The $50 bass toolkit

[stinkynathan]

I ask this because I'm primarily a walleye fisherman and I have a decent compliment of crawler harnesses, round jigs, and deep running plugs. I'd like to get into targeting bass in the smaller lakes around here, but I know I don't have the proper tackle. I've caught one 14" LMB casting a pink round jig head with a white Gulp grub-tail minnow. Obviously, there are better presentations than this that target bass specifically.

So...let's say you had to boil your tackle box down to about $50 worth of tackle. This is assuming you already own rods, reels, tackle box/bag, pliers, and all of the other accessory equipment that we use. This is a pretty tall order, I realize, but I'm interested in what tackle seems to produce fish the most consistently.

 

[whj812]

Few Jigs of all Assortment. Trailers. Of course a deep, medium and shallow running Crankbait of your choice. And Hooks and Sinkers and plastics for texas rigs. Wouldnt hurt to get a spinner bait and a baby zara spook too.

 

[russ010]

You can setup to bass fish with just the basics, and it won't let you down because what I'm about to list you can fish year round and in any water clarity.

Worms - Zoom 6" or Yum 7.5" curly tail worms & 6" zoom finesse worms
Colors - Junebug, Red Shad curly tail; green pumpkin (stained - half murky water), watermelon seed (clearwater) finesse
Texas Rigged with 1/8 or 1/4oz weights... or carolina rigged.
Hooks - 3/0 - 4/0 EWG (I use Owner EWG 4/0 for everything)

Jigs - 3/8oz (green pumpkin, black/blue, peanut butter & jelly)
Trailers - NetBait Paca Chunks - summer craw color is what I'll use on everything.

Shakey Head jigs - Davis SL Shakey Heads (1/8-1/4 oz) I use 3/16oz more than anything
(I'll use Zoom Swamp Crawlers or Finesse worms on all of my shakey head setups)

There are more... but you can fish these at anytime of the year, in any types of water at any depth... these are my "go to" baits and I'm a plastics fisher all the way

 

[LarryA]

I'd be screwed. just can't narrow it down to $50 worth. :shock:

 

[Captain Ahab]

Were is around here?

Get a few colors of 4 and 5" Yamamoto Senkos - Green Pumpkin, black and white are always good

Get the real think Yamamoto or order from JD Baits

Gamakatsu Skip Gap worm hooks in size 2/0, 3/0 and 4/0

2 poppers - one black and one any other color

Various size bullet weights - small is always good, just enough to get to teh bottom but not snag

A few X-raps (one in clown color)

That is all you need


If you lakes are super weed choked get a frog or two (Swamp Donkey if you can find it)

 

[Andy]

I agree with Captain, but don't forget the WHITE SPINNERBAIT.....

 

[stinkynathan]

Were is around here?

Get a few colors of 4 and 5" Yamamoto Senkos - Green Pumpkin, black and white are always good

Get the real think Yamamoto or order from JD Baits

Gamakatsu Skip Gap worm hooks in size 2/0, 3/0 and 4/0

2 poppers - one black and one any other color

Various size bullet weights - small is always good, just enough to get to teh bottom but not snag

A few X-raps (one in clown color)

That is all you need


If you lakes are super weed choked get a frog or two (Swamp Donkey if you can find it)

Around here (right now) is the Sioux Falls, SD, area. I will be moving to Eau Claire, WI, in a month, though.

 

[Bubba]

Considering I had nothing to start with(other than what you mentioned) I could easily go to walmart, pickup a few things and go bass fishing.

What I would pick....

Pack of Eagle Claw Laser Sharp 2/0-3/0 Wide Gap hooks
pack of 3/16oz worm slip sinkers
Pack(or two) of Zoom Centipedes
Pack(or two) of some kind of finesse worm
Pack(or two) of some sort of plastic craw imitator/creature bait
A few 1/4-1/2oz jigs
a pack of matching trailers for the jigs


I truly believe that if the fish are biting(regardless of conditions) that you can catch them with either a texas rig or jig. When you get on the lake, just gotta figure out how the fish want it(slow, fast, small, or big) :lol:

 

[Captain Ahab]

I agree with Captain, but don't forget the WHITE SPINNERBAIT.....

I rarely use a spinnerbait


They work - but just not that effective in my waters

Bass here are eating crayfish and frog not chasing bait

 

[wasilvers]

I agree with the Captain too - fished a tourney around eau claire a couple weeks back - the ONLY thing the legal bass were taking (from talking to most of the tourney guys and true pro's) was blue/dark Senkos - go figure - I just so happen to have had some of them that day and we did alright. Anyone who limited out caught them on blueish worms. Other baits caught a fish or two, but not a limit.

Funny thing is about the Senkos, they were almost $7 a package at my local Gander Mountain last night- and most were sold out even at that price. Crazy

Will

 

[ben2go]

Your location can narrow the list down.I am thinking you are in the northern mid west.What I use here won't be as effective as what you would use up north.

 

[stinkynathan]

Your location can narrow the list down.I am thinking you are in the northern mid west.What I use here won't be as effective as what you would use up north.

I'm in Sioux Falls, SD, right now, but will be fully moved to Eau Claire, WI, by August 1.

 

[ben2go]

You should do pretty good with a tungsten jig head with a dark squirt and a small dark trailer.Something like our sponsor sells. https://www.basstackledepot.com/conquistador-conquest-flipping-jig.aspx This would work well in clear to lightly stained water.

 

[redbug]

You should do pretty good with a tungsten jig head with a dark squirt and a small dark trailer.Something like our sponsor sells. https://www.basstackledepot.com/conquistador-conquest-flipping-jig.aspx This would work well in clear to lightly stained water.

I don't understand the idea of a tungsten jig.... I think jigs are better when they look bulky. you are also using them around structure that tends to get your jig hung up. if you want to go small go with a bitsy bug .
you can get a quality jig for around $2.50 and bitsy bugs run about $1.50 tungsten jigs can get pricey with a price tag of $4.00 plus
I throw jigs about 90% of the time and will go through about 25 a year that is a huge savings using lead instead of tungsten.

I would also get a few senko style baits in a green pumpkin or watermelon red.
a few crank baits in a shad color or fire tiger.to cover the water column
also get a nice Popper or spook type bait for the surface.
frogs are nice but they tend to have a low hook up rate. the paca toad has a very good hook up rate. use a 5/0 hook
don't go cheap on hooks get some gamakatsu hooks 2/0
buzz baits are fun and produce well


Wayne

 

[slim357]

Id got with a rico, a rat-l-trap, a spinnerbait, a buzzbait, a spro fat30 crankbait, and a jig and some paca trailers. That should run about 50$

 

[alumacraftjoe]

Can't look at this thread if my wife is around.... if she knew you could set up a bass arsenal for 50 bucks I would be in real trouble :mrgreen: Many great suggestion, I would go along with what has been said I am a plastics guy and I throw a jig if I am not throwing plastics. Lot of weedy areas here so I almost always have a frog tied on. Use those 3 baits 95 % of the time. I would also have a few cranks for the fall feeding frenzy ( I use rattle traps and rapala Dt's almost exclusively).

 

[fish devil]

:twisted: Chatterbaits, Spinnerbaits, Jigs and of course Senkos.