How Many Baits Do You Really Need? 2024

Sp032o reply :

Hello. I'm getting ready to go fishing this upcoming spring and summer, and I need some new baits! I barely had any baits last year, since I was new to fishing. I was wondering, what are some great all around lures to have to cover most situations while bass fishing? Also, how many baits do you really need, because I see people with a TON, and was wondering if you could be just as successfull with a much smaller variety? ( i'm asking this because im a kid and don't have a huge budget for tons of tackle like some people!) thank you, and all opinions are appreciated!

Sp032o reply :

ABW reply :

As much as possible because you never know what those critters want...

In reality, most of us don't have an unlimited supply of tackle at our disposal. If I were you I would pick up a few techniques and gain confidence in those. If you're fishing year-round, try and find some that should work year round, like a jig.

Sp032o reply :

gardnerjigman reply :

Get some soft plastics (senkos, baby brush hogs, pitboss... Etc)

Jigs and some twin tail grubs for trailers

Few spinners

Few square bills

Some topwater (horny toads, walking frogs, poppers, spooks, buzz bait etc)

Terminal tackle (EWG hooks 3,4,5. Bullet weights 3/8, 1/4. Wacky rig hooks. Twist lock 4/0 5/0 unweighted hooks)

This will get you started.

Only other advice is get a job because every time a you get bit by a fish, you also get bit by the bait monkey....

Good Luck!

Darren. reply :

On 3/5/2015 at 10:38 AM, Sp032o said:
Hello. I'm getting ready to go fishing this upcoming spring and summer, and I need some new baits! I barely had any baits last year, since I was new to fishing. I was wondering, what are some great all around lures to have to cover most situations while bass fishing? Also, how many baits do you really need, because I see people with a TON, and was wondering if you could be just as successfull with a much smaller variety? ( i'm asking this because im a kid and don't have a huge budget for tons of tackle like some people!) thank you, and all opinions are appreciated!

I'll be one to tell you that you do NOT need a ton

of baits.

I take a couple 3600 size boxes of soft plastic worms

both senko style and thinner worms like the Zoom Trick

and Finesse worms.

Then I'll have at least one box with a few jigs, some drop

shot stuff, etc.

I'm primarily a soft-plastics fisherman and have plenty of

success (by my reckoning) doing things this way.

Where you get to have a "ton" is when you try a new bait

here and there and get another color, etc., to try out. Over

time they add up and can become a "ton". But you don't

need a lot to catch bass.

Angry John reply :

Grab a few multipurpose plastics and a jig or two. Toss in a few crankbaits and 2-3 frogs and your off and running.

Senko lover reply :

Don't ask this question. It leads down dangerous paths.

On the serious side, I'd say two of each kind (worms, craws, squarebills, spinnerbaits, ect.) should be plenty.

ABW reply :

How many of these questions are you going to ask? You've already asked it like 3 times

HookdUP reply :

On 3/5/2015 at 11:19 AM, Senko lover said:

Don't ask this question. It leads down dangerous paths.

On the serious side, I'd say two of each kind (worms, craws, squarebills, spinnerbaits, ect.) should be plenty.

t4bama reply :

You sure can be successful with a much smaller variety but once you start enjoying it you'll want to try different techniques and it cause for different baits and it just keeps going. I enjoy getting new lure to try out.

Big C reply :

Get a couple frogs, a couple jigs and a Sick fish or two. Remember it's not what you have, it's what you know. Nothing wrong with being a baller on a budget.

papajoe222 reply :

For hard baits, I would get at least one of the following in a natural color (shad, silver, gold, etc) spinnerbait, crankbait, topwater popper/chugger, and an assortment of worms and craws for soft baits. Once you become confident in your ability to catch fish with those, you can experiment with different sizes and colors as you budget allows.

A KGB Operative reply :

Should get you started for around 100 dollars.

Dylcook91 reply :

Couple bags of senkos, few packs of 3/0 wide gap worm hooks, and a handfull of spinnerbaits..also a buzzbait or two.

Should give you great results at any pond.

QUAKEnSHAKE reply :

When I leave home with just these Im good for a days outing.

Jrob78 reply :

All of them.

everythingthatswims reply :

1) Senko, in green pumkin or something similar.

3) A medium creature bait to texas rig with in green pumkin.

2) A couple squarebills, sexy shad color will work in any situation.

3) White Spinnerbait 3/8oz

4) Jig in green pumkin or something similar

5) Spook style topwater

Shockwave reply :

On 3/5/2015 at 11:19 AM, Senko lover said:

Don't ask this question. It leads down dangerous paths.

On the serious side, I'd say two of each kind (worms, craws, squarebills, spinnerbaits, ect.) should be plenty.

This!!! As far as soft plastics go, keep something in green pumpkin nearby at all times. Good all around color.

