One of the hottest and most debatable topics in the world of fishing right now is forward facing sonar. Regardless of what side of the debate you are on, I believe it is here to stay, and most major bait companies are making baits geared just for these tactics. Trust me when I say there is nothing more addicting than finding a school of bass or crappie and chasing them around, watching them devour your bait underwater. I have spent hours behind my Humminbird Mega Live 2 forward-facing sonar transducer doing just this. This transducer works with Humminbird XPLORE, APEX, and SOLIX G3 fish finder models. It connects directly to the control head via an included Ethernet cable. With that said, let’s dive into why you would use this and break down some of the hottest baits for different species this year.
What makes a Good Forward Facing Sonar Bait?
Not all baits are created equal, and not all baits will work for this tactic. The best baits for forward facing sonar tactics are lightweight highly responsive baits. This is because they react quickly underwater, which is key when trying to get the fish to bite. You can see how the fish react to your bait in real time, so you make the needed adjustments to work the bait back and forth or speed up or slow down your presentation. This is what makes forward facing sonar so effective. Baits must also be heavy enough to have a strong sonar return, allowing you to see your bait clearly on the screen. This is important so that you can see exactly what your bait is doing when you get your target fish’s attention. Lastly, you need a bait that looks realistic and matches the local bait fish. Remember, you are trying to mimic the local bait fish with this technique. It’s not as much of a reaction bite as it is an ambush bite. With all these things taken into consideration, some of the best baits to use are jigs, rattle traps, crankbaits, jerk baits, and my personal favorite, swimbaits. Let’s break down some of the top baits for bass, crappie, walleye, and pike.
Why Use Forward Facing Sonar
The world of bass fishing seems to have the most debate over forward facing sonar because it works so well when targeting bass. It is so effective that some of the top bass tournament organizations are talking about limiting the use of it because some pros are claiming it is taking away from the talent needed to catch fish. I know here locally, for me, the last tournament I fished on my home body of water, it had to be disconnected because the tournament director claimed it was too easy. If those two statements don’t show you how effective this tactic is, I don’t know what will. It’s not only the bass fishing world that has a love hate relationship with it I have heard every major fishing tournament organization will start to issue rules over the use of it. Just a few weeks ago, Muskies Inc. banned the use of forward-facing sonar in all its tournaments. Now that you know how well it seems to work, let’s dive into the best baits on the market and what fish species they work best on.
Best Swimbaits to Use with Forward Facing Sonar
This is by far the most popular way to fish for bass with forward facing sonar. The reason is they work, and they work very well. They work so well that every major tackle manufacturer is making swimbaits for just this style of fishing. I have tried several of the new swimbaits out on the market geared toward forward facing sonar and the one that seemed to not only show up the best on my Humminbird Xplore 9 graphs but also caught the most fish was the Strike King’s Homing Minnow. This excellent little swimbait comes pre-rigged in packs of 3 in various weights and several of the top swimbait colors. They offer a 3-inch and 4-inch option, both of which have a razor-sharp hook.
Another great swimbait option is the Z-man Graph ShadZ. This swimbait really seemed to shine when targeting walleye this spring. This 3.8-inch swimbait comes in 3 weights and several different colors. It has great reaction time underwater and offered great returns on the graph. With razor sharp hooks and an affordable price, you can’t go wrong with this swimbait either.
Swimbaits are the workhorse bait for forward facing sonar. They work great for walleye, crappie, bass, and pike. With all the options out there, you can find just about any size and color you are looking for. Just keep in mind when selecting a swimbait, the color of the bait fish and the size of the fish you are targeting.
Best Jerkbaits to Use with Forward Facing Sonar
Before the invention of forward-facing sonar, I rarely cast a jerk bait other than at the start and end of the fishing season. Now I find myself with a jerkbait on the deck 75 percent of the time, depending on the species I’m targeting. Jerkbaits are great for targeting suspended bass, taunting weary pike, and to pick off crappie in large schools. It was hard to pick my favorite jerkbait because I had so many that worked so well with this technique. I picked the 3 that I thought worked best for different species. Let’s start with the Rapala Ultra-Light Minnow. This small jerkbait was great for catching crappie schooled up offshore. It had great returns from my Mega Live 2 unit, but it took a little practice because of the size and technique. If you love crappie fish, this is a great way to fill the boat. Next was the Rapala X-Rap magnum for targeting pike. This bait comes in several different sizes and colors and is easy to identify on your graphs. Just like the pike you are targeting, this bait will show up larger than all the rest. I found this to be a great way to catch pike suspended deeper in the water column, waiting for an easy meal. I also caught a few bass and walleye on this same bait, making it a great, well-rounded jerkbait. Lastly, the Megabass Vision 110 is the top of the line when it comes to jerkbaits. This jerkbait will fill the boat with walleye or catch some of the trickiest bass due to its realistic appearance and the way it presents in the water.
