NJ Bass Lure Suggestions

[CroboNJ]

Hey everyone, I'm new to fishing altogether and was wondering about lure size. I recently picked up fishing late 2015 and have been trying to figure out what to throw to get a bite out here. Most places I've checked out online have suggested throwing 6-8 inch Senkos for bass and one Youtuber based in California throws lures as big as 10 inch swimbaits.

I bring all this up because bass are different in different places, so my question is what should I be throwing? I had some success on a 3 inch chartruese grub that I was throwing on a ball type jighead. Am I in the right ballpark? I'm still figuring out the whole presentation thing since I'm pretty sure I'm doing some other stuff wrong. I know this isn't the time of year for bass, but I want to be ready when the warm weather rolls back in.

I also have some hard baits, small rapalas but I'm not entirely sure how I should be fishing them. Do I burn them or slowly reel them in? I have a couple floating types, a couple depth to types and a sinking lipless crankbait.

The bright side is I'm never afraid of falling back on panfish since I know they're always willing to bite :D

[HerringKing]

It depends on the time of year for me. I mostly use senkos. 4" in early spring then 6" for the rest of the spring and summer. In the fall I go with big spinner baits, inline spinners and crankbaits.

[NJSquatch]

you tube is your friend..do a search for bass fishing nj...there are quit a few guys that post pretty good videos on techniques

[Lard Almighty]

The grub on a jighead is a solid choice for just about any kind of fish (white is my color of choice). As for retrieve speed, the general rule is the colder the water, the slower the retrieve. Experiment throughout the day to see what the fish respond to.

[Jigman13]

Senkos, spinnerbaits and frogs... heavy line, big hooks. Unless you're in clear water.

[HighHook94]

Depends on the time of the year. But there's one bait that is good all year long... a fake worm. Doesn't matter what brand, just a basic worm in a natural color like green pumpkin. Senkos and zoom trick worms are my favorite, but seriously any cheap worm will do. Ponds you want to go small, maybe a 4-5 inch worm. Lakes you can go a little bigger. Here are the main things you'll need for largemouth bass, don't waste your money on a bunch of fancy garbage that doesn't work (like I did). Here is the list and how to fish them:
-fake worms in natural colors. Regular worms use a texas rig (look it up), and senko type baits use a wacky rig (look it up). Keep in mind you need wide gap hooks for a texas rig. In water less than 10 feet deep, cast it out with no weight and let it slowly fall to the bottom. Once it hits bottom, jig it up a couple feet and let it slowly fall back down. Repeat until you bring the bait all the way in.
-spinnerbaits in either white or chartreuse (preferably white). Don't get anything too big, I prefer small, single bladed ones for ponds, heavier double bladed ones for lakes. Cast and reel just under the water surface.
-popper, preferably in white and relatively small. Bass pro shops makes an awesome popper that is super cheap. Best used in the summer. Cast out and jerk the rod so the popper makes a popping sound on the surface. Watch some youtube videos on it. Set the hook when you feel the weight of the fish. This is my favorite method of catching largemouth.
-small rapala jerk bait. Cast and jerk it in. When water is cold, do a jerk and pause. In summer, you can jerk and reel pretty quick.
-Honestly, those are the only baits i use now. I have a huge box full of expensive lures, but these three never fail me. But as a beginner, don't be afraid to use live bait. Live bait will catch you the most fish, guaranteed. You can catch your own bait for free.
-I do mostly saltwater fishing, but i do enjoy freshwater every once in awhile in streams and for ice fishing in the winter. Most of my fishing is in streams for smallmouth and trout because they fight more than largemouth, but i do have a few ponds near me that have great bass action. Speaking of that, don't underestimate small ponds by your house. They will produce much more than big lakes which can be tricky. I'm 21 years old, and have been fishing literally my entire life. It takes A LOT of time and patience to get the hang of it. Hang in there, you'll get it. It's an addicting sport. And if you have the chance, try saltwater fishing once you get decent. It's way more fun in my opinion.

[briansnat]

It's hard to beat Senkos for bass. I prefer using an EWG 4/0 or 5/0 worm hook, T-style (Youtube will show you how to rig them). Wacky, hooked through the side works well too, but I find it picks up too many weeds. Senkos work best for me fished slowly. Cast, let it drop and sit dead stick on the bottom for maybe 15-20 seconds, lift your rod tip and let it drop and repeat until its back to you. The vast majority of the time the bass will hit it on the initial drop. Watch your line. If the line starts to twitch or move, set the hook. Other times the bass will smash it and there is no doubt its time to set the hook.

