Legendary Lures...No Fish

[keithdog]

I thought this would be interresting to see the outcome of this post. I am sure there are many anglers out there who often use lures that are supposed to be deadly, proven winners that will catch bass. Lures that "no serious bass fisherman" should ever be without. And yet, you just can't catch a bass on the darn thing. Maybe we can see a trend here with this post. Maybe there are certain lures that are more hype than substance. Myself, there are two lures that I use frequently but have yet to have any success. No.1 on my list is the full size Zara Spook. I've worked that bait to death off and on for 20 years and never ever have I had a strike on it. Not even a close sweep or roll. Now I HAVE had great luck with smaller versions, especially the bannana shaped ones like the Sammy. But the full size spook, nadda a single fish. Another lure I seem to be totally unable to catch fish on is the lipless crankbait like the Rattle Trap. I know there are many fisherman in here who LOVE that bait, and I know it is a proven winner accross the nation, but in all the years I've been slinging that bait, I have only caught 2 bass. Recently one morning the bass were chasing schools of small bluegill near the surface. I put on my bluegill pattern lipless crank and began working right through the feeding frenzy, trying various retrieves and speeds. I even tried other colors. After an hour of that I still had not managed a single strike. The spinnerbait started catching fish for me though which is pretty standard for me. And lastly, the third bait I get only marginal results with is a buzzbait. I've caught more bass on a buzz bait than the spook and lipless crankbaits, but I can probably say I've only caught maybe 5 bass on the buzzbait.
Now I know all three of these baits are proven winners, and I'm still going to keep trying to work these baits because of that. I don't know if it has anything to do with our local lakes, the mindset of the bass around here, or what, but those three baits of which I have many simply do not produce for me.
How about you? Do you have any baits in your box you "know" will catch bass but simply have no success with?

[BigBassin144]

I'd have to say lipless cranks as well. I've only ever caught fish (and not many) on one lipless crank: a floating rat-l-trap.

I've only been fishing spook type baits since last summer, but I still haven't done much on them.

BB

[Bassboss]

Ya, I can really identify with you there Keith! Never caught a bass on a full sized spook! I've caught them on the smaller ones, nut never the bigger ones; like you! An other thing is poppers!? I've only caught two bass on poppers (this week end on one I made, but shortly after I lost the popper! ) I've done everything everyone says, different retrieve speeds, sizes, how hard you pop it.... all that stuff!

And about the lipless cranks cranks, I catch most may bass on them this ways. Think of the last time you watch a video or show of some one using a jig or worm. Now imagine that you wanted to skip to the part where he uses spinnerbaits for exaple. So you would fast forward through the worming to the spinnerbaiting. When you fast worwad trough the worming he bobbing the rod up and down up and down really fast! That's how I work my lipless cranks, by bobboing my rod up and down really fast really only to take up slack. 7.1:1 or higher I like!

[WTL]

Never anything on the big spook, I've caught a few on the puppy.

Never done much on the buzzbait, a few fish but I have given it a sincere try.

Never done much on a true carolina rig, although I normally substitute the split-shot rig for that and am very successful with that.

Nightfishing has quite often been a struggle for me.

[brushhog]

Carolina rig and the glass shad rap someone convinced me was unstoppable... Neither one produces for me. Although I haven't fished very often with the c-rig.

[fishin spro]

i hate carolina rigs. i have never done any good on them, and they are the most boring thing in the world to fish with. i fish them when i have to but only when i absolutely HAVE to.

[Jigger]

Originally Posted by keithdog

I don't know if it has anything to do with our local lakes, the mindset of the bass around here, or what,

Nice thread. I think the above quote answers your question. I think some baits are lake or local specific. Around here I can't catch fish on a drop shot and I don't know any of the top anglers in the local clubs who can even though I'm confident the drop shot is a good rig. Nor can I catch anything on a swimbait.

On the other hand, addressing your post, I have good luck with a full sized Zara Spook. The second biggest bass I ever caught was on a spook. It is, however, a big fish bait like a jig and pig.

[Bassboss]

Oh ya, x'2 on the c-rigs! Never caught much on them. But I bet if I could find some structure than I could probably catch 'em!

[Backwater Charlie]

I haven't had any luck on buzz-baits. Never caught even a fish on them. I do have luck with Rat-L-Traps. My largest bass ever was caught on the 1/4 OZ Rat-L-Trap, it weighed in at a little over 8 1/2 lbs. The Bleeding Shad color was what I caught it on. That's my favorite color. I haven't had much luck on Zara Spook's of any size, or poppers. I fish with soft plastics over 80% of the time but when I'm not, I'm fishing with a Rat-L-Trap. 1/2 OZ but I also use the 1/4 OZ. My favorite lure of all time, is the 6" plastic worm, Texas rigged.

[keithdog]

Poppers, thats another one. Never had much luck with them either. The funy thing about buzzbaits is that while I have little success with them, I do have very good results with a Jitterbug which has a similar look comming across the water. Different, but similar.

