Tournament winning ( placing ) baits

Just wondering what most people catch fish on that put them in the money . My last two money finishes were on c-rig and the next was a jig and lipless crank bait

Crankbaits and finesse jigs have won me more money than anything else.

Depends.
Trash fishing- money
Specific targets- going for a win.

Yamamoto Senko


The 6' Monster Shad color was considered a secret bait for me this past Spring. It bailed me out 4-5 times. Twice I went until noon without a bite, picked up a senko and managed about 16 pounds to put me in good money. Senkos are definitely a bait that I'll always have tied on.

Crankbait and jig has won me the most from 1/4 to 1oz

Good article in the latest BassQuest mag. David Dudley talks about success with a varitey of soft plastics among the top tournament anglers.

Have caught my personal best. Top 5 bests...on a jig. Win tourneys on Senkos, drop shot robos, Red Eye lipless cranks, and Lucky Craft cranks. They are more consistant at catching good fish. Or in some cases, simply catching a limit each day.

Squarebills and Texas rigs.

- Custom Spook Minnow Scented
- Spook backed up with a Fluke Minnow Scented
- Custom Mann's spinner bait Minnow Scented
- Custom Jig Crayfish Scented
- Trig.- Custom 10" and 7" worms Night Crawler Scented
- Custom Lizard Night Crawler Scented
- Heavy Drop Shot short rig with 4.5 Hoo Daddy Jr. in Watermelon/Neon Crayfish Scented in deep grass.

square bill, T-rig, 6XD and spook

square bill for covering water(rocks, shallow grass, scattered cover)
Texas rig for thick cover
senko for vertical cover (docks, bridge columns, and standing timber)
Carolina rig(off shore grass and brush piles)
usually target a limit with a square bill early and then fish isolated targets with the rest for bigger bites.

cranks of all shapes and sizes mainly 1.5-2.5 square bills then 6xds. With all the flooded cover this year a 3/8oz swimjig in white or bluegill colors was a productive bait for me as well.

Can't go wrong with a T-rig senko or wacky style seems to always catch em.

Spinnerbait, Spinnerbait, Spinnerbait........

Blue Fleck Power worms, Senkos and Speed Crawls for me.

Drop shot robot worms and Texas rig. But drop shot has won me more money then any other thing

Best I can remember, I've earned most of my checks using either a Norman Deep Little N, a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver, a Berkley 10 inch Power Worm, various jigs with various trailers, or an umbrella rig tiped with Keitech swimbaits.

Monte Coon throws blue fleck Power Worms?? I don't believe it...

same for me

Depends on time of year. Going to one or two baits would severely limit your winnings if you fish year round.

I've won tournaments or cashed a check with just about every major technique out there now it seems like. Although, if you were to twist my arm and make me pick one or two or three techniques that put me in the money more often than others... I'd say... It's reaction baits in general... Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, etc...

6th Sense Crush 500's and 3/4 oz shakey heads

Weightless senkos and flukes - flippin a Tx rig brush hog