2018 ~ My Most Productive Baits - By Season 2024
A-Jay reply :
As another open water season wraps up, I enjoy looking back through my logs, reports & pics to see how it all shook out. Now I’ll admit that at this point in my angling life, I might not always use the presentation that may be best suited for the conditions I fish. Rather, I like to catch fish on what I like to catch fish on. So some of this best bait stuff could be more like – favorite baits that caught fish.
Either way here is it; I’ll break it down by seasons.
And please feel free to add your own selections to this thread should the mood strike you.
May – June Baits
Ice out was late this year first week of May in fact. But the jerkbait still play this whole time. The SK KVD 300 & 300 Deep as well as the Megabass ITO Vision 110 and the 110+1 were again very good. As well as the Megabass Ito Vision 110 FX Tour Premium; especially where & when I was looking for extra casting distance. Once I had worked an area over with the hard baits, a drop shot often would pick up a few extra bites for me. A nose hooked 4 inch SK Caffeine Shad was the best bait here for me early season. And I rarely ‘did’ anything with it. Just get it around the smallies and they’d eat it.
On a few of the larger & especially deeper lakes, where a jerkbait could not reach them, the Duo Realis G-Fix Vibration Tungsten Lippless bait – fished like a Blade Bait, is a great early (and late) season ‘search bait’ for me. I can effectively cover quite a bit of water at various depths looking for active fish. Love this one. Honorable mention goes to the Z Man TRD – Ned Rig Deal as well as the OutKast Feider Fly Hair Jig. Both saved more than one early season trip for me when the bite was tough.
July – August Baits
Admittedly this ‘summer’ I did not have a ton of days on the water. Life happens and that’s just how it worked out. This is a time when I’m often on the water after dark as well as the traditional early morning trips. But this summer only saw a handful of both.
At Night - I’m a single hook bait kind of guy. So a Jig & Craw, Spinnerbaits, & vibrating jigs do most of my nocturnal heavy lifting.
Specifically, ½ SK DB Structure jig or a (can't say the name - pm me ) Flip N Swim jig with a SK Rage Lobster or Eeliminator trailer, a ½ oz SK Greg Hackney Heavy Cover Spinnerbait (changed to an Oklahoma blade) and either a SK Rage Blade or once I got a few, the Z-Man Jackhammer.
Trailers for the moving baits at night are often a small swimbait or the Yamamato Zako.
For day time ops, this summer saw me fishing a SK Rage Swimmer and for the first time the Keitech Impact Fat Swimbait. Both on a 3/8 Owner Ultrahead Football head Jig. These were productive for me when swam right along or dragged on the bottom – really like the Keitech (except for the price).
As the August calendar page came down, the fishing REALLY picked up. So did my time on the water. Spinnerbaits, Topwater Walkers & Poppers and the Umbrella rig were killing it – and on some plus sized smallmouth bass. Kept throwing the Whopper Plopper btw- just not getting bites with it yet.
Until it’s untimely theft by a big pike – the Paycheck Baits Repo Man walking bait was The Walking Bait for me; accounting for several 5+ lb smallies. Since then it’s been replaced fairly effectively by the SK Sexy Dawg and the River2Sea Rover. The Megabass Pop Max is The Only Popper I throw any more – Just super effective including taking a smallie over 6 this season. The SK Burner Spinner bait has again proven it’s worth in my box as well as both the ½ & ¾ oz Biovex Stangun Spinnerbait. And for the first time for me, the SK short arm Titanium Umberlla rig did some real damage. I used the 4 & 5 inch SK Swim N Shiners on 1/8 & ¼ VMC Boxer Jig head (has a really great hook).
September – October
September has traditionally been a fantastic time for both number & size on smallies. Not this year. The spinnerbaits I’ve mentioned above produced well as did the Vibrating bait. But this is where the SK RES and the SK Squarebill baits really come into their own. Never Happened and I have no explanation as to why very few fish on my waters came up (and more importantly Stayed) shallow long enough for this bite to materialize. Which is a bummer because when that’s a thing - it’s one heck of a fun day of fishing.
Finally the number ONE producer for me on both numbers & size of smallies for these two months has been the SK Rage Bug on a swing head and second place here is not close (like on another planet). During this period I probably fished this at least 75 % of the time and accounted for that same percentage of fish. Might have been the way the season shook out with the fast cooling colored from the all the rain water – can’t say. Just know I went through some 4/0 ewg hooks & a ton of bugz. Loved every minute of it though.
November & December
Although we’re not quite there yet – it won’t be long. And if I can get out I most certainly will.
Bass fishing opportunity these last two months before hard water, really starts to get super weather dependent and often dwindles quite a bit in numbers. Blustery Cold North winds and waves too big to fish in are very common. When I can get out, a blade bait and a heavy lippless rattle bait fished like a blade bait are just about all I’ll throw once the water gets to the low 40’s and below. The 5/8 & 3/4 oz Silver Buddy – in both silver and Gold, get it done. And the Duo Realis G-Fix Virbating bait (again fished like a blade bait) see’s a ton of action and just flat out catches. Many times smallies will slurp these bait up as they lay motionless on the bottom between small hops.
That’s my story and I’m stick’in to it.
A-Jay
jbmaine reply :
Thanks A-Jay,
An excellent summary.
roadwarrior reply :
The Structure Bug has been a winnner down here on the Tennessee River, too.
