Top Baits of 2017

With 2017 coming to an end, I’d like to share with everyone my top five producing baits from the year gone by. It’s always interesting to see which baits worked well for me this year versus the baits that worked last year. Sometimes a bait consistently works year in and year out and sometimes what worked one year might not work as well the next. The below list is in order from least to greatest. It was very hard for me to decide on what order these should go in as they all performed very well.

5. Rapala Shadow Rap

Of course a jerkbait was going to make the list, but it was hard to choose which one. In the spring I caught a ton of Walleye on a Smithwick Rogue which could easily have taken this 5th position. However, this fall I caught my personal best Walleye on a Rapala Shadow Rap and decided that I would choose quality over quantity.

4. Buckeye Lures Jiggin Blade

Last year I stocked up on the Buckeye Lures Jiggin Blade as it was one of the cheaper options out there as far as blade baits go. I like a cheaper blade because I tend to lose some when I start working it around rocky areas. This was a go to bait for me in early spring right at ice off and also again in the fall producing both quantity and quality Walleye.

3. Havoc Pit Boss

The Havoc Pit Boss was a staple all summer long. Throw it on a texas rig and make short casts or pitches in and around cover. This approach was especially deadly in the ponds I fish but will definitely get it done in any lake holding bass.

2. MS Slammer

The 9 inch MS Slammer was another top producer of largemouth bass this past summer. For those of us working during the days, the summer months are a great time to get out in the cooler evenings and catch bass in low light periods. The MS Slammer not only produced numbers of fish but also produced my biggest bass from the year as well.

1. Pre-Rapala Storm Wiggle Wart

My top bait from 2017 was the Pre-Rapala Storm Wiggle Wart. This lure has an interesting history. Basically what happened was Storm made this bait which had a tendency to dart off to the side and not necessarily track as straight as most crankbaits out there. Rapala then bought out Storm, fixed this “issue”, and sell this lure today. The problem is that they apparently don’t catch as many fish as the original! Now that there are a limited supply of the Pre-Rap Wiggle Warts out there you can expect a higher price tag for these guys. Some less popular colors can be bought for around 10 bucks and other rare colors can fetch you hundreds depending on condition. You might wanna take a look into those old tackle boxes of yours to see if you have any lying around. I’m pretty selective about when I throw this bait, and I usually throw my more inexpensive ones when I do tie one on. However, when I do tie one on my confidence is through the roof and the bass flat out love this thing!

So those were my top five baits from the year. What were some of your favorite lures from 2017?