Artificial Bait

What kind of artificials is everyone using this time of year? I'm not looking to catch anything specific, just have some luck catching something good.

You may want to get in touch with SenkoSam. He has great success with his modifications for all species of fresh water fish and is very willing to share.

https://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/13146551/wacky-mini-stick#Post13146551

Loved that post, looks good. Thank you!

Thanks Don.

Jessa,
Fish, regardless the species strike soft plastics rigged on jig heads. As for myself, I'm addicted to catching numbers of fish just to feel the strike with size a bonus when it comes to lunkers. And the nice thing about soft plastics are the gazillion number of shapes fish strike such as these stubby tail grubs (note the clear tails):


Clear tail or clear grubs like in the post suggested by Donald are examples of colorless lures fish strike that indicates color not usually important, but that lure action and a slow retrieve are. Rod tip twitches are added to make the tail quiver between pauses as the lure glides and then darts like a scared minnow.

Here's an idea ! Take two curl tail grubs, cut off the tails, hold the ends over a flame just a little and join them together end-to-end. Rig it on a 1/32 or 1/16 oz ball head jig and add the same rop tip twitch at different depths. It catch everything !!! (NOTE: it will catch fish wacky rigged or with hook inserted at either end:

Here I got a little carried away:

Here are a few other fused lures where the body used was cut from a plastic worm:


In these examples, a claw was cut from a bass craw lure and added to a grub body:


Texas this time of year has warmer water than where I'm living and trolled crankbaits that dive 3 or more feet down can catch bass and crappie. I used a Risto Rap for these fish:

and other small crankbaits for this one:

...even catfish:


The Crappie Magnet (which can be ordered from their on-line site) catches booku fish when rigged on a light ball head jig (unpainted of course from EBay):

I even catch fish rigging lures on a Beetle Spin:


Hair and feather jigs catch their fair share because of their finesse/ breathing action. My border collie provided the hair:


Here's another I discovered when I cut off the parts off a Brush Hog and rigged it on a light jig:


In fact, you can cut of the tail end of any thin worm and catch fish with it:


Just remember - SLOW AND AT THE RIGHT DEPTH !. This goes for any water temperature.

Man did I love living in Texas when I was stationed near Wichita Falls! Wish I knew then what I know now and maybe I would have caught more in Lake Texoma and other lakes I fished. But then again soft plastic lures were limited in 1970 far less than at present and TV hype of hard lures the only info for a newbie. I was lucky to own a small row boat and was able to explore different areas with my lures (sonar for freshwater fishing not available back then.)

Good luck though you won't need it if you try the above and other lures worked at the right speed. BTW, I use 6 - 8 lb test braid on all of my reels for better strike detection and easier hooksets along with a light action 5 1/2' or 6' rod.

What fish are you targeting? Bank or boat fishing?

That's great information Senko Sam. You are really innovative. I'm hoping to take the boat out for a few hours tomorrow or Sunday. Thank you so much for all the tips. I knew I chose the right fishing forum!

One thing I forgot to mention: Most lures of good design and action work regardless of season and water temperature. I've used 2.5" tubes under the ice and caught over 30 crappie in one area. The strikes were as hard as in warm water !

Now , if you're fishing mostly for larger fish species (bass, pike, etc), they will hit the small stuff but much of the time they attack larger lures such as 3/8 - 1/2 oz skirted jigs with soft plastic trailer (IE Rage Tail grubs). Spinnerbaits with large willow leaf blades (with or without trailer) do well covering water near weed beds as do longer jerk minnows (IE large Rapalas). Check out this BassMaster link: https://www.bassmaster.com/fishing-tips-pros/four-season-jerkbait
Larger fish IMO are territorial and intolerant of trespassers and may or may not want to eat the offender.


#2 and #5 are bulky whereas the other three are more finesse-like in size and action.

Fish aggression levels changes sometimes hour to hour which dictates speed of retrieve, lure design/ action and color brightness/contrast (which is dependent on lure color, contrast against a background and reflected light). Standard colors work for any lure used the right way and a-few-will-do so stay with colors that you have confidence in.

Always keep in mind that fish have super sensitive senses - especially sight and the lateral line which immediately focus on moving objects and sense lure size and action long before sight confirms what is felt. I compare their combined senses to that of an eagle that has the sharpest vision of any animal except God has gifted fish with those primarily for use underwater.

Most of the above are just ramblings of and old angler that has cast a huge number of lures over the years - including those I make myself - and caught hundreds of fish every year in ponds and large lakes. The truth doesn't lie especially when confirmed by consistently catching fish and at times over 75 in one outing.