9 or 10 inch plastic worms work, but you may be missing out on smaller bass. If you want to focus on bigger fish then generally (but not always) go bigger.

Rapalas are excellent for bass, but you generally want to use the larger ones, in the 3 to 5 inch range. Referring to the original floating Rapala, start working them slowly. Cast, let sit for 20 seconds or so, twitch and let sit and keep doing that back to the boat. If that doesn't work try anything. Jerky retrieves, fast retrieves, slow and steady retrieves. Sometimes one of those will produce better than the other methods.

Beyond the Senko, and the knockoff Yumdinger (which are more of a stickbait) and other plastic worms (Zoom Trick worm, Ragetail Thumper, Zoom Speed Worm are some of my favorites) some other things you want in your NJ bass tackle box are:

Spinnerbaits and buzzbaits

Other soft plastics such as brushhogs, Yamamoto Kreatures, Zoom Super Flukes, Rage Tail Space Monkey, Swim Senkos and other soft swimbaits.

Crankbaits including diving Rapalas (like the Shad-rap), Bombers and Rat-L-Traps

Top water. My favorites are Rapala Skitterpop, Smithwick Devils Horse, Heddon Torpedo, Zara Spook, Jitterbug, Rebel Frog-r and nearly any wide nosed popper (Rebel makes a good one).

Jigs such as Strike King and Pepper. There are a number of varieties of jig heads but you can't go wrong with the "football" head.

Bass sized "in-line" spinners such as Mepps, CP Swing and Blue Fox Vibrax.

I use soft plastics about 80 percent of the time for bass. Most often I fish my plastics unweighted with a T-rig, EWG hook until the heat of summer kicks in. Then when I want to go deeper, the three rigs I find myself using most often are Carolina Rig, weighted Texas Rig and dropshot. Youtube will show you how to rig and fish these three.

For plastic colors I seem to do best with dark colors. Black is probably the best all around and green pumpkin, junebug and watermelon also work well for me. I've never done well with the whites, chartreuse and other light colors, but your mileage may vary.

For crankbaits I tend toward silver/black or perch patterns. For topwater, black,sliver/black or frog patterns.

Youtube is a very good place to go for tutorials about bass fishing. You'll learn more in an hour of going through videos there then what a handful of us will tell you, but there is no substitute for getting out on the water and trying things out.

[CroboNJ]

Wow to be honest I didn't expect so many replies. I have been watching some youtube videos but as far as tutorials go it's mostly guys from CA or the south that I see making step by step videos. I've seen a good chunk of Informative Fisherman on Youtube and have been reading up on different rig types but it seems a bit different for the ponds I generally get to fish at. I live in Union so most of the decent water is 45+ mins away.

I saw Bass Fishing NJ use a wacky rig with some good results so after seeing it recommended here I'll definitely give it a shot. As for the Texas rigging I'll have to give it another go. I tried it out when I first started but I would just burn it in, makes more sense now reading your replies that I should bring it up then let it rest to keep it in the strike zone.

I should probably add that all my fishing is casting from the shore as I don't have a boat, but I've seen videos where spinners and buzzbaits are just as effective being cast from shore. I guess my last question would be what kind of hooks for a smaller worm like a 4" are we talking like a 1/0 or a #1 or should I still throw a 4/0?

[Jigman13]

3/0 ewg for 4" senkos. But I prefer large hooks. Easier to dislodge and less chance of a gut hook...buzz baits and spinnerbaits along weed edges, pads, docks or along the shoreline will get crushed in the warner months. I fish black and white. 1/4 oz to 3/4 oz, willow and Colorado blades. A big single Colorado blade will absolutely thump on a retrieve.

[briansnat]

For the smaller worms 3/0 or 2/0 at the smallest. Larger worms 4/0 or 5/0. If you are fishing a 10 inch worm then definitely 5/0. I use the 5/0 for the 5" Senkos and larger, 3/0 for the shorties. This is assuming nose hooking T style worm hook.

If you are wacky rigging then 2/0 to 3/0 max. For wacky I like circle or octopus hooks.

