In AZ, it never really gets cold. Cold days are like 60. So dropshot, jigs, chatterbaits, cranks, and swimbaits work well year round. I can throw a lipless and get them all year. Jerkbaits are year round here.
Great video ++ The lipless 100%!! One soft plastic that works year 'round here in my parts of TX... worms 10-12 inches. I'd have to say 7 and 8 inches are a gray area.
Thanks Matt. I'm sure it's already been said but the spinnerbait can do it. Spinnerbaits are squeakers for winter but will work. They used to dominate the other 3 months, years ago. Good video, makes you think. Imagine a tournament with only 5 single lures, like a single type/color crankbait and a single type/color spinnerbait etc. Lure manufactors would lose there minds!
Excellent selection esp the warpig…I live in Florida and slay them year round on the black and gold lipless crankbait..however I will say I was surprised you didn’t choose a buzzbait or chatterbait as a producer year round! Excellent content and top notch advice…you remind of me of the late and great Aaron Martens!
@@MattStefanFishing no it does not, you just haven't figured out the secret. I catch fish on buzzbaits when I'm busting ice out of the eyes on my rod, they are big fish to. The key is timing and retrieve, look into PAT CULLEN to learn it all.
@@youtubzkoz well they can drill holes and jig when that happens but my point was, it doesn't matter how cold the water is they will hit a buzzbait. I personally caught a 7 pounder on a savage gear suicide duck right when I started reeling again after busting ice out of the guides on my rod. It works so dont knock it till you try it buddy.
@thenigga3374 pat Cullen huh? As a Florida guy I feel like I'm leaving some hawgs on the table without mastering a buzzer. Need to add it to my arsenal.
I’ll have to agree with ur list! Caught my biggest bass for 2022 on ur jig and keitech in sturgeon bay 6lb smallie post spawn. Small swimbaits are my old faithful when times are tough.
I would switch out a 3-inch twister tail grub for 3.3-inch paddletail, especially for winter. IMO, you can get a twister to kick at slower speeds than the paddletail. The twister tail can also be dragged as a Ned Rig.
Good choices Matt the only other bait I would add is a tube bait it can be fished in 2 ft or 40 ft in the north east I have one tied on all year . Great content Matt.
I started using a hybrid of two of your choices: small finesse tungsten jig in a baitfish color with a 2.8 or 3.3 swimmer. Very versatile. When pitched/flipped in the summer it’s a different look and you can also swim it the way you would on a Guppy Head.
Yep, like a Bandit 200 crankbait down here. I remember when they were $2.50. That's whats bad about getting old, you can remember 35 yrs ago like it was yesterday...but you can't remember yesterday
All excellents choices , since i live in Quebec and now almost everything is frozen , you could say that i fish 🎣 from april to November, i would only ad a ned rig , Berkley or Zman to that arsenal 🎉
five percent lures I start each day with brings confidence to my strength ,a great conversation maximize time on the water locating bass on different locations an depth I like that approach for consistency, thanks 🙏 😮
A friend I know who fishes tournaments in Tennessee told me after a tournament in the winter that the deep bass would not bite his ned rig. Now you backed up his statement and I am double surprised. 🐟🐟
I like to play this game as well 😂, so I paused the video to list my best, spinner baits, rattle baits, jig, med dive crank baits 4-10 footers .. that is about it for me. Others not so much Year around. Wish I could claim the jerk bait and plastics, 🤷🏻♀️ ,, at least you get a comment this way and I know you are going to ask 🫣
@@MattStefanFishing thank you, you have a great channel! It’s very informative. I stopped competitive fishing years back. Just to many hammers. Super skill in the locals. It’s amazing to watch you and others share. Hope this format helps to support your career and family! Thank you for sharing!
Love the Berkely stunner I got the pleasure of winning new year tourment man that was eating it like no other the purple looking one is my favorite 46 degree water great show
This might be cheating to cover two slots but I use the big trds on weighted wacky hooks and then cut them in half or to whatever size I need for neds. Makes the stick worm more year round.
A jerkbait is a great choice! I just recently have gotten into throwing those year-round. But one of my top baits for all year is a swim jig. You already know what a great bait a swim jig is in warmer water, but I've been using them in the winter too. In the super thick hydrilla of my local fisheries, I've been taking the skirt off and putting a 3.3 Keitech or 3.25 Rage Swimmer on the back and slow rolling it just like you would a normal swimbait. I've caught more nice doing that than I can count at this point.
