I am a bank angler mostly and fish primarily smaller ponds that tend to be shallow and weedy. My top fish catching baits are soft plastics. Weightless worms, flukes, paddle tails, frogs, chatter baits and topwater walking baits work extremely well for me. I rarely use crankbaits or other types of moving hard baits as the tend to get snagged.
I'm a jig fisherman and I admit the jig is one of my absolute favorite. However it has to be fished right, around/ thru cover. This gives you the probability of getting snagged. Accurate casting into the voids of cover is the way to minimize. Pond fishing is hard with crank baits as they are designed to be retreived from the boat, the shoreline will always dive your bait into the ground. The only cranks I use from the shore are squarebills and same for jerk baits. Shallow divers. Glide baits are a commitment. Like fishing for tiger musky. You aren't going to catch huge numbers with a huge bait. But you might catch a monster so it's worth the gamble. I have caught multiple huge largemouth and smallies on the ned rig but smallies prefer it year round and will eat it mid winter. I struggle to target largemouth on the ned unless pond fishing. Oh god I'm rambling in the comment section
Add the KVD 1.5 Sexy Shad squarebill crank to your lures. That bait over the last 3.5 years is a Bass killer in the ponds I fish. Whopper Ploppers and chatterbaits work fine too. Shawn.
The top five are all soft plastics. Depending upon the size, they all come with about 6 to 10 per pack and are usually affordable. This tells me it could be peoples financial situation’s (like me) that make these videos so popular. Nobody wants to pay $10-$20 for a single lure and then lose it on a snag or snap it off. Fishin’ ain’t cheap!
Randy, as an old retired guy living on social security, I think the cost of modern lures is one reason some people tend to keep using whatever they already have in their tackle box. I watched your video on the Megabass Magdraft, and just out of curiosity, I checked the price. No way can I pay $16 for one soft plastic lure that I may lose on the first cast. So, I do the best I can with what I have. I'm surprised topwater didn't make either list, some of my best fish have been an a Spook.
I think the reason those are most popular is because people want to learn about those baits . There are a ton of videos on those bottom 5 baits that people alteady fish most of the time. Thanks Randy. I always enjoy your opinions.
I don’t watch many jig crankbait or spinnerbait videos because I have fished them consistently since I was a kid but I rarely fish Ned’s flukes or swim baits so I watch those videos to learn more about techniques I use sparingly
I think you are correlating popularity of videos to use. For me I find myself watching videos on techniques or lures I’ve never used. I’ve never fished a floating worm so it draws my attention and desire to learn something new
This video makes me feel a lot better Randy. I am on the unpopular side of the lure list. I hardly ever get thumbs up from my comments and I thought most of the subscribers were decent tournament fishermen. I'm a very successful bank fisherman and good with a bass boat. Give a guy a bass boat, put him in 1 rodeo and they think they are a pro. LoL ! I do not care much about glide baits though.
A few reasons for the data. 1. Cost- Most plastics are cheap and easy to fish. 2.where your viewers fish- most of your viewers probably aren’t fishing where big fish are plentiful. I just want to catch anything when I go out. Probably most people are the same way. 3. Knowing how to use the lure- spinner baits, jigs, crank baits, etc. may intimidate some casual anglers. And like others have said, do they really want to spend $10-$15 on a lure they don’t know how to use or will snag on a log. I love fishing Hellgrammites. They catch anything, are easy to fish and last a while. Only down side is the Nikko ones are rather expensive and I can only find them online($8) for 4. Love the videos. Thanks
I hated jig fishing until I learned from you how to fish them, still learning. Using some of your teachings and some of Matt Stephens I caught my PB largemouth this summer on spinner bait. Thanks Randy
Im a jig and spinnerbait guy and still watch every video I can on both. I have fished a spinnerbait all my life. Took me a while to get on the jig train but since I have fished them my finish in tournaments have went UP..
I Agree with Randy on the fact that the baits he mentioned that aren't popular as far as # of views are awesome fish catching baits. However I think a strong possibility those videos aren't watched as frequently is because many people think those are easy and more established baits to master. They are looking for videos of baits that they feel they want to add to their arsenal, and trying to learn about those.... yes I know this is not the entire explanation, there are multiple factors to consider but it has to be part of it.
Interesting video. Agree with Joshua on price per lure. Agree with Randy's picks. That being said there are plenty of lures out there at a lesser price point. I do think novice anglers lack the overall equipment to fish all effectively. Top 5 could all be fished on budget spinning gear and from the bank. Maybe we need to survey on bank bound, boaters and kayak because the vast majority can not afford the boat and 20 rod reel combos.
Great video Randy. I am a Tn River Vally fisherman - fish 3-4 days per week. Honestly I scratch my head of the frequency of You Tube bait videos that really do not catch bass - at least not in East Tn. My top 5 baits that I catch the most fish on in order are Tx Rig, creature bait, crank bait, wacky rig, and Jig. The biggest fish on jigs and Creature baits. #6 is not even close to these but would be a spinner bait.
I fish mostly small to medium sized rivers and small eutrophic lakes in Southern Wisconsin. My main weapons are: Spinnerbaits, Texas Rigged Worms, Fat Crankbaits, Shad Raps, Jigs, Jerkbaits, Floating Worms/Sluggos.
I run flukes on my chatterbaits and spinner baits, but I just use them situationally alone. I do love my hard baits, and enjoy throwing them, even glide baits. I think a lot of it comes down to economics. A lot of guys can't afford specialized tackle, or having 10+ rod set ups, so plastics are the easiest thing to gear for.