[phil]

Depends on the time of the year. But there's one bait that is good all year long... a fake worm. Doesn't matter what brand, just a basic worm in a natural color like green pumpkin. Senkos and zoom trick worms are my favorite, but seriously any cheap worm will do. Ponds you want to go small, maybe a 4-5 inch worm. Lakes you can go a little bigger. Here are the main things you'll need for largemouth bass, don't waste your money on a bunch of fancy garbage that doesn't work (like I did). Here is the list and how to fish them:
-fake worms in natural colors. Regular worms use a texas rig (look it up), and senko type baits use a wacky rig (look it up). Keep in mind you need wide gap hooks for a texas rig. In water less than 10 feet deep, cast it out with no weight and let it slowly fall to the bottom. Once it hits bottom, jig it up a couple feet and let it slowly fall back down. Repeat until you bring the bait all the way in.
-spinnerbaits in either white or chartreuse (preferably white). Don't get anything too big, I prefer small, single bladed ones for ponds, heavier double bladed ones for lakes. Cast and reel just under the water surface.
-popper, preferably in white and relatively small. Bass pro shops makes an awesome popper that is super cheap. Best used in the summer. Cast out and jerk the rod so the popper makes a popping sound on the surface. Watch some youtube videos on it. Set the hook when you feel the weight of the fish. This is my favorite method of catching largemouth.
-small rapala jerk bait. Cast and jerk it in. When water is cold, do a jerk and pause. In summer, you can jerk and reel pretty quick.
-Honestly, those are the only baits i use now. I have a huge box full of expensive lures, but these three never fail me. But as a beginner, don't be afraid to use live bait. Live bait will catch you the most fish, guaranteed. You can catch your own bait for free.
-I do mostly saltwater fishing, but i do enjoy freshwater every once in awhile in streams and for ice fishing in the winter. Most of my fishing is in streams for smallmouth and trout because they fight more than largemouth, but i do have a few ponds near me that have great bass action. Speaking of that, don't underestimate small ponds by your house. They will produce much more than big lakes which can be tricky. I'm 21 years old, and have been fishing literally my entire life. It takes A LOT of time and patience to get the hang of it. Hang in there, you'll get it. It's an addicting sport. And if you have the chance, try saltwater fishing once you get decent. It's way more fun in my opinion.

I agree with all this, some great info here, but you gotta add FROGS to your arsenal! especially if you are fishing pads and the water is sloppy in the summer. ill fish frogs all day and catch less fish then I would with other methods because its so damn fun.

[logs22]

Wow to be honest I didn't expect so many replies. I have been watching some youtube videos but as far as tutorials go it's mostly guys from CA or the south that I see making step by step videos. I've seen a good chunk of Informative Fisherman on Youtube and have been reading up on different rig types but it seems a bit different for the ponds I generally get to fish at. I live in Union so most of the decent water is 45+ mins away.

I also live in Union County (Cranford) and just got back into fishing this past year. No need to travel 45 minutes for Bass, there are plenty of productive waters in UC. I have had good luck in our local ponds and rivers with 5" Senko (green w\ red fleck and black w\ blue fleck on a #4 EWG hook Texas rigged. Also done well with other soft plastics texas rigged usually with a small bullet sinker. Black\blue crawfish, green or white superflukes, brush hogs, tubes, 1\8-3\8 oz jigs, and Senko swim bait have all worked well. 3 inch curly tailed grubs on 1\8 oz football jig heads are also very versatile. I highly recommend trying your luck with the night bite as well, the biggest bass I caught through the summer were in local ponds at night (same soft plastics an jigs as daytime but always dark colors using a slower retrieval).

If you have any questions about local spots shoot me a PM. I am still out fishing locally for largemouth all the time and will continue to while the water is open, although these past two days were too cold to bother. Good luck!

[HighHook94]

I saw Bass Fishing NJ use a wacky rig with some good results so after seeing it recommended here I'll definitely give it a shot.

I should probably add that all my fishing is casting from the shore as I don't have a boat, but I've seen videos where spinners and buzzbaits are just as effective being cast from shore. I guess my last question would be what kind of hooks for a smaller worm like a 4" are we talking like a 1/0 or a #1 or should I still throw a 4/0?

For texas rigging a standard 4 inch worm, i'd go with 2/0 or 3/0. For wacky rigging, you can use any normal baitholder hook, but an octopus hook works best, probably size 2/0. And yes, spinnerbaits and buzzbaits work great from shore, especially spinnerbaits. I've had a little luck with buzzbaits, but not much. I'd rather use a spinner or popper. And if you're strictly fishing ponds, buy a few white rooster tails (worden's brand). They are the ultimate pond bait in the warmer months. Just cast and reel.