I'll add a plug for the Sworming Hornet/ LFT Live Magic Shad.
Harold Scoggins reply :
On 10/7/2018 at 1:48 AM, A-Jay said:nocturnal heavy lifting
I like that, would you mind if I use it? Nocturnal heavy lifting with the Spro King Daddy Frog.
Boomstick reply :
I've been thinking a lot about this actually.
I think for me, in May and June, I had the most success with a War Eagle Colorado willow spinnerbait in 3/8oz with trocar hooks that practically set themselves, however I did not get to fish much as I was in the hospital with colon cancer, and it took a while to get the staples removed post surgery which were rather painful.
In July, I was pretty wiped out by chemo. I had some good success with the ned rig, drop shots with a Roboworm and spinnerbaits when I did make it out, but I had my best fishing day of the year fishing a River2Sea Ish Monroe Biggie Smalls in Horizon Shad, so that takes the trophy.
I think I only made it out one day in August, and if I recall I got skunked.
In September and October (to date), I've been largely fishing local lakes and have had good success with the Norman Fat Boy in Nutter Shad color and the Ish Monroe's alike.
For the season overall, I have caught more fish on either the Norman Fat Boy or the Ish Monroe crankbaits than anything else.
scaleface reply :
I'd like to give the duo realis a try but that price tag. Ouch !
DSTN reply :
Always like reading these recaps to see what has worked well for you and others. All good stuff. As for me the best baits are similar to last year. TRD in mudbug on a 1/16 oz jig head and a 1.5 size squarebill (Bomber Square A or KVD 1.5) did the best for me this year. Buzzbait and Whopper Plopper (90,110) get an honorable mention.
scaleface reply :
Because the lake i fish most had an explosive outbreak of skunk weed my usual offerings that rely heavily on crankbaits and Texas rigs did not materialize . This has been a year dominated by buzzbaits and spinnerbaits . While most anglers cried a belly-ached over it , some adapted and had a good year .
Logan S reply :
Edit: My picture links keep breaking...Sorry!
Enjoyed this one last year from A-Jay 
...Since I'm not out fishing on this beautiful early-fall day here in MD I'll live vicariously through posting tackle and fish pics ????
Winter (December thru mid-March): Balsa flatside, Vision 110, football jig, and finesse worm. Finesse worm caught the most, flatside caught bigger fish. Honorable mention to a swinghead with a Rage Bug
Coldwater bass on the flatside 
Spring (Late March thru May): 110, football, and finesse worm remain, added a spinnerbait and chatterbait. Honorable mentions to swinghead and various sight-fishing baits.
Prespawn chatterbait fish
Summer (June thru late-September): Spinnerbait and chatter stays, added additional chatter, punch/flip rig and frog. All baits did well, summer is a great time on the tidal water around here. Honorable mentions to a popper, Sprinker frog, and finesse worm.
Tough to pick a single picture, lots of quality fish this summer on all these...But the chatterbaits really put some tanks in the boat this year on the River and Bay...
Fall (October thru November or early-December): Has just started, so nothing really defined so far this season...But past history points to 110, spinnerbait, chatter, popper, walker, and football jigs.
Columbia Craw reply :
Really good post A-Jay. I compared it to your last season and saw some variance. This year for me was difficult except for April/May. I had a good pre-spawn and spawn season. All shallow. My local home smallie reservoir was lowered and the launches closed until mid July. The upper Columbia pools were inaccessible do to forest fires. Taking care of my mom's medical appointments impacted free time more than ever. My home lake was lowered to flush it out in an attempt to impact algae blooms. Everything, when I could get out, was DEEEP. I drop shot 90% of the time in 22 to 40 feet of water. Tough season. What worked:
Black blue jig and Rage Chunk
Dobyns 1/2 oz. Spinnerbait
Piranha Vibrating jig
SK Structure Bug and Rage Craw
Senko
SK Dream Shot and Robo Worms
It was a six rod year.
Ksam1234 reply :
On 10/7/2018 at 1:48 AM, A-Jay said:As another open water season wraps up, I enjoy looking back through my logs, reports & pics to see how it all shook out. Now I’ll admit that at this point in my angling life, I might not always use the presentation that may be best suited for the conditions I fish. Rather, I like to catch fish on what I like to catch fish on. So some of this best bait stuff could be more like – favorite baits that caught fish.
Either way here is it; I’ll break it down by seasons.
And please feel free to add your own selections to this thread should the mood strike you.
May – June Baits
Ice out was late this year first week of May in fact. But the jerkbait still play this whole time. The SK KVD 300 & 300 Deep as well as the Megabass ITO Vision 110 and the 110+1 were again very good. As well as the Megabass Ito Vision 110 FX Tour Premium; especially where & when I was looking for extra casting distance. Once I had worked an area over with the hard baits, a drop shot often would pick up a few extra bites for me. A nose hooked 4 inch SK Caffeine Shad was the best bait here for me early season. And I rarely ‘did’ anything with it. Just get it around the smallies and they’d eat it.
On a few of the larger & especially deeper lakes, where a jerkbait could not reach them, the Duo Realis G-Fix Vibration Tungsten Lippless bait – fished like a Blade Bait, is a great early (and late) season ‘search bait’ for me. I can effectively cover quite a bit of water at various depths looking for active fish. Love this one. Honorable mention goes to the Z Man TRD – Ned Rig Deal as well as the OutKast Feider Fly Hair Jig. Both saved more than one early season trip for me when the bite was tough.