@@chadjohnson6407 Essentially, yes; except a very weedless swimbait. That's sorta the point. Imagine someone letting their lawn grow for 10 years and then flooding it with 5 feet of water. Those are the lakes I fish. A regular ball head swimbait jig just gets gummed up with gunk on every cast. Slow rolling a swimbait near the bottom is a tried and true presentation during the winter. This is my version of it. And it works, especially for bank anglers.
Great choices thanks for the info! without plugging for a sponsor 😉 the types are absolutely spot on, from high speed cranking winter fish to dredging breaks and points for summer bass a slimmer medium running crank bait is a must, swim baits are year round smashers, jigs no question about it, jerk baits are awesome year round too now that the secrets out and yes a lipless, man there’s a zillion ways to fish it and I have caught giants year round on them!!
From the bank I would have to swap out the medium/crank for the Ned. I do love the jig, swimbait, lipless and am working on the jerk more! Really appreciate the year around/versatile bait videos.
My go to year round are 6xd, vibrating jig, jerkbait, 3.25 swimbait, Red eye Shad, and finesse jig. How I use the vibrating jig in the winter is straight retrieve other than that I very my retrieve.
Matt, I also use a spinner bait all year around. Living in west Texas my weather is a lot different than yours in the winter. Great video as always. Keep up the great videos.
Thanks, Matt. Great list! You picked 3 I had in my head. Swap a Ned for your crankbait, and a TR Stickbait for your lipless, and I'm good. As much as I try, I WANT to get confidence in cranks, squarebills etc. but I simply cannot. Short of bringing 1 rod in the boat, I just can't stick with it! Live down here in TN, (Chick, Nickajack) but spend summers up by you. Maybe I will chase smallies on the WI river with cranks for a while., but again, I go back to my faves. Ideas? Any others have this aversion to cranks?
Good info. What would be your top 5 for spring, summer, fall if you don't fish in winter? Can't handle the cold anymore. Just wondering what would change for you
I would have a Senko in my Top 5 year round baits. A great Wacky, TX rig, Neko & drop shot bait so very versatile all year here in TX. I would also at a bladed jig.
My top five for year round in NC 1 Soft jerkbait 2 Jig (Using a creature bait for a trailer can let you cheat and Texas rig the creature.) 3 DT-6 4 Trick worm (Can be used multiple ways.) 5 Spinnerbait (Would be a finesse worm here but there’s times you have to throw a spinnerbait. And use a swimbait for the trailer to cheat again.)
Perfect list, I'm surprised you didn't add a slow rolling spinner bait, but otherwise excellent. Are you going to use 10 to 12 pound flurocarbon on all these lures?
Interesting choices, similar to mine but it's all a matter of preference. I'm definitely going to pickup some of those money badger's, it's trying to narrow down what colors 🤔
Sorry but I would have to add a senko as this bait has caught fish all year in every lake I have fished in. At least 60+% of all my bass have been on a senko. I addition I would add a lipless crankbait and a square bill. These all work Year round. If the fish are stubborn, cut your senko and Ned rig it 😉
1) Mepps spinners 2) Round jighead with curly tail grub or hair 3) Swimbait jighead with keitech fat swing impact 4) Rat L Trap lipless crankbait 5) LIttle Cleo spoons are my top five year round baits. A detailed video about weed guards would be amazing. I have never seen anyone use them unless it was a youtube video. I don't understand how they work or where to use them. I'm confused about the difference between the strands of fibre vs the two metal wire vs one that catches the barb. Everything about the weed guard confuses me and I just cut it off like you mentioned in this video because I think it impedes hook sets.
No one fishes a spoon much anymore. In the 1/8 oz. Size. A wacky worm fished in the winter will work on Smallmouths on the Ozark rivers. It's got to be the right heavy sait super soft on a Circle hook. A S-KING ZERO in cold AND A GENERAL IN WARMER waters. A spinnerbait maybe
I would hate to have to limit my bait selection what is would be my choices based on the type of water I'm fishing. If fishing a natural lake with a lot of weed cover I would use,
In a natural lake I would use a spinner bait, Texas rigged worm, A swim jig, A pop'r, And a soft jerk bait fished weedless. On a river system or the upper reaches of a reservoir I would use a lipless crank Bait, A jig, a square bill crank bait, a jig and Paddletail trailer, And some sort of top water. Sorry as usual I fat fingered the original Comments before I was done.
