Your Questions About Best Bait For Bass by Mark White

Your Questions About Best Bait For Bass

Linda asks…

What are the best colored soft plastic baits for bass in the summer fishing in murky water? Im trying to pick some soft plastic baits for bass in the summer to get and im wondering what is the best soft plastic bait colors in dark murky water? Im just wondering cuz i fish in late july and love fishing. if u could narrow it down to three that would be great -Thanks

LMBassFish answers: You have two distinct direction you can go. Some people believe that more colorful lures work best in stained/murky water. Some believe darker colors are better. I’m a “darker colors” guy. Theory- The reason darker colors, (generally) work better in stained/murky water is because they create a “darker silhouette” allowing the Bass to better see the lure. Some of my “go to” colors for stained water are- Black/Blue, Black Grape, Black/Chartreuse tail, Dark Purple, Red Shad, Tequila Sunrise, Soft-shell Crab, OR any darker colored lure that seems to blend in.

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If the water is VERY muddy then I typically reach for chartreuse colors and bladed lures. But the conditions (and colors) can change from day to day- or even hourly! In my experience, darker colors can be used in a wider array of water clarity’s VS super-bright colors. When it comes to color, you basically have 10 colors that will work almost everywherePumpkinseed, Green Pumpkin, Watermelon, Black, Purple/Grape, Black/Blue, Red Shad, Junebug, Summer Craw, Okeechobee Craw. If the Bass your fishing for won’t take any of these colors then your typically fishing heavily pressured waters. Hope this helps?

Sandy asks…

Can i go fishing and use live lizards as bait? I live in florida and i have no worms, i know i can use hot dogs as bait for bass and other fish, but there are a ton of lizards right outside my door. Can i use lizards as bait on my hook?

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LMBassFish answers: Hook the lizard through the lip and fly line it. No sinker. When you’re casting it, gently toss it out, don’t cast so hard. That’s how a lot of them get off.

Helen asks…

What is your favorite bait for bass? How bout in general, faovrite bait for your favorite fish? Im curious as too what are the different types of bait people use. i know for a general type of bait i mix corn meal, caned tuna or salmon juice, and an egg and everynow and again a sardine or herring. Im begining to start a worm pit in my backyard. Cut out a box of ground in the back and take out the clay and possiblely put good dirt in its place or just fill the hole up with leaves and grass clippings.

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LMBassFish answers: First off – let me tell you – I wouldn’t put the grass clippings in your pit, I’d stick with leaves, coffee grounds and maybe some newspaper on top – or some burlap bags or put 2-3 inches of good soil over it – keep it moist but be careful not to drown them. Then cover it with a board. Before I go fishing with night crawlers – I put two aspirin in a cup of water then I let them dissolve then dump the water into my bait bucket full of crawlers and leaves. When I was in jr high we used to go night crawler picking all the time, in HS I sold them from my parents house for 4 years and I’d also sell them to a local bait farm. People came for years after I graduated and left for the Navy wanting to buy worms….also watch out for ants – they like making a meal out of your bait. 1. Bass… Fav live bait – shiners or suckers (3-6?) or crayfish…no bobber or sinker in the summer at dusk I like live frogs on the surface ….gulp he’s gone!! Rubber worms fished with no weights during the summer, early spring I prefer to use various diving plugs. 2. Small-mouth – crayfish small rubber worms or tube baits work well too – depends on water clarity what color. 3. Trout – wax-worms / meal-worms or if I’m after lakers I use small suckers 4-6 inches. Berkley power bait #1 yellow color next chartreuse, last FL orange or pink too. 14/16 treble hook >>>14-20? 2 / 4lb leader >> #14 barrel swivel >> 1/8 oz egg sinker I use night crawlers for almost any fish, but as the water warms up the bluegill population does too and they’re murder on live bait. But they make excellent bait for bass (2-4? bluegill). Musky / Pike / pickerel – shiners or suckers or bluegill they like fish artificials I use anything that looks like a minnow – some colors work better than others depending on the light and the water clarity. Pickerel like rubber worms too and I’ve fished live worms as artificial and bagged alot of them in the early / mid spring fishing around downed trees and other partially submerged structure. Fav fish – brook trout – fun to catch and tastes good too!!

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Chris asks…

what is the best bait for bass fishing in july in tennessee? My boyfriend and I are having a hard time getting any bass to bite these days. We have been using worms in watermelon seed with salt and with salt and prey technology. We also used a rattle trap, a floater, a spoon, We have fished off the bank and off the boat around rocks and hanging structures. Can’t get anything at all to bite.

LMBassFish answers: Are you fishing during the middle of the day? If so, yes, it can be very tough at times. Remember, Bass move to deeper water in hot weather. Your bait selections are actually pretty ideal for this time of year. How are you fishing the plastic worms? To be productive this time of year (during the day especially), they need to be Texas or Carolina Rigged. I’d suggest the Texas Rig, just because it is a very simple setup. A quick Google search will show you this simple setup. Cast them into cover, and fish them slow. I personally find cover, and cast in and around it thoroughly. Let the

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worm fall to the bottom, then raise your rod from a 9 o clock position to about an 11 o clock position, then reel up the slack and repeat. The Rattle Trap is another great choice, although during the day, you need to fish them fairly slow. Again, cast it out, and let it sink down towards the bottom. Use a slow to moderate retrieve so it stays fairly deep. I have even somewhat jigged Rattle Traps up and down off of the bottom. If you’re fishing during the heat of the day, this can be very productive. Another bait you should consider in warm weather would be a jig and craw combo. You fish them similar to how you would a Texas Rigged plastic worm. Rather than making one upward motion, like you would do with the Texas Rig, I like to twitch the rod while making that upward motion. A jig is made to imitate a Crawfish, so the twitching looks more natural than simply raising the rod up in one steady motion. Lastly, the top waters. Don’t fish these during the heat of the day, unless you see a lot of fish on the surface. The only time to consider that in my opinion is when you get an overcast or rainy day. Any other time, fish them early in the morning and in the evening hours. Bass do come up during these times to feed, so it’s a great choice in that situation.

Lizzie asks…

What is your favorite plastic bait for bass fishing? Also, what areas of a lake or pond should i fish in the evening. Is fishing off a small dock good for bass?

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LMBassFish answers: Don’t over complicate things on small bodies of water. I’d grab a half dozen 1/8oz, half dozen #2 or 3 hooks, a bag of 6? Red Shad worms, and a pair of plyers and keep them all in one of my pants pockets. You can fish all day like that. Hopefully the pond will be away from wood, weeds, and anything other thing that prevents you from fishing a sizable portion of the lake. Just spend a few hours and fish your way around the lake. Make a few throws into some grass, then around some logs, etc. Normally if it looks like a place a fish will be, there will be one there. If you catch a fish, throw it right back into the same spot and really work the area. It’s not uncommon to catch a half dozen bass right in the same spot. Just go and “play around”