If you had to limit yourself to one lure, what would it be?

[GVSUKUSH]

After looking through my tackle box the other day I saw an abundance of gold Mepps spinners and Rapalas. I became curious and thought, "If you could only have one lure, what would it be???? I'm talking all species and situations, what whould it be????

I think that I would take a #1 Gold Mepps Spinner or a Floating Bronze Rapala.

Thought it would be interesting to see what everyone thought

[LittleMac]

I'd take a zoom ultra vibe speed worm and measuring from the nose cut it off at the 4 inch mark. Rig this tail-less speed worm body texposed on a 2/0 hook and fish it weightless. Cast to likely cover/structure and let it slow fall to bottom, watching line at all times. Let set on bottom for 30 seconds, lift slowly to feel for fish, if nothing on, reel in and re-cast to another likely spot. The color must be Watermelon/Red (red glitter). I've used this bait almost exclusively for two years and have caught a slew of bass, both large and smallmouth. The lure casts like a bullet, skips well and can be wacky rigged as well.

[kingfisher2]

Not even a question with me....RAPALA

[NBman]

It would have to be a Mepps #4 spinner

[Dawg]

#2 Panther Martin with a silver blade.

[SpareTime]

Thunderstick Jr. Deep Diver FireTiger - it's deadly:yikes:

[ficious]

3/16 oz jighead w/ white Mr. Twister and a pocketful of permanent markers

[jeremy L]

In this order:

Firetiger bomber.

clown husky jerk.

White husky jerk with redhead.

1/4 ounce red/white jighead with pink/white twister tail.

2/5 ounce yellowtail cleo.

[Steven Arend]

With over $2000 in lures on my boat :tdo12: , you want me to pick just (1). :confused:

Something that will catch fish consistently.
Something tried and true.

:idea:

That would have to be a plain Wire Hook with a Nightcrawler.

[wruebs]

probably a chartruese hot-n-tot. I've caught everything on this; browns, salmon, perch while fishing for eyes.

[WALLEYEvision]

Black/Silver floating Rapala.

[harsens hunter]

Mepps Aglia Long Spinner (with tail)

[FieldWalker]

Size 7 Rap, original floating, black and silver

[discdrag]

o geez, for the river, probably a yellow/red panther martin-not sure on size #, for lakes, a tube without a doubt-they rock!!!

[salmonboy86]

no doubt about panfish bass i even get walleye on them

[FishinJoe]

It would have to be a Mepps Black Fury.

[wickedcarpenter]

Ahhhhh....A Banjo Minnow of course :coco:
Really i'd have to go with a Mepps also. in Black with a silver blade.

[kbkrause]

Ahhhhh....A Banjo Minnow of course :coco:
What, not the flying lure???:p

[GVSUKUSH]

Steve, you are a simple man...with a deadly plan :)

Any body have a pic of a tube jig style that they use?
With over $2000 in lures on my boat :tdo12: , you want me to pick just (1). :confused:

Something that will catch fish consistently.
Something tried and true.

:idea:

That would have to be a plain Wire Hook with a Nightcrawler.

[baydog2]

Char/orange jighead with a char. twister tail by far. This catches about any kind of fish that swims the river.

[YPSIFLY]

Tough call.

My biggest Musky and King Salmon have been caught on a jointed floating Rapala in the Firetiger pattern. Picked up some nice Bass on that one too.

[MSUICEMAN]

you guys are so not even in the ball park. It would be a 10-inch “Giant” Haskell Minnow. Hands down. This would get me the most fish ever.


http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/sports/7330128.htm :D :D

steve

[YPSIFLY]

"Shirey said he might consider selling, but the starting price is “$500,000.”

Yeah, those are good too. I have one in every color. :lol:

[Whit1]

Rapala!

I won't mention which type or color, that way I can have more than one....LOL!

[wecker20]

Chomper Tube, Green Pumpkin rigged w/ 1/4 oz. jighead or #3 Mustad Worm Hook.

[shametamer]

one,aye? Well if it was just 1..i think as an all purpose lure i would choose a johnson silver minnow. Catches bout anything and is weedless.

[jk hillsdale]

Wacky rigged Senko.

[ESOX]

J11 Floater. Any fish worth catching can be enticed with one. Add a few rubber core's and you have the water column covered.:)

[DaveW731]

Assuming that I was going to be put in a random freshwater location in Michigan that could range from a trout stream to Lake Superior, I would agree with a #1 Mepps, gold blade.

