the best/your favorite

[thatoneguy]

I'm putting together a list of things I need to restock for the upcoming bass season. I know we have a lot of good sticks on the board here, and I'm curious about what everyone's favorite weapons are - jigs, swim jigs, topwaters, chatterbaits etc.

I have a few favorites of my own but it's always good to try new things

[corncob]

I have gotten several different styles and brands of Fluke type baits and plastic swim baits....To name a few Castiac , Hammer , Magic minnow , and a few hand pours that sure look good are more buoyant allowing for different presentations.

[Larson15]

Bill Dance dancing eel

[thatoneguy]

Bill Dance dancing eel

Yeah I'll get right on ordering a bunch

[Superduty]

Bill Dance dancing eel

I actually caught a few fish on those things back in the day...

As to the original question, think in terms of tools you will need vs. magic baits. I usually carry different tackle depending on the time of year. Water temp and seasonal patterns play a big role. Look at what you have and try to think of situations that you are likely to encounter where you don't have the situation covered and buy accordingly.

Example: I carry boxes of jerkbaits in April and May but they are removed and replaced with deep diving crankbaits in July and August. Stuff that stays in the boat all year would be: jigs, senkos, worms, tubes, grubs, beavers, shallow cranks, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits.

[thatoneguy]

I'm with you, Superduty. The question was borne of taking stock of my inventory and just wondering if anyone has a particular type of any of those that they like - a favorite skirted jig, or jerkbait etc.

[Todd S.]

There's two baits that are tied on from the first outing to the last outing.

Craw tube t-rigged with a pegged tungsten bullet weight

Black n blue northstar 3/8oz flip n swim jig with a chigger craw

[RumRiverRat]

New favorite crawdad is the Yo Daddy from Big Bite Baits.

Going to be a great flippin and punching bait. Compact shape with lots of action.

Have already used it this year as a jig trailer when I was at Table Rock.

The Gambler Ugly Otter is another one of my favorite flippin amd pitchin baits.

I am a swimbait junkie.

Triton Mike Bucca Bull Herring and Bull Shad

Spro BBZ-1 Shad 4" Swimbait Killer Gill Floater and Fast Sink versions.

BBZ-1 6" swimbait in Wicked Perch Fast Sink version.

Berkley 4" and 5" Hollow Belly Swimbaits

[bassfshin24]

I always have a spinnerbait tied on no matter what. I've tried a bunch of different brands but keep going back to the Terminator T-1 for their durability. A northstar jig has also become one of my favorite jigs to throw...love the chaos color and rotten banana. For Texas rigs last year I really liked the Missile Baits d-bomb. If I'm throwing a trig it will usually be the d-bomb or a 4.5" strike king flipping tube.

[RuddyDuck]

I like to use a 4" Lake Fork Ring Fry. I think it has a little different action than the standard senko style worms. I use plenty of those too, but some days I like to switch it up a bit with the ring fry. I mostly use them on a weightless trig.

[Superduty]

I like to use a 4" Lake Fork Ring Fry. I think it has a little different action than the standard senko style worms. I use plenty of those too, but some days I like to switch it up a bit with the ring fry. I mostly use them on a weightless trig.

+1

I also fish them with a belly weight swimbait style hook.

[Hawg]

1/2 oz white spinnerbait and a Live Target frog.

[mainbutter]

Bill Dance dancing eel

My uncle's lake in Ontario has some kind of frog that has HUGE tadpoles when it spawns, probably double the width of the head of the dancing eel.

That lure makes a good pike presentation when the tadpoles are around in the spring.

[thatoneguy]

I did pick up some Lake Fork Ring Fry last year and used them for drop shotting a little. Very effective...might have to find some other applications for them!

Thanks for all the thoughts, guys. Something to keep me occupied for the next few weeks til lakes up here open up. It was 2 degrees this morning when I woke up...no es bueno.

[bemidjibasser]

The old school slug-go and power slugs are effective on your home water... Everyone throws senkos now, not a lot of guys throw the slugs anymore. As far as jigs I pour my own, and am now making my own chatter baits too. Did well on swim jigs along the cutbanks last year with a shadalicious for a trailer. Horny toads are sweet over the nasty early/ dead rice, and the kvd frog is a good one, but tore up easier than a spro.

[thatoneguy]

BB - give me a call sometime this summer and we'll hit the water. I'd love to check out your chatterbaits. I agree on the KVD frogs. Those and the Booyah Pad Crashers were both great for me last year.

[JP Z]

Either a 4" Ring fry or a 4" Yum Dinger wacky rigged with a 1/8oz wacky jighead was a very good bait for me last year.

[Pherris]

Big sucker minnows

Cranks to find em and plastics when I do!

[Jeff13]

Yamamoto 5" senko wacky rigged always in the boat.

[Deitz Dittrich]

It changes as the year progresses.. So I will list my top 4

#1 Drop shot, 3" plastic on it.

#2 3/32 Outkast Money jig/Jig worm 4" senko imitation(Christophersons)

#3 1/4 Oz Outkast Swim Jig, Bold Sunfish color.

#4 1/4 Oz Stupid Rig(splitshot rig)

[JP Z]

Forgot about the Stupid Rig!!!!!! That was money for me early season last year.....with a 5" Lake Fork Hyper Worm.

[MN BassFisher]

Haha the "stupid rig" I've never heard of that title. Nor have I ever thrown it.

[JP Z]

It is amazingly effective......I don't know what the deal is with it. My best luck as I mentioned was with Hyperworms. I've tried with Flukes and stickworms with less luck.

[Craigums]

Your just talking about a split-shot rig, right?

[JP Z]

Yeah, it was coined the "Stupid Rig" by DD. It uses a 1/4 or 1/8oz Bullshot instead of a split shot. Then about 12-18" down you have your T-Rigged plastic. I forgot, a tube is also pretty good on this rig......specially a Mister Twister Salatube...........if you can find em