What 5-6 baits

Post Reply
riceman
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2010 12:49 pm

What 5-6 baits

Post by riceman »

I have recently retired and want to spend a lot of time bass fishing. I find it overwhelming the choices of rods, reels, line, baits etc. I go into Bass Pro Shops can't make up my mind on anything and my wife and girls end up getting clothes and I'm empty handed. So, got a boat and for now thinking of just 5-6 rods, which I have. Fishing Berryessa and north what 5-6 baits would you guys be starting out with from now until spawn? Trying to start simple and work my way to complicated.
JL
Posts: 574
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2013 10:40 am

Re: What 5-6 baits

Post by JL »

Rip bait, spinnerbait, jig, creature bait and a topwater.
jiggin4bass
Posts: 1590
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2011 9:27 pm

Re: What 5-6 baits

Post by jiggin4bass »

Jigs arkie head & football head
Sizes 1/4oz. 3/8oz
Brown
Brown/purple
Black/blue
Trailers yamamoto 4" and 5" twin tail grubs
Watermelon/red/black flake
Cinnamon/purple flake
Black/blue flake
Home Of The Original Puffball Jig
Building and fishing custom jigs
since 1977
Madera Ca.
Favorite Lakes
Eastman
Hensley
12.5
12.9
nate50
Posts: 224
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2014 6:53 pm

Re: What 5-6 baits

Post by nate50 »

5 baits for now to the spawn....

Square bill Shad pattern
Spinnerbait Shad pattern
S waver 168 lite trout or party crasher
Drop shot Shad shaped bait and a worm
Jig football head both finesse and normal

So many options!!!

Hard to pick 5
Rip bait
Lipless crank bait
Need to get mentioned as well
jscarbr1
Posts: 454
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2010 6:52 pm
Location: Sacarmento

Re: What 5-6 baits

Post by jscarbr1 »

Delta
Square bill in 1.5 size. KVD- Lucky Craft- 6th sense. Craw and shad

Spinner Bait any popular brand 3/8 or 1/2 oz
White- white and chart

Medium diving crankbait ANY popular brand that dives from 8-10 ft. Craw and shad

Flipping jig 3/8 to 1/2 oz. Any popular brand
Green pumpkin

Yamamoto Senko 5" or 6" (I prefer a 6") green pumpkin or some kind of green with red. 4/O or 5/0 Gamakatsu EWG hook.

All brands have pluses and minuses. Popular brands are usually safe all around. Once you get dialed in on what you like you can customize/adjust/spend more money on what fits you.
As for line 12-15-20lb fluro is safe, seaguar red label is a solid entry level fluro. I use braid to leader on everything, but that's not necessary at all right now.
Good luck! Hope I've helped!
jscarbr1
Posts: 454
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2010 6:52 pm
Location: Sacarmento

Re: What 5-6 baits

Post by jscarbr1 »

However, my #1 bait is a Zman chatterbait
The Jackhammer is EASILY the best version, but I get why people dont want to spend $15-$20 on a vibrating jig
Actually, I dont get it. The bait that I throw the most, that works the best compared to other models, that catches my biggest fish is well worth $15.
Anyway, green pumpkin with a green pumpkin trailer is by far #1 for me. The Chatter bait Elite is a solid option for $7 or $8.
User avatar
Pat
Posts: 593
Joined: Sat May 07, 2005 7:04 am
Location: Olivehurst, CA

Re: What 5-6 baits

Post by Pat »

Since you appear to be a novice as far as bass fishing goes, I would save jigs for "Phase Two." You also said Berryessa and North so you will be fishing lakes, mostly reservoirs and maybe Clear Lake. The best way to learn is to get bites so that's what I base my recommendations on.

3/8 and 1/2 oz chartreuse & white spinnerbait, willow leaf blades. Silver blades for now.

3/8-1/2 ounce crankbaits that dive 3-10 feet. Crawdad, bluegill and shad patterns, maybe chartuese & blue. Square bill crankbaits are a good choice.

Lighter line plastic worm set up, both a drop shot and a split shot (lots of youtube videos available on technique.) Good colors are watermelon, green pumpkin and morning dawn.

5" senko or similar, Yum makes a good one that is less expensive and more durable. Berkley has their General that has Maxscent so the fish hold it longer. Learn to fish them both texas rigged and wacky style. (Youtube again)

Finally, the Ned Rig. Standard is the TRD from Z-Man with one of their mushroom jigheads. I suggest the 1/6th oz to start with.

Those baits will get you bites, which is really important as you are learning. Also you mention you have a boat already. A lot can be learned from fishing with more experienced fishermen. Try to take the chance to do that whenever you can. You can meet folks here or look for a local bass club. Check to see if there is a Sons-In-Retirement (SIRs) chapter near you. Our chapter in Yuba City has a a fishing group that has a monthly outing and it is a great place to meet other fishermen with time on their hands :-)

Good luck!

