Favorite bass bait

[born-to-hunt]

What kind of bait do you guys use and for what type bass you fish with those baits? soft plastic, live, hard plastic, ect. I used soft lizards for the first time ever I believe 3.5" pumpkin green and I am very impressed I will get some more in a heart beat and that was on I think largemouth but maybe small not really sure

[btmidwest]

born to hunt,      I'm always trying "new to me" stuff, that's how you grow.  Personally I've caught more bass with a june bug colored zoom trick worm on a 1/0 light (not EWG) gamakatsu worm hook than anything else.  Of course not always, but there are times when the trick worm is almost magic.  Fished weightless you can swim it in so many ways.  Kind a hard to cast on cheap baitcasting gear but with a spinning reel or a better grade baitcaster it's OK.  Alabama craw trick worms (kinda like pumpkin seed in color) works well too and sometimes seems to catch fewer but bigger fish - don't know why.  Don't get me wrong I've caught fish on several other colors, black, pink, watermelon seed, watermelon seed red and redbug to name a few but the other two have worked the best for me.  I do use black at night when I have them. 

The zoom horny toad on a gamakatsu 5/0 SKIP GAP hook works well as a top water rig also - black at night, june bug and watermelon red have all caught fish for me.  I ran across 2 fellows this past Sunday afternoon who had done quite well with a white zoom toad so I picked up a few in that color at the local sporting goods after work. I still throw all the other stuff out there but I go back to these two lures alot.  Regards,BT

[born-to-hunt]

You sound like someone that likes tryin new stuff whenever you can. I havn't had huge success with plastic worms on bass but havn't used em much. not bad on spinners with tubes on em. most success is plastic lizards never used toads or frog baits.

[Swampman]

Purple or black plastic worm.

[born-to-hunt]

you just use an offset worm hook?

[kynardsj]

My favorite bass bait is what they want that particular day or time. I have favorite ways of fishing for them but won't live or die because of my favorite ways. I like flipping a soft bait or jig in cover. I like spinnerbaits and buzz baits when they're on them and like crankbaits, trick worms and top waters when they're on them. I least like a jigging spoon or a carolina rigged worm but will tie one on if necessary. I prefer running water but will also fish in the back of sloughs where it's still. Nope, no favorite bait just some ways I'd rather fish for them than others.

[btmidwest]

kynardsj,   I could not agree more with your approach.  To me that is the best way to fish.  Finding where they are and what they want is the key to fishing.  I have a friend who is near genius at consistantly doing this.  I still have a long way to go on my learning curve.  Putting together all the variables on any given day and finding what works is the challenge and what make it fishing and not just harvesting.

born to hunt,  On a smallmouth the mouth line stops before their eye and on a largemouth the mouth goes past their eye.

Regards,  BT

[born-to-hunt]

kynardsj,   I could not agree more with your approach.  To me that is the best way to fish.  Finding where they are and what they want is the key to fishing.  I have a friend who is near genius at consistantly doing this.  I still have a long way to go on my learning curve.  Putting together all the variables on any given day and finding what works is the challenge and what make it fishing and not just harvesting.

born to hunt,  On a smallmouth the mouth line stops before their eye and on a largemouth the mouth goes past their eye.

Regards,  BT

ok cool thanx as you can tell i'm waaay on that learning curve ha ha

[Cheesehead]

I have one favorite.

[btmidwest]

Is there a design on that Colorado blade or is that a reflection in the photo.  Do you have a particular way that you fish it?  I have a friend who uses spinners almost exclusively and burns them back.  He has high praise for them.  I use'em but I haven't had his results.

[Cheesehead]

This is a photo example I borrowed, but represents most of what I like. A single Colorado blade, size 4 or five. One half ounce in weight. White or yellow in color. Sometimes use a black skirt with a black blade. A closed loop eyelet to attach a cross lock ball bearing swivel snap. I throw this lure with a 7 foot medium heavy St Croix casting rod and a Quantum bait caster loaded with 65 pound super braid. It casts like a bullet. I can fish it near weed edges at or near the surface or slow roll it near under water structure at 30 feet deep. So versatile. I buy the wire bodies in bulk and assemble them to my liking, good fun. It is my favorite large mouth bass bait, but catches everything that swims, like walleyes and muskies. The single hook configuration is semi-weedless yet provides near 100% hook ups. It can be fished very fast or slow depending on the need. I like it, alot.

Cheese

[btmidwest]

Thanks for the detail - you've put some thought into it.  I've slow rolled black single Colorado blade spinners at night with some success.  Which brand of braid are you using?    BT

[born-to-hunt]

I have caught a bluegill on a spinner is that wierd?

