A New Tackle Strategy 2025
FishinDaddy reply :
After going through my boat and garage this morning, I decided that the bait monkey had attacked a few times to often. I narrowed down the 40 lbs of soft plastics and terminal tackle to this...
5 baits, 4 colors and just enough terminal tackle to rig them. I then went fishing with only the stuff in the picture and boated 12 fish in a little over 3 hours. I am now convinced that too many choices is not a good thing and I'm going to keep it simple from now on.
RoLo reply :
Humph...now if you had some Gambler Big Sticks in that mix,
you could get rid of most of that other stuff (not the scissors though) ;D
Roger
Paul Roberts reply :
Wonder how long that'll last? ;D
Up here, when it snows, we notherners break out the catalogs. Has nothing to do with fishing really.
Every time I make room in my boxes, I go ahead and fill it.
So...have you sold off the 35lbs remaining? Or keeping it all for a rainy, (or snowy) day? ;D
Paul Roberts reply :
Roger, I don't have any Giggy Sticks! ;D
RoLo reply :
QuoteRoger, I don't have any Giggy Sticks! ;D
NO, not giggy sticks, they're too wimpy.
The 7" Big Stick would be perfect for those Colorado toads.
Paul Roberts reply :
QuoteQuoteRoger, I don't have any Giggy Sticks! ;DNO, not giggy sticks, they're too wimpy.
The 7" Big Stick would be perfect for those Colorado toads.
Don't have any of those either. Hooo-boy, wife's gonna be mad.
FishinDaddy reply :
I had some in black/blue flake but they did not produce much this year.
On the other hand the booyah swim jig with a zoom trailer has put a five pounder in the boat three weeks in a row...including today out of one of your favorite spots. 
5bass reply :
Good post. I believe most fisherman will come to that point at some time during their life. Thats when you know what your confidence baits are and you have full faith in them. I know that as I have gotten older, my tackle boxes have gotten smaller....and I'm not bothered by that at all.
I own a boatload of plastics, cranks, jerks, spinnerbaits, you name it, but 90% of them never ever get tied on. They are in the boat 'just in case'.
RoLo reply :
QuoteI had some in black/blue flake but they did not produce much this year.On the other hand the booyah swim jig with a zoom trailer has put a five pounder in the boat three weeks in a row...including today out of one of your favorite spots.
I'm glad to hear the part about one of my waypoints, but not the part about the Big Stick ("did not produce much this year").
Three words: "Let It Sit". The Big Stick has a hollow rear section and it never stops moving (jiggle in place - let it sit)
Lee, speaking of 5 pounders, I know you love pitching the frog and the topwater bite is on right now.
Lois & I have both boated several between 4 and 6 on the Gambler Pop'n Toad (Bubble plow & pause).
What zoom trailer?
Roger
RoLo reply :
QuoteGood post. I believe most fisherman will come to that point at some time during their life. Thats when you know what your confidence baits are and you have full faith in them. I know that as I have gotten older, my tackle boxes have gotten smaller....and I'm not bothered by that at all.I own a boatload of plastics, cranks, jerks, spinnerbaits, you name it, but 90% of them never ever get tied on. They are in the boat 'just in case'.
I'm with you Scott, I'm also working hard at trimming the herd.
I won't be satisfied until I get it down to about 10 lures for covering the surface, subsurface, mid-depth and bottom.
I've got more lures than one man could lift, but they stay at home.
All I bring on the boat is a little two-tier Bill Dance Plano. Slowly I'm getting there :
Roger
FishinDaddy reply :
Roger,
I have been using the super speed craw (green something) behind a black/brown booyah swim jig. Swimming it through the pads just under the surface or down the boat trails closer to the bottom. Yesterdays 5 lber came north of your point, on the east side of the channel, in the mouth of one of the older boat trails that are almost grown in.
RoLo reply :
QuoteRoger,I have been using the super speed craw (green something) behind a black/brown booyah swim jig. Swimming it through the pads just under the surface or down the boat trails closer to the bottom. Yesterdays 5 lber came north of your point, on the east side of the channel, in the mouth of one of the older boat trails that are almost grown in.
If I'm thinking of the right spot Lee, you can name about 5 plant species in that weedy pass.
I also like the north end of that same boat trail, toward Brahma Pass.
Instead of saying "let it sit", I should really have said to "bottom drag" the worm.
After the Big Stick reaches bottom, impart a sharp 'double-twitch' basically in place,
then do nothing for at least 3 seconds (more than 3 is fine, but no less).
Repeat till the worm is out of the strike zone or if you feel the terrain is stale, simply drag it a few feet to new terrain.
The Big Stick has frequently produced for us, when no other lure was working.
After answering a couple PMs, we'll be headed out today.
Looking out my window we're in for some choppy water today...Bring It On.
