Your " go-to" bait when fishing is tough??? 2025

Shadcranker reply :

When the fish have lock-jaw, what to do you turn to?

For me it's these three:

1. Carolina Rigged baby brush hog in Green pumpkin with a shot of chart on the tail. Use the rig if the fish are on a structure bite (ledges, humps, deep flats), where you still need to cover some water.

2. Strike King Bitsy Flip 1/4 oz Watermelon with matching Zoom Super Chunk, Jr.

3. 3/16 oz Davis Shaky Head (SL) with a Zoom Finesse worm in Watermelon.

Use the Shaky head and Bitsy Bug on deeper banks, bluffs, points, creek channel banks. Just throw them both until the fish tell you what they want.

Only moving bait presentation that works for me is to trigger a fish on a suspending jerkbait in late winter / early spring.

Siebert Outdoors reply :

see avatar 8-)

roadwarrior reply :

I'm kinda stuck on the jig & pig these days, but I still recommend:

#1 GYCB Fat Ika

#2 GYCB Senko

#3 Micro Munch Tackle El Gordo tube

Infidel. reply :

HJ-10 Tenn Shad

3" Salt & Pepper Kalins Grub on a jig head.

Catt reply :

Texas Rigged Gene Larew Salty Ring Worm 7 1/2 Cinnamon Pepper Junebug Laminated (Camouflage)

rondef reply :

I have a few go to baits.

Swim Senkos

Rat-L-Traps

Venom Tubes

Manns -1

Shad_Master reply :

GULP!

Sam reply :

Finesse fishing.

Drop shot; doodling; s-l-o-w Texas rigged plastics; shaky head.

Carolina rigs on lakes or when fishing deep in rivers.

fourbizz reply :

4" Proworm on a dropshot

Huddleston, because I figure that if I am gonna blank, I am gonna do it in style. Plus, sometimes when the little fish are off, the big fish are on.

Tin reply :

1. 1/4 oz Terminator Pro Top Secret Jig, Western Melon with Green Pumpkin Zoom Super Chunk

2. Zoom Watermelon Fat Alber Grub w/ chart. tip, matching 1/8 oz. Tungstien bullet

Tokyo Tony reply :

65 or 78 LC Pointer

finesse jig and pork

4" senkos

Avalonjohn44 reply :

Mepps Black Fury #3.

Cigarlover 1 reply :

5in *** *** rigged weightless with a 3/0 EWG hook.

Hopefully after next year I'll be a little better with a jig and I can move it into my go to spot.

Jake. reply :

1. Zoom Finesse Worm, Watermelon Candy.

2. 4.5" Roboworm Straight Tail Worm, Warmouth.

3. 5/16 oz. Eakins Jig w/ Eakins Pro Craw Trailer, Black and Blue.

Raul reply :

Quote
Mepps Black Fury #3.

They just can 't resist the ol reliable, can they ?

basspro48 reply :

4" ZOOM finesse worm on a drop-shot rig...

Evan Pease reply :

I like a blackblue jig, its my confidence bait and it usually works yearround. A jointed shadrap is close too though.

HesterIsGod reply :

Search lures:

1. 3 inch grub with red flake on a jighead swam very slowly with many twitches.

2. Shad rap on rocks or a lipless crank over grass.

slow moving lures:

1. Drop shot and a finesse minnow or worm

2. Tube bait under docks, in heavy cover, scooted like a crawfish, etc...

Gatorbassman reply :

1/4oz Spot Remover with a Green Pumpkin Finesse worm with the tail dipped in JJ's Magic.

This has pulled me out of a hole more times than I can count and you just can't beat JJ's.

Bass XL reply :

My go-to (and my all time Fav.) would have to be a 4.5" Webb's Baits Black Magic worm rigged on a shakey head (harsh hedz 1/4 oz)....This has probably cought the most fish out of all my lures....It shines when no other bait can get a bite.

JigNBig reply :

Mine are:

A 1/2 oz Brown Rubber skirted Skinny Bear football jig w/ a zoom doubletail grub in watermelon red as a trailer. (deep rocks and structure)

1/8 oz spot remover w/ a zoom finesse worm in junebug or watermelon red. (docks, shallow rocks, and brush piles)

F15HGuy reply :

Zoom SS U-tale in watermelon red, texas rigged on a 3/0 gammi straight shank hook, and a pegged 1/16 oz bullet.

