Texas Fishing Forum

Help me start my bass tackle box.

Posted By: Srawl

Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/22/18 06:04 AM

Ok, you have $100 of my money to spend on tackle to get me started. I’m brand new to bass fishing but have been doing a lot of reading and YouTube watching. I’m compiling a pretty good list and you guys have been very helpful so far.

Between cranks, jerks, rips, top waters, spinners, square, round, lipless, all the softs and not to mention colors... it’s overwhelming to say the least.

So if you were starting someone out from scratch what do you tell them to get.

Be as specific as possible with brand, type, model, color, weight etc...
Posted By: Bobby Milam

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/22/18 06:29 AM

You really need to tell what kind of fishing you want to do. Fishing from a boat? deep or shallow, the shore? You really don't want to just go out and fill a tackle box. Start with a few basics and then slowly buy what you like to use. Plastics are cheap and versatile. $100 doesn't go very far with tackle. Keep it simple and just get 2 or 3 colors to start. Remember that most of the tackle out there is to catch fishermen not fish.

For me it would probably be a package of good hooks, some weights, watermelon baby brush hogs, chartreuse dipping dye, small swivels, a couple bags of worms, a black/chartreuse and a shad colored square bill crank bait, chartreuse/white spinner baits and a top water. That alone, depending on brand will be getting close to your budget. Acquiring tackle is a long term process learned from experience. Just take $10-20 a week and go try something new.
Posted By: Srawl

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/22/18 06:41 AM

It will be a mix of shore and boat. I will also be purchasing the rest of the things needed for fishing ie baitcasting rod and reel, tackle bag etc...

$100 is the getting started budget for the bait. I fully expect to spend much more over time.
Posted By: kevine80

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/22/18 07:37 AM

Originally Posted By: Bobby Milam
You really need to tell what kind of fishing you want to do. Fishing from a boat? deep or shallow, the shore? You really don't want to just go out and fill a tackle box. Start with a few basics and then slowly buy what you like to use. Plastics are cheap and versatile. $100 doesn't go very far with tackle. Keep it simple and just get 2 or 3 colors to start. Remember that most of the tackle out there is to catch fishermen not fish.

For me it would probably be a package of good hooks, some weights, watermelon baby brush hogs, chartreuse dipping dye, small swivels, a couple bags of worms, a black/chartreuse and a shad colored square bill crank bait, chartreuse/white spinner baits and a top water. That alone, depending on brand will be getting close to your budget. Acquiring tackle is a long term process learned from experience. Just take $10-20 a week and go try something new.


this ^^^^ everybody has theyre favorites but take a look at what your fishing partner or mentor may use ---if you looked on the deck of his boat what would you see ? not including hardware (lol--just software !) it would cost you 100 to cover that .

be careful what you wish for --this game is like a drug habit -- it will grow from there !
good luck !
Posted By: TexanTiger

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/22/18 12:23 PM

1. 4/0 ewg (extra wide gap) hooks
2. green pumkin senko
3. black blue senko
4. baby brush hog watermelon red
5. 1/4 oz tungsten weight
6. zoom horny toad black and white

z man original chatterbait white and a black and blue
war eagle spinnerbait white

kvd 1.5 square bill sexy shad

basically what Bobby said
Posted By: TxRanger1

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/22/18 12:39 PM

A long long time ago, it was in this galaxy, I thought I would start playing golf. I played and played, listened to people as they told me what to do, clubs to buy, balls to use and for some reason I couldn't get in the 90's. A year went by and still couldn't do it. Then one day at the golf course I was talking to a guy about it and he told me to do what he tells me and I would shoot in the 90's that day. I laughed and said okay tell me what to do. He got my bag and told me to show him the one club that I thought that I hit the best and I picked up the 7 iron. He put my bag in the car and told me to play this 18 with just that club. It didn't matter what brand or grip or ball just use that club. I did and shot a 92. So with that in mind, pick some of those baits you think you could catch a fish on and buy a couple of them and go catch some fish.
Posted By: SteezMacQueen

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/22/18 12:53 PM

Originally Posted By: TxRanger1
A long long time ago, it was in this galaxy, I thought I would start playing golf. I played and played, listened to people as they told me what to do, clubs to buy, balls to use and for some reason I couldn't get in the 90's. A year went by and still couldn't do it. Then one day at the golf course I was talking to a guy about it and he told me to do what he tells me and I would shoot in the 90's that day. I laughed and said okay tell me what to do. He got my bag and told me to show him the one club that I thought that I hit the best and I picked up the 7 iron. He put my bag in the car and told me to play this 18 with just that club. It didn't matter what brand or grip or ball just use that club. I did and shot a 92. So with that in mind, pick some of those baits you think you could catch a fish on and buy a couple of them and go catch some fish.


