# What's the best bass bait/lure?



## tincansailor (May 27, 2009)

I have caught few bass. Some on crankbaits, some on spinnerbaits, a couple on jigs. I know that it all depends on the conditions at hand, etc. but what if any, is the most reliable bait/lure for bass in any condition? I have thrown everything in my tackle box and keep coming up empty. I change baits pretty often, do I need to pick one and stay with it for a couple of hours? I love to fish but I would like it even more IF I would CATCH more often. Any advice will certainly be appreciated and tried. Thanks!


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## fish devil (May 27, 2009)

:twisted: Right now the jig/chunk and Booyah Boogee(chatterbait) are my big bass go to lures. Were are you from?


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## FishinsMyLife (May 27, 2009)

Suspending jerkbait like an X Rap. It will catch bass year round in all conditions.


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## poolie (May 27, 2009)

Spoons are about the only thing I don't like to fish with, but in most conditions I'll reach for a spinnerbait when I need to put something in the boat.


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## bassboy1 (May 27, 2009)

poolie said:


> ...but in most conditions I'll reach for a spinnerbait when I need to put something in the boat.


Bingo!

I'll throw them until the end of November, and start them back, once in a while, starting in late Jan. However, I REALLY like them start March, on into the immediate post spawn, and like them best again in the late summer through fall. 

About the only time I can't get them on a spinnerbait is when they are real deep, be it in the dead of winter, or the heat of summer. 

A jerkbait is a good bait for about the same conditions. And, when the fish are slow and suspended, it is sometimes easier to catch them on. A spinnerbait can be slow rolled across the bottom for fish that aren't very active, but when they are inactive, and suspended, you can't keep it right in front of their nose a long enough time, as it either sinks past them, or you have to burn it to keep it in the right depth range. A jerkbait can be paused for a period of a minute or better, and will stay put in that time. 

Now, there are times neither will put fish in the boat, but I can bet that if you count all the times a spinnerbait will put fish in the boat, and compare it to say a crankbait, or a jig or anything like that, and the spinnerbait will probably win out. Only thing it probably wouldn't beat would be soft plastics, but a) they are boring to fish, and b) it is a very broad topic, so it almost isn't a fair comparison.


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## ilinimud (May 28, 2009)

> Bassboy: Only thing it probably wouldn't beat would be soft plastics, but a) they are boring to fish, and b) it is a very broad topic, so it almost isn't a fair comparison.



You got that right. Sometimes i think i will fall asleep while trying to work a worm in. But everyone in my area says it is thier most productive.

I personally am at my best shallow crankin. I love it. Lipless cranks are a great all around lure too. Buy a Strike King Red Eye Shad in metallic tennessee shad and go at it!


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## Quackrstackr (May 28, 2009)

Day in, day out, year round, all conditions, all depths... hands down a plastic worm.

They simply cannot be beat for versatility.


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## russ010 (May 28, 2009)

I'm with Quack - soft plastics year round.

If I'm having a hard time catching anything, I'll put a Roboworm on a Shakey Head jig... something about that setup that bass can't stand. 

I'll throw flukes when it's overcast, and then worms (texas rigged 6-7.5" worms, lizards, Net Bait Paca Chunks.... I'll also throw these weightless when the bite is slow: Senkos and trick worms) when the sun is out or overcast


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## Bubba (May 28, 2009)

I would have to say some sort of soft plastic fished on a texas rig. I have more confidence in a t-rig than anything I throw.


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## tincansailor (May 29, 2009)

Thanks guys. I was thinking that a spinnerbait would be the one to use most. I have not used soft plastics so that is what I am going to do tomarrow. Have some in my tacklebox but have not used any. Tomarrow I will. Wish me luck. By the way, I am in western Arkansas so I have some prime bass fishing just minutes away. Thanks again guys.


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## Mac (May 31, 2009)