Fishinthefish reply :

Always always start with plastics, if you're new to fishing you're going to lose hard baits, crank baits, swim baits and top waters left and right. It takes awhile to learn how to get out of hard snags and various other tricky situations, like trees. Flukes, worms, craws. Those are the three plastics I'd recommend starting with, you can rig all three various ways and fish them top, middle, and bottom depending on how you rig and retrieve. Highly versatile, high level of success, and a very small learning curve.

Felix77 reply :

Senko and a keitech ez shiner is all I need in a pinch. The rest is all cake.

Fisher-O-men reply :

Learn to Drop Shot roboworms. You will catch fish. At your age there are priorities for your limited resources. Drop hints at the right times for gift cards.

primetime reply :

I made it in college fishing Berkley and Culprit ribbon tails, tubes and a few spinnerbaits and maybe a crankbait if I found one. I had a rebel in crawfish pattern, wee r I think that caught me fish for years...And you NEED at least 1 Rapala original floater in silver black and one in gold and black, F-9 is good size for 6lb test, and f-11 good for up to 10lb.

I would look on ebay for some used inline spinners like rooster tails and mepps for pond fishing, pack of cheap frogs, senko's, rebel pop r, worm weights and 3 colors..black, green pumpkin, watermelon red should do it and then 1 that you like.

Don't go cheap on fishing line. You don't need to buy Suffix 832 braid, but make sure you are buying a reputable brand. Saving a few bucks on line or quality hooks or swivels is not smart so you can get an extra bag of baits or a new shiny lure...Berkley Trilene, Stren and even Ande are good lines, make sure you pair them up with the right rod and reel (Reel needs a good drag) you can get good combo's for 40 bucks these days to do the job,

and buying the right size hooks and quality, no southbend hooks etc...You can find sales on quality stuff if you look, but line and hook is key, go cheap on that, you lose all. Have fun, buy 1-2 lures at a time and actually learn how to use them and see if you like them instead of just buying a ton of stuff. Not everybody likes a buzz bait or tubes, or frogs...and jigs are not for everyone either, but plastics are.

SirSnookalot reply :

My normal everyday rotation is 5 lures, the same 5 for inshore fishing except saltwater versions of the same lures. Seldom do I use all 5 in outing, my rotation does not include plastic worms or jigs and trailers.

Senko lover reply :

If you're going to go the minimalist route; here's the way I started: get a popper, a lipless crankbait, some senkos, and some finesse worms. Those are great lures to start on. If you fish really weedy ponds, switch out the lipless for a spinnerbait.

*Hootie reply :

Keep in mind, you're getting suggestions based on the type of water these guys fish. Make sure you are buying based on your water. Example, the lake I fish has almost zero visability. A jerkbait is virtually useless. Also, hardly any rocks, mostly wood, so I forget the football jigs.

Hootie

gulfcaptain reply :

Have to agree with Hootie on exact recomendations. If you had success last year expand on those. It's hard to give ideas without knowng your equipment as well. If you're fishing a ML spinning rod, then you're not gonna be fishing frogs in the slop but a dropshot is always a good bet, roostertail's, and a floating rapala are 3 areas you can fish on spinning rods and catch almost anything. But then if you're fishing MH baitcasting set-up those are a bit light for that set-up. The more you fish, the more you will learn. Try each year to pick up a new set-up with a technique or two in mind that that gear will work for and read as many articles on here as you can and try to apply that to areas you fish.

ColdSVT reply :

When i was in high school i did well with one rod and a handful of baits

Berkely lighting rod 6'6 m

shimano symetry 3000

That combo ran about 80 bucks out the door back then

a few bags of ribbon tail power worms

culprit ribbon tails

a few buzzbaits

a few spinner baits

a few rapala husky jerks

a zara spook

and a wiggle wart

Line was berkely trimax10#

Caught a ton of fish in ponds, lakes and river with that

Now 20 years later i have 12 combos and three tackle boxes overflowing lol

eyedabassman reply :

I look at it this way= If I don't have them I can't fish them!

Sam reply :

Baits are like rods.

You never have enough!!!!

Start our collection today.

The Bait Monkey loves you.

Brian-S reply :

Can't go wrong with a few plastics, sticks are easy to start out with! Couple colors like Green Pumpkin, watermelon red, or Black and blue and go from there! A small jig with a craw as a trailer and as many said a frog. You'll learn a lot and grown your arsenal from there

Good Luck!

Brian

Choporoz reply :

Head down to the local tackle shop.

Ask questions. Specific questions...not just "what should I buy?" But, "What do guys find successful around here for pre-spawn largemouth in xxx lake (or local river, or whatever.)" Talk to the other fishermen -- not just the guy trying to sell you stuff. And then listen. And listen. And ask followup questions. And read Bass Resource. It can get a little overwhelming, but read more, just the same. And watch BassResource's videos. You'll learn not only what to use, but see just how to use it.

*Hootie reply :

On 3/6/2015 at 1:51 AM, Choporoz said:

Head down to the local tackle shop.