Well, keep on "rambling" because I love all the information. This is very helpful. Thank you

Okay, you asked for it ! LOL

Soft plastic tail design dictates a lure's action. Years ago Mr Twister curl tail grubs dominated the market and no doubt caught millions of fish. No one really questioned why that fluttering tail provoked strikes but the common accepted reason was that the action represented a fish to a fish. And so goes the repeated reason to this day why fish strike lures. Unfortunately many anglers have never wondered why so many lure designs having totally different actions catch fish in the same water the same day. Enter the only thing I can think of : some lure actions are simply better than others even among same type lures. Note the tail designs of the following grubs:

I've labeled them fat-[censored] grubs. Their tail action is a clumsy waddle fish can't tolerate and I've caught hundreds of fish on that design.
They differ from finesse action tails that have done as well anywhere I've used them. Here are examples:
This one also has a blunted tail but slightly thinner in diameter:


Thin straight, thin diameter tail grubs are also very productive EVEN UNDER A FLOAT because of a tail that quivers with the least action applied:

I've labeled them rat tail grubs for obvious design reasons.
The last quiver tail is straight, very thin but wider - like a flag:

I wanted to test it using clear plastic (the one on the right) and it did as well as any solid color.
Most can be used with beetle spins:


So, as you can see, even something as small as tail design can provoke fish to strike, the nice thing being that many, many, many lure shapes and colors can work on the same day in the same water. What's more, lures such as the above can find more fish well to the side of the boat or shore by fish striking them vs basic sonar units. This is very important in water shallower than 5'. Lures that catch fish in an area give you an idea of fish location patterns or fish accumulations.
Say I'm catching fish on a flat bordered by deeper water. I'll remember to fish areas with the same structure components and much of the time the pattern his repeated - and all thanks to the lure that found fish. Once a pattern is found, different lures can be used to catch fish in those locations and not only one species. Bass follow painfish to stay close to their prey and they may be caught on many lure designs for the above reasons.

Well that's it all for now but all I can say is : you asked for it ! LOL

Get a fly tying vise and you can roll your own lures. Woolly Buggers and Balanced Leeches catch most anything, that’s my experience.

Upsize the weight a bit or go with tungsten to make them spinning rod friendly.




Or many different flies can be bought. Fly rods are very versatile and are great for catching a wide variety of fish, year around, fresh or saltwater.

Nice fish !! Congrats on catching them on your creations !!!!
When I use fur or feather, I usually tie those on 1/32 oz jigs. Casting distance is decent especially when using a float and braided line with a 4# test fluorocarbon leader. I've owned a fly rod reel for decades but never knew how to load it or with what weighted lines. Unless fish are biting near the surface, I couldn't see myself using light flies or no-weight fur or feather lures that can't be fished shallower than a few feet.

I like those soft plastics. Soft plastics seem great almost no matter the fish. Those are great ideas on rigging.

I think the fly tackle works best when the fish are shallow. It becomes more of a pain, at least in my opinion, when the fish are deeper and glued to the depths. Sinking lines, sink tip fly lines are out there, but I really just like the floating fly lines. Not everyone wants to mess with fly tackle and that’s something I totally get. I’ve enjoyed using fly gear and there’s some presentations that can be made with fly tackle that are about impossible to pull off with the spinning or baitcasting rigs.

It’s all good and all ways have plenty of room for innovations and varied approaches. There’s plenty of technique in every type of fishing.

You said a mouthful !! I used to fish bass tournaments - 2 clubs simultaneously - but found myself casting the same lures just to cover water and not really enjoying myself. But when a partner caught fish using a lure or a presentation I hadn't used, it seemed to justify the expense and lack of sleep. I did learn a great deal fishing that way for five years, but finally decided why I fish: to discover different lure designs and "varied approaches". I don't target one species and really can't in that the lures shown catch everything - even large catfish, sucker and carp.

It blew me away to catch bass AND panfish trolling crankbaits - and decent fish at that ! I then I discovered this design and caught over 2 doz. fish the first time I used it and many more since then:

Questions arose that I must get answers to them such as, do fish strike clear soft or hard surface or subsurface plastic lures?
Years ago I caught bass on clear plastic Zara Spooks and Jim Roger crankbaits, so two years ago I poured soft plastic lures using no color or colorless tails:


This proved that lure shape, size and action mattered more than color.
Another discovery was using a GY Kut Tail worm on a light jig head with a long enough hook. Man that combo caught fish galore in weed pockets and near the surface:

Even this tiny bass and crappie :

Note: the Kut Tail worm was fused to a Kalin grub body for bulk.
Until this year I couldn't figure why the lure worked so incredibly well until I noticed the body that tapered all the way to the thin tail and produced a slighering-whip action when jerked on a light jig. Been one of my best producers bar none!

So now you known why I fish. Anyone can become a better angler by testing certain lures and presentations rarely or never used, never automatically assuming fish should be striking this or that. It's more fun and mind blowing to catch fish in unconventional ways using unconventional lures. I got a long winter ahead to think about it.

One "OUTSTANDING post!

Thank you for all the suggestions and tips. These are REALLY useful to me.

Would really appreciate a report or two how you do. Pics welcome. Just make sure you get some 1/32 oz and 1/16 oz ball head jigs from ebay with different size bronze hooks matched to lure size. Order them without the collar that does damage to the lure's plastic. (see jig examples below)
This is how I store them replacing any lost (packing foam is used with slits cut for the hooks):


Here's an idea to keep soft plastic from sliding down:


Wrap once around the line tie post:

After pulling one wire tight, cut it close:

Now use the pliers to form an L

Add lure to the jig and swing the wire's end into it:


I guarantee it will not slide down no matter how many fish are caught !

Every lure in the above replies use the coated wire L keeper. Note also, no jig is painted.

SenkoSam, you are so organized. My tackle box can be a mess at times. My level of fishing is probably not even close to yours! I would never have thought of packing foam.

I think Sam missed his true calling. Great post. New tidbits every post he makes in the same thread.

Ned rig