®
f S o T r t O he C b K e I g ® N in G ne A r bass fisherman
Winter 2026
TACKLE BOX
By Glenn Walker
S
ome fishermen start their angling journey by
targeting bass, while others began by catching
panfish as kids. Many may have spent years chasing walleyes or muskies and now want to switch
over to largemouth and smallmouth. Whatever the case,
stocking a tackle box with the right lures for a new bass
fisherman is important. You want to make sure that your
family member or friend who is getting into bass fishing
has the tools they need to catch fish.
I’ve identified seven bass fishing lures that should be in a beginner’s tackle box. These lures will work across the country and on any lake or river, whether fishing from shore or from a boat.
SOFT PLASTIC STICKBAIT
One popular soft plastic stickbait is the Yamamoto Senko, is extremely effective when presented to bass and simply allowed to sit. A Senko can be rigged several ways – wacky, Neko, or Texas-style. The Texas-rig works well around vegetation or anytime you want to prevent the
bait from getting
hung up. With both
the wacky and Neko
rigs, I use a number
2 Lazer TroKar Pro
V Finesse hook,
placed through the
center of the bait.
This lets the Senko
sink naturally with
each end pulsing
slightly as you
twitch your rod tip. The Neko
Photo: Erik Gaffron
method adds a
small tungsten
nail weight inserted into one end, helping the bait reach
deeper water where offshore bass hold. These baits work
around nearly any type of cover, and the slower you fish
them, the more bites you’ll get.
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Photo: Erik Gaffron