July – August Baits
Admittedly this ‘summer’ I did not have a ton of days on the water. Life happens and that’s just how it worked out. This is a time when I’m often on the water after dark as well as the traditional early morning trips. But this summer only saw a handful of both.
At Night - I’m a single hook bait kind of guy. So a Jig & Craw, Spinnerbaits, & vibrating jigs do most of my nocturnal heavy lifting.
Specifically, ½ SK DB Structure jig or a (can't say the name - pm me ) Flip N Swim jig with a SK Rage Lobster or Eeliminator trailer, a ½ oz SK Greg Hackney Heavy Cover Spinnerbait (changed to an Oklahoma blade) and either a SK Rage Blade or once I got a few, the Z-Man Jackhammer.
Trailers for the moving baits at night are often a small swimbait or the Yamamato Zako.
For day time ops, this summer saw me fishing a SK Rage Swimmer and for the first time the Keitech Impact Fat Swimbait. Both on a 3/8 Owner Ultrahead Football head Jig. These were productive for me when swam right along or dragged on the bottom – really like the Keitech (except for the price).
As the August calendar page came down, the fishing REALLY picked up. So did my time on the water. Spinnerbaits, Topwater Walkers & Poppers and the Umbrella rig were killing it – and on some plus sized smallmouth bass. Kept throwing the Whopper Plopper btw- just not getting bites with it yet.
Until it’s untimely theft by a big pike – the Paycheck Baits Repo Man walking bait was The Walking Bait for me; accounting for several 5+ lb smallies. Since then it’s been replaced fairly effectively by the SK Sexy Dawg and the River2Sea Rover. The Megabass Pop Max is The Only Popper I throw any more – Just super effective including taking a smallie over 6 this season. The SK Burner Spinner bait has again proven it’s worth in my box as well as both the ½ & ¾ oz Biovex Stangun Spinnerbait. And for the first time for me, the SK short arm Titanium Umberlla rig did some real damage. I used the 4 & 5 inch SK Swim N Shiners on 1/8 & ¼ VMC Boxer Jig head (has a really great hook).
September – October
September has traditionally been a fantastic time for both number & size on smallies. Not this year. The spinnerbaits I’ve mentioned above produced well as did the Vibrating bait. But this is where the SK RES and the SK Squarebill baits really come into their own. Never Happened and I have no explanation as to why very few fish on my waters came up (and more importantly Stayed) shallow long enough for this bite to materialize. Which is a bummer because when that’s a thing - it’s one heck of a fun day of fishing.
Finally the number ONE producer for me on both numbers & size of smallies for these two months has been the SK Rage Bug on a swing head and second place here is not close (like on another planet). During this period I probably fished this at least 75 % of the time and accounted for that same percentage of fish. Might have been the way the season shook out with the fast cooling colored from the all the rain water – can’t say. Just know I went through some 4/0 ewg hooks & a ton of bugz. Loved every minute of it though.
November & December
Although we’re not quite there yet – it won’t be long. And if I can get out I most certainly will.
Bass fishing opportunity these last two months before hard water, really starts to get super weather dependent and often dwindles quite a bit in numbers. Blustery Cold North winds and waves too big to fish in are very common. When I can get out, a blade bait and a heavy lippless rattle bait fished like a blade bait are just about all I’ll throw once the water gets to the low 40’s and below. The 5/8 & 3/4 oz Silver Buddy – in both silver and Gold, get it done. And the Duo Realis G-Fix Virbating bait (again fished like a blade bait) see’s a ton of action and just flat out catches. Many times smallies will slurp these bait up as they lay motionless on the bottom between small hops.
That’s my story and I’m stick’in to it.
A-Jay
Those duo realis g fix looks amazing ! Ahhh stay away bait monkey
Matt_3479 reply :
awesome thanks for sharing. This year has been a great year for me, working on new techniques, new rods and reels, new waters!
-This year the Jackall karea frog has been a great frog and my success rate went way up!
-Berkley squarebill crankbaits have done wonders for me this season, caught more big bass on them then any other crankbait I’ve ever used!
-dirty jigs 3/8 and 1/2oz skirted jigs in the past 2 weeks have been a bit of a game changer and can’t wait to really work on it next season!
-senko specifically in black with red flake (most other soft plastics in that colour as well)
jbmaine reply :
This year for us
SPRING-- swim senko and strike king swimmn caffeine shad in KVD magic color got all our fish LM & SM.
SUMMER-- ned rig in orange green got the smallies for us, but the LM were strange. Overcast days we could catch them all day long on chartreuse spinnerbaits, if the sun was out not so much.
FALL-- We lost access to our SM lake for three weeks while the ramp was closed for repairs. We're still playing catch up finding the SM. LM are still hitting the spinnerbaits in low light.
all and all not a bad year for us.
Munkin reply :
I did better this year with black/blue plastics than I have done in the past.
A-Jay if you are looking for another full size Repoman I have one I can trade since you are such a great contributor to this site.
Allen
A-Jay reply :
On 10/8/2018 at 11:00 AM, Munkin said:I did better this year with black/blue plastics than I have done in the past.