Sounds like my golf coach in high school.
Posted By: the skipper

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/22/18 01:21 PM

Get plastics to start. Senkos, trick worms, flukes, and some mag2 zoom worms. Keep colors simple, green pumpkin, watermelon red, red bug or plum, and black/blue. Throw in white for the fluke or trick worm. Get a few different weights. I use 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 for most fishing. 3/4 can be good throwing a c-rig out deep but 1/2 will work to get started. Also get some split shots. A split shot about a foot above a fluke is killer around grass. I use 4/0 offset round bend hooks for most worm fishing but a 4/0 reg that's not real thick wire will be good for all things I've mentioned. Get some swivels and some clear beads for Carolina rigs. Any money you have left I would get a popper top water and a few ribbits in the watermelon red with a pearl bottom. If you get the frogs get the non weighted double hook. The frogs kind of need a stiff rod and braid if your throwing around a lot of junk but if it's mainly open you can get by with something else, it's just not ideal. Welcome to the addiction
Posted By: CCTX

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/22/18 01:34 PM

Keep things simple; there are rods designed for specific lures and specific water temperatures these days.

There are three basic lure presentations:
Top of the water column (topwaters/frogs)
Middle of the water column (spinner baits, crankbaits, etc)
Bottom baits (Texas rig, Carolina rig, etc)

To keep things simple, I'd get four rods.

One Medium strength moderate fast action--for finesse presentations--drop shot, light shaky head, very light/small topwaters, crankbaits, jerkbaits--I'd put a spinning reel on this rod to make casting the lures easier

One Medium Heavy strength moderate action--for treble hooked topwaters, crankbaits, jerkbaits

One Medium Heavy strength moderate fast action--for single hooked water column presentations (buzzbaits, spinner baits, flukes, senkos, chatterbaits, light Texas rig

One Heavy strength moderate fast action--for frog fishing, pitching into thick vegetation.

Lures and colors--
again, keep it simple.

Buy one topwater presentation lure--Hollow body popping frog (The Academy H20 Xpress frogs work just fine). Buy one in black, one in white, one in green

Buy one middle of the water presentation lure--3/8oz Academy H20 Xpress CRS square bills work--get one in a shad color, one black back/chartreuse belly, one in a bluegill color.

Buy a versatile lure that can be fished in the middle and bottom of the water column--5 inch YUM dingers (YUM's version of the senko). Black and blue, green pumpkin colors.

Start simple: Take one rod and one lure with you to start.
Start fishing with the most versatile lure--the YUM dingers/senkos.
Learn to fish them weightless Texas rig, then split shot, then Texas rig, drop shot, wacky rigged, then on a shaky head, then Carolina rigged, etc, etc.

Once you have confidence in one presentation, move onto the next.

Posted By: retdbasser

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/22/18 01:39 PM

I have a lot of accumulated stuff that I need to get rid of. If you live near Garland pick out the items you want from the posts and if I have them I'll make your $100 go a lot farther.
Posted By: retdbasser

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/22/18 01:51 PM

I would start with moving baits like Beetle spins and H&H spinners and Rattle traps to get used to casting and feeling the strike. Then I would go to a Texas Rig to get used to the feel of a plastic bait bite. Senkos and Flukes fished weightless are good but harder to detect the bite and often the line just moves. Watch your line where it enters the water on plastics. As you get more experience then determine where you want to upgrade. Better spinner baits, Chatter baits, cranks, C-rigs, drop shots,etc.

