We all know those days. The ones where your excited to finally be able to get to the water and you get there to find it extremely tough to even get a bite! You’ve tried all that you know to try and have nothing to show for it. In times like these, it’s good to have something to fall back on. We may call it a “day saver” or a “limit getter”. It may not be the latest and greatest bait that’s going to win all the marbles, but it could very well turn your day around. Here are my 3 “limit getters’ for when times get tough!

Wacky Rig

This is my shallow water go-to for when things get tough. Whether it’s around grass lines or shallow docks. It can cast and skip very easily to get into hard-to-reach places, downsized to draw more bites, fished slowly to captivate finicky fish, yet still has potential to land a big fish or two! I actually prefer to pair this a Bruin ELS Reel and a medium action rod, like a Dobyn’s Fury 733c, but it can also be fished well (if not better in some cases) on spinning gear. My worm of choice for this is a Pro’s Choice Senko paired with a VMC Wacky Weedless Hook. I will add a Mustad Nail Weight depending on the depth of water I am targeting.

Shaky Head

This one has a special place in my heart as it is one of the first rigs I fell in love with as a young bass fisherman. The reason being that it just catches fish. This is my option for when the fish are a little deeper than I want to target with the wacky worm. And it excels when targeting structure as well as any cover on that structure. I’ll tie a Buckeye Spot Remover onto 8 lb. line on spinning gear paired with either a Netbait T-Mac or a Netbait Finesse worm.

Finesse Swimbait

Finesse swimbaits are a more recent revelation for me, but they have proven already to buy me out of some tough situations. For me, this option excels on suspended fish, schooling fish, or anytime I am around spotted bass. But to be honest, I believe this will catch fish in nearly every situation. I will simply pair any 2.5-3” swimbait with a 1/8 oz. jig head (Buckeye J Will Swimbait Head), spool up my spinning gear with 8 lb. fluorocarbon, and keep this set-up ready to go anytime that the lake is being stingy.

Are these the most fun baits to fish day-in and day-out? Probably not to most. But I can guarantee that they have the potential to bail you out when you’re having a slow day on the water!