Roger
Paul Roberts reply :
QuoteQuoteRoger,I have been using the super speed craw (green something) behind a black/brown booyah swim jig. Swimming it through the pads just under the surface or down the boat trails closer to the bottom. Yesterdays 5 lber came north of your point, on the east side of the channel, in the mouth of one of the older boat trails that are almost grown in.
If I'm thinking of the right spot Lee, you can name about 5 plant species in that weedy pass.
I also like the north end of that same boat trail, toward Brahma Pass.
Instead of saying "let it sit", I should really have said to "bottom drag" the worm.
After the Big Stick reaches bottom, impart a sharp 'double-twitch' basically in place,
then do nothing for at least 3 seconds (more than 3 is fine, but no less).
Repeat till the worm is out of the strike zone or if you feel the terrain is stale, simply drag it a few feet to new terrain.
The Big Stick has frequently produced for us, when no other lure was working.
We're headed out today, and looking out my window we're in for some choppy water (bring it on).
Roger
OK...adding the Big Stick. Then...I'm through with the game! Lessee... whole season:
Orig Rap
X-rap
Grub/tube
Swimming worm
Mango
dog
mini buzz
frog
med crank
deep crank
...
Big Stick?
...
But I've got this one pond that needed finessin' this year...
and I've another that needs an Arkie head-n-craw..
and a few that are so clear that I need translucence
and another I need to punch some...
Guess I'll need a "little" box for each pond.
Needemp reply :
I tried this a while ago, but it didn't work for me. I have learned that lure selection can be key to getting bit. Not so much color, but definitely size, action, fall rate. Last time out, only small lures matched the small shad and I couldn't even get bit on anything that wasn't small. I also ran into fairly clear water and very dirty water in the same trip. And to to it off, I could only get bit on a smaller, slow falling jig. And that was just a two day trip and one example.
I have found that I need crankbaits from very small to DD22s. Never know when you need to go deep or go small. Wide wobble vs tight wobble. Lip shape, running depth, both can be important.
Spinnerbaits I need different profiles, different sink rates, different blade combos in just a couple of colors. This weekend I needed a tungsten 1/2 oz because it was smaller and got down a little deeper on a steady retrieve.
Sometimes I need football jigs up to an ounce. Sometimes I just need bullet jigs to come through wood. Nevermind the different trailers used for profile, fall rate and action. Although I haven't noticed a preference to color, I have noticed it to fall rate.
Jerkbaits- Different colors, depths, action and sizes. I have experienced bass's preference to certain jerkbaits over another.
Topwater- to be honest, I don't throw topwater a lot, but I have heard too much about certain baits being a lot more productive in given situations.
Plastics, forget about it. Small worms, large worms. lizards, tubes, beasts, creature baits, finesse, hook sizes, weights, pegs, etc. There are times when each one will produce better than others. Fall rate, action, color, several things that can make a difference.
Then you got Chatterbaits, spoons, etc. All have their place.
I know that there are plenty of times that precision is not demanded by the fish. There are times that they will eat almost any plastic. Also, a reaction strike usually doesn't require much variation. But there are times when it is required. And I have had several times where I didn't have what I needed or enough of what I needed. I hate waisting those days.
This is just my experience. And it comes from the drive to succeed everytime out. If I fished for fun, I would keep it more simple, but like I said at the beginning, I tried to be simple and I didn't make it. Besides, I like it a lot more when it is like chess, as opposed to being like checkers. Happy hookin'!
fishfordollars reply :
QuoteGood post. I believe most fisherman will come to that point at some time during their life. Thats when you know what your confidence baits are and you have full faith in them. I know that as I have gotten older, my tackle boxes have gotten smaller....and I'm not bothered by that at all.I own a boatload of plastics, cranks, jerks, spinnerbaits, you name it, but 90% of them never ever get tied on. They are in the boat 'just in case'.
X2, and I'm still scared to death to leave home without the other 30 pounds of plastic even though I have not fished some in years.
Raul reply :
If you ain 't carrying on your back then ---> better have and not need than need and not have.
Paul Roberts reply :
QuoteI tried this a while ago, but it didn't work for me. I have learned that lure selection can be key to getting bit. Not so much color, but definitely size, action, fall rate. Last time out, only small lures matched the small shad and I couldn't even get bit on anything that wasn't small. I also ran into fairly clear water and very dirty water in the same trip. And to to it off, I could only get bit on a smaller, slow falling jig. And that was just a two day trip and one example.I have found that I need crankbaits from very small to DD22s. Never know when you need to go deep or go small. Wide wobble vs tight wobble. Lip shape, running depth, both can be important.
Spinnerbaits I need different profiles, different sink rates, different blade combos in just a couple of colors. This weekend I needed a tungsten 1/2 oz because it was smaller and got down a little deeper on a steady retrieve.
Sometimes I need football jigs up to an ounce. Sometimes I just need bullet jigs to come through wood. Nevermind the different trailers used for profile, fall rate and action. Although I haven't noticed a preference to color, I have noticed it to fall rate.
