Bass Basics

Beginner’s Tacklebox with Quentin Cappo

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Bassmaster Elite Series pro Quentin Cappo knows angling success requires the ability to target bass in diverse situations and water conditions. He put together a box of lures he said will provide everything an angler needs. “I’m thinking from the bottom to the top,” the Elite Series rookie said. “These will all work well for the beginner.”
Bassmaster Elite Series pro Quentin Cappo knows angling success requires the ability to target bass in diverse situations and water conditions. He put together a box of lures he said will provide everything an angler needs. “I’m thinking from the bottom to the top,” the Elite Series rookie said. “These will all work well for the beginner.”
Cappo started his box with a 1/2-ounce Strike King Hack Attack Fluorocarbon Flipping Jig.
Cappo started his box with a 1/2-ounce Strike King Hack Attack Fluorocarbon Flipping Jig. “Across the country, you can flip in deep water, shallow water, swim it, dead-stick it,” Cappo explained. “It’s an all-purpose lure, mimicking a crawfish, a bluegill and a shad.”
He matches the jig with a Strike King Rage Twin Tail Menace Grub to provide extra action.
He matches the jig with a Strike King Rage Twin Tail Menace Grub to provide extra action.
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The finished combo has a fish-catching profile that attracts big bites.
The finished combo has a fish-catching profile that attracts big bites.
The Hack Attack Fluorocarbon Flipping Jig goes in the box’s first compartment.
The Hack Attack Fluorocarbon Flipping Jig goes in the box’s first compartment.
A Strike King Thunder Cricket Vibrating Swim Jig is next up. “A vibrating jig is kind of like a cold-water jig that you can pull through grass and wood,” Cappo said. “It’s more subtle than a spinner bait, but it moves the same amount of water. And bass just eat it.”
A Strike King Thunder Cricket Vibrating Swim Jig is next up. “A vibrating jig is kind of like a cold-water jig that you can pull through grass and wood,” Cappo said. “It’s more subtle than a spinner bait, but it moves the same amount of water. And bass just eat it.”
Cappo places the Thunder Cricket Vibrating Swim Jig in the second slot of the box.
Cappo places the Thunder Cricket Vibrating Swim Jig in the second slot of the box.
A 3/8-ounce Strike King spinnerbait with a Colorado/willow leaf blade combination is an all-around proven producer. “You can run it fast, or you can run it slow,” Cappo explained. “The Colorado blade gives it some vibration.”
A 3/8-ounce Strike King spinnerbait with a Colorado/willow leaf blade combination is an all-around proven producer. “You can run it fast, or you can run it slow,” Cappo explained. “The Colorado blade gives it some vibration.”
The spinnerbait is placed in the tacklebox.
The spinnerbait is placed in the tacklebox.
Every box needs a topwater bait, and Cappo chose a Strike King Tour Grade buzz bait. “During the shad spawn in the early morning or in the fall when fish are moving up, I like a buzz bait for two reasons,” Cappo said. “One, it’s a big-fish bait because whatever hits that bait will replace what you’ve got in the livewell. And, two, it’s a great search bait because you can put the trolling motor on high and cover water with it.”
Every box needs a topwater bait, and Cappo chose a Strike King Tour Grade buzz bait. “During the shad spawn in the early morning or in the fall when fish are moving up, I like a buzz bait for two reasons,” Cappo said. “One, it’s a big-fish bait because whatever hits that bait will replace what you’ve got in the livewell. And, two, it’s a great search bait because you can put the trolling motor on high and cover water with it.”
A Strike King Swimming Caffeine Shad adds the action of a paddle-tail to the lure.
A Strike King Swimming Caffeine Shad adds the action of a paddle-tail to the lure.
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The buzz bait/paddle-tail combo is deadly effective at getting big bites, Cappo said.
The buzz bait/paddle-tail combo is deadly effective at getting big bites, Cappo said.
The Tour Grade buzz bait is added to the box.
The Tour Grade buzz bait is added to the box.
Another great topwater is a Strike King KVD Sexy frog. “You can fish it around flooded bushes, grass and pads,” Cappo said. “Say you have bank with flooded bushes and you can’t flip a jig back there. You can skip that frog in there and fish that water.”
Another great topwater is a Strike King KVD Sexy frog. “You can fish it around flooded bushes, grass and pads,” Cappo said. “Say you have bank with flooded bushes and you can’t flip a jig back there. You can skip that frog in there and fish that water.”
The Sexy Frog goes into the next compartment.
The Sexy Frog goes into the next compartment.
Cappo’s first soft-plastic lure is a Strike King Rage Tail Structure Bug. “This gives the beginner the ability to fish hydrilla mats in the heat of the day when fish pull into that vegetation,” Cappo said. “It allows you to get in the thick stuff and cover more water.”
