Soft Plastics for bass!

[dockmuskie]

Hi everyone, I have always been a crankbait, topwater and spinner user trying to cover lots of water quickly and I have not really got into using soft plastics. I was wondering if anyone had some tips on soft plastic lures and techniques they would be willing to share for someone looking to target bass. I do my fishing in cottage country in Ontario if that helps narrow down which tactics work best.

Thanks in advance!

 

[manitoubass2]

Oh god, I could write a book on this subject! lol

I don't think your covering more water with those style of baits listed. I can pick apart structure at all depths using plastics, I think youll find it a great style of fishing.

My favorites for bass are Berkley crazy leg chigger craws in black/red fleck, Berkley Ripple Shads, 3 and 4" firetiger, Matzuo 5" dinger or senko style worms in natural glow, Yum 3" grubs in black/silver fleck, and smoke grey, preferably salted. These are my go to's, but I have at least 25 bags of various plastics at any given time.

I use these baits different all the time, just depends what/where I fishing, and the conditions. They may be on walleye jigs, bass jigs, wide gap hooks, weighted wide gap hooks, drop shot hooks etc. Smaller plastics (3") are usually on 1/4oz or 3/8 ounce jig heads. Bigger baits I prefer weighted wide gap hooks.

Depending on the style of fishing that day, I'm usually using a jig retrieve, varying speeds/depths etc until the fish start giving me clues. I'll even change angles to present my baits in different ways around cover. If I don't get bit after about 15-20 casts, I change up, again, until the fish are telling me what they want.

It's a VERY FAST style of fishing for the most part, unless I'm deadsticking deeper structure or drop shotting.

Do you have any more specific questions? Feel free to ask

 

[despotiko]

Oh god, I could write a book on this subject! lol

Woorrdd.
Just google it or search on here. theres been a few topics from the last few days regarding senkos and drop shotting, worth looking at. There are a ton of techniques, but if i were going to narrow it down to 3 that you should always have rigged for bass they are: dragging tubes, drop shotting gulp minnows and wacky rigging senkos. Those three techniques will put fish in the boat everytime, when nothing else will.

 

[manitoubass2]

Those are indeed great techniques, but give me a roundhead jig/grub and a chigger craw any day over those! In NW Ontario bass smash the ol walleye set up, lol, so much so that its debatable if its a walleye tactic or a bass tactic, hahaha.

And speaking of drop shotting, swammers are amazing! Check em out if the get a chance. I't sort of a ribbed swim bait, but man do they work well!

 

[dockmuskie]

Oh god, I could write a book on this subject! lol

I don't think your covering more water with those style of baits listed. I can pick apart structure at all depths using plastics, I think youll find it a great style of fishing.

My favorites for bass are Berkley crazy leg chigger craws in black/red fleck, Berkley Ripple Shads, 3 and 4" firetiger, Matzuo 5" dinger or senko style worms in natural glow, Yum 3" grubs in black/silver fleck, and smoke grey, preferably salted. These are my go to's, but I have at least 25 bags of various plastics at any given time.

I use these baits different all the time, just depends what/where I fishing, and the conditions. They may be on walleye jigs, bass jigs, wide gap hooks, weighted wide gap hooks, drop shot hooks etc. Smaller plastics (3") are usually on 1/4oz or 3/8 ounce jig heads. Bigger baits I prefer weighted wide gap hooks.

Depending on the style of fishing that day, I'm usually using a jig retrieve, varying speeds/depths etc until the fish start giving me clues. I'll even change angles to present my baits in different ways around cover. If I don't get bit after about 15-20 casts, I change up, again, until the fish are telling me what they want.

It's a VERY FAST style of fishing for the most part, unless I'm deadsticking deeper structure or drop shotting.

Do you have any more specific questions? Feel free to ask

Well I am hoping to expand my plastic arsenal soon (would have liked to have cleaned out the store) I have only purchased one type so far, Berkley Havoc Craw Fatty, 4in, green pumpkin red.

I was basically planning on texas rigging it and seeing what happened on different types of structure. I will definitely have to look up drop shotting because I have never used that method before.

When jig retrieving if you dont get a bite within the first 20 seconds or so of jigging do you reel back in and cast to another location or do you wait a little bit to see if you can attract something?

 

[manitoubass2]

Well I am hoping to expand my plastic arsenal soon (would have liked to have cleaned out the store) I have only purchased one type so far, Berkley Havoc Craw Fatty, 4in, green pumpkin red.

I was basically planning on texas rigging it and seeing what happened on different types of structure. I will definitely have to look up drop shotting because I have never used that method before.

When jig retrieving if you dont get a bite within the first 20 seconds or so of jigging do you reel back in and cast to another location or do you wait a little bit to see if you can attract something?

Thats a good bait too! But make sure you have the tackle to rig it a few different ways.

By jig retrieving I'm basically, letting the jig fall to bottom, then adding the desired action via my rod, as I retrieve it back to the boat/shore. Sometimes this is actually involving a few different techniques all in the same cast, depending on the structure. As soon as my bait hits bottom, I start the retreive. Sometimes it's subtle shaking of the rod tip, like with a shakeyhead jig/worm (see my last walleye report for that/Rainy River Walleye)http://www.ontariofishingforums.com/forum/topic/15703-rainy-river-walleye/ and some time it's a snapping jig motion, or its even a slow or fast steady retrieve. But if I cast deep, then encounter structure, I alter my approach midway, as I see fit. Basically fishing many styles at once. It's not hard, it becomes second nature, the big key is just wearing decent glasses and being aware, of the action on your lure, the depth, the structure etc.

Fish smart, that basically sums it up

 

[dockmuskie]

Thats a good bait too! But make sure you have the tackle to rig it a few different ways.

By jig retrieving I'm basically, letting the jig fall to bottom, then adding the desired action via my rod, as I retrieve it back to the boat/shore. Sometimes this is actually involving a few different techniques all in the same cast, depending on the structure. As soon as my bait hits bottom, I start the retreive. Sometimes it's subtle shaking of the rod tip, like with a shakeyhead jig/worm (see my last walleye report for that/Rainy River Walleye)http://www.ontariofishingforums.com/forum/topic/15703-rainy-river-walleye/ and some time it's a snapping jig motion, or its even a slow or fast steady retrieve. But if I cast deep, then encounter structure, I alter my approach midway, as I see fit. Basically fishing many styles at once. It's not hard, it becomes second nature, the big key is just wearing decent glasses and being aware, of the action on your lure, the depth, the structure etc.

Fish smart, that basically sums it up

Awesome, thanks a lot I can't wait to get out on the lake and try this out.