Jerkbaits- Different colors, depths, action and sizes. I have experienced bass's preference to certain jerkbaits over another.
Topwater- to be honest, I don't throw topwater a lot, but I have heard too much about certain baits being a lot more productive in given situations.
Plastics, forget about it. Small worms, large worms. lizards, tubes, beasts, creature baits, finesse, hook sizes, weights, pegs, etc. There are times when each one will produce better than others. Fall rate, action, color, several things that can make a difference.
Then you got Chatterbaits, spoons, etc. All have their place.
I know that there are plenty of times that precision is not demanded by the fish. There are times that they will eat almost any plastic. Also, a reaction strike usually doesn't require much variation. But there are times when it is required. And I have had several times where I didn't have what I needed or enough of what I needed. I hate waisting those days.
This is just my experience. And it comes from the drive to succeed everytime out. If I fished for fun, I would keep it more simple, but like I said at the beginning, I tried to be simple and I didn't make it. Besides, I like it a lot more when it is like chess, as opposed to being like checkers. Happy hookin'!
Ditto.
Once upon a time I was a "jig fisherman" -it's all I needed. And I still believe if there was one lure type that is most versatile, it would be the jig -in all it's configurations ;D! The slippery slope once again. And a really useful jig box(es) just happens to be heavy!
But maybe the questions eventually come down to: "Do I always need to find just the right ticket?" And... "Why am I out here anyway?"
D4u2s0t reply :
I love going out with my lil 2 tray tackle box, and seeing the guys with the 200lb bags say "That's it?" It's better to have a small selection of baits that you know will catch fish than to have a hundred million baits and keep tying new ones on imo. My philosophy is simple... if it catches fish, it goes in the box. If it doesn't, then there's no reason to have it or buy more. And if I have baits that work perfectly fine, why bother with anything else. No bait monkey here lol
cart7t reply :
Does anybody really "need" 50lbs of soft plastics and hundreds upon hundreds of other baits to catch bass consistently?
Nope.
It keeps the tackle manufacturers in business though.
skunked_again reply :
QuoteDoes anybody really "need" 50lbs of soft plastics and hundreds upon hundreds of other baits to catch bass consistently?Nope.
It keeps the tackle manufacturers in business though.
i used to try to replace the joy of fishing with buying baits. now id rather go fish of the bank for a few hours and catch nothing than buy stuff i wont use until 2011.
K_Mac reply :
I like this thread a lot. I think I agree with needemp: There are times when a very specific lure-with size, speed, action, depth, color, soft, hard, seasoned or not, and probably several other variables to define-is the one.
My trouble is I can spend way too much looking for that one, instead of keying on the 3 or 4 techniques I know work for me. Then again sometimes I spend way too much time experimenting within the confines of proven techniques instead of looking for that one bait that may be outside of my favorites. :-? :
So my philosophy today (it may be different next week) is to have a lot of what works for me and a little of everything else. I just wish I knew what, "a little" "a lot " and "everything else" meant exactly? :-/
grimlin reply :
I couldn't do that....I'm a tackle enthusiast collector as much as i go fishing.
I love buying and trying new lures.... ;D
Besides there isn't much to do in the winter except collect lures.
Catt reply :
This little bag carries all my plastics/jigs plus 1 small Plano box for terminal tackle then a couple spinner baits/traps and you'll have all I carry; that and 5 rod/reels. I do have quite a selection used to replenish, evaluate, or is retired.
roadwarrior reply :
QuoteGood post. I believe most fisherman will come to that point at some time during their life. Thats when you know what your confidence baits are and you have full faith in them. I know that as I have gotten older, my tackle boxes have gotten smaller....and I'm not bothered by that at all.I own a boatload of plastics, cranks, jerks, spinnerbaits, you name it, but 90% of them never ever get tied on. They are in the boat 'just in case'.
"Just in case"
;D ;D ;D
senile1 reply :
Paul Roberts stated:
QuoteBut maybe the questions eventually come down to: "Do I always need to find just the right ticket?" And... "Why am I out here anyway?"
Excellent point!
K_Mac stated:
QuoteI like this thread a lot. I think I agree with needemp: There are times when a very specific lure-with size, speed, action, depth, color, soft, hard, seasoned or not, and probably several other variables to define-is the one.My trouble is I can spend way too much looking for that one, instead of keying on the 3 or 4 techniques I know work for me. Then again sometimes I spend way too much time experimenting within the confines of proven techniques instead of looking for that one bait that may be outside of my favorites. Huh Roll Eyes
So my philosophy today (it may be different next week) is to have a lot of what works for me and a little of everything else. I just wish I knew what, "a little" "a lot " and "everything else" meant exactly? Undecided
Your philosophy sounds a lot like mine.
Dorkus reply :
I'm a big fan of the BTS theory... Buy it, try it, if it don't work then sell it. That way you find your confidence baits and only keep what you need
Problem with that, is now 90% of my hard baits are $17 or more ;D :-[
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