Great video!! Heres my list- 1. Creature baits 2. Crank baits/ jigs 3. Topwater i think the thing with jigs is they are extremely intimidating to the average angler, i used to feel that way about them until i started throwing them and getting comfortable with them and theyre great!! Thanks Randy!!
The one thing that stands out to me is the top 5 lure categories are less expensive to fish than the bottom 5. I am not sure that’s a factor but it caught my attention.
I guess part of it depends on the lake being fished. In the spring, the bass were nailing flukes, senkos, and black trick worms. During the summer, they were destroying my chug bug while chasing shad. And most recently, I've still been catching quality bass with spinning baits, and even more so, a spoon. The largemouth are gorging on shad and the last several giants I've caught were on a swimming spoon.
I don't think your results are indicative of how popular/unpopular those lures are. There are thousands of videos on lures, the only thing your list shows is how many people watch your videos and which ones. Some people may be burned out on jig videos etc.
I agree with you Randy the first time I threw a rubber skirted jig ten minutes later I had a four pounder on . I've never had a problem catching them on jigs awesome lure for catching bigger than average bass . Thanks for the video interesting facts.
I love jigs now but I can understand why most people don’t watch videos or actually use them because it takes a lot of time and effort to figure out the right jig to get bit. Sometimes I have to go through 4-5 different ones before I even get a bite and I’ve started making my own and forcing myself to use them and it has paid off. That’s my first and primary bait now
I 100 per cent agreed. The top 5 you picked is my choice also. A jig crankbait and spinnerbait are the top 3 in my opinion. Creature baits are great but I think jigs out perform them and catch bigger fish. Listen to Randy he will show you how and why these baits are so important. Thanks for sharing that.
I wouldve been the guy to flip past the jig videos too but since i started using them i have caught my biggest bass consistently on them - this is the catalyst that will spark peoples interest in jig videos. The problem is most people naturaly shy away for giving jigs a real try(i went damn near 40 years without fishing them)but once they do and see what they can do you fall in love with them. Watch and see how fast those jig views go up after people start using them.
I agree with you on this one Randy, I find in the small water fishing that I do that I get less bites with Jigs when I get one hold the F&$K on! My PB was on a Black and Blue w/craw trailer hopping along the bottom. Also crank-baits work great for me as well as well as the rest of your comments!!!!
Wow! I’m surprised. Those five are some of my favorite lures you cover. Your videos on them are fantastic. Once the water cools off here in South Texas I’ll be flipping a jig and a creature bait, and I will have a spinner bait, a square bill and a six inch Magdraft tied on as well. I will throw a wacky rigged stick bait before I toss a fluke or a Ned rig. Also top water baits in the morning.
Randy....been fishing for over 50 years and 90% of my trophy bass ha e come on either a big plastic worm or a big black and blue jig. I still fish Mann's jelly worm in the 12 inch version. What really is depressing is how much money I have spent over the years on the so called new baits. Ashamed to even say how much.....the old saying that I didn't learn until I was in my late 40's early 50's.....keep it simple stupid. I use to have dozens and dozens of tackle bags in my boat and now I have two. Don't miss not using all the "new" baits and I especially don't miss spending the money.
Randy, JMHO but this might be your most interesting video ever. What a great approach to evaluating Viewer choices in lures. I definitely agree with YOUR two choices from the “Top Five” and your three choices from the “Bottom Five.” As for glidebaits, I agree with what you said BUT I will offer this: I’ll bet that if the anglers who favor glidebaits (and actually use them consistently and persistently) were asked why they use them, they would say because they catch BIG bass. Honestly, I think that reflects a possible flaw in using viewership as a measure of lure effectiveness. The results are skewed toward anglers who are after quantity, not quality. You are a real pro and in tmxes you are after quality bites and fish, not quantity. The five good bites a day anglers have different mindsets and make different lure choices than anglers who just want to catch fish and are happy as hell with 25 or 50 fish days, even though their weight for the day would very often not come close to winning a check.
Randy hi . I personally would like to see you doing more Vid's on your top 5 selection . Just returned from a 6 day trip to Zimbabwe . Spinner baits absolutely smashed the bigger bass
Jigs and crankbait info has been beat to death I agree with you especially jigs the list tells me viewers are seeking info on the less popular or less readily available info on
I fish mainly north NJ waters. I usually go out with 6 rods. I usually have a crank bait or jerk bait, Texas rig 5" thin Senko with a very light weight 1/64 or 1/32. Two drop shot rigs. one with a #4 offset worm hook and one with a #1 mosquito hook. The offset one usually has a 5" thin Senko on it and the mosquito one either has a 3" thin Senko or a 3" Berkley gulp leach. Also some sort of top water bait. and a creature bait. sometime that one will be a wacky rig fat Senko. The 5" thin Texas rig and the drop shot rig are usually what I end up having in my hand most of the day because they just catch fish like nothing else here throughout the season. The only time that doesn't work is when the water gets real cold. Between the 5" thin Senko and the 3" thin Senko I have caught almost every fresh water fish that swims in NJ. I rarely use flukes but my PB NJ Largemouth 8.4 Lbs. was caught on a Zoom Super Fluke back in 2012.