My choice is slightly different but dictated by the type of lakes I'm fishing, typically highland reservoirs, so my must to have: jerkbait, deep running crankbait, squarebill, soft swimbait in 3.8 and a soft plastic craw/beaver/shrimp imitation in 3.5 These are the most productive baits all year long
Follower question: What are the top baits that you very seldom use but do not have confidence to leave at home when you go out on the water, and why? Understanding that the answer depending on time of year.
I'm like Randy in that I use jerkbaits year round. Also love throwing topwaters even when there's no fish. I know they don't work like that but it's too fun not to throw em. Since you wanna bring up the Berkley stuff, the swim video on the Badger looks on point. I don't know. I don't have one. If I had one, I would know. Videos are different than in real life. The Stunna is ok for me. They do work. I'm just not a fan. I think it has to do with something like this, my brother says, "Berkley always use cheap material to build their lures. They are the cheapest." Pass it on. The quality needs to improve. Not even knocking. For drifting currents, a rounder jighead like that Dirty Jig or perhaps a Berkley jig on a Shakey-angled eye is crucial. Round and currents go better together. It just makes perfect sense.
@@MattStefanFishing I agree that they have improved significantly. I do agree with my brother that they still feel cheap like a Lew's reel, and even use cheap plastics in certain cases. For example, the stiff Chappo tail is in a way, better bc it's a hard tail, but still too light, too thin, and looks like it will break or crack. Sometimes it's also the designs. In the Stunna, I think it is both the material and design that gives this feel. Same in the Chappo...Same in the War Pig in terms of feel...but I know the Pig is built tough. When you take a Berkley lure and set it next to a JDM or a Rapala, you see the big difference. It may not even be true. IDK, they need to give you that premium feel. That's my constructive criticism. It does not have the it factor.
That’s a loaded question depending on where he’s located. Big difference between a fishery in Florida vs Michigan. I think you’d change that list if you had to pick your top 5 southern fisheries baits and top 5 northern baits. Drop shot would be a definite northern bait. Flipping jig a southern bait.
Matt, I know you put a lot of thought into your choices but I think you missed the mark. I fished out of a kayak for years and caught more bass than I have in my boat for a couple of simple reasons. I had to milk every spot and I didn't have much room for tackle. Crankbaits and jerk baits can get expensive so I relied on plastics A senko style worm can be fished a hundred different ways. A fluke is the same; Carolina rig, wobble head, flipping, twitching by itself or doubles etc. Certain craw baits can be flipped, Carolina rig, punching, wobble head, swim it, you name it. DEFINITELY gonna have some 3.3 and 4.3 swimbaits with me everywhere I go. Keep the colors simple. If the fish are active color is not quite as important as just keeping your bait wet! An arkie-style head jig will go through most cover and can be used to skip or as a swim jig. Most of these baits just need a small variety of hooks and weights and can be used for power or finesse fishing. I make my own Tokyo rigs with various length wire that can be bought in bulk on eBay or large warehouse sites. I buy jigs off of eBay, paying attention to what kind of hook is used. No name hooks tends to rust and I can typically get each jig for less than $3 each. You can build your own jigs from Boss Jigs for the same $! Think cheap but buy smart!
Great video. As a bank angler ... lipless, tiny og / frittside, boss finesse flip jig, NED, and then drop shot.
thanks for sharing!
Matt thanks for the new info..
You bet!
In AZ, it never really gets cold. Cold days are like 60. So dropshot, jigs, chatterbaits, cranks, and swimbaits work well year round. I can throw a lipless and get them all year. Jerkbaits are year round here.
Very true
I wouldn't disagree with your lure choices. Great tips.
Thanks!
Great video!!! Good choices!!!! Maybe a squarebill?? Stay Safe & God Bless!!!
Thanks! You too!
Soft plastic minnow imitation is decent year round on a jighead winter, drop shot summer, scrounger head spring and fall.
yes it is!
Good stuff as usual.
thanks!
Great video ++
The lipless 100%!! One soft plastic that works year 'round here in my parts of TX... worms 10-12 inches. I'd have to say 7 and 8 inches are a gray area.
the lipless is a great year round bait!