I never leave home without it!!

flippin reply :

flirt worm on shakey head

4" power worm

bitsy bug with paca chunk trailor

mattm reply :

Green pumpkin *** and watermelon red trick stick. I have so much confidence in both of these I could(never have to) throw them all day without a bite. If I can't get a bite on these i'm in trouble.

BassFishingMachine reply :

My go-to baits would have to be 4inch Powerworm (redshad, camo, pumpkinseed), 3/16-5/16ounce Black/blue Booyah Baby Boo Jig with a YUM Chunk Trailer in black/blue flk 3.5 inch, 4inch GYCB Senko Cinnamon Brown, or a Topwater frog when the season calls (hollow frogs, softbait frogs, I can usually do pretty good with them). But I gotta say the bait I probably get the most hits with gotta be a 5inch GYCB Kut-Tail (Cinnamon brown, Greenpumpkin) I can usually always catch a bass with that worm, but I rarely bring it out, its a last resort. Because the only way I can buy them is by either going to cabelas/bps etc which is 2 1/2 - 3hr ride, or ordering them online. So they are merely a last resort as I don't want to rip them up, and the sunnies like them too, and tend to rip the tail. I will always throw them during spawning season though, I don't play around when it comes to those beautiful size bass. But any other time during the month or when im looking to catch quality fish im usually throwing a black/blue booyah baby boo jig 3/16-5/16.

Ps. I guess I could consider the Fat Ika (black/blue flk) one of my go-to's also.

bassnleo reply :

A 3/4 oz football jig w/ Micro Munch black/blue hydrosilk skirt. Zoom Ultra Vibe trailer.

I know 3/4 may seem heavy, I like to maintain contact with the bait at all times. I can fish this bait fast like a crank or keep it in one place and barely hop it. If the fish have lock jaw then I figure I'm going to be fishing a little deeper and usually around some form of cover such as deep weeds or stumps. If I'm going to get bites then they generally will be larger fish on this jig.

This past summer I fished a late summer tournament where the entire field struggled. One guy had a limit, guess who

I caught over 15 keepers that day and ended up with 15 lbs, lunker of 5.58 lbs, and winning by 6 lbs.

I caught everything on the above jig.....Just an example of how and why it's my go to.........

meanmuskie reply :

1- yum 3'' grub on 1/8 oz jighead. 2- mizmo 4'' tube jig. 3- 5'' yum dinger or ***

Wayne P. reply :

For fishing when it's tough or easy::

guest reply :

a dark colored senko

a chrome or gold ratLtrap

a zoom finesse worm in pumpkinseed

LCpointerKILLA reply :

4 inch kut tail on the shakeyhead

cbfishalot reply :

2 1/2 inch green pumpkin tube!!!!!

paul. reply :

for cold water - jig & chunk

for warm water - 12" baby huey worm by luck-e-strike

at least i can say i was tryin' for a biggun if i get whipped!

FishTank reply :

1) 5in Senko in any dark color

2) Fat Ika Black with Blue Flake

3)Lucky Craft Flat Mini Crank Baits.

beastieboy reply :

Whens its tuff, Ill use a 4-6 inch zoom finesse worm or a fry in green pumpkin on a Omega Custom Tackle The Savior 1/8 jig. Or ill throw a 5/16 eakins in pbj.

EastTexasBassin reply :

When fishing is tough or slow, I use a 6 inch GYCB Senko black w/ blue flake.

foul hooked reply :

Zoom Trick Worm on a split shot rig.

shimanogloomis man reply :

1.fat ika watermelon red flake

2.senko 5'' watermelon red flake

3.zoom trick worm wacky rigged

FishinDaddy reply :

5" junebug paddletail

tallydude reply :

3" white grub on a 1/8 ounce jig head on ultra light tackle.

Davis reply :

This past summer it was a 5" Trick Stick - Watermelon purple swirl.

Once early fall hit it was definately a Green Pumpkin/Black Flake GYCB Fat Ika. Jigging it off the bottom slowly.

Bankbeater reply :

Zoom finesse worm or a Zoom trick worm. Both in black grape.

6900

Your " go-to" bait when fishing is tough??? 2025

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