As for creature baits.....i know many will disagree with me but I can take my big 12 inch worm and punch heavy matted millfoil fields on Guntersville just as well as someone using a creature bait. One of the best guides on Guntersville which was Troy Genes use to argue with me so I got in his boat one day and we headed out for him to school me. Back then he was using a big tube baits pegged with heavy tungstun bullet weights. It wasnt long before he relaized I was matching fish for fish. I realize all these baits you mention such as the spinner bait, crank bait and glide baits are outstanding baits but based on my experience if you told me I could only have one bait in my boat to fish 365 days a year it would be a big worm. You can modify the lengths and fall rates and match how the fish are reacting. I think what makes cranks baits so good is the fact you can cover a lot of water and match the forage more easily. You are the pro so if you could only fish one bait 365 days a year what would be. In my case....its a big worm. You guys have to make a living so I can understand having so many baits in your aresenal. I talked to Rick Clunn one time in Guntersville when he was fishing a pro-am tournament on Guntersville. He said if he could only have one bait in his boat it would be a spinner bait....but that was a long time ago....early 80's. As a tournamnt fisherman I know you have to keep up with the newest techniques and lures but I feel for your pocket book if you are not sponsored by a particualr bait company that you are using their baits. I remember paying 1.49 for a pack of Manns jelly worms and now depending on what brand you pick will depend on how thin your wallet gets. I refuse to pay 10 dollars for a pack of baits that only have 5 baits. Something people dont realize and didnt until I did some research and got data....bass fishing creates more revenue then any other sport in the industry. I figured MLB and NFL would be the top but bass fishing makes more in revenue each year then both of them combined. I could not beleive the numbers.
Most times I watch A video, including yours, is because I want to know more about that lure and its usage. To be more versatile, I need to know more as well
Pretty good video. Crankbait's of all types, including lipless are my work horses. I was right there with you until the part about the bottom half of any triple A circuit bfl waxing the top half of the Elites. That was laughable, good one.
agree with the other comments here - bank fishing vs boat fishing and price likely explains the two lists. More folks are bank fishing. Cost of lures speaks for itself.
I think this is because lots of your viewers fish locally and these are the baits that work for them. I fish ponds from the bank and small lakes from a kayak. 90% of the time I'm faced with very clear water, and soft plastics outfish power techniques.
Newer / Younger anglers don't want to put in work to get results . . . they want it easy and fast. Baits like , flukes, ned rigs, t-rigs will get 'bites' . . . but 'typically' get fewer 'good' bites. Once you've 'seen' a big bass rush out from nowhere and inhale a spinnerbait right on front of you . . . it changes your whole mind set forever . . . however, fewer people nowadays have the patience or discipline to ever get there. Same with a jig bite . . . it takes a while to 'figure it out' , , , , but once you do . . . it's like an addiction . . . you can't get enough. I love seing guys at the ramp with fairy wands, & weenie worms . . . it means less pressure on the fish I'm targeting.
I disagree on the Ned rig worm. I catch lots of fish and also decent sized keepers. I used them year round, especially in cold water situations. Zman is my favorite.
I hate the ned rig because it snags easily and it's boring. I love the ned rig because it catches fish. I do catch more small fish then big ones with it but I'm just out to catch fish for fun.
It's crazy..The top 5 baits you mentioned? I either rarely fish or not all. 🤔 The other 5 are staples and do catch larger fish. Jigs, creatures, cranks and spinner baits are not producers, but they are fun to fish ! I hate to even admit this but I have never fished a Ned Rig or a Dropshot. Guess I'm at a place where a few big bites is what I chase.. Anyway, interesting subject.
WOW!... 'Jigs' AND 'Spinnerbaits' are ON the "Least Popular Lure" list!... Now this is hard to believe. Randy, You weren't kidding when you said that the results were pretty much, "Backwards". Good Video!👍
I think you may be misinterpreting what the data here means. I don't think the popularity of these videos means these are the most popular lures. I think it means anglers are just looking for info on these lures to round out their skill sets. I've been fishing jigs, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits for decades.
First video you have shot I agree with every point you made and I appreciate you didn’t put down anything that was superior and act sour grapes so good for you Randy if you shoot and talk more like this I will sub
That's funny about the jig videos...I never fish jigs...BUT, I'm doing really well on creatures with a bullet weight and fishing the bottom, so, why not a jig?(duh on me)...next time out I'm throwing some jigs and see what happens...thank Randy :)
Some have already referenced it, but I would be willing to bet the VAST majority are bank anglers who fish mostly small ponds. All the baits in the 'top 5' listed are pond killers.
I think you are missing the reason for watching specific videos. If a person has fished a specific bait for years they don’t need to watch a video about it. If they haven’t fished a specific bait, but want to learn about it, that’s what their going to watch.
Before you started, I just said Soft Plastics. I didn't know it would be the whole top 5. But there ya go. Best bang for your buck. I don't mind spending $6 on a pack of soft plastics and $6 on hooks. The whole set up is like $12 I can justify if I loose a soft plastics set up that's about $2. I Can justify 1 bait costing $12 and I loose that. Just dollars and cents logic.
I have at least 1 Carolina rig with a fluke as the soft plastic on my front deck 365 days a year a lot of the time I have 2... One with a lighter weight (3/8-1/2oz) and one with a heavier weight (3/4-1 1/4oz) I also have at least 1 jig, spinnerbait, and crankbait.... so I really can't understand the dislikes for those baits you can catch bass 365 days a year on all of them. Now the glide baits I love catching fish on them but to me they're very seasonal but when they're eating them it's definitely one of my favorite bites because you can catch some bigs on them...