Thanks Matt. I'm sure it's already been said but the spinnerbait can do it. Spinnerbaits are squeakers for winter but will work. They used to dominate the other 3 months, years ago. Good video, makes you think.
Imagine a tournament with only 5 single lures, like a single type/color crankbait and a single type/color spinnerbait etc. Lure manufactors would lose there minds!
spinnerbait was one of my considerations!
Excellent selection esp the warpig…I live in Florida and slay them year round on the black and gold lipless crankbait..however I will say I was surprised you didn’t choose a buzzbait or chatterbait as a producer year round! Excellent content and top notch advice…you remind of me of the late and great Aaron Martens!
buzzbait just looses its ability in water below 50 degrees...
@@MattStefanFishing no it does not, you just haven't figured out the secret. I catch fish on buzzbaits when I'm busting ice out of the eyes on my rod, they are big fish to. The key is timing and retrieve, look into PAT CULLEN to learn it all.
They get ice lol buzzbaits are hard to throw on ice lol
@@youtubzkoz well they can drill holes and jig when that happens but my point was, it doesn't matter how cold the water is they will hit a buzzbait. I personally caught a 7 pounder on a savage gear suicide duck right when I started reeling again after busting ice out of the guides on my rod. It works so dont knock it till you try it buddy.
@thenigga3374 pat Cullen huh? As a Florida guy I feel like I'm leaving some hawgs on the table without mastering a buzzer. Need to add it to my arsenal.
I’ll have to agree with ur list! Caught my biggest bass for 2022 on ur jig and keitech in sturgeon bay 6lb smallie post spawn. Small swimbaits are my old faithful when times are tough.
that would have been a big one pre spawn!
@@MattStefanFishing ikr!
Great list, #6 In-line Spinner. Adjust the size and color to match the season.
they work so well!
I would switch out a 3-inch twister tail grub for 3.3-inch paddletail, especially for winter. IMO, you can get a twister to kick at slower speeds than the paddletail. The twister tail can also be dragged as a Ned Rig.
could choice!
Enjoyed seeing you on BTL. The “Pump and Munch” discussion had me cracking up. Lol
haha! i had a hard time keeping it together during the pump and munch segment
Thanks for the information! Great information shared as always!
You bet!
Thanks Matt for these bait choices 👍
You bet!
Great video Matt thank you sir. Keep them coming.
will do!
Good picks!
thanks!
Good choices Matt the only other bait I would add is a tube bait it can be fished in 2 ft or 40 ft in the north east I have one tied on all year .
Great content Matt.
Good call, I forgot that one. Even largemouth will eat the tube in winter.
tube does produce year round and can be fished in so many different ways
5 good ones.👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks!
I started using a hybrid of two of your choices: small finesse tungsten jig in a baitfish color with a 2.8 or 3.3 swimmer. Very versatile. When pitched/flipped in the summer it’s a different look and you can also swim it the way you would on a Guppy Head.
thanks for sharing!
I would have to consider a Ned rig in the choices somewhere in that year round top five?
Neds can be good year round as well!
I would pick a spinnerbait. But that is my opinion. Great video!
Spinnerbaits are good year round baits!
With the cost of today's fishing lure, I carry snorkel and fins in the event I break a line on a limb.
I hear you!
I just saw a video for a jerk bait Alabama rig. You put 4 or 5 jerk Baits on an Alabama rig, that lures costin you triple digits.
Great idea
Yep, like a Bandit 200 crankbait down here. I remember when they were $2.50. That's whats bad about getting old, you can remember 35 yrs ago like it was yesterday...but you can't remember yesterday
haha so true
Thanks Matt . Great line up . Its funny I'm still catching them on a drop shot and crank bait in 38 d water.
nothing wrong with that!
Maybe a shaky head also
Thanks for sharing!
Mine for bass are the tube, jig’n rap, cast master, money badger, and hair jig. Honorable mention is the hulapopper!
thanks for sharing!
I think you could add a tube to that list.
good call!
Very good picks and good information on your video thanks and good fishing 🎣
thanks!
All excellents choices , since i live in Quebec and now almost everything is frozen , you could say that i fish 🎣 from april to November, i would only ad a ned rig , Berkley or Zman to that arsenal 🎉
thanks for sharing!