Thanks for the detail - you've put some thought into it.  I've slow rolled black single Colorado blade spinners at night with some success.  Which brand of braid are you using?    BT

I would like to know the same to cast like a bullet with a 65lb and a spinner but I use power pro and love it I have 20lb on mine and pulled in a branch the metal hook holder thing on the leader bent and broke off before the line snapped and doesn't cost an arm and a leg $15 for 150yds

[Cheesehead]

To cast like a bullet, use a smaller single spinner blade, a 1/2 ounce or larger lead bait body, a smaller skirt or rubber grub or worm. I use 65# Power Pro Super Braid and it saws through weeds. I like it, alot.

Cheese

[born-to-hunt]

that power pro super braids good stuff huh

[Cheesehead]

Also, it last for years. Respool it onto another reel and use the fresh end of it. I take a black permanent marker and darken every other foot of the last ten feet, makes it kinda camo and it gives you reference to the distance to the lure.

Cheese

[born-to-hunt]

good idea marking it with a marker. what color do you use I got moss green

[Cheesehead]

Black and/or green.

[mccleese]

My new favorite is a Fat Free Shad Crainkbait.  I fished with one Wed  for the first time.  91 degree water and caught 53 bass with it.  53 !!!!!   Largest was 6 1/2, 3 were 5# and about 8 were 4 lb.  Now I was fishing at a fish camp but I'm sold on the bait.

[born-to-hunt]

WOW!!!!!!!! i'm going to have to try that one I might be going out a little today hopefully I can hit a store I need some fat free shad crainkbaits

[zeke08]

I love the red eye rattle trap type bait in sexy shad (when u stop them they flutter like a dying shad). I have caught tons of large mouth, small mouth and stripe bass, works from spring to fall, I use from 1/4 to 3/4oz. depending on time of year and the body of water I am on. I also love throwing a bitsy bug green pumpkin 3/16 oz. jig with a green pumpkin paca chunk (small size) dipped in spike it chartreuse as a trailer. I have done very well with a 200 series bandit in root beer,  TN shad, and chrome/blue.

[1911crazy]

Seasons change and so do the bassbaits;

Spring

topwater poppers  (rebel poppers/ spooks)
shallow running crankbaits (bomber fat a / mann's minus 1)
plastic lizzards (spawning)

summer heat

plastics like worms/creaturebaits/craws, frogs and senko type baits fished deep on carolina rigs
topwater, traps, cranks  try everything when the fishing is tough.

Fall

Repeat the spring tactics

Remember early mornings before first light fish near the shoreline  as night becomes day the bass move to deep cover till it gets dark again.

[clum sum]

Zoom Brush Hog in watermelon or pumpkin sized for the size fish you wont.

[.Dirty-.30]

I fish for mainly stream Smallmouth, which are small Smallmouth. My best one ever was 19" and then released as all are. I use a model 250 A.C. Shiner on 6-10 lb line out of the older Mitchell-Garcia spinning reels. The last time I went, which was early October, I caught 18 in an hour and a half including a 16 or 17" I forget what he measured. These lures will catch fish. Colors used are Sunfish which is green back, gold side, with an orange belly, or black back, gold side and orange belly, or Perch color which is barred brown and white with an orange or white belly. I use these lures Spring, Summer and Fall. They are my favorite but I throw a variety of hard bodied lures and spinners through the year.

[purpledragon]

I've got to agree with clum sum, I can catch fish any time almost anywhere with the Brush Hog and Baby brush hog, although fishing a worm wacky style works very well also...........

[clum sum]

To prove a point, on Tue 2-1-11 my Lovley Bride cought her 3rd bass ever using a Zoom Baby Brushhog color green pumpkin. It weighed 4 lb 13 oz cought mid day on the Calossahatchee river near Ft Denaud. If it will bite, it will bite a Brushhog.

[Chewie80]

Cut Catawba worm in half and push his insides out....stays on the hook really well and the bass will light it up

[LunaticFringeInc]

Different conditions dictate different baits and tactics.  That being said its not often that using a 6 inch Lizard in Pumkin/Chart or Watermelon/Chart on a 3/0 hook with a 1/16th or 1/8 ounce bullet weight Texas Rigged doesnt prove very productive for me.  There are times and conditions where I will resort to using a Rapala Slash Bait XR-5 (? I think it is) or a 3/8th ounce Chatter Bait or something else in my arsenal of baits.  The Lizard just seems to prove its self better more times than not.