Confidence Bait

[Old Hooker]

If you went to a new lake and didn't have a clue what works there or what is hot at the moment, what would your first choice be? Mine would be a 1/2 oz spinnerbait, most likely with a silver willow and small gold Colorado blade and a white skirt. That's been my top producer around here for years for a search lure. Once I find them I can settle down and start with my plastics.

So, what's yours?

[MIbasser]

This is/could be a very loaded question and could get a 100 different answers..... what time of year? What is the weather like? What is the water temp? So many variables....

But,

I would start out with a lipless red eye shad (gold sexy to be exact) and cover a lot of water. From there goto a shakey head (black) then maybe either a beaver or brush hog. But, typically I'll start with a trap to see what type of weeds are around and if they want to chase or not.

[pro reel]

For me it depends on what the lake looks like , water clarity and cover. For most lakes, I will probably start with a T rigged plastic or a jig

[BigBassin144]

I too would probably start with a search bait, the one I have a lot of confidence in: The crankbait! Size, depth, and color would depend on the lake.

BB

[keithdog]

My answer is very similar to yours. A 3/8 oz white spinnerbait with a gold willow/silver colorado blade combo. Seems to work everywhere. But I'd also want two other setups going as well. A t-rigged beaver for pitchin into cover and a popper for working the surface bite.

[Bubba_Bruiser]

A Bass Assassin Jerk or Fluke in a baby bass color. And if that didn't work, I would probably switch to a TX rigged 6" watermelon seed lizard.

[rrw4258]

A crankbait is what I usually start with. The bait will differ depending on depth, water clarity, etc.

Ryan

[walkeraviator]

Yeah, it depends on time of year, water clarity, forage, depth, cover, bank or boat fishin, and so on. With that said, I would probably start with a T-Rigged 7" ribbon tail worm in green pumpkin and dip the tail chartreuse. But if it were spring and i was fishing from a boat... crankbait, crankbait, crankbait... Color, depth, and style all dependent on water temperature and color. Heat of the summer or middle of January... Jig.

[woody]

I'll keep it simple and say "crankbait."


-Mark

[Tavery5]

I'm gonna say, a 3/8oz swim jig, if the primary forage is bluegill then I am going with a color to match. If it is shad, then I will adjust the color for that, keeping in mind water clarity, sunny day, cloudy day, if all else fails, I would throw to cover with a 5 inch Senko in Watermelon and Green Pumpkin laminate (912), with 1/4" of the tail died in chartruese JJ's Magic. They always hit the Senko.

[Jrob78]

I would have to say a weightless t-rigged 5" Senko in watermelon red or black with blue flakes. I also have a lot of confidence in t-rigged beaver style baits. I have one or both tied on at all times.

[BassFeverJohn]

Lipless cranks. Do a fan pattern with 3-5 different colors. I also have multipal sizes in a few key colors.

[dave0943]

I'd have to say a jig/w trailer or Spinnerbait. It would depend on water temps though. Jigs in the waters I fish are usually winners.

[Dave63]

In prior years it'd be a spinner bait with a willow leaf and colorado blades. Probably chartreuse and white or chartreuse and blue. Now days I'd probably go with a Texas rigged 6 inch worm.

[twigass]

No matter where i go i throw a wacky rigged senko always catch fish, but if too windy i'll go to a jig, crank, then spinner.

[Apt79]

I would be using a sexy shad series 3. It goes about 8 feet. If I had to choose 1 bait to fish with that would be the one.

[ran24]

Spinnerbait for sure for me.

[bamabassman]

7 inch ZOOM lizzard is my favorite bait.

[tim4081]

Depending on the lake and the type of forage/time of year etc, there could be a ton of answers. But in general I'd go with either a white spinnerbait 3/8 oz with willow blade or a lipless crank in chrome/blue. If alot of heavy cover it'd be a five inch senko in green pumpkin/black flake or junebug.

[dave0943]

Tim4081,
I must agree with the colors of Sekos. Both work very well. I use them quite a bit in 3-10
feet of water. Smallies pound them. Green Pumpkin in particular.

[Cavs1123]

A weightless 5" Senko

[BassFeverJohn]

Originally Posted by BassFeverJohn

Lipless cranks. Do a fan pattern with 3-5 different colors. I also have multipal sizes in a few key colors.

I should add that once I've located them I would change up to a slower presentation. I like a 6" shaky-head, usually a Cream natural, or wat/RF. At night I might throw a junebug, or all black worm.

[weekendfisherman]

Mine would definitely be a spinner-bait. (Usually white or translucent/shad color with willow blades.) I have caught more fish on spinner-baits than on all other lures combined! Then again, you did say confidence bait! Lol!

[weekendfisherman]

Originally Posted by Tavery5

I'm gonna say, a 3/8oz swim jig, if the primary forage is bluegill then I am going with a color to match. If it is shad, then I will adjust the color for that, keeping in mind water clarity, sunny day, cloudy day, if all else fails, I would throw to cover with a 5 inch Senko in Watermelon and Green Pumpkin laminate (912), with 1/4" of the tail died in chartruese JJ's Magic. They always hit the Senko.

This is exactly where I would go after my spinner-bait...

[LilJakeC]

It depends on the water clarity for me. My muddy water confidence bait is a jig. While my clear water confidence bait is a wacky rigged finesse worm.