My top baits are 1.5 square bill n a spinnerbait
thanks for sharing!
That was an awesome video. Can you do a part 2 and going into color selection. Like what would be the must have colors in the baits you just listed.
Great idea!
Wow right on the same only difference change out $ badger with ned rig .Thanks Matt
nice!
Gimme a jig and lets go baby...
jigs are great!
five percent lures I start each day with brings confidence to my strength ,a great conversation maximize time on the water locating bass on different locations an depth I like that approach for consistency, thanks 🙏 😮
confidence is key!
Awesome picks bro 4 out of 5 I keep on for sure ! 👍
Thanks 👍
A friend I know who fishes tournaments in Tennessee told me after a tournament in the winter that the deep bass would not bite his ned rig. Now you backed up his statement and I am double surprised. 🐟🐟
you can still catch some but they lose some of their power as the water gets cold
The only bait I think should be added to this list is a Ned rig. Finesse TRD with a EWG Ned head. Can’t beat it
thanks for sharing!
I like to play this game as well 😂, so I paused the video to list my best, spinner baits, rattle baits, jig, med dive crank baits 4-10 footers .. that is about it for me. Others not so much Year around. Wish I could claim the jerk bait and plastics, 🤷🏻♀️ ,, at least you get a comment this way and I know you are going to ask 🫣
I will strive to gain more confidence in the jerk baits and learn the swim baits better. 😂 great video
thanks for sharing!
@@MattStefanFishing thank you, you have a great channel! It’s very informative. I stopped competitive fishing years back. Just to many hammers. Super skill in the locals. It’s amazing to watch you and others share. Hope this format helps to support your career and family! Thank you for sharing!
Love the Berkely stunner I got the pleasure of winning new year tourment man that was eating it like no other the purple looking one is my favorite 46 degree water great show
its a good jerkbait
I would just add a tailspin.
good bait
Those are good choices but I would add in a Ned in there it’s also a year round bait to me good content brother keep up the great work
This might be cheating to cover two slots but I use the big trds on weighted wacky hooks and then cut them in half or to whatever size I need for neds. Makes the stick worm more year round.
its hard to argue with a ned
A jerkbait is a great choice! I just recently have gotten into throwing those year-round. But one of my top baits for all year is a swim jig. You already know what a great bait a swim jig is in warmer water, but I've been using them in the winter too. In the super thick hydrilla of my local fisheries, I've been taking the skirt off and putting a 3.3 Keitech or 3.25 Rage Swimmer on the back and slow rolling it just like you would a normal swimbait. I've caught more nice doing that than I can count at this point.
thanks for sharing!
If you take the skirt off, did you not just turn it into a swim bait?
@@chadjohnson6407 Essentially, yes; except a very weedless swimbait. That's sorta the point. Imagine someone letting their lawn grow for 10 years and then flooding it with 5 feet of water. Those are the lakes I fish. A regular ball head swimbait jig just gets gummed up with gunk on every cast. Slow rolling a swimbait near the bottom is a tried and true presentation during the winter. This is my version of it. And it works, especially for bank anglers.
Kietech and Berkley commercial?
I wish I was sponsored by Keitech they make some great baits!
Great choices thanks for the info! without plugging for a sponsor 😉 the types are absolutely spot on, from high speed cranking winter fish to dredging breaks and points for summer bass a slimmer medium running crank bait is a must, swim baits are year round smashers, jigs no question about it, jerk baits are awesome year round too now that the secrets out and yes a lipless, man there’s a zillion ways to fish it and I have caught giants year round on them!!
Right on!
Mine would be jig, fritzside, buzzbait, vision 110, and t-rig. They ain't biting one them, they ain't biting!
all good baits!
From the bank I would have to swap out the medium/crank for the Ned. I do love the jig, swimbait, lipless and am working on the jerk more! Really appreciate the year around/versatile bait videos.
Thanks!
My go to year round are 6xd, vibrating jig, jerkbait, 3.25 swimbait, Red eye Shad, and finesse jig. How I use the vibrating jig in the winter is straight retrieve other than that I very my retrieve.
thanks for sharing!
Matt, I also use a spinner bait all year around. Living in west Texas my weather is a lot different than yours in the winter. Great video as always. Keep up the great videos.
Sounds great!