What did I tell you for your last tournament ? Jig change up ur colors , do not put it down , for tournaments for bass fishing if u can get on a jig bite u will up your odds in being successful for the tournament
It depends on your fishery. Here in urban NY. Our ponds and lakes are man made. The max depth is 5-10' feet deep. Two lakes have the max depth of 30 feet with one with creek access of 2' feet deep. Hempstead lake is 167 acres, shoreline length of 2.85 miles and 10' deep debatable. The lake is dammed off. There are no major drop offs in the lake and a small section is about 10' deep. The rest of the lake is 2-4' deep then eventually getting to 5-6 feet deep in the middle. During the summer the vegetation is super thick. Making anything not weedless impossible to fish. All the top lures 5 Randy mentioned does not work. Unless its early spring or late fall. If I fished in lakes that have steep drop offs and rocky bottoms. I would be fishing Randy's top 5.
I think you lists are partially the way they are because of the attention available for jigs, crank baits etc. I watch nearly all of you videos but probably the least likely to watch a jig video. I probably catch 60% of the fish I catch on jigs so , although I certainly am not an expert, I feel it’s more beneficial for me to spend time watching something I know very little about like flukes. I never fish them because I don’t know how to fish them. Generally people are attracted to the weird stuff especially when there are countless videos on jigs, crank baits etc.
The surprising popularity of the "weird" lures may be due to the fact that not many people have content on them, so more get funneled to your channel when seeking content about them
I think you may be looking at it wrong i think most of the people including myself are learning all the different ways to cast and retrieve those certain baits more. Most people know how to use a crank bait or square bill vs plastics.
People dont fish jigs because its a difficult bait to "crack the code" when it comes to learning how to fish them properly and to hook up bass on them. I was lucky being a 14 year old kid with not much money to buy baits. I came across a box of about 500 arky jigs with living rubber skirts and close to 100 jars of uncle josh pork frogs all for $25.00 at a yard sale. So i learned how to fish jigs before my buddies learned how to fish texas rigged worms.
It could be that people are watching the floating worm, ned, trig worm videos over the jig, glide, crank videos because people are less experience on the first list and more experienced on the second.
I stopped watching ‘lure’ videos a long time ago as they are typically a waste of time but down here in Florida your top 5 is almost 100% accurate. Flukes, swim baits and Texas rigged worms account for 75% of Bass year round, substitute a top water and punching rig for that dumb Ned rig and floating worm and you need nothing else here - ever.
Those least popular lures, crankbait, bass jig, spinnerbait, are probably the three popular baits I have the LEAST confidence in. I do catch a lot of fish on finesse jigs (grubs, Ned, small craw imitations) and finesse-y crank baits like shad raps and Rapala minnows. But other than those exceptions, I can count on one hand the number of fish I’ve caught on each of those categories. I would say I lose roughy 2 of those lures for every fish I catch. Just not productive in pressured waters.
I think people watch videos to learn about subjects their not familiar with, if you're good with jigs, spinnerbaits etc you may not be watching how to videos on them but the less "main stream" may get more people watching. Just my opinion. I do agree that the lower viewed videos are in the top tier of techniques.
Agree with most HOWEVER… the fluke is without a doubt the best lure on my lakes… Clarks Hill and Murray. Im sure its a location thing but a fluke will put fish in the boat 12 months a year. Maybe its the location of your viewers? The rest Im on board with but a fluke is a staple here.
95% of the fish i caught this year was on flukes. Never fished one until this year and learned how to rig/fish them. Others were mostly on spinnerbait and paddletail swim bait. oh and caught a 20" pike on a ned rig lol
Randy🤠 I'm thinking the top 5 are watch because people what to learn more about it🤔 and the least 5 is because Anglers think they already know so they not interested🤪😜. That's my You-Tube opinion 😬
Perhaps everyone does agree with you and have those top choice lures pretty much perfected and don’t need to watch those videos and are watching the other ones because they DON’T fish them as much and are looking for the tips on them to be able to fish them more effectively when the conditions warrant those types of baits
I am a bank angler mostly and fish primarily smaller ponds that tend to be shallow and weedy. My top fish catching baits are soft plastics. Weightless worms, flukes, paddle tails, frogs, chatter baits and topwater walking baits work extremely well for me. I rarely use crankbaits or other types of moving hard baits as the tend to get snagged.
Exactly this. That is why those videos don't do as well. 50% of the guys are bank anglers.
I'm a jig fisherman and I admit the jig is one of my absolute favorite. However it has to be fished right, around/ thru cover. This gives you the probability of getting snagged. Accurate casting into the voids of cover is the way to minimize. Pond fishing is hard with crank baits as they are designed to be retreived from the boat, the shoreline will always dive your bait into the ground. The only cranks I use from the shore are squarebills and same for jerk baits. Shallow divers.
Glide baits are a commitment. Like fishing for tiger musky. You aren't going to catch huge numbers with a huge bait. But you might catch a monster so it's worth the gamble. I have caught multiple huge largemouth and smallies on the ned rig but smallies prefer it year round and will eat it mid winter. I struggle to target largemouth on the ned unless pond fishing. Oh god I'm rambling in the comment section
@@zachg5356 I agree. If you fish from the bank, give Zachg a like so we can see how many of us are bank fishers.
Add the KVD 1.5 Sexy Shad squarebill crank to your lures. That bait over the last 3.5 years is a Bass killer in the ponds I fish. Whopper Ploppers and chatterbaits work fine too. Shawn.
Maybe the top 5 are lures folks use the least and want more info on them. The bottom 5 are used the most so they are more confident using them.
Exactly.
The top five are all soft plastics. Depending upon the size, they all come with about 6 to 10 per pack and are usually affordable. This tells me it could be peoples financial situation’s (like me) that make these videos so popular. Nobody wants to pay $10-$20 for a single lure and then lose it on a snag or snap it off. Fishin’ ain’t cheap!