A-Jay if you are looking for another full size Repoman I have one I can trade since you are such a great contributor to this site.
Allen
@Munkin ~ Allen I just read your response here
Don't know how or why I didn't see it before ?
Any way If your offer still stands, I'd totally trade and /or gladly even pay for an intact & fish-able Repo !
What did you have in mind ? I'm wide open . . .
A-Jay
Munkin reply :
On 11/9/2018 at 6:36 AM, A-Jay said:@Munkin ~ Allen I just read your response here
Don't know how or why I didn't see it before ?
Any way If your offer still stands, I'd totally trade and /or gladly even pay for an intact & fish-able Repo !
What did you have in mind ? I'm wide open . . .
A-Jay
I will have to find it now since my wife cleaned up stuff around the house. The color is Blown Up or something like that and I will get you some pics once I find it.
Allen
A-Jay reply :
On 11/9/2018 at 7:10 AM, Munkin said:I will have to find it now since my wife cleaned up stuff around the house. The color is Blown Up or something like that and I will get you some pics once I find it.
Allen
Cool ~
Hope it shows up.
I'll be standing by . . .
Thanks Again.
A-Jay
Harold Scoggins reply :
On 10/7/2018 at 1:48 AM, A-Jay said:Megabass Ito Vision 110 FX Tour Premium
Cosmic Shad is a killer!
iceintheveins reply :
March To April - Lipless cranks (best in water 60 or under), jerkbaits (best in water 55 or under), spinnerbaits, Ned Rigs, jigs, swim jigs, crankbaits (especially wiggle wart types)
April through May - Shallow cranks, medium cranks, spinnerbaits, senkos, flukes, jigs, ned rigs, poppers (water 60 or over), buzzbaits (water 60 or over), creature baits
May through early September - shallow cranks, medium cranks, deep cranks, frogs, senkos, jigs, ned rigs, spinnerbaits, all topwaters
September through early November - lipless cranks (water 60 or under), jerkbaits (water 55 or under) all crankbaits, jigs, ned rigs, spinnerbaits, topwaters (water 60 or warmer), creature baits
Overall all season baits
Cranks, spinnerbaits, jigs, ned rigs
A-Jay reply :
On 11/11/2018 at 12:39 PM, iceintheveins said:March To April - Lipless cranks (best in water 60 or under), jerkbaits (best in water 55 or under), spinnerbaits, Ned Rigs, jigs, swim jigs, crankbaits (especially wiggle wart types)
April through May - Shallow cranks, medium cranks, spinnerbaits, senkos, flukes, jigs, ned rigs, poppers (water 60 or over), buzzbaits (water 60 or over), creature baits
May through early September - shallow cranks, medium cranks, deep cranks, frogs, senkos, jigs, ned rigs, spinnerbaits, all topwaters
September through early November - lipless cranks (water 60 or under), jerkbaits (water 55 or under) all crankbaits, jigs, ned rigs, spinnerbaits, topwaters (water 60 or warmer), creature baits
Overall all season baits
Cranks, spinnerbaits, jigs, ned rigs
Nice ~
And so what you're saying is - you throw a few cranks.
A-Jay
Smalls reply :
QuoteUntil it’s untimely theft by a big pike – the Paycheck Baits Repo Man walking bait...
That made me wince in pain.
A-Jay reply :
On 11/11/2018 at 4:53 PM, Smalls said:
That made me wince in pain.
Me too.
Believe me - Me too !
A-Jay
Bluebasser86 reply :
This is always a fun post.
January through March were spent on the power plant lakes like usual, even more so with the cold winter we had this year. A homemade 1/8oz football shakyhead with a Zoom Magnum Finesse Worm in Redbug color was solid at the largemouth lake as usual, accounting for my largest bass of the year on January 2nd. A Strike King Rodent in watermelon/red flake on either a homemade brush shakyhead or swinging football head caught a lot of fish as well. When they were eating baitfish I did well on my trusty, and well worn, Redeye shad tungsten 2 tap in silver/black back. It was my first year fishing a Storm Smash Shad as well and the rainbow smelt #6 was a productive bait. I also caught a few, large individuals on a Savage Gear 185 Shine Glide in bone color. The jerkbait bite was off, but I had one good day with a KVD 300 in Sexy Shad.
7.43 shakyhead fish
The Rodent on a brush shakyhead in the mouth of a 6.73, same day as the above fish.
Shine Glide fish
CHOKED KVD 300 jerkbait, fish was a little north of 6.5 pounds.
Another Rodent fish, on a swing head this time.
Early-mid April saw the jerkbait bite finally wake up. A Storm Twitch Stick caught a lot of fish for me to my surprise. Kind of fished it in nasty places and from shore, anticipating it's demise that would surely happen at some point, but it never happened and the thing just whacked them. Dumb pond fish sure, but it outproduced others I tried.
A big winner for the year was the Duo Realis Rozante 77 in Neo Pearl. I caught so many fish on that little bait (and continue to), I wish I had tried it sooner. A Duo 120 in Purple Mist was a good bait for me also.
Twitch Stick fish that was stupid fat.
A 3 1/4lb smallmouth that choked the Rozante
Fatty on the Purple Mist 120, this fish actually had a trout tail sticking out it's throat.