When do you prefer spinning reel prior to bait caster and the other way arround? Thx
if its less than 3/16 oz i tend to go with spinning gear
Jerkbaits during the summer when you have moving flowing water crushes em here in Louisiana too
awesome!
Thanks, Matt. Great list! You picked 3 I had in my head. Swap a Ned for your crankbait, and a TR Stickbait for your lipless, and I'm good. As much as I try, I WANT to get confidence in cranks, squarebills etc. but I simply cannot. Short of bringing 1 rod in the boat, I just can't stick with it! Live down here in TN, (Chick, Nickajack) but spend summers up by you. Maybe I will chase smallies on the WI river with cranks for a while., but again, I go back to my faves. Ideas? Any others have this aversion to cranks?
i avoid cranking for the most part
i know lots do
Awesome video ! Can you tell me what size hooks are on the stunna? I know fusion 19 but not the size thanks in advance
size 4/0 or 6/0 both work on them
Agree. Very difficult task. I probably would trade a drop shot for the Lipless. I like the Matt Stefan head because you can damiki as well.
i could see that
Great choices of baits, I would feel very confident with these 5 baits!
thanks!
Good info. What would be your top 5 for spring, summer, fall if you don't fish in winter? Can't handle the cold anymore. Just wondering what would change for you
Great suggestion!
Texas rig! I’ll die on this hill!
hard to argue withit
I would have a Senko in my Top 5 year round baits. A great Wacky, TX rig, Neko & drop shot bait so very versatile all year here in TX. I would also at a bladed jig.
thanks for sharing!
What size guppy head on the 3.3?
my favorite is the 3/16 oz 1/0 hook
My top five for year round in NC
1 Soft jerkbait
2 Jig (Using a creature bait for a trailer can let you cheat and Texas rig the creature.)
3 DT-6
4 Trick worm (Can be used multiple ways.)
5 Spinnerbait (Would be a finesse worm here but there’s times you have to throw a spinnerbait. And use a swimbait for the trailer to cheat again.)
all good baits!
You have one of the most amazing bait collections I’ve ever seen😳
haha! thanks! i have a problem!
@@MattStefanFishing yeah it’s called “too much passion”! Lol
Lime your choices but i would include soft plastic baits.
thanks!
Perfect list, I'm surprised you didn't add a slow rolling spinner bait, but otherwise excellent. Are you going to use 10 to 12 pound flurocarbon on all these lures?
15 lb fluoro is my go to but it really depends on the bait. i did consider a spinnerbait
Interesting you went with that tungsten jig instead of a swim bait for year round
preference i guess
That killer craw is the only colour I would buy and I cannot find it
dang!
Drop shots
can be hard to beat!
I have good luck with a spinner bait year round
its a good bait!
I know lot guys don’t fish it any more but 3 and 4 inch grub hard beat any time yr stand alone or trailer
yep!
Interesting choices, similar to mine but it's all a matter of preference. I'm definitely going to pickup some of those money badger's, it's trying to narrow down what colors 🤔
stick with what you have confidence in
Sorry but I would have to add a senko as this bait has caught fish all year in every lake I have fished in. At least 60+% of all my bass have been on a senko. I addition I would add a lipless crankbait and a square bill. These all work Year round. If the fish are stubborn, cut your senko and Ned rig it 😉
Stick with what you have confidence in!
1) Mepps spinners 2) Round jighead with curly tail grub or hair 3) Swimbait jighead with keitech fat swing impact 4) Rat L Trap lipless crankbait 5) LIttle Cleo spoons are my top five year round baits.
A detailed video about weed guards would be amazing. I have never seen anyone use them unless it was a youtube video. I don't understand how they work or where to use them. I'm confused about the difference between the strands of fibre vs the two metal wire vs one that catches the barb. Everything about the weed guard confuses me and I just cut it off like you mentioned in this video because I think it impedes hook sets.
good suggestion!
No one fishes a spoon much anymore. In the 1/8 oz. Size. A wacky worm fished in the winter will work on Smallmouths on the Ozark rivers. It's got to be the right heavy sait super soft on a Circle hook. A S-KING ZERO in cold AND A GENERAL IN WARMER waters. A spinnerbait maybe
Thanks for the info
I would hate to have to limit my bait selection what is would be my choices based on the type of water I'm fishing. If fishing a natural lake with a lot of weed cover I would use,
In a natural lake I would use a spinner bait, Texas rigged worm, A swim jig, A pop'r, And a soft jerk bait fished weedless. On a river system or the upper reaches of a reservoir I would use a lipless crank Bait, A jig, a square bill crank bait, a jig and Paddletail trailer, And some sort of top water. Sorry as usual I fat fingered the original Comments before I was done.
all good picks!