Yep
as I'm looking at my recent $2k order of big glide baits 😂
Totally. Shoot, I cought one frog for $20, and if I lose it, I'll probably not buy another one and go back to the trusty plastics.
Randy, as an old retired guy living on social security, I think the cost of modern lures is one reason some people tend to keep using whatever they already have in their tackle box. I watched your video on the Megabass Magdraft, and just out of curiosity, I checked the price. No way can I pay $16 for one soft plastic lure that I may lose on the first cast. So, I do the best I can with what I have. I'm surprised topwater didn't make either list, some of my best fish have been an a Spook.
I think the reason those are most popular is because people want to learn about those baits . There are a ton of videos on those bottom 5 baits that people alteady fish most of the time. Thanks Randy. I always enjoy your opinions.
Came here to say just this
I agree
I don’t watch many jig crankbait or spinnerbait videos because I have fished them consistently since I was a kid but I rarely fish Ned’s flukes or swim baits so I watch those videos to learn more about techniques I use sparingly
This, right here.
I think your point is 100% right on
It takes confidence to fish for better quality fish. Jig and Spinner Bait are my 2 favorite baits. Buzz Bait and Crankbait or 3 and 4.
I think you are correlating popularity of videos to use. For me I find myself watching videos on techniques or lures I’ve never used. I’ve never fished a floating worm so it draws my attention and desire to learn something new
This video makes me feel a lot better Randy. I am on the unpopular side of the lure list. I hardly ever get thumbs up from my comments and I thought most of the subscribers were decent tournament fishermen. I'm a very successful bank fisherman and good with a bass boat. Give a guy a bass boat, put him in 1 rodeo and they think they are a pro. LoL ! I do not care much about glide baits though.
A few reasons for the data.
1. Cost- Most plastics are cheap and easy to fish.
2.where your viewers fish- most of your viewers probably aren’t fishing where big fish are plentiful. I just want to catch anything when I go out. Probably most people are the same way.
3. Knowing how to use the lure- spinner baits, jigs, crank baits, etc. may intimidate some casual anglers. And like others have said, do they really want to spend $10-$15 on a lure they don’t know how to use or will snag on a log.
I love fishing Hellgrammites. They catch anything, are easy to fish and last a while. Only down side is the Nikko ones are rather expensive and I can only find them online($8) for 4.
Love the videos.
Thanks
I hated jig fishing until I learned from you how to fish them, still learning. Using some of your teachings and some of Matt Stephens I caught my PB largemouth this summer on spinner bait. Thanks Randy
Im a jig and spinnerbait guy and still watch every video I can on both. I have fished a spinnerbait all my life. Took me a while to get on the jig train but since I have fished them my finish in tournaments have went UP..
I Agree with Randy on the fact that the baits he mentioned that aren't popular as far as # of views are awesome fish catching baits. However I think a strong possibility those videos aren't watched as frequently is because many people think those are easy and more established baits to master. They are looking for videos of baits that they feel they want to add to their arsenal, and trying to learn about those.... yes I know this is not the entire explanation, there are multiple factors to consider but it has to be part of it.
Interesting video. Agree with Joshua on price per lure. Agree with Randy's picks. That being said there are plenty of lures out there at a lesser price point. I do think novice anglers lack the overall equipment to fish all effectively. Top 5 could all be fished on budget spinning gear and from the bank. Maybe we need to survey on bank bound, boaters and kayak because the vast majority can not afford the boat and 20 rod reel combos.
Great video Randy. I am a Tn River Vally fisherman - fish 3-4 days per week. Honestly I scratch my head of the frequency of You Tube bait videos that really do not catch bass - at least not in East Tn. My top 5 baits that I catch the most fish on in order are Tx Rig, creature bait, crank bait, wacky rig, and Jig. The biggest fish on jigs and Creature baits. #6 is not even close to these but would be a spinner bait.
I fish mostly small to medium sized rivers and small eutrophic lakes in Southern Wisconsin. My main weapons are:
Spinnerbaits, Texas Rigged Worms, Fat Crankbaits, Shad Raps, Jigs, Jerkbaits, Floating Worms/Sluggos.
I run flukes on my chatterbaits and spinner baits, but I just use them situationally alone.
I do love my hard baits, and enjoy throwing them, even glide baits. I think a lot of it comes down to economics.
A lot of guys can't afford specialized tackle, or having 10+ rod set ups, so plastics are the easiest thing to gear for.
Great video!! Heres my list-
1. Creature baits
2. Crank baits/ jigs
3. Topwater
i think the thing with jigs is they are extremely intimidating to the average angler, i used to feel that way about them until i started throwing them and getting comfortable with them and theyre great!! Thanks Randy!!
The one thing that stands out to me is the top 5 lure categories are less expensive to fish than the bottom 5. I am not sure that’s a factor but it caught my attention.
I guess part of it depends on the lake being fished. In the spring, the bass were nailing flukes, senkos, and black trick worms. During the summer, they were destroying my chug bug while chasing shad. And most recently, I've still been catching quality bass with spinning baits, and even more so, a spoon. The largemouth are gorging on shad and the last several giants I've caught were on a swimming spoon.
I don't think your results are indicative of how popular/unpopular those lures are. There are thousands of videos on lures, the only thing your list shows is how many people watch your videos and which ones. Some people may be burned out on jig videos etc.
I agree with you Randy the first time I threw a rubber skirted jig ten minutes later I had a four pounder on . I've never had a problem catching them on jigs awesome lure for catching bigger than average bass . Thanks for the video interesting facts.
Agreed for the most part
Good question/ answer.