Late April into May spring finally decided to show up, and then summer immediately followed. A black and blue, or grasshopper homemade flipping jig was good for then and both remained that way throughout the year.
Another big player for me throughout the year was a War Eagle gold double hammered willowleaf 1/2oz spinnerbait with a chartreuse pearl YUM split tail trailer. I wore 2 of them out this year I caught so many fish on them. A YUM Bad Momma was bedding bass bait of choice this spring. That was just the bait that seemed to really fire them up.
The first topwater bite started in May and another major contributor started producing, a Paycheck Baits Repoman. A 1/8oz slider head with a Croc-O-Gator Ring Craw in green pumpkin/orange flake did what it always does every spring and had a couple days when it caught a bunch of really nice fish. The big jerkbait bite fired up and the new Jackall Rerange 130 was just what they wanted.
Grasshopper jig
5.74 on a the War Eagle
5.80 bed fish on the Bad Momma, big bass of the tournament.
Paycheck Repoman fish
Jackall Rerange
6.63 on the Ring Craw
Summer was tough and also divided a lot between bass and time I spent in a multispecies kayak challenge. The Savage Gear Fruck was an interesting bait that proved it wasn't just a gimmick. A Booyah Popping Pad Crasher was a steady producer of solid fish. The Big Bite Baits Yomomma caught lots of fish like it has the last few years. Probably the most consistent bait was a solid black Strike King Ocho, either weight T rigged or wacky rigged. Had some good days on a homemade bladed jig in Code Blue color, and also got outside my comfort zone and caught some fish on a Strike King 6XD and the new Bandit Rackit. The new smaller size YUM Pulse swimbait was a solid bait for me also.
Frucked
Code Blue bladed jig
Skinny 6XD fish
Black Ocho jungle bass
August saw a resurgence of the Rozante. A jerkbait bite in hot water is something I've never been able to achieve consistently. Maybe it was something going on in the lakes, but I really think it was this bait. Smallmouth, largemouth, walleye, crappie, white bass, wipers, drum, catfish, gar, everything ate it. The Whopper Plopper 75 was good for me also.
75 Plopper stud smallie
September into October was pretty wide open with everything working. The homemade flipping jigs were really good again. I had one really good day with a Booyah Melee. The Rozante just kept on catching, and the War Eagle came back big time. My homemade bladed jigs really started working double time also, both sexy momma and code blue colors.
Booyah Melee
Grasshopper jig in a 5 3/4 pounders mouth
Swallowed War Eagle
Homemade bladed jig, sexy momma
Dens228 reply :
For me....
April/May was all about jigs, both hybrid with craw trailers and swim with paddletails. Far and away top bait.
June was still jigs, and add in spinnerbaits and topwater,,,,,,frogs and poppers
July/Ausust..........slow..............but topwater and deep cranksbaits
September was spinnerbaits and pasddletails on underspins
October was all about the crankbait, mainly squarebills by far,,,the 4-7 foot diving cranks
November was jerkbaits........this includes last week when I caught 12 bass in 46 degree water in two hours, the smallest was 16 inches, the biggest was 20 3/4. All but three were over 18 inches. By far my best day numbers/size wise of the year.
ww2farmer reply :
I'll play....
April (short April as ice out here wasn't until 4/22)
LM: Lipless crank
SM:Suspending jerkbait
May:
LM: Home assembled finesse flipping jig w/ GYCB fat baby craw trailer
SM: Wobble head with 4" GYCB double tail grub
June:
LM: Neko rigged 5" Senko
SM: 2.75" TRD on a 1/15th oz Shroomz head
July:
LM: Neko rigged 5" Senko
SM: Neko rigged 4" Senko
Aug:
LM: Home assembled 3/4oz. football jig w/ R.I. Twerk trailer
SM: 4" Big TRD on 1/10th oz "power finesse" Shroomz head
Sept:
LM: T-rigged 4" Jackall Sasuteki Craw
SM: Wobble head with R.I. Smallie Beaver
Oct:
LM: 4" Neko rigged Senko
SM : 2.75" TRD on 1/15th Shroomz head
Nov:
LM: 2.75" TRD on 1/15th oz Shroomz head
SM: 3" Keitech Swing Impact on 3/16 Keitech tungsten ball head
Lot's of Ned and Neko rigging went on this year....I didn't plan it that way, it was just working, so I rolled with it.
Other things that produced well this year were: Chatterbaits, frogs, senkos and finesse worms on wacky jigs, t-rigged craws/beavers/creatures, and spinner baits
Things that usually produce very well for me but were total bust's this year were: cranking of ANY kind, swim jigs, drop shotting in general (but especially power shotting), t-rigged, and shakey head rigged worms, and shallow jig fishing beyond early in the year.
webertime reply :
Pointer 100 (spring)
Jackhammer (spring summer fall)
Carolina Rig with Speedcraw (spawn to fall)
Drop Shot 3" Swing Impact (summer to fall)
YoZuri Trap of some sort (fall)
Keitech Football highest with a 2.8 swimbait (summer through "I'm stupid for being out here")
Munkin reply :
A-Jay here is the Repoman that I have. It looks NIP but the rear feather has a brown tint like it has some rust to it. Based on one of your previous posts I could trade for some LC pointers in Ghosy Minnow since you want to get ridof them.
