Good grubs for finesse bass? 2025
TriStateBassin106 reply :
Hey Bassresource
The title really says it all, recently I've had much success fishing tiny grubs for crappie and creek chubs at a local small creek here in New York state. After having luck with slabs and panfish I plan to try out some finesse grubs for bass once the weather starts to warm up here.
What would be some all around good grubs and jighead sizes to get for bass? this style of fishing is really simple yet fascinating. 
Mobasser reply :
I like Kalins grubs. 3" and 5". I've also used Zoom Fat Albert, and Mr. Twister. All have worked, but I think the Kalins have been the best for me. Although I've never tried them, many folks like the Yammamoto grubs also. Owner makes some good jigheads.
snake95 reply :
If you are talking small bass in creeks I can't think of anything better that the YUM grubs that sell for less than $1.4 at pack at Walmart. My single best producing lure by a long shot, and when fished on a light Zman mushroom head there are so many ways to fish them.
I like the good old white and also the more subtle green pumpkin and Carolina pumpkin. Sometimes get bit on the silver. I prefer the 3" for a Ned head but you can also go with the 2" if you have a tiny enough jig.
WRB reply :
Everyone thinks of curl tail grubs and over looks hand poured 3" Reapers* and paddle tail* grubs on 1/8 ball head jigs or split shot rigged.
Today the most popular "grub" is the Ned Rig.
Tom
* Don Iovino Products available at TW.
detroit1 reply :
Don has some sweet baits. Awesome colors too. (and 25 packs!)
mc6524 reply :
For me the Yamamoto 5 inch single tail grub in a smoked color with purple fleck. If the water is significantly stained, a pure white one for contrast works well
Log Catcher reply :
The only grubs I have tried are the Zoom Fat Albert grubs. I use mine as a Texas Rig. I use a 1/0 Skip Gap hook with an 1/8 ounce sinker. Seem to have my best luck with watermelon seed color. Have had good luck with SMB on root beer pepper green color.
CountryboyinDC reply :
I use grubs quite a bit for river smallmouth during the summer. I've had good luck with Case, Big Bites, Kalin, and Zoom grubs. Honestly, I used Nikko helgrammites last year and the year before in places I would have used grubs previously, and did about as good. The helgrammites last more than 1 trip sometimes. I'm lucky to get 3 fish off a grub, and sometimes get none before bream nibble the tails off.
Ppennin986 reply :
These are the grubs I use bps brand I have a lot of success with these and they hold up well I Texas rig them works great dragging the bottom or swimming them
MIbassyaker reply :
The ol' 3" and 4" mister twister curly tail grub on a 1/8oz ball jighead was the first artificial lure I learned how to use successfully. We didn't have much of a black bass population in the river I fished where I grew up, but we caught rock bass, crappie, walleye, sauger, and sometimes pike on them.
In 2006, Field and Stream Magazine named the curly tail grub the #1 greatest lure of all time.
I don't use them much these days, but always have some with me, especially for river smallies. Kalins, Yamamoto, and Zoom all make great curly tails, and the Mister Twister is still worth using as well.
Steelhead reply :
Kalin's 3" Lunker Grub in clear hologram, smoke hologram, bluegill and avocado. Berkley 3" Power Grub in white. I use the Owner Ultrahead Bullet Rig in 1/16 and 1/8oz.
Dorado reply :
I’m a grub fanatic. I like using an 1/8 oz Roadrunner 2.0 Pro (bigger hook, willow blade and keeper on the jig head). Partial to Chartreuse with a white 3” Zoom grub from Wal-Mart. It’s a mainstay in my panic box. I swim these subsurface where I know threadfin Shad are the main forage
Also would also recommend picking up some 3” Kalin’s lunker grub in Ron’s craw for jigging on the bottom or 3” Berkley Powergrubs in Pumpkinseed to imitate crawdads in highly pressured waters. Such a classic multi-species soft plastic.
if you night fish, a sleeper pattern for me is fishing a 3” Zoom Fat Albert grub in Junebug on a darter head.
Check out Waynesworld’s website, a famous SW guide for Lake Powell. He’s a grub master and has wrote some inspiring articles about the power of jigging grubs and their versatility.
Like someone mentioned previously, the grub was my “Ned rig” before the revolution began
Bluebasser86 reply :
Kalin's and Yamamoto 3-5 inch grubs on 1/8-3/8oz darter heads. Simple and effective.
