What's the lure that you can use that always catches a fish?
Mine this year has been the Zoom Bruised Banana Trick Worm. Soft but can easily catch a limit in no time. Have tried in several ponds.
The zoom super fluke in the baby bass color. Live minnows are number two.
I've got to have a shad colored Slugo or Bass Assasin' to guarantee a bite. They can't resist that injured bait fish waggle.
Depends on what size fish you want. Sure fire catch is .99 cent bettle spin, run about foot under water.
Sure fire catch is .99 cent bettle spin
True, the Beetle Spin will catch something every time. It could probably lure the Lochness Monster up to the surface for a strike. If your looking for a big bass though, NotGunnaDoIt!
I like the Zoom trick worm(lime green). Try it around the dam or similar sloped bank. Here are some results:
Hard to go wrong with the chrome rattle-trap. Smaller size for panfish, larger for bass...
My answer is live bait, preferably shiners, fatheads, or crawdads. However, I'm thinking that's not answering the question at hand.
Not to sway off-topic, but for the guys that have answered, would you still fish with lures if live bait was easily available?
Heck, Sunil, I'll go you one better...
I'd fish with feathers tied on a hook with thread before I would fish with lures or live bait that was available.
Growing up in West Texas we always had great success in ponds on Mepp Spinners #2 or #3, we had two choices, gold or silver blade. This is still a great bait for ponds but not very weedless like the worm or fluke. For alot of fun on a cloudy day try a buzz bait, for big fish my favorite would be a black and blue jig.
Sunil, I think live bait will definitely out fish artificials, I just enjoy trying to get them to bite the artificials. Guess it's the challenge.
Meadowlark, after I posted that, I knew I should have made a separate category for fly fishing. You guys are hard core about it!
fishinglth (sp?), so you like a little more of a challenge? I understand. It's interesting because so many of the people on this forum view their ponds as large aquariums. Some don't really ever fish their ponds.
But if you are the type of pond person who does enjoy fishing his or her pond, I think you're also enjoying the fact that you can see the labor of your efforts when you do catch a nice fish.
So, of those that do fish their ponds, maybe some do it for the enjoyment, sport, and challenge of the actual fishing, whereas maybe others do it as a way of first-hand sampling of their ponds.
Or heck, for any reasons whatsoever. I am just too lazy to do a lot of lure casting. But I also like the concept of the predator/prey relationship, and the natural aspect of it when you are fishing with shiners or crawdads.
I do want to start live-lining a few of the smaller crappies that I occasionally catch.
I know of no artificial that will outfish natural food. That is why live bait is banned in bass tournaments.
Dave,
You're right about that! For BG and crappie, my favorite is grass shrimp. For bass, it's live shiners. When I fish for bass on artificial, I always end up falling back to a plastic worm when the going gets slow.
For artificial, the black with yellow stripes beetlespin. For live bait, shiners or that big ole ugly yellow and black worm.
A cricket . For BG it works like a charm.
For bass a 3 1/2 in tube bait for art. or a crawfish for live bait.
For catfish that big ugly yellow/green and black catalpa worm.
For crappie a small shiner.
ewest
One livebait offering for the rest of my life?
#10 barbless hook with the head-half of a nightcrawler threaded to the separated end first and leaving the head squirming.
One artificial offering for the rest of my life?
1/32 ounce black jig head with a white eye and a 2 inch Bass Pro Shops triple ripple grub with black body and green tail. Looks just like a big ol' dragon fly larvae! Brutally effective on virtually all species.
For brown or brook trout, in streams, a Panther Martin 1/16 oz. gold spinner, yellow body with black dots, about 50/50 on rainbows. Never had much success with artificials with bass, most always used waterdogs.
I also like the 1/32 ounce head with a triple ripple, deadly lure. For Bass I would go with a black lizard with red flakes, with rattle inserted.
When all else fails I use a black torpedo or a red devil's tongue. Outfish my hubby most of the time!! Used the torpedo once and caught 2 bass at one time!!
My go to lure is the 3/8 ounce firetiger subwart. Back up s to it are a copper and black 10" power worm or a 1/2 ounce blue and chrome Rattle Trap.
I used to catch quite a few on a texas rigged 4" motoroil plastic worm. Mostly I use a 3" pop-r that does pretty good, generally any floating lure does well. I even used a floating frog from 5-6 years ago that drew their attention but the bad hook setup didn't catch me many though. I've caught bass on the bomber long A, a 5" jerkbait and a rebel jerkbait easily 6"+. I also use a 1/16 ounce lead head with a 2" white grub and a arm spinner attachment. I catch more fish than any one I know who fishes the lake. Actually I'm pretty much the only person, that I know, who catches more than 2-3 fish a month.
For midnight topwater in full moonlight the Hola Popper is style my favorite.
I agree with fishinglth, I enjoy the challange of the artificials.
Dave the # 1 reason live bait is banned from Bass tournys is because with live bait you often gut hook the fish, that results in a much higher mortality rate,Not good for catch and release.
My favorite all time bait is a good ole nightcrawler on a #6 hook no weight. Put it on just like a plastic worm, bury the tip in the ring. You won't be out fished!
Other's are 4" black mister twister on a 1/8th oz PowRR Northland stand-up jig head (If you can still find them).
From a boat I still like the Blk/Chart or Blk/blue stanley jig with a pork rind.
For top water Blue fox Double buzz has caught some HAWGS!
I'm with ML, I'd rather use something I tied myself. I always have a 1/4 ounce bucktail jig tied on to one of my rods. I tie three patterns: chartreuse and white, Silver Shad, and Bluegill. I mold the lead head onto a Matzuo red sickle hook, paint it with an air brush, apply eyes, and clear coat it. Then tie in some flash, bucktail, and ta dah! The basses worst nightmare. OOOO OOOO OOOOO ahhh ahhh (evil laugh)