Cappo’s first soft-plastic lure is a Strike King Rage Tail Structure Bug. “This gives the beginner the ability to fish hydrilla mats in the heat of the day when fish pull into that vegetation,” Cappo said. “It allows you to get in the thick stuff and cover more water.”
He pairs the Structure Bug with a 4/0 Trokkar Big Nasty Flippin’ hook and a 1-ounce Strike King tungsten weight.
He pairs the Structure Bug with a 4/0 Trokkar Big Nasty Flippin’ hook and a 1-ounce Strike King tungsten weight.
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Cappo puts the Structure Bug in the tacklebox’s next slot.
Cappo puts the Structure Bug in the tacklebox’s next slot.
Another great plastic selection is a Strike King Rage Tail Craw. “A craw worm is a go-to bait because crawfish are the main forage in a lot of lakes in the South,” Cappo explained. “It also can be cut down and used as a jig trailer.”
Another great plastic selection is a Strike King Rage Tail Craw. “A craw worm is a go-to bait because crawfish are the main forage in a lot of lakes in the South,” Cappo explained. “It also can be cut down and used as a jig trailer.”
A Trokar offset hook and 3/8-ounce Strike King tungsten weight is a great match to the Rage Tail Craw.
A Trokar offset hook and 3/8-ounce Strike King tungsten weight is a great match to the Rage Tail Craw.
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The Rage Tail Craw is placed in the tacklebox next to the Structure Bug.
The Rage Tail Craw is placed in the tacklebox next to the Structure Bug.
Next up is a Strike King Cut-R Worm.“You can slow-reel it on a light weight,” Cappo said. “It really shines around grass and scattered hydrilla.”
Next up is a Strike King Cut-R Worm.“You can slow-reel it on a light weight,” Cappo said. “It really shines around grass and scattered hydrilla.”
The Cut-R Worm is extremely versatile. “The best part of the Cut-R Worm is I can pinch the tail off and now I have a dead-stick worm,” the pro said.
The Cut-R Worm is extremely versatile. “The best part of the Cut-R Worm is I can pinch the tail off and now I have a dead-stick worm,” the pro said.
The Cut-R Worm goes in the next slot.
The Cut-R Worm goes in the next slot.
A Strike King KVD 1.5 square bill is a critical part of Cappo’s beginner’s lure choices. “It’s good around wood,” Cappo said. “It’s got great vibration, and it’s a good bait to cover water. It’s perfect when fish are shallow, diving to 3 feet.”
A Strike King KVD 1.5 square bill is a critical part of Cappo’s beginner’s lure choices. “It’s good around wood,” Cappo said. “It’s got great vibration, and it’s a good bait to cover water. It’s perfect when fish are shallow, diving to 3 feet.”
The crankbait goes into the box.
The crankbait goes into the box.
To expand the depth covered by a crankbait, Cappo adds a KVD 2.5 squarebill, which dives from 3 to 6 feet. “It’s the same as the 1.5, but it’s got more wobble,” Cappo said. “It moves more water.”
To expand the depth covered by a crankbait, Cappo adds a KVD 2.5 squarebill, which dives from 3 to 6 feet. “It’s the same as the 1.5, but it’s got more wobble,” Cappo said. “It moves more water.”
Cappo places it in the same compartment as the KVD 1.5.
Cappo places it in the same compartment as the KVD 1.5.
A lipless crankbait is versatile and effective, so Cappo added a Strike King Red Eye Shad in delta red color to the mix. “We fish this around grass, and try to get it in there and rip it out to get reaction bites,” Cappo explained. “You control the depth with the rod angle and line diameter, so you can cover the entire water column.”
A lipless crankbait is versatile and effective, so Cappo added a Strike King Red Eye Shad in delta red color to the mix. “We fish this around grass, and try to get it in there and rip it out to get reaction bites,” Cappo explained. “You control the depth with the rod angle and line diameter, so you can cover the entire water column.”
The Red Eye Shad is placed next to the squarebills in Cappo’s tacklebox.
The Red Eye Shad is placed next to the squarebills in Cappo’s tacklebox.
Cappo said an underspin, like the Strike King Tour Grade Spin Head rigged with a Caffeine Shad, is perfect when targeting suspended bass. “You just let it fall to the bottom, reel it fast to make it pop up and then stop, and the Spin Head falls right through the fish,” Cappo said. “In cold-water months, I’ll just drag it on the bottom, and it looks like a lifeless shiner.”
Cappo said an underspin, like the Strike King Tour Grade Spin Head rigged with a Caffeine Shad, is perfect when targeting suspended bass. “You just let it fall to the bottom, reel it fast to make it pop up and then stop, and the Spin Head falls right through the fish,” Cappo said. “In cold-water months, I’ll just drag it on the bottom, and it looks like a lifeless shiner.”
The Spin Head fills out Cappo’s tackl box.
The Spin Head fills out Cappo’s tackl box.
Cappo said this box of lures is a great start for any beginning angler.
Cappo said this box of lures is a great start for any beginning angler.

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