The types of structure or depth you like to fish will then have a bearing on what lures you'll want to have.
Posted By: Cast

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/22/18 02:25 PM

I too have a lot of surplus stuff for bass and others. If you're in Wise county, I can turn a Benjamin into two Benjamin's worth of tackle.
Posted By: Jpurdue

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/22/18 02:34 PM

I'd buy a package of Senko's, water melon red. A sexy shad chatter bait, 1/2 oz. A sexy shad KVD 2.0 crankbait. A black buzzbait. A top water frog, probably a cheap one from academy. A package of hooks and some bullet weights. If I was feeling fancy, I'd buy also buy package of tubes and tube hooks. Boom. 50 bucks and you can sling baits with the best of e'm.

Makes me wonder why I have thousands of dollars of tackle... hmmm
Posted By: txmasterpo

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/22/18 02:37 PM

Just PM me your address
Posted By: TexasTechBassAngler

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/22/18 03:36 PM

Originally Posted By: Jpurdue
I'd buy a package of Senko's, water melon red. A sexy shad chatter bait, 1/2 oz. A sexy shad KVD 2.0 crankbait. A black buzzbait. A top water frog, probably a cheap one from academy. A package of hooks and some bullet weights. If I was feeling fancy, I'd buy also buy package of tubes and tube hooks. Boom. 50 bucks and you can sling baits with the best of e'm.

Makes me wonder why I have thousands of dollars of tackle... hmmm


Throw a spinnerbait in with this and I agree
Posted By: FishTheBite

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/22/18 06:18 PM

I am not a pure bass angler by any means. And like so many others I have way more tackle than I have time to fish. But knowing what I know now if I had to start from scratch with a limited budget and wanted baits that I could use anytime anywhere I would start with soft plastic swim baits in various colors and sizes. With the right hooks, weights and jig heads they can be fished at any speed, in any cover and in any part of the water column. And if the fish are active at all they will eat a swim bait that is properly presented.
Posted By: Ian Fellenbaum

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/22/18 08:12 PM

Originally Posted By: TexanTiger
1. 4/0 ewg (extra wide gap) hooks
2. green pumkin senko
3. black blue senko
4. baby brush hog watermelon red
5. 1/4 oz tungsten weight
6. zoom horny toad black and white

z man original chatterbait white and a black and blue
war eagle spinnerbait white

kvd 1.5 square bill sexy shad

basically what Bobby said


This
Posted By: dk2429

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/22/18 08:18 PM

All these guys with these fancy lures... Lol

All you need to catch a bass is a texas rigged watermelon red brush hog... Get you a few bags of them
Posted By: gut hooked

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/23/18 01:05 AM

Add a floating rogue....or 2....and you're done....you will want to use the baby brush hog as a trailer on the chatterbait.....also consider 1 chrome and 1 rayburn red 1/2 oz rat-l-trap
Posted By: Chasin Hogs

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/23/18 01:23 AM

Get you something for a trig and a moving bait of some sort and that's it. Don't be these guys dropping 500 on every tackle warehouse sale just because. Send me a pm if you're near Burleson and I will give you some stuff to try out.
Posted By: J.M.S

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/23/18 02:22 AM

Originally Posted By: Ian Fellenbaum
Originally Posted By: TexanTiger
1. 4/0 ewg (extra wide gap) hooks
2. green pumkin senko
3. black blue senko
4. baby brush hog watermelon red
5. 1/4 oz tungsten weight
6. zoom horny toad black and white

z man original chatterbait white and a black and blue
war eagle spinnerbait white

kvd 1.5 square bill sexy shad

basically what Bobby said


This


Plus at bag of Zoom trickworms and you're set
Posted By: GeoFisher

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/23/18 05:20 PM

Originally Posted By: J.M.S
Originally Posted By: Ian Fellenbaum
Originally Posted By: TexanTiger
1. 4/0 ewg (extra wide gap) hooks
2. green pumkin senko
3. black blue senko
4. baby brush hog watermelon red
5. 1/4 oz tungsten weight
6. zoom horny toad black and white

z man original chatterbait white and a black and blue
war eagle spinnerbait white

kvd 1.5 square bill sexy shad

basically what Bobby said


This


Plus at bag of Zoom trickworms and you're set


Hard to argue with that setup
Posted By: NickHasty

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/23/18 06:11 PM

Sent you a dm
Posted By: Ranger Ed

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/23/18 06:28 PM

You are getting a lot of GREAT advise. I would add white spinner baits, a couple of silver and blue or black rattle traps, and a white and dark chatter bait. Spinning outfits are easier to cast and have much fewer back lashes. I know several that only use spinning gear for that reason.
Start out on points and coves.
Posted By: Scoundrel

