First time trying for bass. Bait help

[Jarhead Chase]

I'm headed to Coffee Pot lake on either Friday or Monday to try for largemouth for the first time. There is a selective gear rule in effect.

I've never fished for bass. What are the absolute must have baits that are still allowed with the selective gear rule?

Thanks for any help.

[quadrafire]

Not sure about the bait this time of year but I read the other day that the water level is Way down and the boat launch is unusable for boat trailers.

[Jarhead Chase]

I guess it's a good thing I don't make enough to buy a boat yet. 

Thanks for the heads up.

[pianoman9701]

I'd try some rattle traps or other deep-diving and rattling lures. The water's cold, so they'll be slow to bite and probably suspended between 8-15 feet with some feeding in shallows. You might also try some rubber worms, Berkeley baits. Good luck.

[h20hunter]

My 2cents......two must have/use lures. A white spinner bait is one, a 6 inch plastic worm rigged weedless is the other. For a third I'd say white buzz bait for around pads and such early am and just at dusk.

[Jarhead Chase]

This is why I love this forum. 30 minutes ago I had no idea what to even start looking at, and now I have a few good leads.

Thanks guys. 

[cbond3318]

Absolute must have , 4" Yama Senko in Green Watermelon Pumpkin or Watermelon Laminate with a 2/0 Worm shank hook center rigged. I  have never had much luck on the longer plastic baits but I'm sure they work. i am not sure on this time of year but they should pick one or two up.

[h20hunter]

Good call on the Senko...

My number one ever used worm....

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Fishing/Soft-Baits/Worms%7C/pc/104793480/c/104772780/sc/104820480/Berkleyreg-PowerBaitreg-Power-Worm/1678661.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fworms%2Fberkley%2F_%2FN-1102359%2B1000002786%2FNe-1000002786%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104820480%3FWT.mc_id%3DGOOGLE%257Cfis_Soft%2BBaits_Worms%257CUSA%26WT.srch%3D1%26WT.tsrc%3DPPC%26WT.z_mc_id1%3D43700004568143992%26WTz_st%3DGuidedNav%26WTz_stype%3DGNU&WTz_l=undefined%3Bcat104820480

[skeeter 20i]

Are there smallies in coffee pot?  Largies will be hard to get to go right now being so cold but if the sun is right the shallows might work for you.  If you can find some warmer water your reaction baits might be just the ticket if not I would go to the other end of the spectrum and think slooooooow and smallllll you may have to let it sit pretty still to get them to take it.  Cover water the best you can to try to find some active fish.

I'm a sucker for anything Green Pumpkin colored.

[Skillet]

You've got a tube or kayak or something, I assume?

As mentioned before, these fish are likely still a bit dormant and not in the prespawn mode yet.  I would fish slow, and small.  If a bright day and the water is really clear, fish a low impact bait first like a 176 senko wacky rigged over a dark-bottomed flat and just let it float down through the water column, twitching it really gently.  If no takers, then rip the spinnerbait through to see if you get a reaction bite.  Pretty early for a buzzbait, but you never know.

Fun lake to fish, it kicked out some nice crappie for us back in the day.

*just noticed everybody else had already offered up almost exactly what I said - so I'll just say  " ." 

[Jarhead Chase]

Thanks for all of the input everyone. I don't have a kayak or a tube or anything. I was looking at the topo of the area, and there is a nice large inlet I planned on hiking.

Sportsman's Warehouse is going to love me this afternoon. 

[Jarhead Chase]

There are no smallmouth according to the website, but there are rainbow trout as a backup. I've put more than a few of them on the smoker though. Somehow I've gone out after bass.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/washington/116/

[Russ McDonald]

Sendo is the way to go for slow and dormant fish.   Largies are going to be hard to get this time of the year.   Good luck.

[Jarhead Chase]

Well, holy crap. That was more than I usually spend for an entire season to chase trout, but we'll see how they work.

I ended up with a couple of white buzzbaits, some yama semko 4" pumpkin laminates, some 2/0 wormshank hooks, a rattletrap and a few things for trout. I completely forgot the spinnerbait, but I still have a day before I am headed out there. I will pick some up tomorrow. Thanks for the advice. I'll update on how the lake treats me.

[Jarhead Chase]

Well screw it. I just realized all of my hooks need to be barbless. I'm not buying all new hooks again. I'm thinking I'm going to try Eloika instead.