So much tackle. What to use?

[FLFishFan]

By the way this is a great forum. Thanks for all the tips. You guys all talk about the different kinds of tackle. Well tell me what you guys prefer. I mean there are so many different kinds of stuff to use. Whats best to use where and when and on what conditions. I know a lot of it is experimenting but im sure you pros have advice. 8)

I know at night time the blackjitterbug is a killer.

[ryan7261]

Pick the Right Lures

Each kind of lure has certain times and places in which it is most effective. Careful bass fishermen, those who think about what they are doing and why, know that they can use the lures in their tackle boxes to work for them and that each one has an optimum range of service. Some lures work deep and some stay on the surface; some baits should be retrieved slowly and others should be burned along. So when the fish are deep, don't (in most cases) go with a surface lure. And when the bass are lethargic, don't make them chase a speeding bait.

COLOR: As each lure has a job to do, each color has a purpose, too. While some research indicates fish respond better to some colors than to others and that water clarity has a lot to do with what color lure might work best, it ia beyond the realm of most fishermen to obtain a device that indicates the best hues to use. So stick with crawfish colored lures when working close to the bottom around rocks, stumps, and willows. Use a fish colored bait, such as one painted chrome or silver or gold or like a shad, when working around deep points or around schooling baitfish. Try bright colors such as hot pink or chartreuse when the water is stained to the point that visibility is less than 18 inches. But chartreuse also works well in water that is fairly clear, and it is an excellent choice in spinnerbait skirts. Some bass anglers prefer chartreuse spinnerbaits around weed beds (and many like black there), while others go with white shirted lures around wood structure.

SPINNERBAITS: These are the most versatile of bass lures. They can be worked deep or shallow, slow or fast and in a number of motions. They are generally snagless, which makes them a top choice around weeds and submerged trees and willows. Use spinnerbaits generally this way: Try the inline models only in fairly open water, although they can fished among rocks with only a slight chance of snagging. Stick with the safety pin spinnerbaits around trees, willows, weeds, of all varieties, boat docks, stumps, flats, and long tapering points. A spinnerbait is one of the absolute best baits to use if the water is very dirty, especially in the summer and spring. The blades on the lures send out a lot of vibration as they rotate through the water and the action gives fish something to key on as they seek the disturbance in muddy water. Try a big cupped Colorado style blade when you seek to make the most underwater noise. On the other hand, when vibration isn't too important but plenty of flash is, try a willow leaf blade. The most popular sizes of willow leaf blades are No.4 to No.8. Since you'll be fishing a spinnerbait mostly around heavy cover such as weeds and wood, be sure to knock the lure into the cover regularly. That is, bump a stump or tree trunk with the lure and then let it settle a foot or so. Strikes from ambushing bass often will occur just after a spinnerbait hits a piece of wood then tumbles down. Too, you can slither the lure over snags that are out of the water and let the lure slip quietly into the water below the tangles to sneak up on lurking bass. Spinnerbaits and crankbaits are generally used to cover water quickly. Generally use a spinnerbait if the water is shallow and a crankbait if the water is deep.

CRANKBAITS: Crankbaits are especially productive on active bass that are willing to run down a meal. When the crankbaits are working to their potential, they are digging their big plastic bills into the sand, gravel or rocks on the bottom, deflecting themselves off objects and bouncing tantalizingly in front of hungry bass. They should be used when you want to quickly prospect for bass along an underwater hump or reef, down a steep or tapering point, along the sides of a road bed or around a launch ramp. Some expert bass fishermen use crankbaits in heavy cover such as trees and stumps, but those are places where a beginner should take considerable care. Because they mostly are floaters, crankbaits will bob back to the surface if you stop retrieving them; but if a hook is stuck in a branch, the lure will be stuck and perhaps unretrievable. Try a crankbait in heavy wood only after you've had lots of practice in walking one along a lake bottom so you can learn how the lure works. Many fishermen use three color patterns in crankbaits: chartreuse or firetiger, shad or chrome, and crawfish or reddish orange. These colors will mainly get the job done whenever a crankbait will do it. Another selection of many anglers is the deep diving models over shallow runners because the big plastic bills on the deep diggers serve several purposes. They deflect off snags and they dig puffs and furrows as they nose down into the lake bottom. The result is an added attraction that might draw attention of a hungry bass.