Oregon Native reply :
Dry Creek...4 inch...
cgolf reply :
Tried many over the years, and it is always Kalin's 3" and 5" that stay in the box. I have given up trying to find a better mousetrap. The Kalin's tail seems to move at really slow speeds while still being durable. Of course I mainly fish them on a slider spider head, but will switch to a darter head sometimes on the river where weeds aren't an issue.
WRB reply :
Lots of anglers using 5" grubs for finesse, nothing finesse about a 5" curl tail grub that be be cast with any standard bass baitcasting and MH rod IMO.
Tom
ChrisD46 reply :
On 1/14/2020 at 1:24 AM, Mobasser said:I like Kalins grubs. 3" and 5". I've also used Zoom Fat Albert, and Mr. Twister. All have worked, but I think the Kalins have been the best for me. Although I've never tried them, many folks like the Yammamoto grubs also. Owner makes some good jigheads.
+1 ... I have started using Big Bite Bait grubs as well with good success - cost effective as well !
cgolf reply :
On 1/15/2020 at 1:38 PM, WRB said:Lots of anglers using 5" grubs for finesse, nothing finesse about a 5" curl tail grub that be be cast with any standard bass baitcasting and MH rod IMO.
Tom
I disagree that it can be a finesse bait depending how it is fished, and in reality a 5” grub isn’t not very large. The attached picture has a kalin’s 5” with the tail at rest and extended compared to some finesse standards, Netbait finesse worm and slim shake (basically the same sizes as zoom finesse worm and swamp crawler) and 1/2 a 5” stickbait.
I use a 5” Kalins all the time on post frontal days on 1/4 and 3/16 slider heads around vertical cover like reeds on a medium light spinning rig, current favorite Dobyns Sierra. I let the bait drop to the base of the reed, reel up the slack so I can feel a take, and let it sit a bit. Give it a shake and reel it back super slow till out of the strike zone where I then burn it back and repeat.
I also do toss it as a swim jig trailer on bait casting gear and also toss the slider head into the reeds and bring the bait back at a quicker where it is no longer a finesse bait when you hit the days they are chasing.
The 5” grub and 3 1/2” tube imo are the most versatile baits in my box. If I could only fish 2 lure styles the rest of my life those would be it. They cover most situations we encounter and can be rigged many different ways.
I do agree with Dorado on the Kalin’s Ron’s craw color suggestion. I have used it in water you can see bottom in 15 feet to water so green, the boat spray that is kicked up when you are running is green.
WRB reply :
Under your definition my 7/16 oz hair jigs using 10 lb mono would be a finesse lure. All bass jigs are under 3” long plus the trailer and considered power presentation, not finesse.
Would anyone use a 5” curl tail grub with 3/8 dia body using UL ML tackle with 3/0 to 5/0 hook....with 6 lb test line...the OP uses?
Tom
cgolf reply :
On 1/16/2020 at 6:25 AM, WRB said:Under your definition my 7/16 oz hair jigs using 10 lb mono would be a finesse lure.
No this would be power in my eyes, but heck now guys call a Ned bait on a 1/2 ounce plus jig finesse now, so in some guys eyes your hair jig might be.
All bass jigs are under 3” long plus the trailer and considered power presentation, not finesse.
OP said jig not just bass jig. I rarely use skirted jigs mostly sliders, mushroom heads and darter heads in the 1/16 to 1/4 range.
Would anyone use a 5” curl tail grub with 3/8 dis body using UL ML tackle with 3/0 to 5/0 hook....with 6 lb test line...the OP uses?
I didn’t see the OP specify the combo used. But the 1/16-1/4 jig weights I regularly throw 5” grubs, menace (not sure if this is considered a grub) and tubes on my ML spinning rod with 10lb fireline sometimes with a FC leader.
13 minutes ago, WRB said:Tom
I think you are replying to me. So I will attempt to answer with comments in your quote. Plus a couple questions below.
Do you consider the netbait slim shake and finesse worms, finesse baits or are they too long?
is the 3” number you mention related to only skirted jigs?
WRB reply :
Finesse has been hijacked like the majority of bass fishing terms to the point it no longer can be defined.
Use common sense. 6” Senko and a 6” Roboworm are the same length and both can be fished using similar tackle, the Roboworm is considered a finesse worm and the Senko isn’t.
The Spro Phat hair jig is a finesse jig, my hair jig with 5/0 hook isn’t.
