What Lure to Use and When

DISCLAIMER:

Yes, I know live bait works best but I don't make live bait. :)

Just a few comments and observations:

1.   Always carry different size lures. "Match the hatch"
2.   "Big baits - big fish" maybe true but don't be afraid to downsize
3.   Tip your plastic's tail in Spike It Chartreuse UNSCENTED dye.
4.   Spray your plastics with Shad spray (found at any Academy)
5.   With topwaters in the fall, try throwing the lure into 2 inches of water.
6.   When longlining, don't be afraid to let out a lot of line.
7.   When it is sunny and you are throwing topwaters, use a clear lure
8.   When dead sticking, make sure your lure is ABOVE the fish
9.   Fish feed UP; not down
10. In the fall, try TREELING; it's an Axman technique; very effective
11. Treeling = Troll and let out about 150 to 200 feet of line
      Slowly retrieve the sassy or coho while allowing it to bounce off the       bottom
12.  When using in plastics in late fall / winter, reel slowly.
      Prune Picker once told me, "If you think you are reeling slow, slow       down."
13.  When schooling stops on the surface, don't leave the area. Bigger fish       often hang around deeper than the school and they'll clean up the       falling shad "pieces"
14. When slabbing, CHEAT. Tie on a dressed teaser hook (1/0) or a pet       spoon (#12) about 18 to 24 inches up the line from the slab.
15.  When dead sticking, use a rod in each hand.

If you have some tips to share, email them to me and I'll post them with your info so you get the credit.

Ask 100 fishermen what lure to use on any given day and you will most likely get 100 different answers. Based on my experience, I listed out what lures I would recommend to use as a function of the month.

I then bounced the question off a few professional guids in the area, got their inputs and put together the following. I hope you find it useful information.

January: SLOW roll your plastics!!

1. Swim Baits (Storm Wild Eyes)
2. Sassy Shad (around the rocks, in the creeks)
3. Flukes (around the rocks, in the creeks)
4. Cocahoes (around the rocks, in the creeks)
5. Dead Sticking Techniques (use flukes, bass assassins)
6. Strolling and A-Rigs Techniques (use sassy bodies, grub tails, ribbon tails)

February: SLOW roll your plastics!!

1. Swim Baits (Storm Wild Eyes)
2. Sassy Shad (around the rocks, in the creeks)
3. Flukes (around the rocks, in the creeks)
4. Cocahoes (around the rocks, in the creeks)
5. Dead Sticking Techniques (use flukes, bass assassins)
6. Strolling and A-Rigs Techniques (use sassy bodies, grub tails, ribbon tails)

March: Watch water temperatures. Dead sticking will start to fall off between 55 and 60 F

1. Swim Baits (Storm Wild Eyes)
2. Sassy Shad and Spinner (around the rocks, in the creeks)
3. Flukes (around the rocks, in the creeks)
4. Cocahoes and Spinner Cohos (around the rocks, in the creeks)
5. Dead Sticking Techniques (use flukes, bass assassins)
6. Down rigging with buck tail jigs
7. Horse Head jigs along the rocks
8. ReAxtion Rattles
9. Long lining with ReAxtion Rattles, Wobbles, and Sassys
10. Strolling and A-Rigs Techniques (use sassy bodies, grub tails, ribbon tails)

April:

1. Top Water
2. Swim Baits (Storm Wild Eyes)
3. Long Lining (Thundersticks, Shad Raps, etc.)
4. Down rigging with buck tail jigs
5. Horse Head jigs along the rocks
6. Long lining with ReAxtion Rattles, Wobbles, and Sassys
7. Strolling and A-Rigs Techniques (use sassy bodies, grub tails, ribbon tails)

May:

1. Top Water
2. Slabs
3. Long Lining (Thundersticks, Shad Raps, etc.)
4. Down rigging with buck tail jigs
5. Long lining with ReAxtion Rattles, Wobbles, and Sassys

June:

1. Top Water
2. Slabs
3. Down rigging with Long As, Rattle Traps
4. Long Lining (Thundersticks, Shad Raps, etc.)

July:

1. Top Water
2. Slabs
3. Down rigging with Long As, Rattle Traps, Sassy Shad
4. Hell Pet rigs

August:

1. Top Water
2. Slabs
3. Down rigging with Long As, Rattle Traps, Sassy Shad
4. Hell Pet rigs

September:

1.Top Water
2.Slabs
3.Down rigging with Long As, Rattle Traps, Sassy Shad
4. Hell Pet rigs

October:

1. Top Water
2. Slabs
3. Sassy Shad (around the rocks, in the creeks)
4. Cocahoes (around the rocks, in the creeks)
5. Hell Pet rigs

November: Start to watch water temperatures going down. Dead sticking is good when temperatures go below 55 F or so.

1. Swim Baits
2. Sassy Shad (around the rocks, in the creeks)
3. Top Water
4. Cocahoes (around the rocks, in the creeks)
5. Dead Sticking Techniques (use flukes, bass assassins)

December:SLOW roll your plastics!!

1. Sassy Shad (around the rocks, in the creeks)
2. Flukes
3. Wild Eyes
4. Cocahoes (around the rocks, in the creeks)
5. Dead Sticking Techniques (use flukes, bass assassins)