Totally agree with you Randy. Good video
I love jigs now but I can understand why most people don’t watch videos or actually use them because it takes a lot of time and effort to figure out the right jig to get bit. Sometimes I have to go through 4-5 different ones before I even get a bite and I’ve started making my own and forcing myself to use them and it has paid off. That’s my first and primary bait now
Jigs really ? Crank bait and Spinner baits oh my !! Creature baits hmm ? Randy, I love what you do !
Minus the glide bait I line up with your choices. Not sure if a tube falls under a creature bait, they crush it for me still.
I 100 per cent agreed. The top 5 you picked is my choice also. A jig crankbait and spinnerbait are the top 3 in my opinion. Creature baits are great but I think jigs out perform them and catch bigger fish. Listen to Randy he will show you how and why these baits are so important. Thanks for sharing that.
I wouldve been the guy to flip past the jig videos too but since i started using them i have caught my biggest bass consistently on them - this is the catalyst that will spark peoples interest in jig videos. The problem is most people naturaly shy away for giving jigs a real try(i went damn near 40 years without fishing them)but once they do and see what they can do you fall in love with them. Watch and see how fast those jig views go up after people start using them.
I agree with you on this one Randy, I find in the small water fishing that I do that I get less bites with Jigs when I get one hold the F&$K on! My PB was on a Black and Blue w/craw trailer hopping along the bottom. Also crank-baits work great for me as well as well as the rest of your comments!!!!
Amen on jigs, especially for larger fish imo.
Make some sort of poll; to know your audience. Where do they fish? Lake river or pond? Boat? Electronics? How often do they fish
For years I hated to Jig fish. Then it was like a light turned on and I began to catch fish. I love my jigs.
That bottom 5 list is insane to me, I have a hard time untying my jig let alone never fishing it and when I do I throw on a crank bait 😂
Wow! I’m surprised. Those five are some of my favorite lures you cover. Your videos on them are fantastic. Once the water cools off here in South Texas I’ll be flipping a jig and a creature bait, and I will have a spinner bait, a square bill and a six inch Magdraft tied on as well. I will throw a wacky rigged stick bait before I toss a fluke or a Ned rig. Also top water baits in the morning.
Randy....been fishing for over 50 years and 90% of my trophy bass ha e come on either a big plastic worm or a big black and blue jig. I still fish Mann's jelly worm in the 12 inch version. What really is depressing is how much money I have spent over the years on the so called new baits. Ashamed to even say how much.....the old saying that I didn't learn until I was in my late 40's early 50's.....keep it simple stupid. I use to have dozens and dozens of tackle bags in my boat and now I have two. Don't miss not using all the "new" baits and I especially don't miss spending the money.
Randy, JMHO but this might be your most interesting video ever. What a great approach to evaluating Viewer choices in lures. I definitely agree with YOUR two choices from the “Top Five” and your three choices from the “Bottom Five.” As for glidebaits, I agree with what you said BUT I will offer this: I’ll bet that if the anglers who favor glidebaits (and actually use them consistently and persistently) were asked why they use them, they would say because they catch BIG bass. Honestly, I think that reflects a possible flaw in using viewership as a measure of lure effectiveness. The results are skewed toward anglers who are after quantity, not quality. You are a real pro and in tmxes you are after quality bites and fish, not quantity. The five good bites a day anglers have different mindsets and make different lure choices than anglers who just want to catch fish and are happy as hell with 25 or 50 fish days, even though their weight for the day would very often not come close to winning a check.
i live in louisville ky im 59 and on the deck of my champion is a 3/8 randy old school pbj a bandito bug pegged on another and a albino magdraft
Randy hi . I personally would like to see you doing more Vid's on your top 5 selection . Just returned from a 6 day trip to Zimbabwe . Spinner baits absolutely smashed the bigger bass
Question about the lake break downs. How do you account for changing water levels?
Jigs and crankbait info has been beat to death I agree with you especially jigs the list tells me viewers are seeking info on the less popular or less readily available info on
Just wore out the smallmouth on finesse jigs and finesse spinnerbaits last weekend.
I fish mainly north NJ waters. I usually go out with 6 rods. I usually have a crank bait or jerk bait, Texas rig 5" thin Senko with a very light weight 1/64 or 1/32. Two drop shot rigs. one with a #4 offset worm hook and one with a #1 mosquito hook. The offset one usually has a 5" thin Senko on it and the mosquito one either has a 3" thin Senko or a 3" Berkley gulp leach. Also some sort of top water bait. and a creature bait. sometime that one will be a wacky rig fat Senko. The 5" thin Texas rig and the drop shot rig are usually what I end up having in my hand most of the day because they just catch fish like nothing else here throughout the season. The only time that doesn't work is when the water gets real cold. Between the 5" thin Senko and the 3" thin Senko I have caught almost every fresh water fish that swims in NJ. I rarely use flukes but my PB NJ Largemouth 8.4 Lbs. was caught on a Zoom Super Fluke back in 2012.
