# Bass lures for a kid



## yobata (Jul 14, 2015)

If you were to buy a starter set of lures for a kid to go bass fishing, what would you include? Some worm hooks and plastic worms, rattle traps, a few spinner baits, what else?

Edit: the kid is approx. 10 years old if that matters


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## MAK (Dec 15, 2017)

Rapala floating minnows, shadrap, a couple topwater plugs.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Heddon Torpedo in a couple of sizes, some inline spinners in black, white and chartreuse, Bass Assassins with weedless hooks and worm weights, some Fat A crankbaits in Fire Tiger color, weedless frogs and some regular sized Colorado blade spinnerbaits in black, white and chartreuse.
Almost forgot a staple in any bass/pan fisherman’s box...the Grasshopper lipped crankbait.


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## Action Johnson (Feb 4, 2016)

those flappy leg frogs, love those things


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

At that age a floating Rapala minnow was my weapon of choice. Many a largemouth and peacock fell victim.


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## nautilott (Oct 29, 2017)

It's been a while, but I would think bass are still eating plastic purple worms with a red tail, rigged weed less with a free sliding cone shaped 1/4 oz. lead up front. Had a lot of luck with 2&1/2 - 3 in. silver/black minnow looking lures in the clearer lakes as well. 
The worms worked better casted to the reed's edge and bumping off the bottom into deeper water. The lures worked well in slight bottom depressions and around structures in deeper water.


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## MAK (Dec 15, 2017)

SomaliPirate said:


> At that age a floating Rapala minnow was my weapon of choice. Many a largemouth and peacock fell victim.


Same here. No local pond largemouth was safe from my rapala.


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## windblows (May 21, 2014)

What I give my kid (9) is a Senko rigged on a weedless EWG hook. Can't screw it up too bad, doesn't require much action, soft enough for them to set the hook, can't hook themselves too easily and can't get hung up too bad.


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## MAK (Dec 15, 2017)

SomaliPirate said:


> At that age a floating Rapala minnow was my weapon of choice. Many a largemouth and peacock fell victim.


When I was a youngster we used to dream of taking a trip to South America to catch those Peacock Bass we read about. (That and traveling South to fish Okeechobee.). Have never had the opportunity to catch one... Yet.
When and how exactly did they make it north to Florida?


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

MAK said:


> When I was a youngster we used to dream of taking a trip to South America to catch those Peacock Bass we read about. (That and traveling South to fish Okeechobee.). Have never had the opportunity to catch one... Yet.
> When and how exactly did they make it north to Florida?


I was living in Puerto Rico at the time and they were in all the local ponds along with largemouths, bluegill and Oscars. I also lived in Panama and caught them in Gatun lake when I was tiny. I've actually never caught a Florida peacock. Pic related: my mom showing me what this fishing stuff is all about.


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## MAK (Dec 15, 2017)

SomaliPirate said:


> I was living in Puerto Rico at the time and they were in all the local ponds along with largemouths, bluegill and Oscars. I also lived in Panama and caught them in Gatun lake when I was tiny. I've actually never caught a Florida peacock. Pic related: my mom showing me what this fishing stuff is all about.
> View attachment 40542


Great old pic! Sounds like you had access to great fishing.
Looks like Florida started introducing Peacock Bass in 1984. Surprised to hear they did that intentionally and it wasn’t a side effect of people bringing them in on their own.


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## State fish rob (Jan 25, 2017)

Get them a fly rod w foam spider. Never too early
Pop R if using spinning gear


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## Surffshr (Dec 28, 2017)

Pond fishing + buzz bait = ❤


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## slewis (Sep 8, 2015)

My favorite was always a 10" trick worm texas rigged with or without the bullet weight. Also the Rattle trap, and skitter pops.


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## Boneheaded (Oct 4, 2017)

Rooster tails.


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## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

My daughter caught her first bass on a jitter bug. Just cast and steady retrieve...perfect for kids.


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## Guest (Sep 7, 2018)

Everything mentioned and a tequila sunrise culprit worm texas rigged. “This was my go to and still is.
Also, believe it or not those as seen on tv Flying lures were pretty darn good for bass and panfish!


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## WhiteDog70810 (May 6, 2008)

I never had the patience to fish a worm as a <12 y/o kid even though it was obviously effective in my dad's hands. Kids love topwater fishing. A popper/chugger or jitterbug were a blast to fish in the mornings and evenings, while a weedless rigged, unweighted frog was the most fun during the heat of the day when the bass were in the thick weeds. Letting a bass run a count of 2-3 seconds before they set the hook is tough for kids to master, but they'll figure it out. 

Once they are over 12, they'll fish whatever works.

No matter how much a kid likes to fish for bass, pick up some crickets for when the bass aren't biting topwater. Bream help keep their enthusiasm up when the bass stop cooperating.

Nate


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## paulrad (May 10, 2016)

I introduced my boy to the zara spook at a young age, and now that's all he fishes. Just the other day we were out and I told him he had to fish a voodoo shrimp. He fished it for about an hour and a half with no bites. Then he asked me if he can change to his zara spook. I reluctantly agreed. Two casts later he caught a 10lb snook. Ughhh, that "lesson" totally backfired on me.


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## Viking1 (May 23, 2010)

I'm on the Rapala bandwagon. My suggestion for that age would be a F-5 in the shad pattern. My favorite is a CD-5 in the shad pattern. CD stands for countdown and on hot days you can get at those fish that want to avoid the heat. Way to go on setting him up right!!!


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## LowHydrogen (Dec 31, 2015)

Square bill crankbaits and bang-o-lures like these. Love em!


