A Ton Of Tackle Or A Few Good Lures?

[Al Agnew]

We've talked about river smallmouth lures a lot before, but since this is a "new" forum, and what the heck I love to talk about the subject anyway, the question before the audience is, do you carry a lot of lures or a few old reliables? And how many lures do you actually use even if you carry a whole pile of them? Granted, the wading angler is limited in what he can carry, the kayak angler is less limited but still doesn't have all that much luxury to carry the kitchen sink, and the jetboat guy can carry a sporting goods store full of lures. But do you carry a lot or a little?

And, of course, what DO you use? What is your go-to lure or lures? Let's assume we're talking about warm weather fishing, since cold weather calls for somewhat different stuff.

[Idylwilde]

1/64 oz brown on a #4 hook with brown rubber shirt with flared head & an uncle josh 101 pork chunk brown. And a 4" silver and blue Rapala. Also the Cream flat tail flesh colored 4" worm. Is about all I ever carry for Smallmouth I can put it all in a sandwich bag. If after dark I might use a Jitter Bug in black.

[fishinwrench]

When gear fishing (which I find myself doing less and less of thesr days) I carry a waistpack with what I consider the best of the best, but I honestly feel perfectly confident with nothing more than a 1/8oz. Buzzbait, a dog walker, a couple jerkbaits, and a handful of assorted plastics (Case Jacks worms, Strike King bitsy tubes, Zoom finesse worms) and the associated hardware used to rig them.

[Wayne SW/MO]

A few good lures. I would be happy with a few zoom worms and some skirted jigs, plus a Sammy. I carry a little more and use it, but not to the extent I use the preceding lures.

[Mitch f]

I always bring a 5/16 oz Eakins jig and a small hair jig with me for starters. Some days they like the big jig and some days they like the small jig. I carry a few small plastics for trailers and or stand alone plastic for a bottom bouncer. Always have a deep diving crankbait like a Wiggle Wart, and a Baby One Minus crankbait for the bulger type lure. I also carry some Lucky Craft Pointers for a jerkbait, or a Bomber Log A floater for a twitch on the surface bait. Sammys or Super Spook jr for a dog walker. A Chug Bug for a popper ( it also walks). Plenty of slow moving squeaky buzzbaits, Last but not least some War Eagle spinnerbaits.

But I always experiment with new stuff (especially the Japanese stuff) the Japanese don't really have much real estate so they have some of the heaviest fishing pressure of virtually anywhere. They are masters of creating baits for pressured fisheries.

...and of course try to create lures myself, like my little craw imitation.

[walker04]

i found myself this year aquiring more than I care to tote around. I bank fish 99% of the time, and sometimes I find myself walking ALOT to get away from easy to fish bank spots. a 15#-20# tackle box isn't something I like to carry. I alos like to river fish more than lake fish, so that may impact what I carry. I do keep in my car 2 tackle bags with all I could possible need, but it always boils down to the few listed below:

1. 1/8oz roster tails (white, Chart, and variances of each) approximately 10 on me all times

2. 2 crank baitxs (Sexy shad, wigglewart)

3. 3/8oz War Eagle (white/blu/chart , and white)

4. couple skirted jigs with trailers

5. 2-4 tube baits

I find more than that and I am switchout out lures more than I am fishing just because I like trying to see what is giong to work best. I found that if I caught a fish on something, I would switch just to see what else is working...sounds dumb, I know. Because of this though, I found that my GO TO LURE is a white roostertail. I have caught EVERY species on it (even catfish, even though I think it was by accident, lol)

[Smallmouth Addict]

I just downsized my tackle box and now just use 4 inch wave Tiki Worms, small roadrunners, Booyah Pond Magic Spinnerbaits, Few hair jigs and Jitterbugs or Torpedo for Top. Caught several bass yesterday on Booyah.

[Chief Grey Bear]

But do you carry a lot or a little?

I go back and forth on this one. Usually at the start of the warm season fishing, I'll pack everything. About 5-7 Plano containers As it gets into the hotter part of the summer, I start slacking off and can get it down to one plano container. Though it is stuffed to the gills! And then when it starts cooling off and they start moving into their fall feeding pattern, I start packing it all again.

And, of course, what DO you use? What is your go-to lure or lures? Let's assume we're talking about warm weather fishing, since cold weather calls for somewhat different stuff.

Much like yours I assume, I pack quite an assortment.

Numerous cranks. Both old school and modern. An assortment of soft plastic which are mainly 6 inch worm, 3 inch craws, and an assortment of jigs to compliment the plastics as well as hair jigs. Some stick baits. You can really clean house on them! I have an odd way of fishing them that can really produce a lot of fish that you would normaly pass over. I have a few spinnerbaits I like to toss and a couple of buzzbaits to round out my top water assortment.

[Greasy B]

During the summer when I do most of my Smallmouth fishing I can get by with just four, a dog walker, a 4” pearl white Senko, a buzz bait, usually black or white and a weighted Baby Brush Hog.

I'm trying to expand my arsenal a bit this season but I’d rather focus on fishing a few baits well rather than accumulating more stuff that I may never use.

[Feathers and Fins]

Al i will always revert back to my Salt Water roots. I use to have a old nail bag that i wore on the boats on my fighting belts belt. It had 12 iron jigs, 8 bucktails in the top, Middle had a few packs of assorted grub tails in White, Pink, Black and Neon Green. The bottom pocket held my weights, hooks and swivels. This was for One Day head boats. It was all I needed and all at my finger tips. I still to this day go with what works! Even on the boat its terminal tackle, Grubs and the lures i know produce day in day out.