Ask questions. Specific questions...not just "what should I buy?" But, "What do guys find successful around here for pre-spawn largemouth in xxx lake (or local river, or whatever.)" Talk to the other fishermen -- not just the guy trying to sell you stuff. And then listen. And listen. And ask followup questions. And read Bass Resource. It can get a little overwhelming, but read more, just the same. And watch glenn's videos. You'll learn not only what to use, but see just how to use it.

^ This,.......Ask,....Fish,....Read.

Hootie

roadwarrior reply :

Maybe a good place to start would be breaking down the water column with some

basic lures:

Topwater: Popper (PopR); walking lure (Zara Spook, LC Sammy); soft plastic (Rage Tail Menace);

MegaStrike Cavitron

Shallow: Spinnerbait, Chatterbait, Norman Fat Boy, Bandit 200, Siebert Outdoors Swim Jig/ Menace

Mid range: Red Eye Shad, DT6, Rapala Shadow Rap

Bottom contact: GYCB Senko and Fat Ika; Rage Tail Craw, Lizard and Thumper; MegaStrike MegaTube

Craw rigged on a ShakE2

Fuese54 reply :

if you're like me, you can never have enough baits. but some basic things you'll want are

soft plastics and hooks (stick baits and finesse worms are a great option)

spinnerbaits/buzzbaits

crankbaits

frogs or other topwater

soft plastics are probably the most versatile, but the key to success in any bait is to have confidence

Delaware Valley Tackle reply :

On 3/5/2015 at 12:09 PM, QUAKEnSHAKE said:

When I leave home with just these Im good for a days outing.

You should be prepared to fish whatever depth you find them at: Top / suspended / bottom. The examples in this post are a good start.

Heron reply :

On 3/5/2015 at 10:38 AM, Sp032o said:
Hello. I'm getting ready to go fishing this upcoming spring and summer, and I need some new baits! I barely had any baits last year, since I was new to fishing. I was wondering, what are some great all around lures to have to cover most situations while bass fishing? Also, how many baits do you really need, because I see people with a TON, and was wondering if you could be just as successfull with a much smaller variety? ( i'm asking this because im a kid and don't have a huge budget for tons of tackle like some people!) thank you, and all opinions are appreciated!

You can fish successfully with a smaller variety of baits, only after you have established which baits have produced most consistently under most conditions.

This requires time to figure out.

Master Bait'r reply :

Pit bosses & trick worms (for t rig w/ or w/o weight, c rig)

Z man zinkers (wacky, neko or Ned rig, drop shot)

Bento minnows (t rig, drop shot)

Jitterbug of some kind or popper

Squarebill crank

Deep diver crank

Suspending jerkbait

Ned rig jigheads

O rings for wacky rig

Nail weight for Neko rig

Bullet weights & stoppers for weighted T rig and C rig

#4 EWG hooks

Weedless wacky hook

Drop shot weight set

At least one football type creature jig

All of that could be in your hands for probably $50ish (maybe a little more) and you could hit any depth with a couple good looks once you figure everything out.

Just scratching the surface though of course

1234567 reply :

Keep in mind its not always how many different baits, but how you present it.....a stick bait/fluke can be flipped, dragged, hopped, jerked, wacky and even used as a topwater. If your budget is limited look for baits that can be versatile. The presentation is more important sometimes depending on the mood of the fish....if they're active they'll eat quickly once they've located your bait. If they're more neutral a slower presentation can entice them better sometimes.

The advice given has been good, but keep it simple. It's hard to go wrong with a zoom super fluke, most days this will catch you some fish, just remember to try different retrieves to get them to bite.

roadwarrior reply :

Simple and effective:

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/13845-guaranteed-to-catch-bass/

Bruce424 reply :

just get baits to cover all of the water column topwater, then 2-5 range(squarebills spinnerbaits swimjigs), 6-10 range(medium crankbaits weightless worms) then bottom baits(Carolina rigs jigs texas rigged plastics)

Robeng reply :

Get good at a few types of lures and presentations before jumping to the next lure. It is so very tempting to keep buying new baits every time the latest one is released at ICAST or a tournament or I see on WFN.

Go slow. The ton of baits will perhaps develop over time.

Just enjoy yourself and gain confidence in each lure type and presentation.

Have fun.

papajoe222 reply :

Check your personal messages

Penguino reply :

Senko

Texas rigged worm

Buzzbait or Frog or Popper

Mid-Range Crank

Swim Jigs or Football Jigs

Deep crank

Jerkbait

And a pack of craws.

This pretty much all I carry when I am fishing from the bank, when I can only carry essentials.

Brnnoser6983 reply :

It is all in the perspective of the person. I feel I never can have to much. Others go out with a single 3600 and that's all they need.

Get what you'll use, and what you feel you need.

6699

How Many Baits Do You Really Need? 2024

related Fishing Tackle topic

previous topic

next topic

most viewed Fishing Tackle topic