confidence bait

[ont_angler]

Looking to add to my already over loaded tackle hoard.

What are some confidence baits (species doesn't matter) that you always use throughout the hard water season.

Cheers.

[mcully]

gold 5/8 ounce XPS blade

[DR.SPECKLER]

3 or 4 mm tungsten jigs in white,black,gold or red for panfish.rarely have to change my jig all season with these colors.3mm for shallow and 4mm in deeper water to get back down faster.

[cwavs1982]

For panfish it is either the pinhead minnow or a 5mm hammered gold tungsten jig and white plastic.  For Walleye it has to be a gold 1/4 oz jig; and quickly becoming a new favorite is the Lindy glow spoons in red. 

[primepin65]

For panfish it is either the pinhead minnow or a 5mm hammered gold tungsten jig and white plastic.  For Walleye it has to be a gold 1/4 oz jig; and quickly becoming a new favorite is the Lindy glow spoons in red.

What time of day are you running the lindy glow spoon? I bought one last year and used it off and on for 2 days and couldn't pay for a bite.

[bart]

CJ&S Diamond Jig(red glow) and Shad Rap(firetiger) are always on a rod or two for me... and Hali(glow perch) get an honorable mention too!

[fishslap]

Clam drop kick jig with a white clam maki maki.  Tungsten jig with a large white maki mino.

[skifisher]

Here’s a few of mine…

[meandcuznalfy]

Swedish pimple

[FishGut]

Northland Bloodworm

[JBDekes]

Gold/Orange jigging rap (#2) for everything under a walleye, size 5 for walleye and whitefish.

Also have a 5mm gold jig on a palm rod with a small plastic minnow.

[Dirt23]

Hali sakula jig largest size 2 spikes hooked on anything from perch to lake trout will eat this

[zcm_82]

2-3mm mooska style jig with a bit of nightcrawler or Gulp waxie on it is my go-to. Usually if something is around, they'll hit it, at least out of curiosity.

[cwavs1982]

What time of day are you running the lindy glow spoon? I bought one last year and used it off and on for 2 days and couldn't pay for a bite.

Use this spoon mainly up on LOTW.  Morning and later in the afternoon seems to be the best time for this. 

[MumbleSEED]

Swedish Pimple or the Hali.  IF the fish ain't biting go to the plastics.

[filetandrelease]

 Waters I fish for eyes and perch jigging raps 3-9 in a variety of patterns and cast masters also in several sizes and colors all tipped with a minnow head

[Unclegillhunter]

J&S slender spoon!  Change the color to find what the fish prefer athe the moment.
Keep it safe JDL

[Raquettedacker]

Swedish Pimple or the Hali.  IF the fish ain't biting go to the plastics.

  X 2. 👍

[perch chacer]

For perch, 1/32 or 1/16 oz tungsten with a perch eye, definitely a perch eye.

[slipperybob]

Aside from the tried and true lures of the old or simple lures, I do like to buy into newer designs that are shiny, glows bright, or have very sharp quality hooks.

Some lures, you try for first time and fish just slams it directly, while some just merely spooks the fish away.  Some are just fun to play with.

I always start with a Northland Mimic Minnow fry or Bloodworm on a plain jig.  That's if fishing with no bait, but soft plastics for the bait.  If I downsize into smaller jigs and plastics it's a Little Atoms Skimpies or Dupees or Nuggies. 


If I feel like bare metal spoons, I start with my trusty old Dardevle Spoons.  If I am baiting with a piece of minnow, then I got for the Kastmaster or Swedish Pimple first.  If I downsize for less action it will be the Northland Forage Minnow spoon.  If a little more finesse action, then the Reins Palpuntin Spoon.  If I want sometime to glide out of the sonar cone, then the Mepps Syclops Spoon.  And the list just goes on with jigging spoons.

Jigging Blades and lipless crankbaits are sort of a hit or miss even on back to back days.  I ran the Kender's K-Rips and Eurotackle Z-Viber.  Both are only so so and actually worked better baited, but that was more of bait and less of lure making it more of just a weight.  Same thing applied to some more recently attempted lures like MajorCraft Jigpara Blade and Jigpara Micro Spin lures.  Only difference was on day one these lures got smacked hard by fish and hook up rate was awesome.  I also used 13Fishing Magic Man micro and Rapala Rippin Rap Ultralight.  The Rapala Slab Rap did better for me, but still had the hardest fish hit on the 13Fishing Majic Man micro lipless crank.   The Kenders T-Rip with bait got the most attention on the fish I was on.  Basically made me shelved the Kender's K-Rips and Eurotakle Z-Vibers.

Lures that I must never forget are: Lindy's Rattly'n Flyer spoons, Northland Buckshot spoons, Salmo Chubby Darter, Rapala Jigging raps.

Even if I don't catch a single fish, the list of lures that I go throughout the day would take up the day. 

[jimhaney08]

1/16th ounce silver Kastmaster with a wax worm if the crappie are real aggressive.  4mm tungsten jig that hangs at an angle (like a CJS Chekai) in either black, sliver, gold, or chartreuse/blue (depending on sun and water color) with one or two spikes if they aren't reacting to the spoon.  Those are my two confidence baits.  I'll experiment a decent amount, but those are my mainstays that are always on my two best rods.

[struckus]

jig, jigging rap, buckshot, glo-shot, hook and live minnow, and mid-end of last season the rattlin flyer spoons were insane