Rick Clunn’s true distinguishing characteristics are his explorations into seasonal patterns and his inquiries into the mental side of the game. Nevertheless, as I look back on his career there are a number of lures that I associate directly with him.

My first spending priority after graduating was to get a bass boat of my own, but when it came to tackle I was still pretty careful. Eventually some pricey options came along that I simply could not resist. Check out the entry points to my now-high-spending tackle addiction.

Newer isn’t necessarily better when it comes to fishing tackle. There are plenty of lures, tools and accessories in my boat that I’ve been using since before many of the current Elite Series pros were born.

If you’re only going to get one topwater popper to fish for bass, make it a Lobina Lures Rico or Rio Rico. Nevertheless, these lures are not an insubstantial investment, so you’ll want the best colors. Many people argue that only the paint on the bottom of these lures matters, but I tend to fish better if I have confidence. Here are five favorites.

Confidence is a a huge part of fishing success and you can’t gain confidence in a lure until you’ve caught a pile of fish on it. Here are two lures that I’ve used successfully in various places, and two that I know will work but still need to get better to gain true confidence.