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

Buzzbait and weedless frogs. Once they are hooked on the visual of a topwater bite they will be hooked for life.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Boatbrains said:


> Everything mentioned and a tequila sunrise culprit worm texas rigged. “This was my go to and still is.
> Also, believe it or not those as seen on tv Flying lures were pretty darn good for bass and panfish!


My father introduced me to bass fishing at around 3 years old. We chunked black 6” worms with a hot pink curl tail rigged weedless with a cone nose weight. Caught the hell out of them on nothing but that worm for many years then I got turned on to the Slug-Go jerk plastics and then a cheapo fly rod and wooly buggers, poppers and flies I tied myself made from tanned rabbit hides and chicken and emu feathers I harvested myself. I caught lots of bass on a rabbit tail mouse with a leather shoe lace tail. I think when it got soaked I could have thrown it over the wide part of the pond with an Abu Garcia 5500 and 20 pound monofilament.


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## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

I used to use dark colored plastic worms, Mepps lures, had a black spinner blade with yellow dots. Also used a big treble as a snatch hook. Sorry I no longer fish for bass so I can only offer old school ideas.
Still made.
https://www.mepps.com/information/black-fury/128#BF3 Y


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

paulrad said:


> I introduced my boy to the zara spook at a young age, and now that's all he fishes. Just the other day we were out and I told him he had to fish a voodoo shrimp. He fished it for about an hour and a half with no bites. Then he asked me if he can change to his zara spook. I reluctantly agreed. Two casts later he caught a 10lb snook. Ughhh, that "lesson" totally backfired on me.


I still throw topwater when I know I shouldn't. It's just too much fun.


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## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Top water is my preference too. You can slay the bass in our local lakes and ponds with a 5" senko worm dragged slowly across the bottom but the kids lose interest quickly if they make a few casts without catching something. A jitter bug for the small kids works well because the lure walks itself and the kids can see it wobbling. A super spook jr is the top water of choice around here for bass (and snook) once you know how to walk the dog. 

All it takes is one explosive hit and the kids are willing to cast and retrieve trying to get another one...which is why the kid in me always has gurglers in the fly box...


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## 18590 (Aug 21, 2017)

Zoom superfluke, senko, hula grubs and a pack of EWG worm hooks.


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

my fav was soft plastic lizards.


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## tailwalk (Nov 20, 2016)

Biggest bass I ever caught was as a kid using a chartreuse rapala. Buzz baits and hula poppers are fun too.


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## fjmaverick (Sep 18, 2015)

No to double hooks
Trebles can be a pain with kids too

My nephew is a great fisherman but can be a handful when he sees you change lures he wants to change his also

He uses a lot of little spoons 
I personally use bucktails on the lake and people laugh at it but it works just the same as in the salt

pack a craw are easy to use and work sittting on the bottom or using the swim action


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## TheDude (Dec 14, 2010)

Nowadays, no bass box is complete without some Ned Rig plastics and heads. These are super easy for kids to use, and there is nothing better out there when it comes to catching numbers of fish. They work great in saltwater too, especially when the bite gets tough.


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## MatthewAbbott (Feb 25, 2017)

Spinner baits, small buzz baits and an assortment of soft plastics ranging from senco style to lizards. Appropriate sized worm hooks for the soft plastics and some bullet style weights. Teach them the right way to rig weedless and let the go. Let them tinker with those for a little before you start letting them throw a bunch of crankbaits and twitch baits with treble hooks.


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## krash (Jan 9, 2007)

Keep it simple, to many is to much to master, as suggested just above is a good assortment. As a kid, athough a different time in the 50's I learned and caught many many LM bass in the freshwater lakes and canal's of my neighborhood with a couple hooks and a purple worm... seeing as we had financial restrictions I treasured a hook and made a worm last as long as I could.

Weedless rigged soft plastic worms and/or flukes, and perhaps a light bullet weight or two. A Spinnerbait or two, and maybe a frog for weedy top-water conditions.


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## sjrobin (Jul 13, 2015)

SomaliPirate said:


> I was living in Puerto Rico at the time and they were in all the local ponds along with largemouths, bluegill and Oscars. I also lived in Panama and caught them in Gatun lake when I was tiny. I've actually never caught a Florida peacock. Pic related: my mom showing me what this fishing stuff is all about.
> View attachment 40542


Great pic!


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## jimsmicro (Oct 29, 2013)

If you can't catch a bass in Florida on a Zoom Super Fluke with a 5/0 Gamakatsu offset shank worm hook then either they aren't biting or you're fishing in a public swimming pool or something.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

crboggs said:


> My daughter caught her first bass on a jitter bug. Just cast and steady retrieve...perfect for kids.


That's a small gator killer! They can't leave them alone.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

This small little Beetle Spin will keep him busy with everything that swims in the pond.

Then you gotta have one of these.... 2" gold floating Rapala









Then..... Manns 6" hardhead Jelly worm in grape hooked Texas Rig









Those 3 lures will keep him as busy as he wants to be.


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## Tx_Whipray (Sep 4, 2015)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Heddon Torpedo in a couple of sizes, some inline spinners in black, white and chartreuse, Bass Assassins with weedless hooks and worm weights, some Fat A crankbaits in Fire Tiger color, weedless frogs and some regular sized Colorado blade spinnerbaits in black, white and chartreuse.
> Almost forgot a staple in any bass/pan fisherman’s box...the Grasshopper lipped crankbait.


Quit rummaging around in my tackle box!


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## Shadowcast (Feb 26, 2008)

crboggs said:


> My daughter caught her first bass on a jitter bug. Just cast and steady retrieve...perfect for kids.


This was all I used as a kid. The classic Arbogast Jitterbug and Hula Popper. I'd add a Zoom Horny Toad to today's list. Steady retrieve!


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