[ryan7261]

PLASTIC WORMS: Most anglers' favorite lure is the plastic worm. But it's not a simple stalk of colored plastic that it used to be. Now you have straight worms, snake worms, plastic lizards, curly tail worms, j-tail worms, and worms with holes, dimples, air pockets molded in, bumps and nubs and flavorings. Then you have the colors. Probably no other category of lure comes in as many colors as plastic worms. But if your just beginning to stock your tackle box, here's some simple advice. You'll need two basic styles: a straight worm for flipping and a worm with an action tail for more open water fishing. The j-tail and snake worms provide tantalizing motion in the water and they give off vibrations that draw fishes' interest, but they also can catch on small sticks, weeds and twigs and foul up an angler's presentation when he's flipping. As far as colors go, stock worms in black, blue, grape, and motor oil. And perhaps a metal flake variety in electric blue or motor oil.

JIGS: They are great for flipping shallow cover or casting to deep structure. They are best fished when they are in close proximity to under water cover. There are two basic varieties: The open-hooked plain jigs dressed with marabou or plastic grubs and the bass-style jigs with a snag guard and a rubber or rubber and hair skirt. These often are tipped with a plastic worm or pork rind trailer to add bouyancy and action. You can fish plastic worms and jigs in much the same way. You should keep the lure in close contact with the bottom as much as possible, twitching it in short hops. The jig-n-pig is a top choice when the water is still cold in the spring. It is meant to imitate a crawfish, which is one of the bass' favorite foods. Many fishermen switch over to plastic worms when the water begins to warm around spawning season, but the jig-n-pig will produce fish all summer long for those who stick with it. Toss either a plastic worm or jig-n-pig into a pocket in a weed bed, next to the shady side of a stump or leaning tree, under a boat dock, next to a submerged rock, along riprap and near boat ramps and points.

TOPWATER: The topwater bait is broken down in two categories: slow moving and fast topwater lures. Examples of slow movers are Zara Spook, Rapala floating minnows, chuggers and poppers. Fast baits are Jitterbugs, buzzbaits, and various propeller lures. Surface lures begin to draw interest just before the bass move onto the spawning beds and they'll continue to be hot until the water cools down in October or November. In the spring, try buzzbaits and the Zara Spook or Rapala near stumps or standing timber on shallow banks. During the summer, work topwater lures early and late in the day, or when the clouds are heavy and the wind is calm. Bass will move a long way to hit a topwater under such conditions. In the fall, try a surface lure near points and cover in bays made by creeks that feed a lake or reservoir. Buzzbaits work best when retrieved with a fairly quick pace. Allow them to bump the objects in the water just as you would with a spinnerbait. With a Spook or Rapala, however, a different approach is necessary. Cast one out and let it set until all the ripples from the splash-down are gone. Then twitch the lure slightly. Often the strike will occur then, but repeat the stop and twitch throughout the retrieve. Sometimes the strike will occur well away from the cover; sometimes it'll be right next to the boat. With a Zara Spook, each twitch should be made on a slack line. When you jerk the Spook, it'll dance right to left and stay within a small area for a long time. That give a bass plenty of time to get angry at the intruder. A strike under those conditions is a moment to remember.

[mallard]

Rob, don't tell me you typed that all yourself. lol

[Bassin_Dude]

he has a stash of articles. fishin, there is no ''best lure''. there are so many different conditions and there are a number of lures for that situation. so you have countless situations, and you have millions of baits to choose from for those situations.

[FLFishFan]

Wow Rob. Thanks buddy.

[mblk181]

I've had my best fishing in Michigan using a zoom ultra vibe speedworm body, watemelon/red glitter. Cut off the tail and texpose on a weightless 2/0 hook. Cast near likely cover/structure....let it fall to bottom....often bass will grab it on the way down. If not, let set 30 seconds watching line at all times. If nothing after 30 seconds, lift lure slowly about 2 feet to feel for fish, if none on, reel in at a moderate speed and cast to another likely spot. Best used on reed points, near weed edges, weed pockets, skipped under docks, isolated lily pads. If you can master the patience aspect, you will catch a slew.

[keeb]

the best ive used is a plastic crawfish by yum, but my biggest bass have been caught on hula poppers and spinners.