What's Your "Confidence Bait"?

Fishing on a dock at sunsetTime and time again, you have heard someone refer to a particular bait as their “confidence bait.” What makes a confidence bait just that?

To some, it’s a lure that consistently produces fish, no matter what the conditions. To others, it may be that one lure that caught their biggest fish. 

Have you ever been out on a lake throwing a lure and you just didn’t feel good about it ... you just didn’t feel like the lure you were throwing was going to work? What did you do? 

I guarantee you put on your “confidence bait.” 

I have a couple of confidence baits. First is the KVD Square Bill 1.5, in any of the dark patterns. This lure has produced so well for me last year and already this season. It’s just one of those baits that I can’t put down. This spring, I have consistently caught spotted bass, largemouth and smallmouth on this lure. I like the dark patterns in spring because crawfish are the first critters to emerge, and bass love crawfish! 

My second favorite -- and I’m sure it’s a favorite of many others -- is the wacky worm. This is a rig that was introduced to me several years ago by a friend from Texas. He came to visit me and while we were fishing, and he told me I should try it. I watched as my buddy rigged a senko with a number two wide gap hook through the center of the body, allowing the ends of the senko to dangle. To this day, he will never forget the look on my face when I said, “No, thank you.” I ignored this rig because it looked like I would spend too much time pulling weeds off of it. Well let me tell you what! The wacky rig is exceptional! I always have a rod rigged with this bait. I especially like to use it in shallow, warm water when bass are really active. I think this bait works so well because it looks like easy prey, and it moves a lot of water when you retrieve it. One suggestion is to use a smaller hook such as an octopus hook -- #2 works well. Smallmouth bass tend to shy away from the bigger wide gap hooks. There are many senko type baits on the market; some hold together better than others. I use the Bass Pro Shops Tournament Series Sticko. These baits hold together very well, and you get several in a package. 

Good Fishing!! 

by Greg Miller