My choice is slightly different but dictated by the type of lakes I'm fishing, typically highland reservoirs, so my must to have: jerkbait, deep running crankbait, squarebill, soft swimbait in 3.8 and a soft plastic craw/beaver/shrimp imitation in 3.5
These are the most productive baits all year long
lake type will make a difference. thanks for sharing!
Follower question: What are the top baits that you very seldom use but do not have confidence to leave at home when you go out on the water, and why? Understanding that the answer depending on time of year.
Oversize swimbaits, hard or soft.
good video suggestion. thanks!
A single tackle box?? Heaven forbid!!
haha!
If I could only fish one bait the rest of my life it would be a drop shot but I would love to learn a new bait that would supplant the drop shot.
hard to argue with that
volume
ill look into it
@@MattStefanFishing great content! Keep em coming !!!
🤧 👍 😷
thanks!
I'm like Randy in that I use jerkbaits year round. Also love throwing topwaters even when there's no fish. I know they don't work like that but it's too fun not to throw em.
Since you wanna bring up the Berkley stuff, the swim video on the Badger looks on point. I don't know. I don't have one. If I had one, I would know. Videos are different than in real life.
The Stunna is ok for me. They do work. I'm just not a fan. I think it has to do with something like this, my brother says, "Berkley always use cheap material to build their lures. They are the cheapest." Pass it on. The quality needs to improve. Not even knocking.
For drifting currents, a rounder jighead like that Dirty Jig or perhaps a Berkley jig on a Shakey-angled eye is crucial. Round and currents go better together. It just makes perfect sense.
I completely disagree with the cheap materials comment. I think years ago that may have been true but they are high quality now
@@MattStefanFishing I agree that they have improved significantly. I do agree with my brother that they still feel cheap like a Lew's reel, and even use cheap plastics in certain cases. For example, the stiff Chappo tail is in a way, better bc it's a hard tail, but still too light, too thin, and looks like it will break or crack. Sometimes it's also the designs. In the Stunna, I think it is both the material and design that gives this feel. Same in the Chappo...Same in the War Pig in terms of feel...but I know the Pig is built tough. When you take a Berkley lure and set it next to a JDM or a Rapala, you see the big difference. It may not even be true. IDK, they need to give you that premium feel. That's my constructive criticism. It does not have the it factor.
not so easy topic
tough to choose
Spinnerbaits
i definitely considered them
That’s a loaded question depending on where he’s located. Big difference between a fishery in Florida vs Michigan. I think you’d change that list if you had to pick your top 5 southern fisheries baits and top 5 northern baits. Drop shot would be a definite northern bait. Flipping jig a southern bait.
agreed
First!
Nice!
Matt, I know you put a lot of thought into your choices but I think you missed the mark. I fished out of a kayak for years and caught more bass than I have in my boat for a couple of simple reasons. I had to milk every spot and I didn't have much room for tackle. Crankbaits and jerk baits can get expensive so I relied on plastics
A senko style worm can be fished a hundred different ways. A fluke is the same; Carolina rig, wobble head, flipping, twitching by itself or doubles etc.
Certain craw baits can be flipped, Carolina rig, punching, wobble head, swim it, you name it.
DEFINITELY gonna have some 3.3 and 4.3 swimbaits with me everywhere I go. Keep the colors simple. If the fish are active color is not quite as important as just keeping your bait wet!
An arkie-style head jig will go through most cover and can be used to skip or as a swim jig.
Most of these baits just need a small variety of hooks and weights and can be used for power or finesse fishing. I make my own Tokyo rigs with various length wire that can be bought in bulk on eBay or large warehouse sites. I buy jigs off of eBay, paying attention to what kind of hook is used. No name hooks tends to rust and I can typically get each jig for less than $3 each. You can build your own jigs from Boss Jigs for the same $!
Think cheap but buy smart!
thanks for sharing and its hard to argue with a bunch of your picks!
I know lot guys don’t fish it any more but 3 and 4 inch grub hard beat any time yr stand alone or trailer
yep!