Your new baits/techniques for 2012

[Jrob78]

I was just thinking about some of the new baits I've gotten over the winter and I was wondering what new baits or new techniques you guys are looking forward to trying out this year. They can even just be new to you baits.

The baits I am most looking forward to trying out are the Live Target Field Mouse, the Rapala X-Rap Pop and X-Rap Prop and the Lucky Craft Fat Smasher. I am really planning on focusing more on topwater fishing this year. I have always thrown them but not as often as I should and it was mainly limited to standard, round body poppers and Sammy/Spook type walking baits.

Another thing I am looking forward to trying out is swimbaits with a jig head. I've always fished paddle tails with a screw lock weighted hook and haven't always had great hookup ratios. I think a jig head will help with hook ups and also allow the bait to fish off the bottom differently. I bought some Big Hammer Swimbait Tails along with various jig heads to try out. I think the smaller Big Hammer Tails will also make good swim jig trailers.

I have also bought some new hooks to try out. Specifically, straight shanked hooks with plastic keepers. I bought some Trokar and Gamakatsu flipping hooks and Trokar finesse hooks. I think these super sharp hooks with straight shanks should really stick some fish.

So, what baits are you guys looking forward to fishing this year?

[Tavery5]

A few of the newer techniques that I am going to try and figure out this year are the Niko rig and the Jika rig, I also want to use the Bifflebug and Hardhead more this year. I look forward to trying the Big Bite Baits Warmouth some this year, tried it a few times last year with no luck.

One bait I would recommend to those who like to flip and pitch plastics is the Gene Larew Hoo Daddy, if you have ever had luck with a brush hog, this is a similar type bait, but better in my opinion.

[Bassboss]

Oh man Joe... there's sooo many! I just need some freaking money to be able to buy the stuff lol!

One that's really up there though is the Jika rig and I really wanna get good at fishing jerkbaits this year as well.

[MallenManson]

Nothing too over the top, but I'm gonna try the Jika Rig, and Dropshotting.
I'm also going to spend a little more time fishing Jigs

[bobby_viverette]

I am gonna buy the ugliest thing on the rack and sling it out there!

[bluebasser86]

I'm wanting to learn more about the flutter spoon. I've caught some fish with it and it makes sense in my head but I just can't get it to work on the water. I need to fish deep cranks more but I just have no confidence in them and most of the lakes around here just don't get a good deep bite it doesn't seem like. Probably play with the A-rig a little bit. I can think of a few places and situations that I'm really excited to try it in and it's hard to ignore all the fish catching going on with that thing.

[BigBassin144]

Since I didn't get near the amount of time on the water this past year as I wanted, my goals haven't changed much.

The first is to keep improving my jig fishing. The second thing is I want to get into swimbaits; mostly the smaller 4" variety or the hollow bellies. But most of all, I just want to spend more time fishing than I did last year.

BB

[WatterBoy]

Great thread, Joe!

I'll definitely be trying out the Koppers Field Mouse, already had them on my 2012 list. Those look awesome for the pads and reeds on the lake I fish. The X-Rap Prop looks great, too, so I might have to add them to my list also. Thanks for the link to those!

One other thing on my list is to try a 10.5" YUM F2 Mightee Worm on the YUM Pumpkin'Ed Jig.

I just started using a jig & pig at the end of last season and had a lot of success with it, so I plan to hit that hard all season in 2012 and try to get better at it.

Oh, and swimbaits are also on my list, tried them the very last weekend of 2011 and had some hits, but never hooked any up.

[Bubba_Bruiser]

I am looking forward to fishing a swim jig and just throwing a jig more. I say this every year though and I keep falling back in the rut of the TX rig. I plan on throwing a Carolina rig more too.

[aikenyounggun]

I definately want to make it a priority to fish more. All this school, work, scholarship, and other stuff has kept me super busy. It won't really go away until end of may.
One of my big goals is to start to figure out lake hartwell which won't happen until I move up to Clemson and college life in the fall.
But I want to gain more confidence in crankbaits (love a rattle trap but everything else needs work). Start throwin bigger swimbaits (I've focused on skinny dippers and the like, which worked good for last year and caught me a 3 and a 1/2 today), but need to upsize.
Also want to get even more comfortable with a mop jig and also get a lot better with a dropshot.

[skeeter1804]

I just want to be able to fish some but when I do I plan to spend more time getting confidence in a shakey head.

[rrw4258]

There are quite a few that I would like to throw this next year...

Big Bite Flying Squirell
Big Bite Fighting Frog
Grande Bass Craws
Jackall Super Cross-Tail
Lucky Craft Fat Smasher
Buckeye Two Part Jig
Strike King 3XD

Ryan

[keithdog]

The only "new" thing I'm going to try is the Jika rig. Other than that I'm just going to continue to try to improve on where I left off last year. I did purchase a Larry Dahlberg frog last year that I tried a couple times but didn't really give it's due. So I'll be working that out this late spring over and around shallow water cover. It has amazing action!

[MallenManson]

Originally Posted by keithdog

The only "new" thing I'm going to try is the Jika rig. Other than that I'm just going to continue to try to improve on where I left off last year. I did purchase a Larry Dahlberg frog last year that I tried a couple times but didn't really give it's due. So I'll be working that out this late spring over and around shallow water cover. It has amazing action!

