What is your most versatile lure?

[Mark]

AmberjackYakin gave us a very interesting thread about our "go-to" white perch lure. It got great replies and generated lots of discussion.

Now, I have a question. What is your most versatile lure? In other words, if you had only one lure in your possession what would it be?

Mine is a 3 inch paddletail on a 1/8 oz. jig.

I have caught fresh and saltwater fish with this particular lure from Lake Champlain in VT to Tampa Bay and in many waters in between:

P1000892.jpg

It's a 3 inch Fat Sam paddletail from 12 Fathoms Lures. Color doesn't seem to matter. You can troll, cast or jig it.

Honestly, I have lost count of the species I have caught with this lure. But the list includes white perch, stripers and channel catfish here in the Bay, to snook, ladyfish, specks, pompano, bluefish, grouper, puffers, flounder and redfish in FL, to smallmouth in VT, to tidal and pond pickerels and of course, largemouth bass in freshwater ponds.

It's an amazing fish catcher and I'm confident it will work darned near anywhere to attract anything with fins and scales.

So what lure would you use if you could only carry one?

[FishMoken]

What is your most versatile lure?


A 1/2oz chrome and blue or black rattletrap is a great freshwater or saltwater lure. They will cast a good distance and you can really work them anywhere from the bottom to the top of the water. Trolling, casting, jigging...these things just catch fish. I usually always have a few with me as my go to lure.


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[kevinfry]

Though i'd be hard pressed to confine myself to a model (original, husky jerk, countdown, x-rap) or size, the Rapala minnow baits have been by far my most versatile lure. If forced to choose, it would be a 4" floating model. I have caught fresh and salt, coldwater/warmwater, used as a topwater bait for LMB, trolled for everything from Ontario walleye to pacific lingcod to Oregon bull trout. In Maryland i've caught rock, speck's, bluefish, smallmouth, lmb, white& yellow perch, channel catfish, houndfish, stocked trout, crappie, sunfish, and one stupid croaker (and snagged about a doz. cownosed rays). I have used a variety of colors, but have 4 that have been the most productive- Perch, firetiger, and brook trout and rainbow trout. Surprisingly, brook trout (x-rap) and rainbow trout (floater) patterns are by far my most productive speckled seatrout lures.....even though no speck has ever seen a brookie or 'bow!

[brianisoutside]

I would have to say a 1/4oz beetle spin with a curly tail grub.


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[hookmeup]

Curly tail grub whether it's mr twister, Zman, gulp or younameitbrand. Very versatile!

Fish caught
Smallmouth, largemouth, white bass, white perch, yellow perch, walleye/saugeye/sauger, rainbow/steelheads trout, bluegills, crappie, catfish, musky, pike, snakeheads

Striper, bluefish, flounder, sharks, rays, skates, Black Sea bass, sea robins (LOL), Cobia, redfish, other s

[dhawk]

Paddle tail, curly tail grub and rattle trap would all be in my top 5 but given only one lure and ill take a rooster tail. I have caught just about everything around here on one from the smallest to 30" stripers

[ronaultmtd]

Though i'd be hard pressed to confine myself to a model (original, husky jerk, countdown, x-rap) or size, the Rapala minnow baits have been by far my most versatile lure. If forced to choose, it would be a 4" floating model. I have caught fresh and salt, coldwater/warmwater, used as a topwater bait for LMB, trolled for everything from Ontario walleye to pacific lingcod to Oregon bull trout. In Maryland i've caught rock, speck's, bluefish, smallmouth, lmb, white& yellow perch, channel catfish, houndfish, stocked trout, crappie, sunfish, and one stupid croaker (and snagged about a doz. cownosed rays). I have used a variety of colors, but have 4 that have been the most productive- Perch, firetiger, and brook trout and rainbow trout. Surprisingly, brook trout (x-rap) and rainbow trout (floater) patterns are by far my most productive speckled seatrout lures.....even though no speck has ever seen a brookie or 'bow!

I always have a Rapala in the water- most times it is the XRap but for white perch it is the orginal minnow in fire tiger...and like Mark the other lure I always have is a 1/4 oz. jighead with a 3 or 4 inch swimbait....if I had just one I would be very poor indeed..

[silasvirus82]

Around here, I'm going to agree with Mark and say a 3-4" paddletail/jig combo, however I more often have a Xrap in the water seeking larger fish. Further south between Charleston and Savannah where I first started kayak fishing I mostly used a popping rig with a live shrimp, but when I didn't have live bait a 3" Rapala Minnow spoon was the secret local favorite. They don't make them any more, so I buy them whenever I can, but man they really work well for specs down there. I also used DOA shrimp out on the flats for tailing redfish as well as fly rods. For freshwater it's pretty tough to beat an in-line spinner. My favorite has always been the standard blue fox in silver, but they all work pretty well. Bass fishing, my go-to is a dark colored 5" Senko. Both largemouths and smallmouths can't resist them.

[baitball]

Like many have already said, a 3" paddle tail paired with a jig head is pretty versatile; but I've also found that casting a Specialized Bait brand "Li'l Bunker" spoon in 3/4oz Pearl White to be devastating for any species that may be feeding high in the water column. If white seems to be having a slow day, I switch to the chartreuse-colored one and it will start producing.

Specialized Bait is produced locally in NOVA. The Li'l Bunker spoon comes with a single J-hook (i.e. no messing around with a flopping fish and treble hooks).

It catches everything from rockfish and blues in the Chesapeake to specks and jack crevalles in NW Florida. The 3/4oz weight matches perfectly with the light-tackle arsenal most of us use.

http://www.specializedbaits.com/

[bunnielab]

I think I have to again say that the most versatile lure I use is an Rooster Tail, but in the 1/6oz size. It's small enough for panfish in streams, but heavy enough to fish deep and I can even cast one decently on a lot of my casting combos. I always have a chartreuse one stuck in my tackle bag just in case.

[ronaultmtd]

I fished yesterday at Piney Point...tried 3 inch fat Sam mullet on jighead- no thanks, 4 inch Diesel minnow ZMan Opening Night on a 1/4 oz jighead- no thanks- XR10 Blue Silver and a bunker color XR10 XRap caught 16 stripers- nothing else had a hit...fishing is pretty basic- match the hatch...

[suicyderider]

X2 1000 over..

Curly tail grub whether it's mr twister, Zman, gulp or younameitbrand. Very versatile!

Fish caught
Smallmouth, largemouth, white bass, white perch, yellow perch, walleye/saugeye/sauger, rainbow/steelheads trout, bluegills, crappie, catfish, musky, pike, snakeheads

Striper, bluefish, flounder, sharks, rays, skates, Black Sea bass, sea robins (LOL), Cobia, redfish, other s

[MetroMan]

http://www.mepps.com/information/com...tion~C3M%20HFT

Or...

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Bucke...page-BSUS.html

size up or down for either.

[Mark]

...fishing is pretty basic- match the hatch...

Except for this inconvenient truth...nothing that swims in nature is chartreuse.

[ronaultmtd]

Mark- I caught the most brilliant colored Bull Dorado (dolphin- mahi-mahi) that had vivid shades of chartreuse off Virginia Beach trolling a Green Machine for tuna...so...