Ok guys name your top 5 most indispensable lures or baits. Mine would have to be.
1. Live Bait[All Kinds}
2. Small Twister-Tail Jigs
3. Bluk guys name your top 5 most indispensable lures or baits. Mine would have to be.
1. Live Bait[All Kinds}
2. Small Twister-Tail Jigs
3. Blue Martain type spinners
4. Marabou Jigs of all sizes
5. Small Crank Baits like the Snap Bean

Given this arsenal I think one could catch potentially anything that swims in pretty much all conditions.

1. Nightcrawlers
2. Rapala (floating and shad raps)
3. Live minnows (type and size depending on target species)
4. Spoons (daredevils etc.)
5. Scum Frog

Being a flyfisher, I do not really use the small crankbaits, twister tail jigs or marabou jigs. I use various fly patterns instead. I won't get into natural baits..... However, I occasionally chuck a lure so here's my top 5 baits/lures....

1) Rapala Husky Jerk
2) 7" Powerworm
3) Hammered Copper Willow Blade/Brown Bucktail Buchertail
4) #1 Mepps Aglia
5) Weed Demon

1) Nightcrawler
2) Live Shiner
3) Gold-ribbed hare's ear
4) Clouser Minnow
5) Little George

1)Nightcrawlers
2)meppes blk and gold spinner
3)doughballs with corn
4)bacon
5)mealy worms with marshmellows

1)Nightcrawlers
2)Mepps
3)Waxworms/grubs
4)Orange & White Auger tail
5)Purple & Black willowleaf spinnerbait

I don't use artificial lures much anymore (except for ice fishing), but I'll exclude flies for this list.

Anyways, in no particular order:

1) nightcrawlers
2) cut/dead baitfish
3) jig & grub
4) tube jig
5) rapala husky jerk

1. Live Minnows
2. Night Crawlers
3. Dead Minnows
4. Crayfish
5. Fushia and White Flu Flu

This list would have looked very different two years ago than it does now, but Evolution is a good thing.
1. crawlers
2. corn
3. bead head phesant tail/or hare's ear
4. smallish clouser minnow
5. floating Rapala

1. Hare's ear nymph
2. 3" white twister tail
3. clouser minnow
4. Night crawler
5. wax worm

These flies/baits probably account for about 98% of the fish I catch.

1. Nightcrawlers
2. Fathead minnows
3. Creekchub (pike love um)
4. small minnow shaped jigs for panfish
5. Mepps Spinner

1. Canadian Nightcrawlers
2. Hare's Ear Nymph
3. Curlytail grubs in smoke or translucent chartreuse
4. Keystone jig minnow (does anyone know where to find those in bulk anymore? They slaughter longear sunfish.)
5. Clouser Minnow, in all the various sizes and colors I tie it in

1) dew worms
2) garden worms
3) Rick's stonefly nymph (mountain whitie killer)
4) D&G Super Salmon Eggs (guides' choice)
5) Marukyu Ecogear Grassminnow SS (a kind of shadtail type crappie grub)

1. Nightcrawlers
2. Minnows
3. Mepps plain non dressed spinner
4. Little Cleo Spoon
5. Yo-Zuri Pin Minnow

1) Night Crawler
2) Rat-L-Trap
3) Clouser
4) Mepps spinner
5) Beaded Hare's Ear Nymph

I see a lot of people like the crawler. Who don't right? Almost every fish I seek will take a crawler.

So, I'll list mine, also in no particular order.

1.) Crawler
2.) #13 blue and white floating Rapala
3.) Double Cowlgirl
4.) 1/4 oz. jig head with plastic
5.) Fathead minnow

Mine would go like this...

1. Ball of nightcrawlers
2. Lively Green Sunfish (if I was fishing in Iowa)
3. Lively Sucker
4. Lively Bullhead (12 inches if I was fishing Iowa)
5. 1/8 jig head with 3 inch curly tail

My list is mostly natural baits. I seldom use lures, although I probably should.
1- Crawlers
2- Live minnows
3- Dead minnows
4- Frogs
5- Jig n' pig

My Top 5 Lures:

1. Mepps #1 Spinner Agilia
2. Trout Magnet & Crappie Magnet (They work very well)
3. Plastic Bass Worm.
4. 5" Plastic Tube.
5. Cast Masters Spoons (Silver & Gold)

I agree about the Trout Magnets. I have caught hundreds of trout, panfish and even bass with them. They also catch catfish reliably. Once you get the technique down, its unbelievable how many fish you can catch. Some guys try them and don't do too well and give up on them, but you need to learn what the fish want. I don't feel the Crappie Magnets are worth a bother. They are slightly bigger, but once you learn different techniques for different fish you will see the Crappie Magnets don't seem to work as well as the Trout Magnets. I NEVER leave to go fish without them.

As far as the other Four baits, I would say whatever I think will work that day.

-WILL