Best Rattle Traps and Crankbaits to Use with Forward Facing Sonar
Rattle traps and crankbaits have been a staple in many people’s tackle boxes over the years. I believe crankbaits are one of the first baits I learned how to use when I started fishing with artificial baits. Since they are such a popular bait, it should be no surprise that they made the list for some of the best baits to use for forward facing sonar. These baits are great for several reasons: they have a bigger profile, they have a little bit of weight to them, and they move well in the water. These three things alone make these baits show up great on forward facing sonar screens. They are also great for catching all species of fish. My top three baits in this category are the Rapala DT series crankbaits, the Strike King Redeye Shad rattle traps, and the Berkley Flicker Shad. Let’s start with the Strike King Redeye Flicker Shad. This bait is a bass-catching machine. This rattle trap comes in several different lengths, weights, and colors that will match any bait fish at your local lake. They show up excellently when casting along weed lines trying to pull bass out, which is a lot of fun if you have never done it before. Next up is the Rapala DT series crankbaits. These baits will catch several different species. I have used them for crappie, bass, and walleye. They come in several different sizes and colors as well, but what I like most about them is how they are designed to dive to a certain depth, then stay there for the retrieve. This is great for those times when you locate a school of crappie in 8 feet of water. You can cast out past the school and watch your bait as you work it right through the school and pluck the crappie off one by one. Lastly, the Berkley Flicker Shad is another versatile bait. This bait can catch all 4 species mentioned in this article and more I’m sure. They come in several different sizes and colors, geared toward several different bait fish. This is one of my favorite baits to take up north when I’m targeting pike in the fall.
Best Jigs to Use with Forward Facing Sonar
When it comes to jigs, I feel this is another staple in most fishermen’s tackle boxes. They are a very versatile bait that can be used for punching through thick vegetation, pitching up to docks, and, you guessed it, pitched toward fish on your forward-facing sonar. They are great for both bass and crappie, but you must match the jig head and size to your target species and what you are pitching into. For this reason, I am only going to list a few of my better-performing jigs. The Z-Man Jackhammer is by far my favorite vibrating jig, which is better known as a chatter bait. I like this bait so much I have a dedicated rod and reel with one always tied on. I can pitch this to docks, swim it toward schools, and use it to work rock walls and isolated boulders. They come in a few different weights and several different colors. They show up great on my forward-facing sonar, even at deeper depths of water. Next up, I would have to say would be the Strike King Hack Attack Flipping jig, only because flipping toward those bass I see on my graph is so much fun. These jigs have great returns on the screen and are very responsive underwater when working to catch a bass. My favorite way to fish them is by flipping them into thick brush and cover. Lastly, let’s talk about a crappie jig. The Northland Tackle Crappie Queen is my go-to jig for forward-facing sonar. This little bait takes some time to learn when using your forward-facing sonar, and you may need to make some minor adjustments to your settings to be able to see it, but once you figure it out, it’s game on. The tungsten head is what makes this small bait work so well with forward facing sonar. They come in several different colors, but I recommend staying with the bigger size heads when using forward facing sonar. They are a great bait to use to pick crappie off that are in schools or hanging tight to cover.
If I haven’t convinced you enough yet how fun it is to fish these baits with forward-facing sonar, you must not truly love fishing. Just typing this has me ready to hit the water tomorrow. There are several other baits that I have used that work great with this fishing technique, but I narrowed it down to what I feel works best now for everyone, from beginners to experienced fishermen. The key is to learn your forward facing unit then learn your baits as you cast out to fish. For most people, this takes some practice and time, but what good things don’t take some practice to get used to?
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