[drwink]

I think that would have to be a

one eyed, yellow throated, bubble burstin, double jointed, butt :lol: plug with dual treble hooks :lol: :D

[walleye express]

The lure would probably be an Orange 1/4 ounce Hutches Lead head Jig with keeper wire. The components would be an assorment of Fuzzy grub Bodies tipped with either 2 inch Bluer Shiner or piece of nightcrawler. I truly cannot think of a specie of Michigan fish that I pursue, that I have not caught on this set-up, including both very rare Tittabawassee River Steelhead and Salmon. Heres the picture of me and 1 of the 4 kings I caught on the Titt. I'd have to look up and scan the picture of the 2 Steelies. I'd say the lead head jig is the most universal/successful lure you could use if limited to just one.

http://www.walleye-express.com/albums/river/Nov_10A.sized.jpg

[STEINFISHSKI]

I'd have to say it would be a shame.:yikes: Too many lures and types of fish to go after. Not to mention :one_eye: my 5 full boxes of tackle.

[ESOX]

Not to mention :one_eye: my 5 full boxes of tackle.
Only 5 boxes? Did you just recently start fishing? ;)
I am at the point where I calculate my lures by the pound before I launch the boat.:SHOCKED:

[nymph]

I hear ya Esox. You know how that little plate on your boat says "5 person max or xxx lbs". Well after I calculate all my "gear", she can barely handle me and a buddy! And you guys want me to pick just ONE lure? I don't think I even want to play this game!


j/k! I think the Blue Fox spinners work pretty well. It would either be that or a Terminator spinner bait. Geez, there is just no way to pick only one lure and feel good about it.


nymph

[GVSUKUSH]

Well lets try this since some of you have more money in lures than my young life is worth ;) , How about 5 lures that you would pack to fish anywhere in Michigan-

1. Floating Rapala
2. Mepps Spinner
3. Jig and Twister tail
4. Little Cleo
5. Small White Marabou jig

[buddhabelly]

Little Cleo! Silver/Green or Silver/Blue! Caught my biggest fish using cleos pier fishing in Lexington for Salmon.

[Fishfoote]

Jointed rappala - gray.

[GVSUKUSH]

The lure would probably be an Orange 1/4 ounce Hutches Lead head Jig with keeper wire. The components would be an assorment of Fuzzy grub Bodies tipped with either 2 inch Bluer Shiner or piece of nightcrawler. I truly cannot think of a specie of Michigan fish that I pursue, that I have not caught on this set-up, including both very rare Tittabawassee River Steelhead and Salmon. Heres the picture of me and 1 of the 4 kings I caught on the Titt. I'd have to look up and scan the picture of the 2 Steelies. I'd say the lead head jig is the most universal/successful lure you could use if limited to just one.

http://www.walleye-express.com/albums/river/Nov_10A.sized.jpg

Thats true, a leadhead jig is versatile because it can be tipped with twisters, fuzzy grubs, crawlers, leaches, and minnows and adds the extra color of the jig head. Thats usually the first thing I go to in a body of water that I'm not familiar with and it's great around dams.

[nymph]

1) Blue Fox Spinner
2) Terminator Spinner Bait
3) Tube Bait
4) Fat Rat Floating Rapala
5) Crawler Harness

These would be the "Basic 5" for me. Of course, then you have to have all the different colors!



nymph

[Bucktail]

Musky - Bagley deep diver
Pike - Mepps #5
walleye - jig and twister
bass - spinner bait
crappie- roadrunner
bluegill - floating popper
:fish:

[Burksee]

First let me say Thanks! Then "WOW"! Talk about the invaluable information and the education you can get here on this website! I'm usually a meat & potatos (on a diet!) kinda fisherman, not a lot (in comparsion to most of you!) of fancy choices in my tackle box, dont have a lot of free time to use what I have but this thread will sure help me in adding some lures to the arsenal with out going crazy and without breaking the already cracked piggy bank! :eek:

And since the original question was what "ONE" lure you go with I'd have to go with possibly the classic of all classics! An Eppinger Red & White Dardevle!