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/23/18 07:50 PM

Originally Posted By: J.M.S
Originally Posted By: Ian Fellenbaum
Originally Posted By: TexanTiger
1. 4/0 ewg (extra wide gap) hooks
2. green pumkin senko
3. black blue senko
4. baby brush hog watermelon red
5. 1/4 oz tungsten weight
6. zoom horny toad black and white

z man original chatterbait white and a black and blue
war eagle spinnerbait white

kvd 1.5 square bill sexy shad

basically what Bobby said


This


Plus at bag of Zoom trickworms and you're set

And one chrome blue back Storm Chug Bug (preferably the smaller one - will catch em from now thru Nov)
Posted By: TX Rigged Senko

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/24/18 12:12 AM

Originally Posted By: the skipper
Get plastics to start. Senkos, trick worms, flukes, and some mag2 zoom worms. Keep colors simple, green pumpkin, watermelon red, red bug or plum, and black/blue. Throw in white for the fluke or trick worm. Get a few different weights. I use 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 for most fishing. 3/4 can be good throwing a c-rig out deep but 1/2 will work to get started. Also get some split shots. A split shot about a foot above a fluke is killer around grass. I use 4/0 offset round bend hooks for most worm fishing but a 4/0 reg that's not real thick wire will be good for all things I've mentioned. Get some swivels and some clear beads for Carolina rigs. Any money you have left I would get a popper top water and a few ribbits in the watermelon red with a pearl bottom. If you get the frogs get the non weighted double hook. The frogs kind of need a stiff rod and braid if your throwing around a lot of junk but if it's mainly open you can get by with something else, it's just not ideal. Welcome to the addiction


I started with plastics too. I was in school and didn't have much money to spend. They are cheap and effective.

Yamamoto Senko, Zoom Trick Worm, Zoom Super Fluke, Berkley Power Worms are all great to start.
Posted By: scalebuster

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/24/18 12:26 AM

Originally Posted By: TX Rigged Senko
Originally Posted By: the skipper
Get plastics to start. Senkos, trick worms, flukes, and some mag2 zoom worms. Keep colors simple, green pumpkin, watermelon red, red bug or plum, and black/blue. Throw in white for the fluke or trick worm. Get a few different weights. I use 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 for most fishing. 3/4 can be good throwing a c-rig out deep but 1/2 will work to get started. Also get some split shots. A split shot about a foot above a fluke is killer around grass. I use 4/0 offset round bend hooks for most worm fishing but a 4/0 reg that's not real thick wire will be good for all things I've mentioned. Get some swivels and some clear beads for Carolina rigs. Any money you have left I would get a popper top water and a few ribbits in the watermelon red with a pearl bottom. If you get the frogs get the non weighted double hook. The frogs kind of need a stiff rod and braid if your throwing around a lot of junk but if it's mainly open you can get by with something else, it's just not ideal. Welcome to the addiction


I started with plastics too. I was in school and didn't have much money to spend. They are cheap and effective.

Yamamoto Senko, Zoom Trick Worm, Zoom Super Fluke, Berkley Power Worms are all great to start.


This and add white and chartruce spinner baits and forget the mag worm and get watermelon/red vibracraws.
Posted By: lucky55

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/24/18 01:25 AM

2cents
Being a rookie myself, I will say don't get side tracked on having too many baits and colors. I did that and have way too much stuff I don't use, and it made it harder to choose what to use. I took 3 basic recommended baits and put them in my main box, then concentrated on using and learning those three. Now I am actually catching more fish and all that expensive tackle is collecting dust and adding weight to the boat.
Posted By: 1bas