Pat

P.S. Check out TacticalBassin.com they also have a youtube channel. So much information from those guys and always well presented.
User avatar
JoeLanghans
Posts: 309
Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2016 8:47 pm

Re: What 5-6 baits

Post by JoeLanghans »

- Drop shot, margarita mutilator
- Hud, 68 special trout
- white/chartreuse spinnerbait
- 6” Senko, black w/red flake
- green pumpkin chatterbait
- black blue or black red jig
Double-G
Posts: 87
Joined: Thu May 12, 2005 9:38 pm
Location: Red Bluff, CA
Contact:

Re: What 5-6 baits

Post by Double-G »

My top 5 baits of choice for the waters you describe would be simple.
1. I would make sure to have a 1/4 oz Frenzy Nail with a 4.95 or 6.95 any Greenish colored Flirt worm on it. 6-8# Gamma Fluoro. This bait combo is the bomb for catching large numbers of fish!
2. Small jig 3/8-1/2oz. Anything in the greens to browns with a matching baby beaver or grub. 10-12# Fluoro.
3. A Duo Realis supending 100 Jerk bait. Shad or bream on 10-12#.
4. Medium crank bait like the Duo Realis 11A series in shad or bream on 10-12# line.
5. A 3/8-1/2 spinner bait, I like variations of white and chartreuse, blade choice would be willows for flash and Colorado's for vibration. I use 14-20# test depending on clearity and cover.
Greg Gutierrez
Frenzy Baits
jiggin4bass
Posts: 1590
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2011 9:27 pm

Re: What 5-6 baits

Post by jiggin4bass »

There alot of good advice here but keep it simple at first Dont go out of your way too spend alot of money you dont have to spend to catch bass. It not that hard to do with the number of lakes to fish now days.
Home Of The Original Puffball Jig
Building and fishing custom jigs
since 1977
Madera Ca.
Favorite Lakes
Eastman
Hensley
12.5
12.9
zdbm2004
Posts: 222
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2010 1:30 pm

Re: What 5-6 baits

Post by zdbm2004 »

The baits that I know will put fish in the boat for the lake you named (Berryessa) in no particular order.
1- River 2 Sea S-waver 168 in light trout or Kokanee
2- Yum flash mob Jr. umbrella rig with Dobyns heads and 3.8-4.8” kietech Swimg impacts or 4” easy shiners shad colors
3- whatever 1/2oz football jig with 5” hula trailer or skirted jig with double tail trailer. PBJ, GP w/ red or brown purple
4- 3/8-1/2oz chatterbair green pumpkin or shad colors
5- drop shot w/ 6” Roboworm MM colors, prism craw or ox blood. But they all work.
6- lipless cranks LUcky Craft LV500 R2S ruckus or Spro aruku shad chart shad or ghost minnow (able to cover a lot of water especially in staging areas when the water warms)
zmyers
Larry Hemphill
Posts: 782
Joined: Thu May 26, 2005 8:08 pm
Location: Yuba City, California
Contact:

All of them!

Post by Larry Hemphill »

If you had 2 of everything mentioned in these posts, you are good to go! You might consider going back to work - maybe to help you pay for everything - LOL!!
jiggin4bass
Posts: 1590
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2011 9:27 pm

Re: What 5-6 baits

Post by jiggin4bass »

Larry very good advice lol
Home Of The Original Puffball Jig
Building and fishing custom jigs
since 1977
Madera Ca.
Favorite Lakes
Eastman
Hensley
12.5
12.9
riceman
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2010 12:49 pm

Re: What 5-6 baits

Post by riceman »

Thanks guys for the thoughtful and specific replies, I really appreciate you taking your time to do so. This was a great help, hopefully I'll meet some of you on the water.
biteme
Posts: 2476
Joined: Tue Feb 06, 2007 12:01 am

Re: What 5-6 baits

Post by biteme »

Kitech swimbaits
Spybait
Senko
Jig
Tube.
Kyle46N
Posts: 136
Joined: Thu Jun 08, 2017 5:55 pm

Re: What 5-6 baits

Post by Kyle46N »

Not mentioned, but I caught a decent bag on Thursday at Berryessa fishing less than 10ft of water throwing a coppertreuse (black/chartreuse), big TRD on an 1/8th oz darthead. Cast up to the shore. Drag it down the slope. Even had a 4 lb spot mixed in.
WRB
Posts: 1068
Joined: Tue Dec 29, 2015 8:47 pm
Location: Simi Valley