[Wags]

Full size Zara Spook is a sore spot for me. It used to be my go to morning top-water lure, it worked great if the water had a bit of a chop to it, too much for poppers, used to do real well with it. This summer has been totally different, I can't buy a hit on that thing. Opposite is true for the drop-shot rig. Have tried on and off the past couple of years with no success, but I guess I have figured out the presentation and now LOVE IT to the extent of over-using it!! Carolin-rig is another I have had no luck with, same is true for Jigs with trailers. I am learning to use tube-jigs with some success

[DelaWhere]

I couldn't begin to count to hours over the past year and a half that i have spent throwing a jig. Thats right i said it i cant catch fish on a jig. I do however have better luck with a t-rigged creature bait that is what i usually pitch into heavy cover. Also i have been using swimbaits alot and dont have a single fish to show for it. Then again a swimbait is a big fish bait and Delawere is not know for its big fish so who knows i'll continue to throw both and see what happens

[cassidyta]

For me it is two baits. Senko, I know that the number of fish caught on it is in the single digits for me. The 2nd is lippless crank. I have 1 fish to show for that in the two years I have been throwing them.

[wareagledc]

i catch a lot of fish on buzzbaits around shallow flats with stumps or submurged grass.

i cant catch a single fish on a swimmbait, they just don't do well where i fish.
and the dancing eel, banjo minniow and the helicopter lure,of course,don't produce nothing but a headach.

[BigBassin144]

Originally Posted by cassidyta

For me it is two baits. Senko, I know that the number of fish caught on it is in the single digits for me. The 2nd is lippless crank. I have 1 fish to show for that in the two years I have been throwing them.

The senko, both weightless t-rigged and wacky rigged has been a staple for me this summer.

BB

[Jim80]

I feel ya Keith I have thrown a buzz bait for years and have not gotten a strike on one but I can bring a spinner through the same area to the point where it makes a wake on the surface and will usually catch fish , but I have also caught fish on a jitterbug and a torpedo .


Jim

[toppwatr]

Originally Posted by cassidyta

For me it is two baits. Senko, I know that the number of fish caught on it is in the single digits for me. The 2nd is lippless crank. I have 1 fish to show for that in the two years I have been throwing them.

you have to keep giving the senko a shot. its probably one of the most productive baits ive ever thrown in my life- but its probably best to stick with yum dingers. senkos work great and everything but tear way to easily for me... and im not going to spend 6 bucks a pack for shredded senkos. plus with dingers they're more durable and you get more in a pack. try wacky rigging them or texas rigging. both produce for me anywhere.

[Bassboss]

Oh ya, I've never caught any on dingers. But I have only used the bigger ones. Never the 4 or 5 inchers, so that my be it!

[1/4 stick]

Spinnerbaits and buzzbaits, in 25 years of trying, I've never caught a thing on them. Oddly enough though I have great luck with heavy beatle spins. Poppers I love, but their a early morning and late evening bait. I have rarely used the carolina rig so can't say about that either way. Texas rig worked so I stuck with it.

[MississippiBoy]

I've never caught a single dam fish on a buzzbait, even though I've got a couple, and I give them a good hard try every now and then. I tend to stick to what works for me, so I can't say "Carolina rigs, drop shotting, and swimbaits don't catch fish for me" because I haven't really given them a decent shot yet. T-rigged plastics, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, frogs, Spooks, poppers...that's my bread and butter, that's what works, so that's how I fish.
Working on expanding my horizons, though. Carolina rig first...

[cassidyta]

This is a great thread. It is interesting to see how one person's go to bait is another's curse.

While I am the anti-senko fisherman, I almost always have a buzzbait tied on.

[BigBassin144]

I've probably done better on buzzbaits than any other topwater. Although I don't fish topwaters much.

this is a great thread, good idea Keithdog!

BB

[1/4 stick]

Originally Posted by cassidyta

This is a great thread. It is interesting to see how one person's go to bait is another's curse.

While I am the anti-senko fisherman, I almost always have a buzzbait tied on.

Yea, it is interesting. Just boils down to what water you're fishing, and your knack for the lure's presentation I guess. I think my next addiction will be the swimbaits.

My bait would have to be a spoon. I guess that's because we have some shallow lakes around here. I might be able to help on the buss bait and the lip less crank bait though.
Yo-zuri makes a lip less crank bait called the vibe. I really like the bait a lot. I fish it in the fall and I use a steady retrieve with a little jerk every once in awhile to clean it or rip it through the grass. When I rip it I let it fall for like a second and then back to retrieving it again. I do this twice to three time on one cast.
Now on a Buzz bait. I fish buzz baits around grass and wood. I like taking the bait and bumping it against wood. When I am fishing grass I key in on my casts. I will look for something different in the grass and fish it. I like fishing them as slow as I can. Just enough to get the blades rolling. I also prefer a small to a medium buzz bait. I only like White or Chartreuse. I never use a trailer hook and I do not you any kind of trailer on it. To me trailers make them too heavy.
On Carolina Rigs. I think people like to fish them too slow. Speed them up a bit by casting out and hold your rod tip straight in front of you like a sword. Then wait for it to hit the bottom and swipe from middle of your body to your hip. Hope I explained that right. I guess what Im trying to say is instead of hopping it drag it. I fish the carolina rig old school too. I use an egg sinker and make my leader no more than 2 feet. I like 18 inches. I also like using lizards and u tail worms.
I hope I helped. Good Luck and if you ever need advice I'm here to help. Im not perfect but I am willing to teach what I know.

http://www.donaldbreland.com

[bamabassman]

well for me here lately it is whatever i throw, hahahaha. but seriously....my worst ahs to be cranks. and i went today and used 3 fairly same but different cranks. used them for over 6 hours. zooker and i talked about this evening. but i have not had a great success with any type of lipped crank. i MUST master this bait. i just must. ya'll understand, right?