Putting a 10” Power worm on a 1/4 jig isn’t finesse or putting a 4” Hula grub ona plain 1/4 oz jig with 4/0 hook isn’t finesse because the tackle used is over powered by the hook size.
Finesse To me is all about light line tackle and precision presentations combined
The 5” curl tail grub isn’t too long it requires a 3/0 hook do to it’s fat body to effectively fish it. The Ned rig originally used size 1 light wire hook with light line, now mushroom heads with 3/0 hooks and 10 lb+ line and 4” Ned worms are common, no longer a finesse presentation imo.
Tom
cgolf reply :
On 1/16/2020 at 7:35 AM, WRB said:Finesse has been hijacked like the majority of bass fishing terms to the point it no longer can be defined.
Use common sense. 6” Senko and a 6” Roboworm are the same length and both can be fished using similar tackle, the Roboworm is considered a finesse worm and the Senko isn’t.
The Spro Phat hair jig is a finesse jig, my hair jig with 5/0 hook isn’t.
Putting a 10” Power worm on a 1/4 jig isn’t finesse or putting a 4” Hula grub ona plain 1/4 oz jig with 4/0 hook isn’t finesse because the tackle used is over powered by the hook size.
Finesse To me is all about light line tackle and precision presentations combined
The 5” curl tail grub isn’t too long it requires a 3/0 hook do to it’s fat body to effectively fish it. The Ned rig originally used size 1 light wire hook with light line, now mushroom heads with 3/0 hooks and 10 lb+ line and 4” Ned worms are common, no longer a finesse presentation imo.
Tom
We are pretty close on our definitions, I think we just vary on hook size which allows the tube and grub for me. Probably the 10 fireline too, but when a bass wraps you around a reed it gives you a fighting chance.
I bought the slider kits 20+ years ago which came with the snagless slider 3/0 hook. I graduated to the spider heads and depending on the bait use either the 2/0 or 3/0 version. I haven’t looked back, the slider heads have worked well for me. So for me that is what I grew up as a bass fisherman being finesse. In WI I don’t always see the need to finesse fish to get bites. Only exception would be post front bass up north that are really specific in how they want a bait presented. I generally just like that style of fishing because you really have to think about what bait you use and how you present it. I think you have a lot tougher bass to catch out Cali than we do here.
RemyL reply :
I haven't tried them yet, but I got some Keitech Swing Impact 3" trailers last night and they LOOK like just the ticket for what OP describes. Big enough to interest a bass but small enough to also attract larger pan fish. Easy to use on a small jig head.
Saying 3" doesn't do them justice, they're pretty slim too, a good fit for smaller jigs. I hope the tail works as nicely as it looks. I'm just rolling back into things from a long time away but I grew up doing mostly jig/grub fishing for panfish and would have LOVED something like these to attract the larger stuff along with any walleye in the area. I have to guess that it will work well on bass too.
roadwarrior reply :
Give the Rage Tail Menace a try.
FishTank reply :
On 1/14/2020 at 8:49 AM, mc6524 said:For me the Yamamoto 5 inch single tail grub in a smoked color with purple fleck. If the water is significantly stained, a pure white one for contrast works well
Same here. I have been using the 4in version pretty much every spring and it kills at both bass and crappie. I like the Chartreuse, Smoke and Green Pumpkin. They use to have a fire tiger tail color years ago that was the best but the only thing like it I have found is from Berkley. It too is pretty good.
fishwizzard reply :
On 1/17/2020 at 9:55 PM, RemyL said:I haven't tried them yet, but I got some Keitech Swing Impact 3" trailers last night and they LOOK like just the ticket for what OP describes. Big enough to interest a bass but small enough to also attract larger pan fish. Easy to use on a small jig head.
Saying 3" doesn't do them justice, they're pretty slim too, a good fit for smaller jigs. I hope the tail works as nicely as it looks. I'm just rolling back into things from a long time away but I grew up doing mostly jig/grub fishing for panfish and would have LOVED something like these to attract the larger stuff along with any walleye in the area. I have to guess that it will work well on bass too.
They get bit like crazy but they are heartrendingly fragile. I use the 3" Easy Shiners as a DS plastic and I think they hold up a lot better then the 3" Swing Impacts.
RemyL reply :
good to know. I'll stick to finer hooks and less bulky retainers. If a fish beats them up directly I'm ok with that, but having my hardware destroy something is worth avoiding. They do look fragile but so do a lot of the newer plastics, I'm used to the old stuff that was pretty firm and was more rubbery than life like.
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