This is a page of information a fishing buddy and my wife helped me to develop over the years. We’ve caught a lot of bass using the following techniques and presentations. 
We fish with spinning outfits, usually 6 pound test mono.
I buy a pack of zoom speedworms in watermelon/red and clip off the tails at the narrow spot just in front of the flapper tail. This makes approximately a 4 inch lure that works exceptionally well. It basically looks like a Senko or Senko knock off, but differs in the following ways: 
Not having internal salt, it sinks more slowly. This is key when you have submerged weeds, giving the bait much more exposure to the bass on the slow fall. 
It does not have the same action in that being a slow faller, it doesn't have the Senko shudder on the fall, ....but the fish don't mind. 
I rig the lure texposed on a 2/0 offset shank worm hook, weightless most often and often use a sidearm skipping cast. 
This lure doesn't cost as much as a Senko, yet holds up under use much better. When one end wears out, I rig it in the other end....when that end goes, I save it for wacky rigging. I call the speedworm body in watermelon/red a zoomie, for brevity. 
It casts like a bullet, and skips well under log, rock and dock. 
I fish it most often in the following manner.....cast to likely cover/structure. Sometimes the fish prefer a "Here I am" skipping cast, at other times a quieter entry seems to work better. I let it fall with bail open, to the bottom, watching line at all times. I wait, initially, for 30 seconds, just letting it remain on bottom. After 30 seconds, gently take out the slack and lift it slowly off bottom about two feet to feel for fish....if nothing on, I tremor the bait by suddenly grabbing the rod handle harder, but trying not to move the rod tip.....this gives the lure a sudden little twitch at the top of the raise and will sometimes elicit a strike, if nothing hits, I let it re-fall and rest again for 20 seconds. Lifting slowly a second time...and pausing at the top of the raise, if nothing takes it this time, I reel in at a moderate pace and cast to another likely spot. 
If done properly, this presentation will take one full minute per cast. 
An alternate presentation.....developed and perfected by my wife. Using either a regular or skipping cast....she lets the zoomie fall to bottom and lets rest for 15 seconds, then takes one s l o w crank on the reel and lets rest again, with the line draped over her index finger for feel, and watching the line carefully.....after 15 seconds, another s l o w turning of the reel handle and another 15 second pause. She does this until the lure has travelled 8 to 10 feet across bottom, then reels in at a moderate to slow pace, and casts to another likely spot. It should be noted she uses a Zebco 33 reel ( just her personal preference ) so that when reeling s l o w l y, the lure doesn't go far with one revolution of the reel handle, so should you use a higher gear ratio, and want the same results you'll have to maybe take a half or quarter turn. 
If weight is needed, I clip pieces of small finishing nails into 3/8 inch lengths and use one inserted in the skin of the lure about even with the hookpoint, but on the side of the lure to maintain a good horazontal fall.....the closer to the hookpoint, the tighter the wobble, the farther out to the side of the worm, the wider the wiggle on the fall. This is a side to side movement, kind of a rocking back and forth. Discovered totally by accident, but beneficial in that the glitter inside the worm body rocking side to side creates a lot of extra flash. Most often, we don't weight, but once in awhile the wind drifts the boat along and the touch of weight added gets the lure down deeper. 
Fishing weeds.....bump and fall, bump and fall. I cast to the edge or inside pocket, letting the lure fall until it lodges in a weed. I lift slowly until I feel it bump another weed, then let fall again. I pause 10 seconds each time I lift to let the lure fall farther down in the weeds. Caught some really nice bass doing this along weedbed edges and pockets...... You may be surprised how thick the weeds can get and you can still work it down deep. 
In lily pads and reeds, I use a 5 inch zoom lizard in watermelon/red exposed weightless. With the rod tip up, especially in pads it will crawl up on the pads and over the tops. When it comes to an open pocket, I let it sit on the edge of a pad with just the head showing and after 20 seconds or so, I tremor it twice with a little pause between before moving on.


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## mr.fish (May 31, 2009)

fish devil said:


> :twisted: Right now the jig/chunk and Booyah Boogee(chatterbait) are my big bass go to lures. Were are you from?



I have to agree with the jig being the best year round bass catcher. The jig is going to get a bass to bite in the coldest of cold months, while plastics wont produce squat. A jig can be used all year, but especially works better through the fall and winter.


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## Quackrstackr (Jun 1, 2009)

mr.fish said:


> The jig is going to get a bass to bite in the coldest of cold months, while plastics wont produce squat.



Must be a PA bass thing. :lol: 

All joking aside, this question is really relative to exactly where the fishing is taking place.

The bass here have no problems with soft plastics year 'round and they will outproduce a jig day in and day out.

I'm not talking about size, I'm talking about numbers.


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## georgia jeff (Jun 10, 2009)

A black Zoom Trick Worm. Weighted, weightless, topwater, you name it and it can do it.


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## ilinimud (Jun 10, 2009)

I hear a lot of talk about black worms, but never have used one. Is that a GA thing? Are you guys using those on sunny days too, or just cloudy days?


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## thudpucker (Jun 16, 2009)

See the two kids in my Avitar? I had one of them throw a Black worm right up into the leaves at the edge of the bank.
Then slowly drag it into the water.
They watched as a dark shadow turned to look at the worm..."hey, what's that?"
I said; "just keep the worm moving very slowly, they dont have legs so they cant move very fast!"
About that time the Shadow zipped over and took that worm with him.
Those two boys nearly capsized the boat jumping and jerking. It was a 4 Lb Bass.
They were really dissapointed in me when I had them turn it loose.

So the Plastic worms are the Go-To guys for me. I like Dark Green and Black.


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