08-06-2003, 11:13 AM
[cool]Back atcha, FM. Yeah, the sandies and the spotted bay bass really like plastics. At times, they will hit almost any color and any size...and any style from the good old plastic worms to fancy swimbaits like the Hammers.
For all-around effectiveness, in almost every condition, I like a plain white plastic twister....from 3" to 7". They are cheaper to buy in bulk, in the smaller sizes, and they often work as well as the larger. But, you wil usually catch bigger fish on bigger baits. I usually fish them with either my custom painted heads...white with a hot red eye...or with a solid dark red or hot red head. Sometimes a white head with a black eye works well.
There are other colors of twisters that work well for me too. Yellow, with a hot red head...smoke sparkle with a silver glitter head...chartreuse sparkle with a hot red head, etc. In clear water situations, I especially like the 5" Kalin's holographic grubs...usually in the smoke sparkle.
I also use several different kinds of swim baits. The more exotic ones, like the Big Hammers, are great action lures and take a lot of fish. But, in a hot bite, you can go trough a lot of them and they ain't cheap. Again, I buy bulk packages...usually generic brands from Barlows or Bass Pro...in several colors. I like the clear sparkle, with a black back...chartreuse sparkle (both all chartreuse and with a black back)...and rainbow.
I also fish both plain white and pearl. I sometimes take permanent markers and custom color the whites and pearls. A blue or red back, on a white or pearl, are great colors for almost all fish. Some of the swimbaits already come in those combinations, but I have found that a freshly applied stripe of bright blue or bright red has greater visibility and attraction. Oh yeah, if the fish are eating "brown baits", you can put stripe of brown on the back of a large pearl swimbait and the bass love 'em.
The size and shape of the heads you use can make a difference too. Light heads result in a slow fall, which finicky fish like, but it can take forever for your bait to get down in deep water. And, if there is a current running, you will have a tough time keeping in the zone. So, 3/8 to 1/2 ounce is about the smallest head to use...and then only on light tackle. For heavier line, deeper water and current, you might have to go to 1 1/2 to 2 oz. heads.
Oh yeah, don't overlook tube jigs. They are especially good for verticle presentations or drifting and bottom bouncing. Heck, they also work good for slow trolling in shallower waters too. All the basses like squid and octopus...but the tubes come in a range of colors that can also do a good job of representing shrimp and other munchies.
Actually, almost any of the new plastics designed for largemouth bass in fresh water will be welcomed by sandies and calicos. In fact, you can take your freshwater tackle box to the ocean and do just fine in many cases. The plastic worms are a good example.
That's my input on bass plastics.
[signature]
For all-around effectiveness, in almost every condition, I like a plain white plastic twister....from 3" to 7". They are cheaper to buy in bulk, in the smaller sizes, and they often work as well as the larger. But, you wil usually catch bigger fish on bigger baits. I usually fish them with either my custom painted heads...white with a hot red eye...or with a solid dark red or hot red head. Sometimes a white head with a black eye works well.
There are other colors of twisters that work well for me too. Yellow, with a hot red head...smoke sparkle with a silver glitter head...chartreuse sparkle with a hot red head, etc. In clear water situations, I especially like the 5" Kalin's holographic grubs...usually in the smoke sparkle.
I also use several different kinds of swim baits. The more exotic ones, like the Big Hammers, are great action lures and take a lot of fish. But, in a hot bite, you can go trough a lot of them and they ain't cheap. Again, I buy bulk packages...usually generic brands from Barlows or Bass Pro...in several colors. I like the clear sparkle, with a black back...chartreuse sparkle (both all chartreuse and with a black back)...and rainbow.
I also fish both plain white and pearl. I sometimes take permanent markers and custom color the whites and pearls. A blue or red back, on a white or pearl, are great colors for almost all fish. Some of the swimbaits already come in those combinations, but I have found that a freshly applied stripe of bright blue or bright red has greater visibility and attraction. Oh yeah, if the fish are eating "brown baits", you can put stripe of brown on the back of a large pearl swimbait and the bass love 'em.
The size and shape of the heads you use can make a difference too. Light heads result in a slow fall, which finicky fish like, but it can take forever for your bait to get down in deep water. And, if there is a current running, you will have a tough time keeping in the zone. So, 3/8 to 1/2 ounce is about the smallest head to use...and then only on light tackle. For heavier line, deeper water and current, you might have to go to 1 1/2 to 2 oz. heads.
Oh yeah, don't overlook tube jigs. They are especially good for verticle presentations or drifting and bottom bouncing. Heck, they also work good for slow trolling in shallower waters too. All the basses like squid and octopus...but the tubes come in a range of colors that can also do a good job of representing shrimp and other munchies.
Actually, almost any of the new plastics designed for largemouth bass in fresh water will be welcomed by sandies and calicos. In fact, you can take your freshwater tackle box to the ocean and do just fine in many cases. The plastic worms are a good example.
That's my input on bass plastics.
[signature]