As for creature baits.....i know many will disagree with me but I can take my big 12 inch worm and punch heavy matted millfoil fields on Guntersville just as well as someone using a creature bait. One of the best guides on Guntersville which was Troy Genes use to argue with me so I got in his boat one day and we headed out for him to school me. Back then he was using a big tube baits pegged with heavy tungstun bullet weights. It wasnt long before he relaized I was matching fish for fish. I realize all these baits you mention such as the spinner bait, crank bait and glide baits are outstanding baits but based on my experience if you told me I could only have one bait in my boat to fish 365 days a year it would be a big worm. You can modify the lengths and fall rates and match how the fish are reacting. I think what makes cranks baits so good is the fact you can cover a lot of water and match the forage more easily. You are the pro so if you could only fish one bait 365 days a year what would be. In my case....its a big worm. You guys have to make a living so I can understand having so many baits in your aresenal. I talked to Rick Clunn one time in Guntersville when he was fishing a pro-am tournament on Guntersville. He said if he could only have one bait in his boat it would be a spinner bait....but that was a long time ago....early 80's. As a tournamnt fisherman I know you have to keep up with the newest techniques and lures but I feel for your pocket book if you are not sponsored by a particualr bait company that you are using their baits. I remember paying 1.49 for a pack of Manns jelly worms and now depending on what brand you pick will depend on how thin your wallet gets. I refuse to pay 10 dollars for a pack of baits that only have 5 baits. Something people dont realize and didnt until I did some research and got data....bass fishing creates more revenue then any other sport in the industry. I figured MLB and NFL would be the top but bass fishing makes more in revenue each year then both of them combined. I could not beleive the numbers.
Most times I watch A video, including yours, is because I want to know more about that lure and its usage. To be more versatile, I need to know more as well
Pretty good video. Crankbait's of all types, including lipless are my work horses. I was right there with you until the part about the bottom half of any triple A circuit bfl waxing the top half of the Elites. That was laughable, good one.
1 senko Texas rig and wacky
2texas rig worm
3crank bait up 12 ft
4spinnerbait
5topwater
6 fluke
agree with the other comments here - bank fishing vs boat fishing and price likely explains the two lists. More folks are bank fishing. Cost of lures speaks for itself.
I think this is because lots of your viewers fish locally and these are the baits that work for them. I fish ponds from the bank and small lakes from a kayak. 90% of the time I'm faced with very clear water, and soft plastics outfish power techniques.
Newer / Younger anglers don't want to put in work to get results . . . they want it easy and fast.
Baits like , flukes, ned rigs, t-rigs will get 'bites' . . . but 'typically' get fewer 'good' bites.
Once you've 'seen' a big bass rush out from nowhere and inhale a spinnerbait right on front of you . . . it changes your whole mind set forever . . . however, fewer people nowadays have the patience or discipline to ever get there.
Same with a jig bite . . . it takes a while to 'figure it out' , , , , but once you do . . . it's like an addiction . . . you can't get enough.
I love seing guys at the ramp with fairy wands, & weenie worms . . . it means less pressure on the fish I'm targeting.
1. Topwater buzzbait/popper
2. Jigs
3. Spinnerbaits
4. Lipless
5.jerkbait
Crankbait is only thing I caught fish on past weekend at Table Rock. Jig is my PB bait. I don't understand this rating either
I disagree on the Ned rig worm. I catch lots of fish and also decent sized keepers. I used them year round, especially in cold water situations. Zman is my favorite.
I hate the ned rig because it snags easily and it's boring. I love the ned rig because it catches fish. I do catch more small fish then big ones with it but I'm just out to catch fish for fun.
It's crazy..The top 5 baits you mentioned? I either rarely fish or not all. 🤔 The other 5 are staples and do catch larger fish. Jigs, creatures, cranks and spinner baits are not producers, but they are fun to fish ! I hate to even admit this but I have never fished a Ned Rig or a Dropshot. Guess I'm at a place where a few big bites is what I chase.. Anyway, interesting subject.
Interesting results. Surprising.
WOW!... 'Jigs' AND 'Spinnerbaits' are ON the "Least Popular Lure" list!... Now this is hard to believe.
Randy,
You weren't kidding when you said that the results were pretty much, "Backwards".
Good Video!👍
I think you may be misinterpreting what the data here means. I don't think the popularity of these videos means these are the most popular lures. I think it means anglers are just looking for info on these lures to round out their skill sets. I've been fishing jigs, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits for decades.
Cranks are my favorite along with spinner bait a spinner bug as old Hank calls them
First video you have shot I agree with every point you made and I appreciate you didn’t put down anything that was superior and act sour grapes so good for you Randy if you shoot and talk more like this I will sub
great video
Great video.
That's funny about the jig videos...I never fish jigs...BUT, I'm doing really well on creatures with a bullet weight and fishing the bottom, so, why not a jig?(duh on me)...next time out I'm throwing some jigs and see what happens...thank Randy :)
Some have already referenced it, but I would be willing to bet the VAST majority are bank anglers who fish mostly small ponds. All the baits in the 'top 5' listed are pond killers.
I think you are missing the reason for watching specific videos. If a person has fished a specific bait for years they don’t need to watch a video about it. If they haven’t fished a specific bait, but want to learn about it, that’s what their going to watch.
Before you started, I just said Soft Plastics. I didn't know it would be the whole top 5. But there ya go. Best bang for your buck. I don't mind spending $6 on a pack of soft plastics and $6 on hooks. The whole set up is like $12 I can justify if I loose a soft plastics set up that's about $2. I Can justify 1 bait costing $12 and I loose that. Just dollars and cents logic.
Because modern day bass fishermen like Yuppie fishin'. They buy into the NEW stuff, not the muscle stuff.
Definatly more Jig Vid's 👍
Nice vid those selections are my choices to win 😅😂
I have at least 1 Carolina rig with a fluke as the soft plastic on my front deck 365 days a year a lot of the time I have 2... One with a lighter weight (3/8-1/2oz) and one with a heavier weight (3/4-1 1/4oz) I also have at least 1 jig, spinnerbait, and crankbait.... so I really can't understand the dislikes for those baits you can catch bass 365 days a year on all of them. Now the glide baits I love catching fish on them but to me they're very seasonal but when they're eating them it's definitely one of my favorite bites because you can catch some bigs on them...