Allen
A-Jay reply :
On 11/14/2018 at 8:57 AM, Munkin said:
A-Jay here is the Repoman that I have. It looks NIP but the rear feather has a brown tint like it has some rust to it. Based on one of your previous posts I could trade for some LC pointers in Ghosy Minnow since you want to get ridof them.
Allen
Sending a PM
A-Jay
J.Vincent reply :
January - Strike King Bitsy Bugs and Berkley Gulp Shads Drop Shotted
February - Custom Nuetrally Bouyant Cotton Cordell Big O
March - Same as February
April - Storm Arashi SquareBill Craw Pattern and ZMan ChatterBait + Yum Christie Craw Trailer
May - Same as April
June - Yum Christie Craw Texas Rigged with 3/16oz Pegged Cone Sinker and Tandem Willow Leaf SpinnerBaits and 1/2oz Terminator Flipping Jigs
July - Culprit 7 inch Ribbon Tail Texas Rigged, Senkos Texas Rigged, BOSS Outdoors 1oz Punch Rig + Christie Craw, Berkeley Pit Boss Texas Rigged with 3/8oz Cone Sinker and Hollow Body Frogs and 1/2oz Terminator Flipping Jigs
August - Same as July
September - Sammy style Walking Bait, BOSS Outdoors Swimjig with various Trailers
October - Same as September but also Cotton Cordell Traps and Bill Lewis Rattletraps
November - Custom Nuetrally Bouyant Cotton Cordell Big O and Yum Christie Craw Texas Rigged with 1/8 oz Cone Sinkers
December - I don't fish this month
* just realized I rarely thow a Jerkbait or a Split Shot Rig or a Buzzbait or a Popper and here is the funny part ....I currently live near Erie and St Clair and havent thrown a Tube Jig in over a year : )
ChrisD46 reply :
Great Job A-Jay !
thinkingredneck reply :
On 10/7/2018 at 9:41 PM, Boomstick said:I've been thinking a lot about this actually.
I think for me, in May and June, I had the most success with a War Eagle Colorado willow spinnerbait in 3/8oz with trocar hooks that practically set themselves, however I did not get to fish much as I was in the hospital with colon cancer, and it took a while to get the staples removed post surgery which were rather painful.
In July, I was pretty wiped out by chemo. I had some good success with the ned rig, drop shots with a Roboworm and spinnerbaits when I did make it out, but I had my best fishing day of the year fishing a River2Sea Ish Monroe Biggie Smalls in Horizon Shad, so that takes the trophy.
I think I only made it out one day in August, and if I recall I got skunked.
In September and October (to date), I've been largely fishing local lakes and have had good success with the Norman Fat Boy in Nutter Shad color and the Ish Monroe's alike.
For the season overall, I have caught more fish on either the Norman Fat Boy or the Ish Monroe crankbaits than anything else.
Man, I hope you have a better year this year!
I don't think I caught them on anything but T rigged plastic worms. I tried some paddle tail swim baits with no success. Life intervened a lot.
snake95 reply :
Coming at this as a small-time weekend pond warrior, for me, 2018 was the year of going back to basic plastics.
Until this year, I was crazy about cranks, walkers, poppers and buzzbaits, with the occasional trickworm thrown in.
Had very little time to fish this year, but made the most of short bursts.
Springtime: senkos and Yum Dingers.
I know. Boring. I guess the news there for me was that I overcame my lack of enthusiasm for them, and threw them in hot, pressured conditions in Florida and Georgia this spring and well into the post-spawn. I was very surprised at how successful I was by tossing them into flats where bass were either spawning or protecting fry. I learned to skip them under bushes all around the ponds, and did well with that. As a result of the success, Senko fishing became fun for me.
Oh yeah: no matter where I'm throwing them, I almost always fish them weightless and Texposed, with a 3/0 to 5/0 worm hook or EWG. I'll use a superline EWG if I want the weight and have one at hand. Almost always trying to get bit on the fall, but found myself using them to pepper an area of flats where I felt like there might be fish. Kind of a slow way to cover water, but it worked.
Springtime and all summer long: toads.
It was the year of the toad. I killed them on toads all year long. I tried all types: Keitech, Zoom, and others. In the bright mid-morning in Florida, late at night in GA. Right off the bank, and in open water. Horney Toads with 4/0 and 5/0 superline EWG's.
Honorable mention: flukes. Also "nothing special" but I had a lot of luck with weightless flukes worked near surface among lilly pads and along weedlines for largemouth on small ponds up in Ontario. Not a lot of strategy to it, but with the super-clear Ontario water, I started off with a subtle green pumpkin or Disco violet and never varied from those.
Fall: night fishing with chatterbaits and walking baits.
Had very little previous experience with chatterbaits, but they worked well for me at night with paca craw trailers.
Also fished walking baits in place of buzzbaits late at night in very calm waters. That worked well too.
@A-Jay I really enjoyed the post that started this.
Bankbeater reply :
This year was screwy. Spring was great, but from mid-summer on was a struggle. Early fall looked like things were going to turn around, but nope.
March and April: 3 of my top 5 bass for the year so far were caught. Lipless crankbaits, shallow running crankbaits, and jerkbaits caught most of my bass.
May was things started getting weird: A 3", or 4" Stik-o on a split shot rig kept the skunk off me for most of my trips. The crankbait and lipless bite dried up, and the bass weren't going after jigs or plastic worms at all. The topwater bite started off very slow, but picked up as the month went on.
