top producers for this past year

[kt]

Hey everyone,

Since we got a few new topics going, i thought i would add another one to help pass some time. Just wondering what everyone's top methods were this past year for catching bass. I'd have to say, that i did a lot more jig fishing than i had in the past and the results were great. Fishing weededges and points with jigs was a big time big fish producer for me. I also got into some awesome topwater action a couple times this summer. Couldn't keep the bass off the sammy's. There's nothing more fun than watching a 4 lber smash a topwater plug. My most reliable pattern for numbers of fish and some big ones too was flipping deeper bulrush patches with tubes, senkos, and texas rigged plastics. This has been a top producer for a number of years for me. Also caught a lot throwing spinnerbaits over the tops of weededges and on the weed flats. Overall, i had a great year and can't wait to get out on the water again.

[Coach Dog]

Top producers for me:
In the early season Mann's 1-Minus in white and a big Rapala Husky Jerk in perch or firetiger were the ticket for me. In the summer, the old Rapala Skitter Pop frog color worked great (again) and so did the jig n pig and big tubes. In the fall, Terminator spinnerbait (can you say 21" smallie?) and big tubes.

Coach Dog

[BIG ISLAND DUDE]

I had extreme success using live bait. suckers, shiners and fatheads fished under bobbers. Seaner7 and myself caught 3 fish over 23" and tons of 18"-22" fish. 99.9% went back in the water. I kept one 21" for the wall. My first mount! We also had some luck with the trusty spinner baits, white seemed to work best. You can see 2 of them on the "Posting Pics" thread.
-Big Island Dude

------------------
I never vote for, I alawys vote against

[tadpole]

My top producers for the year would be, 7" BERKLEY BLUE FLECK WORM, 1/2 & 1/4 oz purple spinnerbaits, with dual willow leaf blades, & 6A Bomber red crawl. These are the baits I fished most of the time. I also caught quite a few smallies and wallies on 11 & 13 original rapalas, firetiger. Here in Indiana I am still fishing catching mostly white bass on 1/8 & 1/4 in white grubs. Cann't wait to get up North and put some fish in the boat.

Thanks
Tad

[Guest]

I had a great year for big fish do to the Lake I now live on and the lakes that surround it, most of the big dudes were on topwater, either a Buzzbait or Snagproof Tournament Frog. I swear I live on a lake that is Topwater Heaven

My go to bait is the Zoom Super Fluke and caught a lot of nice fish on it including a tournament clinching 19incher on Big Marine.

I was going to learn the drop shot this year and started out with some great results, but got away from it do to the shallow power fishing that some of the area lakes afford me; Then Cyber took it up and schooled me on another local lake more suitable for that type of fishing and he got a 5lber off of it.

Jigs were a real disappointment for me this year, as were Nothernbaits, I mean spinnerbaits.

[Dan Wood]

My #1 producer would probably be the senko and the Case Magic Stiks (senko immitation).

Catch'n Tackle Kick'n Craw produced some real nice fish and is an early season favorite of mine.

Another top producer was the Zoom trick worms and Berkly gulp line of worms.

I picked up some real nice fish on topwaters this year as well. Buzzbaits and scum frogs mainly.

[Matt Johnson]

I had awesome success on LOW with Rattlin Raps. Gold with a red/black bottom.

Also did well with float jigs suspended above a weight about 16 inches off bottom tipped with a leech.

Mostly smallmouth, didn't target largemouth all that much during open water.

Good Fishin,
Matt Johnson

------------------
First Choice Guide Service

[email protected]
Catch-N Tackle and Bio Bait
MarCum
Stone Legacy

[Lunker]

Had one of my best bass seasons yet, was a good year, can't wait to get back out there! Did best with senkos and baby senkos, varying colors and approaches. Most people don't use this slow moving lure until they find the fish, I like it as a search lure, it isn't fast, but it is very effective. Fishing weededges, docks, deep humps, pads, you name it.
Had a few good days, including my best numbers wise with topwaters, both frogs in the pads and poppers on the edges.
Always pull in some fish on the spinners, texas and carolina rigged plastics, and cranks, both traditional and lipless. Also caught a lot of accidental bass on live bait, including an 18"er on walleye opener on a leech, that was a surprise!

