10 Bass Fishing Lures Every Angler Should Have in Their Tackle Box...

With glaring headlines on ads reading like the one above, is it any wonder why so many bass fishermen often are accused of being pack rats, hoarders or such?

Without question, each and every one of those thousands of fancy new baits at the local superstore will catch fish under a particular set of circumstances, but how does one narrow it all down to figure out which lures to buy, and which ones are more likely niche baits?

Some fellas will ask buddies for help, while others simply will let stuff they read on the Internet guide their decision-making. This piece of info, which I picked off the Internet, described a list of "10 essentials that all anglers should have in their tackle boxes." Included in that list were soft plastic stick baits, finesse worms, jigs, lipless crankbaits, spinnerbaits, square bills, deep diving cranks, frogs, topwater walking baits, and jerkbaits.

The ad ended with this line: "Without question, there are effective bait styles that didn't make this cut, but if you've got these 10 bass fishing lures, you'll be able to catch bass from east to west, under any conditions." I, however, submit that you may need only one of those baits listed above: the soft-plastic stick bait.

It's a well-established fact that most bass fishermen (and yes, I include myself in that lot) take a lot more baits with them on each trip than they can possibly use on average. Every once in a great while, though, you meet up with or read about an exception to that rule...like "Frank," a guy whom a fellow club fisherman described as "fishing one type of bait exclusively." Turns out that Frank used nothing but plastic worms.

Oh, he used various sizes...from 4 to 10 inches. And he rigged them different ways: T-rig, weightless, split shot, or his own version of a shakey head...before shakey heads became a big thing. He had fished for many years and had impressed this fellow clubber by placing in the top three in many club tournaments. Frank had the utmost confidence in his lone bait choice, which made the fellow clubber question if he might be overthinking his decision to have many choices of baits.

"Maybe we should be driven by confidence first," he thought. "Fish the one that works most often, and keep it simple. Besides, many trophy bass hunters, who specialize in targeting big bass, usually rely on one bait to catch the biggest fish."

In the words of another angler, "I had a lake that I fished for a few years out of a canoe in which I took only one rod and Senkos. Caught the five largest fish in my life doing that. Never got bites off other tackle, so I stopped bringing it."

Then there's this from a third fella, "Most of us think that if 'this' isn't working, then 'that' must be better. Then we add in different colors, sizes, and action, and before we know it, we're more confused than when we started."

And finally, there came this from an angler who had been paired with "Frank" for quite a few tournaments. He said, "Ol' Frank may have been old and set in his ways, but most of us could learn a lesson or two from him. Frank used only ribbon-tailed worms, but he could cover the entire water column from top to bottom and from fast to dead-sticking it. He never was in the boat with me when it came to a 1st-place finish, but I lost count of the times he and I finished 2nd or 3rd. Sadly, he passed a few years ago."

Let me close with this. Just yesterday, I watched an online video by Roland Martin, in which he reaffirmed for the umteenth thousandth time that, if he had but one lure he could fish, it would be none other than a Senko. I also ran across another bass guy who seconds that idea. He is the tirelessly creative writer, graphic designer, marketer, photographer, and videographer Kurt Mazurek of Summerville, SC.

"The Senko works everywhere that bass swim, at every time of the year, and under every set of conditions," he said. "In the vast world of fishing tackle, the soft-plastic stick bait, commonly known by the name of the originator, the Yamamoto Senko, has emerged as the undisputed champion. And since the introduction of this soft-plastic category, just about every other manufacturer has launched their own version of this bait--the YUM Dinger, the Berkley General, the Strike King Ocho, etc. Renowned for its versatility, subtle action, and undisputable history of success, the soft stick bait has secured its place as the closest thing to a magic lure for bass enthusiasts across the globe.

"There are flashier lures. There are more efficient lures. But the soft-plastic stick bait is the most consistent bass lure ever. Not only does it always seem to be able to tempt some bites, it may be one of the easiest lures to present, making it an excellent choice for beginners and seasoned anglers alike."