Re: What 5-6 baits

Post by WRB »

riceman wrote:I have recently retired and want to spend a lot of time bass fishing. I find it overwhelming the choices of rods, reels, line, baits etc. I go into Bass Pro Shops can't make up my mind on anything and my wife and girls end up getting clothes and I'm empty handed. So, got a boat and for now thinking of just 5-6 rods, which I have. Fishing Berryessa and north what 5-6 baits would you guys be starting out with from now until spawn? Trying to start simple and work my way to complicated.
What 5 to 6 rod and reels/line do you have? Can't suggest lures your tackle is ill suited for.
Catching bass is rarely about tackle it's nearly always about location and timing.
Typical pre spawn bass lures are Jigs, worms, crankbaits, swimbaits and A-rigs, each requires specific rod and reels/line you may not have.
Tom
riceman
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2010 12:49 pm

Re: What 5-6 baits

Post by riceman »

Tom, regarding rods. 3 spinning 6.5' and 7' - med light and 2 medium. 4 baitcast -1 med light 2 medium and 1 med. hvy. all 7'. Figured this would cover most apps.
jg
Posts: 164
Joined: Sun Jan 15, 2006 7:56 am
Location: Kingman Az

Re: What 5-6 baits

Post by jg »

Your best bet is to take 1 thing like jigs and fish them for a entire day. Then the next trip take your crank baits. and so on if you take to many things you tend to change up to often and don't learn anything.
WRB
Posts: 1068
Joined: Tue Dec 29, 2015 8:47 pm
Location: Simi Valley

Re: What 5-6 baits

Post by WRB »

riceman wrote:Tom, regarding rods. 3 spinning 6.5' and 7' - med light and 2 medium. 4 baitcast -1 med light 2 medium and 1 med. hvy. all 7'. Figured this would cover most apps.
That helps!
Finesse spinning rods, drop shot, slip/split shot, 3/32 to 3/16 oz wacky jigs, darts and nail weight worms.
Bait casting, 1/2 to 3/4 oz Crankbaits both lipless and medium divers, jerk baits, 1/8 to 3/16 oz bullet weight brass n glass T-rigged worm 6" to 9" and creatures. 3/8 to 3/4 oz weedless jigs with craw type trailers if the MH is a JWR fast action rod.
Line, finesse spinning Maxima UG 5 lb and Sunline Sniper 7 lb FC. Baitcasting Sunline Armillo 11 lb and 14 lb Sniper FC for bottom lures.
Pre spawn focus on major lake points until the water goes above 60 degrees then move into the secondary points, then into spawning areas.
Tom
Last edited by WRB on Thu Feb 28, 2019 4:18 pm, edited 3 times in total.
jiggin4bass
Posts: 1590
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2011 9:27 pm

Re: What 5-6 baits

Post by jiggin4bass »

jg your 100% correct jigs would be my first choice learning the type of jigs to use on certain structure like brush and rockpiles in and around trees bushes on flats dropoffs road beds any type of structure that bass will hold on. Its easy too spend a day using jigs and the right trailers to match you can catch some nice bass on any lake in central and northern ca right now. That why i like fishing during the week less traffic and you can fish areas without a big rush.
Home Of The Original Puffball Jig
Building and fishing custom jigs
since 1977
Madera Ca.
Favorite Lakes
Eastman
Hensley
12.5
12.9
WRB
Posts: 1068
Joined: Tue Dec 29, 2015 8:47 pm
Location: Simi Valley

Re: What 5-6 baits

Post by WRB »

IMO learning to use a new lure or new presentation is always better when the bass are active feeding.
The way you will know if the bass are active is use a lure you have high confidence using then change to the new lure or presentation.
Regarding bottom contact lures specifically a jig* is the most difficult to detect a strike with. It's been my experience teaching bass anglers to fish a jig most will miss well over 50% of the strikes on a jig. Bullet weight Texas rigged soft plastic worm is fished nearly identicle to a jig and much easier to detect strikes because the bass doesn't tend to reject it quickly giving you a few seconds or more to react.
* basic bass jig with weedgards and trailer.
Tom
riceman
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2010 12:49 pm

Re: What 5-6 baits

Post by riceman »

Thanks again for all the great info and suggestions, I like the idea of taking just one bait and learning it.
User avatar
HavocTheBeast
Posts: 21
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2018 10:09 pm

Re: What 5-6 baits

Post by HavocTheBeast »

Top 5 baits for me:

1) Jerkbait - Megabass Vision 110+1 or Rapala Shadow Rap
2) Senko - 5" or 6" Dropshot wacky rigged on spinning gear
3) Jig - Football 3/8 or 1/2oz green pumpkin with trailer
4) Crankbait - Medium diving chartreuse shad or craw color
5) Ned rig or Shakey head worm - finesse baits for bottom contact

Honorable mentions: Lipless crankbaits (Ratl trap), Vibrating swimjigs, spinnerbaits
Post Reply