What did I tell you for your last tournament ? Jig change up ur colors , do not put it down , for tournaments for bass fishing if u can get on a jig bite u will up your odds in being successful for the tournament
Maybe the views of these 5 baits reflect anglers watching for new techniques to use and learn something that few others are using.
It depends on your fishery. Here in urban NY. Our ponds and lakes are man made. The max depth is 5-10' feet deep. Two lakes have the max depth of 30 feet with one with creek access of 2' feet deep. Hempstead lake is 167 acres, shoreline length of 2.85 miles and 10' deep debatable. The lake is dammed off. There are no major drop offs in the lake and a small section is about 10' deep. The rest of the lake is 2-4' deep then eventually getting to 5-6 feet deep in the middle. During the summer the vegetation is super thick. Making anything not weedless impossible to fish. All the top lures 5 Randy mentioned does not work. Unless its early spring or late fall. If I fished in lakes that have steep drop offs and rocky bottoms. I would be fishing Randy's top 5.
out of 6 double digit fish I have caught I caught them on creature baits spinner bait and texas and c rig worms
I think you lists are partially the way they are because of the attention available for jigs, crank baits etc. I watch nearly all of you videos but probably the least likely to watch a jig video. I probably catch 60% of the fish I catch on jigs so , although I certainly am not an expert, I feel it’s more beneficial for me to spend time watching something I know very little about like flukes. I never fish them because I don’t know how to fish them. Generally people are attracted to the weird stuff especially when there are countless videos on jigs, crank baits etc.
Jig and creature bait produce big fish! Gotta get confident in those
The surprising popularity of the "weird" lures may be due to the fact that not many people have content on them, so more get funneled to your channel when seeking content about them
My top 5 lure categories:
Jig
Crankbait
Jerkbait
Buzzbait
Worm
I here pros talk about how awesome jigs are but I just can’t get a bite on one. Don’t know why.
I think you may be looking at it wrong i think most of the people including myself are learning all the different ways to cast and retrieve those certain baits more. Most people know how to use a crank bait or square bill vs plastics.
Speaking of spinnerbaits are you still working on yours?? Just curious.
People dont fish jigs because its a difficult bait to "crack the code" when it comes to learning how to fish them properly and to hook up bass on them.
I was lucky being a 14 year old kid with not much money to buy baits. I came across a box of about 500 arky jigs with living rubber skirts and close to 100 jars of uncle josh pork frogs all for $25.00 at a yard sale. So i learned how to fish jigs before my buddies learned how to fish texas rigged worms.
I think you need to keep in mind that a major part of viewers are bank fishing, I only use crank baits now because I bought a kayak.
It could be that people are watching the floating worm, ned, trig worm videos over the jig, glide, crank videos because people are less experience on the first list and more experienced on the second.
I stopped watching ‘lure’ videos a long time ago as they are typically a waste of time but down here in Florida your top 5 is almost 100% accurate. Flukes, swim baits and Texas rigged worms account for 75% of Bass year round, substitute a top water and punching rig for that dumb Ned rig and floating worm and you need nothing else here - ever.
I’ve won more money on some type of worm than any other bait. Two would be beaver style or jig. Three is a swimbait
Randy, we are trying to learn about the lures we don’t use or don’t understand.
My main two lures are jigs and crankbaits
Sounds like maybe a lot of guys fishing from the bank? I agree the list seems backwards.
man flukes almost always work when fish are shallow and the water isn’t chocolate milk…. i’m getting into the fluke jrs now
Those least popular lures, crankbait, bass jig, spinnerbait, are probably the three popular baits I have the LEAST confidence in. I do catch a lot of fish on finesse jigs (grubs, Ned, small craw imitations) and finesse-y crank baits like shad raps and Rapala minnows. But other than those exceptions, I can count on one hand the number of fish I’ve caught on each of those categories. I would say I lose roughy 2 of those lures for every fish I catch. Just not productive in pressured waters.
The top 5 are all I fish- except replace Ned with chatterbait 😂
I think people watch videos to learn about subjects their not familiar with, if you're good with jigs, spinnerbaits etc you may not be watching how to videos on them but the less "main stream" may get more people watching. Just my opinion. I do agree that the lower viewed videos are in the top tier of techniques.
Agree with most HOWEVER… the fluke is without a doubt the best lure on my lakes… Clarks Hill and Murray. Im sure its a location thing but a fluke will put fish in the boat 12 months a year. Maybe its the location of your viewers? The rest Im on board with but a fluke is a staple here.
95% of the fish i caught this year was on flukes. Never fished one until this year and learned how to rig/fish them. Others were mostly on spinnerbait and paddletail swim bait. oh and caught a 20" pike on a ned rig lol
Randy🤠 I'm thinking the top 5 are watch because people what to learn more about it🤔 and the least 5 is because Anglers think they already know so they not interested🤪😜. That's my You-Tube opinion 😬
I agree with your top 5 but in general, I don't think anglers in California crank as much as folks In Missouri.
I have the best luck with crankbaits, jerkbaits, and spinners.
Most anglers only fish 1-2 time a week so they rather catch number and have fun. So of course they choose a bait that catches the most fish.
Perhaps everyone does agree with you and have those top choice lures pretty much perfected and don’t need to watch those videos and are watching the other ones because they DON’T fish them as much and are looking for the tips on them to be able to fish them more effectively when the conditions warrant those types of baits
Jigs?! On the least popular list?! I have no words. Spinnerbaits too??? Commmmme on guys