Same here. The Frog bite seemed non-existent last season so I threw it sparingly

[bassinbob]

KVD Square Bil 2.5 1.5 1.0
Jointed Jitterbug
Sputterbuzz
Lucky Craft RC DD 2.5 1.5 0.5
Husky Jerk

Panther Martin Pro Frog
Evolve Pulse Frog
Gambler Buzz'n Cane Toad


Zoom Z-Hog
Jackall ishad
Havoc Devil Spear Pit Boss
KVD Cafeine Shad

Hack Attack Jig
Dirty jigs Finesse Swim Jig
Northland Whistler Jig
Tru Tungsten Flea Flicker Wacky Jighead
Scrounger Shad
Fish Head Shad
Strike King Sexy Spoon
VMC Spinshot Drop Shot Hooks

That's most of everything I have new this year. I won't have to take any other baits except some horny toads to keep me busy this year. I am going to key in on applying different plastics to scrounger heads this year. Caught some nice bass late last season with them and a swim bait.

[joedog]

I'll be still working on last years baits and techniques.
But my mind changes daily!
bassinbob, I think panthers frog used to be 'superior frog', great bait, can toss it a mile! Since panther bought it they made some changes from original. Original had durable and real active rubber legs and feet, now skirted right?
Any ways you got your FUN cut out for you!
Looks like the years going to be EXCITING for all!
Great fishing!

[WatterBoy]

Originally Posted by keithdog

The only "new" thing I'm going to try is the Jika rig. Other than that I'm just going to continue to try to improve on where I left off last year. I did purchase a Larry Dahlberg frog last year that I tried a couple times but didn't really give it's due. So I'll be working that out this late spring over and around shallow water cover. It has amazing action!

Yeah, I bought a couple Dahlberg frogs last year and didn't give 'em a fair try either. Had 2 or 3 hits one outing, but didn't hook any up. They do have AMAZING action. I just have to do better at making myself try them longer instead of always falling back on my old reliable...the Spro Poppin' Frog.

[carolina-rig-01]

The only new thing I plan on using this year is the Jika rig. There are some other things that I am going to make my self do more of this year but they really aren't new to me. I am going to make myself throw a shaky head more this year. I am also looking foward to getting better at a swim jig and also I will be skipping a lot more docks this year.

[bassinbob]

joedog the Panther martin does now have the rubber skirted legs. I also have the Dahlberg frog that i didn't give enough of a turn last year. Include the Triggerfish I didn't give much time to.

[wallywallace]

well ummm JIG JIGS AND JIGs, looking at Bbassins jig and they look pretty cool, may try t get some, but really learn more about the same tech and get better at them, spend more time on water...
stuff i will wont be doing is swim baits and the A-ring, lol cant get em to bite little stuff let alone a foot long 4 once plastic fish lol

[keithdog]

Originally Posted by MallenManson

Same here. The Frog bite seemed non-existent last season so I threw it sparingly

Yeah, the frog bite here was very slow last year. Got a few but nothing like normal.

Originally Posted by WatterBoy

Yeah, I bought a couple Dahlberg frogs last year and didn't give 'em a fair try either. Had 2 or 3 hits one outing, but didn't hook any up. They do have AMAZING action. I just have to do better at making myself try them longer instead of always falling back on my old reliable...the Spro Poppin' Frog.

I hear ya on the Spro Poppin Frog. Thats my best frog also. But I have a couple new ones to try this year.

[WatterBoy]

Originally Posted by keithdog

Yeah, the frog bite here was very slow last year. Got a few but nothing like normal.


I hear ya on the Spro Poppin Frog. Thats my best frog also. But I have a couple new ones to try this year.

I killed 'em 3 or 4 years ago on the Little Bigfoot Scum Frog and then got totally away from them when I found the Spro Poppers. I need to get back at those again this year also. Never quite enough time for all my "grand lure plans" though, with basically a 4.5 month season here.

[Jrob78]

Originally Posted by WatterBoy

Great thread, Joe!

I'll definitely be trying out the Koppers Field Mouse, already had them on my 2012 list. Those look awesome for the pads and reeds on the lake I fish. The X-Rap Prop looks great, too, so I might have to add them to my list also. Thanks for the link to those!

One other thing on my list is to try a 10.5" YUM F2 Mightee Worm on the YUM Pumpkin'Ed Jig.

I saw EE fishing the Mightee Worm and Pumpkin ED on an episode of the Bass Pro's, it looked awesome! He caught some giant fish on it too. I was at Cabelas the other day and they had the Mightee Worms, I sure did want to buy some! I think that is going to be an awesome bait!

[WatterBoy]

Originally Posted by WatterBoy

Great thread, Joe!

I'll definitely be trying out the Koppers Field Mouse, already had them on my 2012 list. Those look awesome for the pads and reeds on the lake I fish. The X-Rap Prop looks great, too, so I might have to add them to my list also. Thanks for the link to those!

One other thing on my list is to try a 10.5" YUM F2 Mightee Worm on the YUM Pumpkin'Ed Jig.

I just started using a jig & pig at the end of last season and had a lot of success with it, so I plan to hit that hard all season in 2012 and try to get better at it.

Oh, and swimbaits are also on my list, tried them the very last weekend of 2011 and had some hits, but never hooked any up.

Originally Posted by Jrob78

I saw EE fishing the Mightee Worm and Pumpkin ED on an episode of the Bass Pro's, it looked awesome! He caught some giant fish on it too. I was at Cabelas the other day and they had the Mightee Worms, I sure did want to buy some! I think that is going to be an awesome bait!

I saw the same episode. That's how those made it onto my "would like to try" list.

I have a nephew and a brother-in-law who will be visiting on separate weekends within the next month, and I KNOW they'll each want to go to the Cabela's here, so I'll have a chance to look for them real soon!

[bcklash]

I want to punch some mats and learn more about swimjigs.