June: Most of the bass I caught were on topwater, and jigs. I picked up one or two here and there on plastics, but for the most part I stuck to jigs and spooks.
July and August: No clear winner in the bait department here. Almost all of the baits I used caught bass, but no size or numbers.
September and October: With the exception of the bass hitting some crankbaits these months were just like June.
Hillbilly Bennett reply :
2018 was the year of the Senko for me. I know, it’s boring fishing, but this year it was the main performer and the only consistent bite producer all year long. It started in late February and early March when I had difficulty catching on the jerkbaits and crankbaits that I love to throw. I’d pick a few fish up here and there but after getting very frustrated my first few trips out, I picked up a wacky rig and proceeded to nail them consistently in every lake I went to. The color varied by lake and the conditions but the dang Senko kept catching right up in to May. I got on a pretty good topwater bite in April and May and was able to incorporate a jig and Texas rigs with pretty good success as well. I took dad with me to our annual post spawn trip to Guntersville and we caught the lake up, off colored and with plenty of current. Poppers, jigs and t-rigged craws loaded the boat with bass, and 2 monster heart breaking drum, for 5 of the best days of fishing all year. That lake is just amazing. As the heat kicked in in June-early August I used the Senko again on light Texas rigs to work the grass in my home lakes in eastern KY. This was the 1st time I’d used a Senko this way and had a ton of success fishing them like that. The dog days of mid-August through mid-September were really tough this year. The grass bite stopped for me and my off shore spots didn’t produce much at all. Even night fishing was slow. But I again got my dad to go on a spur of the moment trip to Chickamagua after the hurricane that hit the south east passed through at the end of September. We caught Chick with the exact same conditions as Guntersville and had 4 days of huge bass and huge numbers. Black and Blue Reaction Innovation Sweet Beavers and Missile D-Bombs caught the most fish for us and landed me a 6 1/2 pounder for my biggest fish of 2018 but a War Eagle spinner, a buzz bait and a lunkerhunt frog caught the biggest down there. Dad caught a 10lb 7oz personal best on the frog and he hasn’t let me hear the end of it since. We were on them from the minute we got there and they were still eating everything in sight when I had to leave to come back to work. Things picked back up in October and my wacky rigged Senko, squarebills, flukes and War Eagle spinnerbaits produced. We hit Guntersville again the 1st week of November and it wasn’t as fast and furious as usual but we were able to put together a few good days on poppers, buzzbaits, squarebills and, of course, a wacky rig. The last day It was below freezing that morning with a steady 25 mph wind that made things miserable but I got locked in with a Strike King 2.5 and loaded the boat with it in the Goosepond area when nothing else would get a bite. That was my last day out this year as obligations, and the snow, have kept me off of the water since then but that day left me with the warm fuzzy feeling that only fishing can bring. Gotta get back out soon or I’m gonna lose it. That was my 2018 year of fishing. Tight lines everybody!
A-Jay reply :
On 12/13/2018 at 3:33 AM, Hillbilly Bennett said:2018 was the year of the Senko for me. I know, it’s boring fishing, but this year it was the main performer and the only consistent bite producer all year long. It started in late February and early March when I had difficulty catching on the jerkbaits and crankbaits that I love to throw. I’d pick a few fish up here and there but after getting very frustrated my first few trips out, I picked up a wacky rig and proceeded to nail them consistently in every lake I went to. The color varied by lake and the conditions but the dang Senko kept catching right up in to May. I got on a pretty good topwater bite in April and May and was able to incorporate a jig and Texas rigs with pretty good success as well. I took dad with me to our annual post spawn trip to Guntersville and we caught the lake up, off colored and with plenty of current. Poppers, jigs and t-rigged craws loaded the boat with bass, and 2 monster heart breaking drum, for 5 of the best days of fishing all year. That lake is just amazing. As the heat kicked in in June-early August I used the Senko again on light Texas rigs to work the grass in my home lakes in eastern KY. This was the 1st time I’d used a Senko this way and had a ton of success fishing them like that. The dog days of mid-August through mid-September were really tough this year. The grass bite stopped for me and my off shore spots didn’t produce much at all. Even night fishing was slow. But I again got my dad to go on a spur of the moment trip to Chickamagua after the hurricane that hit the south east passed through at the end of September. We caught Chick with the exact same conditions as Guntersville and had 4 days of huge bass and huge numbers. Black and Blue Reaction Innovation Sweet Beavers and Missile D-Bombs caught the most fish for us and landed me a 6 1/2 pounder for my biggest fish of 2018 but a War Eagle spinner, a buzz bait and a lunkerhunt frog caught the biggest down there. Dad caught a 10lb 7oz personal best on the frog and he hasn’t let me hear the end of it since. We were on them from the minute we got there and they were still eating everything in sight when I had to leave to come back to work. Things picked back up in October and my wacky rigged Senko, squarebills, flukes and War Eagle spinnerbaits produced. We hit Guntersville again the 1st week of November and it wasn’t as fast and furious as usual but we were able to put together a few good days on poppers, buzzbaits, squarebills and, of course, a wacky rig. The last day It was below freezing that morning with a steady 25 mph wind that made things miserable but I got locked in with a Strike King 2.5 and loaded the boat with it in the Goosepond area when nothing else would get a bite. That was my last day out this year as obligations, and the snow, have kept me off of the water since then but that day left me with the warm fuzzy feeling that only fishing can bring. Gotta get back out soon or I’m gonna lose it. That was my 2018 year of fishing. Tight lines everybody!
