algae):

-Generic terms for weedless topwaters. ScumFrog and/or Stanley Ribbit (Texas-rigged), etc... Choose one you like. Do NOT get the BPS XPS frogs they are way too hard for good hooksets.

Pickeral are attracted to flashy lures. If you like pickeral (I do) then a Mepps #2 or #3 are great. They catch bass too. The floating Rapalas are good for pickeral too, and are long enough that you won't need a leader, although the 12# line for a leader will do it for most pickeral anyway -but be checking you line for nicks after each one. In general I like to catch pickeral on lighter tackle, a softer rod. They are really zippy if the rod and line will allow them to keep their fins dug in.

I'm sure I'll think of other must-have's later, LOL.

Excellent lists provided by RW too.

Good luck.

Here are four pages of what are other members favorite lures:

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1143177139

8-)

A little bit of money will go a long way using ***.

Must haves and can get from *** for cheap:

Disc tubes

stick baits 4 and 5 inch

finesse worms

lizards

All in watermelon seed

Spinnerbait:

1/4 oz white and chartreuse with tandem blade and one with colorado blade

(booyah are not expensive and good)

Crankbaits: Not my favorite for bank fishing bc of hangups

Red Eye Shad in Sexy Shad, red, or chrome with blue

Model A Bombers- Tn Shad or Red Crawfish. RED CRAWFISH catches anything! Catfish, sauger, gar....anything.

Topwater:

Pop r or Chug bug

Norman Top Dollar

Jerkbait:

Suspending X Rap-Olive

Jigs,

PB&J

Blue/black

with a pack of cheap crawtails

These baits are not necessarily my favorites but they are proven and budget friendly. Concentrate on plastics as they are cheap and great for ponds.

 Wow!!!!!  You guys are awesome.  Thank you! Thank you!  Thank you!  Not only did you guys answer my question, but you answered it more thoroughly than I ever would have imagined.  This has to be the best forum on the net.

 So Paul, how do you know so much about NH fishing?  I actually have a second spool.  Came with my Pflueger Supreme 8035MG.  When would you recomend using 12lb instead of 8lb? And would I be better off having one spooled with 6lb instead of 8lb?

 I actually have 1 more question.  Usually I attach whatever bait I'm using to an interlock swivel so I can switch to new baits easily.  I was wondering what you guy's thoughts were on using swivels.  Are there certain bait types that are negatively affected by being attached to a swivel or is it OK to pretty much use them with everything?

You got GREAT answers about baits! Everything about fishing is pretty much opinion. IMHO learn to tie knots faster! Swivels are just one more thing to buy and the fewer things between you and the fish the better ...

                            As Ever,

                             skillet

KlubbaT,

I've never fished in NH. But I'm originally a NE'er and have traveled through, and know a bit about the geology of NH, but that is all. You'll really have to scope out your waters. But largemouth bass are similar all over, and love cover. If you find your chosen waters are more rocky and clear (doubtful if you have both pickeral and LMB) and have more smallmouth you may need to lighten up your tackle a tad. I'm guessing that your rod with 8# and 12# line in pickeral/LMB waters are perfect.

The recommended line tests have more to do with matching to hook sizes, and lure weights. Spinnerbaits, rubber-leg jigs, and Texas-rigged plastics have pretty course (wire diameter) hooks.

Also, if you have cover to fish, like vegetation or wood, you need more pulling power to muscle fish out. A 2lb bass can bury in vegetation quickly with 8lb line and can be tough to pull out. Come summer, weed beds will get dense and you'll really appreciate the stronger line.

So, use the 12lb line for the heavier hooked lures and in cover.

I'd stick with the 8lb for a lighter line for largemouth bass, and the suggested lures. It's thin enough to work well with finer hooked lures -smaller hardbaits, smaller jigs, Mepps, the Rapala. However I'd use the 12# for the walking topwater as it offers better flotation -helpful for this one lure type.

If there were more smallmouths, yes, I'd probably go with 6lb. You'll know more as you fish your waters. (If you end up with more smallmouth, then you'll need to start this thread all over again (LOL).

Ditto Skillet on the swivels -nix 'em. For most lures, tie direct.

Now with the Mepps spinners, if you decide to go with some of them (if you like pickeral, it's a must have), then you could use a small ball-bearing swivel. I don't though. I tie direct but bend the line tie wire up at about a 40degree angle (see pic), which helps reduce line twist some. And  you'll need to cut off that Mepps every now and then and let a good 30 feet of line hang out in the water to un-twist.

Thanks Paul.  I apreciate all the info.  I'm originally from Lynn, MA.  Moved up here to NH about 5 years ago.  Haven't fished for 6+ years until last week.  Think I'm going to be having a lot of fun this year exploring different NH lakes.  Beats the ponds I fished as a kid.  I just wish I had a boat!

KlubbaT,

I live and fish in NH's Lakes Region. Generally speaking you will find more smallmouths than largemouths. I'd go slow in spending my total lure budget until I had some experience. I would get a surface bait like a Pop-R or a Spook, a Rattle Trap and a chartreuse spinner bait. Then some tubes, curly tailed grubs, a few Senkos or their knockoffs. Finish this out with appropriate hooks, jigs and sinkers.

In the places I fish crawdads, smelt and perch are the main forage.

Northern Bass Supply is the best tackle shop I have found in NH. If I were in your position I'd go there and look for some help. I can't recall the town it is in but it is 30 to 45  minutes east of Manchester towards the coast then south. Plug Northern Bass Supply into your search engine and I'm sure it will come up.

KT,

Now there's the post you needed -from NBR. Best advice yet.

-Paul

Hey NBR, I was actually already planning on buying my tackle from Northern Bass Supply.  If you clicked on my link from my original post, it shows my tackle box from the Northern Bass website.  I live in Brentwood and it is located only 5 minutes away from my house.  You are right about it being a great store.  I just brought my buddy over there a few weeks ago so he could get a new rod and reel.

 O.K., I think I made my mind up about what tackle I'll be buying tomorrow from Northern Bass Supply.  I already own a bag of 6" senkos and Fat Ikas in watermelon/black flake. Also own a 1/4 oz. Booyah single colorado blade in white/charteuse.  This is what I'm planning on buying tomorrow to add to my arsenal.  

Booyah  Moontalker 1/2 oz.  black/silver flake spinnerbait

Cavitron  1/8 oz. red hook/gold blade black buzzbait

Rat-L-Trap 1/2 oz. red zone tail chaser chrome/blue back

Feathered Super Spook Jr.  1/2 oz.  black shiner

4" X-Rap  7/16 oz. silver

Thinking this will start me off with a good foundation which I can build upon.  Will be checking this post out tomorrow just in case you guys think I'm missing something important.  Thanks again for the help.