[thomaskgrosvenor]

I am not a master fisherman. But fishing for bass over the summer from shores of lakes, ponds, and rivers, I found that weed-less presentations were most efficient due to vegetation and avoiding snags. I usually worked with two light rods. One for the soft plastics and one for reel-in lures. In some of the videos I have viewed the fishermen show up with multiple set-ups ready to go. From one informative video I saw it was recommended to have as much versatility, flexibility, and efficiency with lure use and changing as possible. But two poles was enough for me since I was trying to stay mobile as I moved around the bodies of water.

Caught bass with senkos (texas and wacky), in line spinners, curly tail grubs on a jig head, hula popper, and with worms from the backyard. Caught 1 bass on a silver spoon with a grub trailer. I found that most of these approaches were conceptually easy to pick up on but often challenging enough to execute with the natural factors of summertime fishing coming into play. Only used live worms on a hook with bobber once on account of doing catch and release, I felt a little bad for torturing the worms.

For me, the most consistent (and practical for me) lures were the senko and the in-line spinners pending water conditions. I definitely think it is worthwhile to take some casts with a popper if possible because I found that in some locations that bass liked poppers.

It was interesting to actually observe how the bodies of water change from summer to fall and into early winter. From what I have been researching, tactics can change as well.

Obviously, research and experimentation with different lures proves fruitful. As it seems many fishermen have their favorites and it seems to me that some work better than others at different locations.

This from the perspective of an amateur.

Not to butt in on someone else's thread, but if anyone would like to share some insight about using poppers for bass and spoons for any fish, I would certainly enjoy reading about it.

[briansnat]

Not to butt in on someone else's thread, but if anyone would like to share some insight about using poppers for bass and spoons for any fish, I would certainly enjoy reading about it.

I like to throw poppers after sunset, or just before sunrise. I throw them near the edge of lilypads, over shallow beds of weeds, next to down trees, docks, boulders and other structure. Slow usually works best for me. Pop, let sit, repeat. But if that isn't working I try a faster retrieve frequently popping it along the way.

My favorites are the Rebel Skitterpop if I'm looking for a small splash and a Rebel popper or Hula popper if I want a more distinct popping sound. I use the Skitterpop if everything is glass still. The bigger, noisier poppers if there are ripples or waves.

[Jigman13]

Slow walking a big black jitter bug at night during the summer months is one of my favorite bass catching methods too. Explosive strikes.

[calbo]

Depends on where you plan to fish. If you fish the streams and rivers you will probably be targeting smallmouths. Best lures are small to medium size minnow imitating lures - floating and slow sinking rebels/rapalas, and spinners. If you fish smaller ponds and lakes that might support largemouth AND smallmouth the same lures will work but I would add the senkos, and worms - 4 to 8 inch in various colors. The curly tails and multi-colored are good choices. If one isn't working change your bait and keep trying.

If you're OK with live bait minnows work everywhere - and if you're fishing rivers/streams you can't beat crayfish - and the best bass bait- hellgrammites. And, of course, nightcrawlers will tempt everything.

[CroboNJ]

I like to throw poppers after sunset, or just before sunrise. I throw them near the edge of lilypads, over shallow beds of weeds, next to down trees, docks, boulders and other structure. Slow usually works best for me. Pop, let sit, repeat. But if that isn't working I try a faster retrieve frequently popping it along the way.

My favorites are the Rebel Skitterpop if I'm looking for a small splash and a Rebel popper or Hula popper if I want a more distinct popping sound. I use the Skitterpop if everything is glass still. The bigger, noisier poppers if there are ripples or waves.

Poppers sound really satisfying to use, I saw lard using poppers with a fly rod to catch panfish and bass in one of his videos and that seemed like a damn good time. I definitely am trying this when the water warms up. I'm guessing at these temps it'll be hard to get a reaction on a topwater lure.

[CMJeepster]

Beetlespin in a light color FTW. Substitute a curly tail grub and you're on it.