Nicely Done Sir ~
A-Jay
CrankFate reply :
Berkely Powerworms, especially chartreuse tails.
ChrisD46 reply :
Reading A-Jay's year end lure list caused me to hyperventilate ! ... *Door bell just rang - my son answered and yelled out : "There's a monkey on the front door step to see you" ...
Hillbilly Bennett reply :
On 12/13/2018 at 5:48 AM, A-Jay said:Nicely Done Sir ~
A-Jay
Thanks A-Jay. I enjoyed your original post so I figured I’d share. I’m jonseing to get on the water right now but Bass Resource and all of the holiday tackle sales are helping keep me sane for the moment.
A-Jay reply :
On 12/18/2018 at 4:10 AM, Hillbilly Bennett said:Thanks A-Jay. I enjoyed your original post so I figured I’d share. I’m jonseing to get on the water right now but Bass Resource and all of the holiday tackle sales are helping keep me sane for the moment.
Thank you ~
And I share your 'jonesing' my friend.
A-Jay
Hillbilly Bennett reply :
On 12/18/2018 at 5:02 AM, A-Jay said:Thank you ~
And I share your 'jonesing' my friend.
A-Jay
Shew, the winter drives me insane. We’ve already had some decent snow here in eastern KY. Not to high jack the thread but I see you are a big fan of the Repoman Walking baits. What are your thoughts on them VS The Vixen since they have the same mold?
A-Jay reply :
On 12/18/2018 at 6:32 AM, Hillbilly Bennett said:Shew, the winter drives me insane. We’ve already had some decent snow here in eastern KY. Not to high jack the thread but I see you are a big fan of the Repoman Walking baits. What are your thoughts on them VS The Vixen since they have the same mold?
For me what made the repo man special - was The Sound. I can fish any number of walking baits that have a very similar size, profile, walk & action - But few have that distinctive one knock - glass like sound.
Something about it made the big smallies here eat it with reckless abandon - see here
Have not fished a Vixen so I can not compare them.
The Strike King Sexy Dawg is very close and what I now fish. (below)
A-Jay
Hillbilly Bennett reply :
On 12/18/2018 at 6:52 AM, A-Jay said:For me what made the repo man special - was The Sound. I can fish any number of walking baits that have a very similar size, profile, walk & action - But few have that distinctive one knock - glass like sound.
Something about it made the big smallies here eat it with reckless abandon - see here
Have not fished a Vixen so I can not compare them.
The Strike King Sexy Dawg is very close and what I now fish. (below)
A-Jay
Those are some beautiful smallies A-Jay. I have never fished the Repo man but I can say that the Vixen has a different, more glass-like sound than other Spook style baits. It is definitely louder than a sexy dawg and has a different sound than the other spook style baits I fish. I’m partial to Reaction Innovation lures but I think that if you’d check them out and I think you’d like them.
A-Jay reply :
On 12/18/2018 at 7:11 AM, Hillbilly Bennett said:Those are some beautiful smallies A-Jay. I have never fished the Repo man but I can say that the Vixen has a different, more glass-like sound than other Spook style baits. It is definitely louder than a sexy dawg and has a different sound than the other spook style baits I fish. I’m partial to Reaction Innovation lures but I think that if you’d check them out and I think you’d like them.
Thanks ~
OK - I'm going to take you on your word and try to pick up one or two Vixen baits.
They are still a little hard to come by at times, but I guess that's half the fun.
Thank you for the recommendation and I'll be sure to let you now how it goes.
Like I need more hard baits !!!!
A-Jay
Hillbilly Bennett reply :
On 12/18/2018 at 7:15 AM, A-Jay said:Thanks ~
OK - I'm going to take you on your word and try to pick up one or two Vixen baits.
They are still a little hard to come by at times, but I guess that's half the fun.
Thank you for the recommendation and I'll be sure to let you now how it goes.
Like I need more hard baits !!!!
A-Jay
I’m with you there man. My dad is an old school fisherman and it drives him crazy at the number of lures and the amount of gear I keep in the boat. Lol Gotta feed the bait monkey!
A-Jay reply :
On 12/18/2018 at 7:27 AM, Hillbilly Bennett said:I’m with you there man. My dad is an old school fisherman and it drives him crazy at the number of lures and the amount of gear I keep in the boat. Lol Gotta feed the bait monkey!
OK HB ~
Just scored two.
Now it just about 119 days or 17 weeks or 3 months & 29 days until ICE OUT !!!
A-Jay
Hillbilly Bennett reply :
On 12/18/2018 at 7:31 AM, A-Jay said:OK HB ~
Just scored two.
Now it just about 119 days or 17 weeks or 3 months & 29 days until ICE OUT !!!
A-Jay
Haha! Counting down! That Lime Ice is my favorite color too. I hope you catch some giants on those things. Send me some pics when you do.
A-Jay reply :
On 12/18/2018 at 7:36 AM, Hillbilly Bennett said:Haha! Counting down! That Lime Ice is my favorite color too. I hope you catch some giants on those things. Send me some pics when you do.
You got it ~
A-Jay
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