Gigantic yellow rubber spiders and neon blue swimming topwater parrots (yes like the bird) are just a few examples of some of the new school lures available to bass fishermen.
With so many products, colors, and styles it can be a daunting task to pick out a bait. Below are some tried and true offerings to up your confidence the next time cold hard cash is on the line.
Spinnerbait – Spinnerbaits are simple to use and relatively weedless. Copper color blades for stained water and silver for clearer water. Willow leaf blades create flash and can be worked a little faster.
Circular Colorado blades push water and tend to slow the bait down. Simply cast and retrieve around weed lines, ledges, and structure.
Ned Rig – Some love it and some can’t stand it but for me, when the bite gets tough, the tough gets NED. This small soft plastic offering doesn’t look like much, but big things can come in small packages.
The profile and weight of this finesse presentation is what commands the bite when other offerings refuse to work.
Not as weedless as other offerings on the list but a top producer in low snag environments
Dead-stick on the bottom, bounce, or slowly glide through center of the water column. Not as weedless as other offerings on the list but a top producer in low snag environments.
Top Water Frog –You are the puppet master with a frog – get creative. The froggier you make it look the better. Nothing is more exciting than bombing a frog deep into the lily pads, making it “hop” and seeing an explosion.
Weedless Texas rigged or hollow bodied frogs are a great option to skip under shallow docks, underneath overhanging trees, and through pockets in lay downs. Try slowing down the retrieve and downsizing when the bite gets tough.
Wacky Rig –A Senko rigged with a small hook running perpendicular to the body doesn’t look like much to you and me but to a bass it is irresistible.
The slow fall of these baits and maximum time in the strike zone allow you to pinpoint specific areas. This minimalist approach can fool even the highest pressured fish.
Texas Rig – Weedless T-Rigs are perfect for punching through lilly pads and working every side of a cypress tree.
I prefer a screw in style bullet weight and an offset hook. Just be sure to match the sizes of hooks to weights to plastics. Worms, Brush Hogs, Craws, Lizards, the plastics list goes on.
Remember that space is limited, and a little planning can go a long way. Test out new gear on off days. Remain flexible and do your research.
The weather, the Season, and your competition can all play a part in your lure selections. Confidence is key so pick something that you are comfortable with. It may just pay off in the end
Jim Morrissey | President – Chucktown Kayak Bassin’
CKB Angler of the Year 2018
Co-Founder of Yak-Bassin’ – www.yakbassintrail.com
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