[Bruce Litton]

Metabolism responds to temperature & the hottest summer days mean peak metabolism, but this doesn't mean bass give chase. They slow down to conserve calories & seek easy meals by sensory organs manic with alertness as that metabolism powers them. So I throw weightless 7 1/2-inch plastic worms that sink slower than Senkos. That's a slow, easy offering, just takes a little patience, most hits on descent. Rather than by barrel swivel, I tie uni-to-uni splice between 15-pound test Power Pro braid and 15-pound test fluorocarbon. You can also follow my blog and go back into the archives and click on the largemouth label for some info. Just google my full name with the middle name included, Edward.

[hammer4reel]

Lots of good info here. and thats why most guys fishing for bass here have giant tackle boxes.

If I could only fish 2 lures it would be a black and blue jig and pig combo.
or a texas rigged worm.

They will catch fish throughout the entire year

[Bruce Litton]

Beetlespin in a light color FTW. Substitute a curly tail grub and you're on it.

Johnson Beetle Spin--just after ice out, you can crawl it on bottom so slow the Colorado blade doesn't spin. But this doesn't defeat the purpose, because it sort of waggles along--that entire detachable arm has more creepy motion than if it were fixed at the head. You need hard bottom, sand, gravel or rock.

[Esox Luciano]

Some good info here for sure! One type of lure I don't have great success with is the senkos or other brands of worms, kudos to you guys who swear by them. I've got a nice lil container of em' if anyone wants to trade.
So here's the mix of lures I'll use when hunting for bass. I would love to stick with one lure all year round, but that doesn't produce enough for my a.d.d. angling. I'll use anything as long as it produces, so if you don't see something here (besides a binsky) I probably just didn't have luck with it.
http://i1284.photobucket.com/albums/a573/Realdeal47/Mobile%20Uploads/DSC_0405_zpsapzeg7ez.jpg (http://s1284.photobucket.com/user/Realdeal47/media/Mobile%20Uploads/DSC_0405_zpsapzeg7ez.jpg.html)

[Jigman13]

I like that modified spinner tube bait! Might try that with a big ass white tube or a large curly tail for pike in the river. Colorado blade is key too. That thump gets the pike heated up in the off colored water!

[Chrisper4694]

let's put it this way...if i started a post titled "what lures will a bass not hit" It would have no responses haha. It's always changing but there is not a lure in the right size range that i have that i think i haven't caught a bass on.

I will say, I always have a stick worm whacky rigged if bass is the target, but if they're aggressive there are much better options most of the time.

btw, esox you must be bored bro, but that is a nice lures picture with the ruler too haha. let's go fishing man!

[Esox Luciano]

I like that modified spinner tube bait! Might try that with a big ass white tube or a large curly tail for pike in the river. Colorado blade is key too. That thump gets the pike heated up in the off colored water!
That spinner used to be a buzzbait, but those are one of the lures I suck with so switched it up. Luv the Colorados! I made an inline spinner a few weeks ago that has been inches away from pike but they're a little slow with temps falling lately. Will definitely have a nice one on it come spring though!
http://i1284.photobucket.com/albums/a573/Realdeal47/Mobile%20Uploads/DSC_0351_zpsuhl0b04s.jpg (http://s1284.photobucket.com/user/Realdeal47/media/Mobile%20Uploads/DSC_0351_zpsuhl0b04s.jpg.html)

Cris, I was bored man,Hahaa!! But I luv playing with my toys, especially when I'm not fishing. If I'm not on the water, I'm always wishin I was fishin!
Might be getting out tomorrow for some carp and clean up in Elmwood Park. Bite will probably be slow but lemme know dude, I'm off tomorrow!

*fun fact- One of the lures in my pic got me that rivermonster...yes, elephants do eat peanuts!:D;):D

[Gerry Zagorski]

I never go anywhere without one of these Panther Martins. Slow retrieve in the spring and even if think you are going slow enough, try going slower.

Small Mouth love them as do Large Mouth and we've caught Muskies and Pike on them as well.

[Chrisper4694]

honestly as far as inline spinners go...i always go with a spinner bait instead unless my target is trout (specifically in places that really only have smaller ones).

Both lures serve the same basic function of flash/vibration (depending on the blade) the spinner bait is just so much more versatile! you can get or make them as big or small as you want just like the inline spinners but they come trough snags SOOO much better with the single upright hook vs the treble. and on top of that you can dress them how ever you want. I guess you can with an inline spinner too but nose hooking a soft plastic just doesn't work as well as threading it through a single hook.

spinner bait > inline spinner ALL DAY LONG!