Thanks again! :)

[GVSUKUSH]

First let me say Thanks! Then "WOW"! Talk about the invaluable information and the education you can get here on this website! I'm usually a meat & potatos (on a diet!) kinda fisherman, not a lot (in comparsion to most of you!) of fancy choices in my tackle box, dont have a lot of free time to use what I have but this thread will sure help me in adding some lures to the arsenal with out going crazy and without breaking the already cracked piggy bank! :eek:

And since the original question was what "ONE" lure you go with I'd have to go with possibly the classic of all classics! An Eppinger Red & White Dardevle!

Thanks again! :)

Exactly! :yeahthat:
I think BUCKTAIL improved on the original question by mentioning favorite lures for each species. And whats the deal with spinnerbaits? I've never had a hit on one and they sit on the bottom of the tacklebag.

[nymph]

Spinner baits are sweet! I mostly use them for bass, but have also had very good luck with pike. It's a much more versatile bait than most think. You can "rip" it so the blades break the surface or run just below the surface (causing a wake). You can fish just about any depth, just by the pace of your retrieval. You can throw it in THICK cover because it nearly 100% weedless. You can slow troll with a minnow hooked through the lips and do very well with the pike (maybe musky too, but have never tried). The options are just about endless.

Personally, I prefer to "rip" it. It's my #1 bait for summer bass. It's much like streamer fishing for trout. There's nothing quit like seeing that "flash" as your bait goes shooting sideways with the feeling of a fish on!


nymph

[GVSUKUSH]

Thanks Nymph, maybe I just need to gain a little confidence with 'em.

[FISH21]

just one lure hmmm.....i think i'd have to go with a rapala, i've caught all kinds of fish on it from perch to pike.

[cireofmi]

Tough one, it depends on if I can still use this lure and use live bait any way I want to.

Probably a Mepps Spinner if I can use various sizes. Other lures would be a jig and curly tail grub and a floating weedless mouse that I have. I am guessing various sizes of Little Cleos would also be a good choice. But if I could not use live bait and this one lure than I would have to go with a nightcrawler.

If I was bass fishing it would depend on the weeds, either the Mepps or the Mouse. If I was fishing in Canada it would be the jig and either the grub or live minnow. I have taken a few pike jigging a minnow on a 3/4 oz jig.

[suppa roosta]

:16suspect Dynamite :16suspect

:corkysm55

[wecker20]

GVSUKUSH, a lot of people don't have confidence in spinner baits. My fishing partner has never caught a fish on one but he watched me put 3 bass in the well in 5 minutes(tourny fishin) I've had good luck in just about any cover I've thrown them in. My favorite bait is still the tube but my baitcaster will always have a spinner bait on it. A lot of strikes come when you stop reeling or twitch it. Tie one on and try it.

[PITBULL]

1/4 oz red jig with a white twister tail. and a spinner blade attached

[GVSUKUSH]

Thanks guys, I think everybody benefitted from this thread.

Looks like Rapala's, jigs, and mepps spinners are at the top of everyones lists.

[ForestFisher]

Well I have to agree with Mr. Arend , it's hard to beat a single hook and a crawler for just about anything that swims . But if I had to pick just one "lure" , hands down would be a Panther Martin, red and yellow with a gold blade , followed closely by the same with an orange blade . I don't think there is a Michigan fish (besides sturgon or muskie) that I have not could on one of those little gems ! I have even caught a few salt water fish on them . The only thing a meps has on a PM is they spin a little better coming down stream in current. But the Panther gets my vote.
-ForestFisher

[Robert W. McCoy Jr]

I don't fish much any more.

But I would have to say the berkley ternament strength power worm in black has been the best lure I have ever used.

I have had days when other things worked better, but I have never been out bass fishing with out at least one rod rigged with a power worm.

[Gone Fishing]

Terminator, Patty sweet thighs! Is that the one ESOX? I know of at least one big one that lure has caught! ;)

[DrEw8716]

Good Old Tube Jig for Bass....

[jacondie]

Red and white daredevil! It can be tough in the weeds, but I've caught one of everything on it. It's actually all my dad ever uses.

[ozzgood2001]

silver spider..... ;) gauranteed to catch something and heck i only get to choose one might as well be something thats gonna do the job wether they are biting or not!!! j/k

[KS up north]

1/2 ounce rattle trap, probably silver with black back...
burn it, let it fall vertical jig, troll, will catch about all species too. ;)

[futa1]

No one else fishes with Yamamotos?

The only thing I use is a yamamoto with a light jig head.

I have been doing good on bass all year but got three pike the other day in about an hour. One of the pike was almost 40 inches and very heavy.