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/25/18 01:31 AM

As far as soft plastics, black, black/blue, watermelon/red flk. green pumpkin, watermelon candy and red bug will catch bass any where in the south (Worms, lizzards brush hogs, senkos French frys, etc) Topwaters- Tennessee or sexy shad, chrome blue back and bone orange belly. As far as rattle trap type baits- chrome/ blue back, bleeding shad, red,and crawfish. Other crankbaits- Chartruse/ blue back, Tennessee or sexy shad, crawfish, and chrome /blue or black back. As far as jigs- black& brown, black& brown and chartruse, black & blue, watermelon with red or black flk. Spinnerbaits ( probably start a fight on this) really only need white/chartruse. You do not have to buy the most expensive version of these lures. BUT DO NOT , buy cheap hooks, line or cheap made rods.( I also do not to imply fof you to seek out rods over $125. Your usually better off with a $40. reel and a $80. + rod, than the other way around. Also don't buy tungsten anything, until you have everything mentioned, and then some. Tungsten is good, but way too expensive, unless you have been at this a while, and have everything else that you need. Everyone starts somewhere. Everyone has favorite this or that, but I believe most on here will agree that these basic color selections. Will catch bass most anywhere in Texas.
Posted By: armadillo joe

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/25/18 06:31 PM

I have bunch of soft plastics at least 3 plano boxes I would take $20 for all. if interested send a PM.
Posted By: Bas-ii-tis

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/25/18 08:52 PM

Originally Posted By: collincountytx
Keep things simple; there are rods designed for specific lures and specific water temperatures these days.

There are three basic lure presentations:
Top of the water column (topwaters/frogs)
Middle of the water column (spinner baits, crankbaits, etc)
Bottom baits (Texas rig, Carolina rig, etc)

To keep things simple, I'd get four rods.

One Medium strength moderate fast action--for finesse presentations--drop shot, light shaky head, very light/small topwaters, crankbaits, jerkbaits--I'd put a spinning reel on this rod to make casting the lures easier

One Medium Heavy strength moderate action--for treble hooked topwaters, crankbaits, jerkbaits

One Medium Heavy strength moderate fast action--for single hooked water column presentations (buzzbaits, spinner baits, flukes, senkos, chatterbaits, light Texas rig

One Heavy strength moderate fast action--for frog fishing, pitching into thick vegetation.

Lures and colors--
again, keep it simple.

Buy one topwater presentation lure--Hollow body popping frog (The Academy H20 Xpress frogs work just fine). Buy one in black, one in white, one in green

Buy one middle of the water presentation lure--3/8oz Academy H20 Xpress CRS square bills work--get one in a shad color, one black back/chartreuse belly, one in a bluegill color.

Buy a versatile lure that can be fished in the middle and bottom of the water column--5 inch YUM dingers (YUM's version of the senko). Black and blue, green pumpkin colors.

Start simple: Take one rod and one lure with you to start.
Start fishing with the most versatile lure--the YUM dingers/senkos.
Learn to fish them weightless Texas rig, then split shot, then Texas rig, drop shot, wacky rigged, then on a shaky head, then Carolina rigged, etc, etc.

Once you have confidence in one presentation, move onto the next.





^^^^^
Awesome information
Posted By: Ken A.

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/26/18 02:19 AM

Originally Posted By: Srawl
Ok, you have $100 of my money to spend on tackle to get me started. I’m brand new to bass fishing but have been doing a lot of reading and YouTube watching. I’m compiling a pretty good list and you guys have been very helpful so far.

Between cranks, jerks, rips, top waters, spinners, square, round, lipless, all the softs and not to mention colors... it’s overwhelming to say the least.

So if you were starting someone out from scratch what do you tell them to get.

Be as specific as possible with brand, type, model, color, weight etc...


Where are you located buddy? I'll give you enough stuff to get you started including rods & reels. I live in TC TX near Southlake. Shoot me a PM.
Posted By: pinetree

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/28/18 05:03 AM

When you get ready to buy your top water baits: all you need is a Yellow Magic “popper” and a Zara Spook “walker”. You could buy some of the improved versions of the spook. But don’t buy anything other than the Yellow Magic for the popper. Sometimes I wonder why I have anything else other than these two baits for top water. Maybe a Chug Bug. Good luck and have fun.
Posted By: Fishermen's Heaven

Re: Help me start my bass tackle box. - 03/28/18 10:22 AM

Hey,

In my opinion following: Soft plastic stick bait, Finesse worm, Jig, Lipless Crankbait, Spinnerbait, Square Bill, Deep Diving Crankbaits, Frog, Topwater Walking Bait, Jerkbait.

You can find these all at :
Fishermen's Heaven
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