Dakota Ebare shares his top 5 offshore bass fishing baits on Table Rock Lake. The highland reservoir offers a range of bites from shallow to deep. Ebare focuses on five essential techniques that help him consistently target offshore bass. Using electronics to locate fish and structure, he demonstrates how these baits can be adapted to different depths and scenarios.
DROP SHOT RIG
Ebare starts with the drop shot rig, an established yet highly effective method for pressured or otherwise negative bass. He uses the drop shot to target bass relating to specific structural elements, such as rock piles ranging from shallow to deep. Ebare emphasizes how this rig can draw bass from the cover, even when not visible on electronics.
- WORM – Strike King Filler Worm: Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- DROP SHOT HOOKS & WEIGHTS – Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- ROD – Lew’s Custom Lite Series Spinning Rod – 7′ – Medium Light – Extra Fast: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- REEL – Lew’s Custom Lite Spinning Reel – 6.2:1 – 300 Size: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
CAROLINA RIG
Next, he covers the Carolina rig, a versatile bait for combing the bottom. Ebare highlights its effectiveness in diverse conditions, from rock points to shell beds, making it useful year-round. Adjust your weight to target bass at a variety of depths effectively.
- PLASTIC – Strike King Scounbug: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- WEIGHT – WOO! Tungsten Never Chip Flipping Weight, 1/2-ounce: Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- HOOKS – Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- SWIVEL – Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- ROD – Lew’s Custom Lite Series Casting Rod – 7’6″ – Medium Heavy – Moderate Fast: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- REEL – Lew’s HyperMag Casting Reel: Buy at Tackle Warehouse
DRAGGING A JIG
Ebare then discusses using an old-school bass jig on a heavy casting setup. He notes that a big jig draws bites from better-than-average bass. Fish it slowly across the bottom or work it through brush piles for bass holding tight to cover.
- JIG – Strike King Structure Jig: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- TRAILER – Strike King Rage Magnum Menace Grub: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- ROD – Lew’s Custom Lite Series Casting Rod – 7’3″ – Medium Heavy – Fast: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- REEL – Lew’s Custom Gen 3 Casting Reel: Buy at Tackle Warehouse
CRANKBAITS
For reaction bites, Ebare turns to deep-diving crankbaits like the 6XD. These baits excel on a long cast and allow you to cover a lot of water while drawing reaction strikes from aggressive fish. He adapts colors based on water clarity and forage type.
- CRANKBAIT – Strike King Pro-Model XD Crankbait: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- ROD COMBO – Lew’s Custom Lite SLP/Bass Pro Shops Johnny Morris CarbonLite Technique Baitcast Combo – Right – 7’10” – Md Hvy – Dp Crankbt – C: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
PINGING A MINNOW
Lastly, Ebare demonstrates fishing a jig and minnow presentation for suspended bass feeding on baitfish. A simple ballhead jig and plastic is an excellent baitfish imitator. Match your bait size to the forage and jig weight to the target depth.
- MINNOW – Strike King 3X ElazTech Baby Z Too Soft Jerkbait: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- BALL JIGHEAD – Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- ROD – Lew’s Custom Lite Series Spinning Rod – 7’2″ – Medium – Extra Fast: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- REEL – Lew’s Custom Lite SS Series Spinning Reel: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
BOAT SETUP
- BOAT – 2021 Nitro Z21-XL: Check out at Nitro
- MOTOR – Mercury Pro XS 250 hp: Check out at Mercury
- TROLLING MOTOR – Garmin Force Trolling Motor: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- FISH FINDER – Garmin ECHOMAP Ultra 2 126sv Fish Finder/Chartplotter with Navionics+: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- FORWARD-FACING SONAR (FFS) – Garmin LVS34 LiveScope Plus Live Scanning Sonar Transducer: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