[bucketmouth64]

My best producer this year was a new lure for me and my son. Started to use the plastic topwater rat. Had lots of fun fishng the junk and not getting snagged or hung up. Had some tremendous strikes and caught lots of fish. Tossing tubes under docks also produced.

On a side note, any of you watch the Citgo bassmasters on espn? Some good fishing footage.

[Daze Off]

Well, spinnerbaits are always one of my top producers. I like the cheap Northland baits which I thne replace the skirt and blade on to "customize" - favorite color skirt is Junebug.

Nothing beats a Zara Spook for topwaters in my experience and for cranks I like the Rapala DT series of baits in various colors. My other top producer in hardbaits has been Bomber Long A jerkbaits.

For finesse I like Eakins jigs with Zoom swimmin' chunk trailers. Deadly for both largemouth and smallmouth.

My goal for 2004 is to learn to use tubes and Senko's better.

Daze Off

[Mark Christianson]

Ohhhh the old Senko.
I have a soft spot in my heart for these things. I used them for the first time last summer, and used em hard for the entire summer. They are spendy, but I found a bait store in MN that makes their own imitation Senkos for $2 for a bag of 10. I posted the bait shop name this summer, but I got edited out by the moderator because it was "advertising".
The Senkos worked on Largies great and Smallies on occasoin too. I found on Smallies the best hook percentage was to do it Whacky style. I lost a lot of smallies doing the Texas rig method before I changed to Whacky.
I used the rubber frogs/rats more this year too. What a riot. I even got a Frogzilla. Man, thats a chunk of plastic!
Pop-R's worked good on Largies early, and did some magic on the Smallies as well.
My magic smallie bait was an 1/8 oz white buzz bait. Hands down the best lure of the year on smallies. I even got smallies in Mid-Novemeber on the 'Miss on white buzzers.

[BigMike]

Wow, it's been so long since I posted I almost forgot what it feels like. All this talk about bass fishing is almost like cruel punishment - knowing that we still have 5-6 months to go.

Looking back on this year, I had an awesome year. I just graduated college and had a lot more time to focus on fishing. A BIG thanks to a handful of fm guys (you all know who you are!) I had some great outings on water I had never fished before and had some really good success.

My primary baits were of course the senkos (real and imitation) and big tubes - both in the neutral colors (watermelon, pumpkinseed, black, etc...). Unlike biglake, I got most of my hookups on t-rigged senkos and pegged t-rigged tubes. As everyone else mentioned, buzz and spinnerbaits always produced some good fish (you have to put up with the snakes though). And a lure that most don't mention, but I always have a couple ready to throw is a 3-5 inch curly tail grub on a 1/8-1/4 oz. jig. Chartreuse and white on black jigs are ALWAYS the best colors for me.

Again, thanks to those of you that made this last year a VERY memorable one for me. I can't wait to see what this bass season brings...

[Blackstarluver]

For me last season the Storm wild eye swimbaits 4" and 6" various colors and the Storm rattle craw (snagged my largest with one of those little jems. I also had some great luck dropper looping with soft plastic "Hawg/Creature" lures black with red fleck.
God lyk!
JC

[friendlyfisher]

Bassfishing already, well I guess its never to early.
I also fall into the first time Senko user category. I fell in love with them. they catch them all. I only fear everyone will use them to the point that you have no edge in competition. I also found a neat finesse worm, the Berkley power pulse worm. They can be hard to find but they can be effective. Under docks, in the lillys or caralina rigging.
The stared using the rapala skitter pop. It works great and it was more relaxing to fish than my trusty zara spook.
Got to go the cabin fever is setting in. good thing the bass pro shops master catalog came in the male last week