For some of us, our first open water trip of the year will be a short one close to home. Other anglers are making plans to be gone for several days at a more distant location. Longer trips require more planning. I learned the expensive way that it’s important to consider the weather that will be in the area that you’re traveling to, not the weather that is currently at your home. Too many times I forgot that. I would look outside and pack clothing that was appropriate for the local weather.

Much of the time I would be traveling six or eight hours from home, and most of the time the weather was much different where I was going to be fishing than it was at home. This poor preparation resulted in trips to the local sporting goods store to get appropriate clothing. Prepare for the weather where you’re going, not where you are.

Now about packing the proper baits for your fishing trip. Some baits and techniques are seasonal. A slow-moving lure will usually be best early in the year when the water is still cool, and a faster presentation will be more productive when the water is warmer. There is a constant thing to keep in mind. Always pack plastics. Regardless of what species of fish you’re after or the time of year, plastics will be reliable fish-catchers. There might be times when live bait is better, and there might be times when a faster moving crankbait is better, but a plastic bait in some form will almost always appeal to the fish.

Plastic baits are good baits to include in your fishing travels for several reasons, but mostly because they’re easy to travel with. Live bait requires care, and caring for live bait can be challenging when traveling.

A very versatile plastic for bass, walleyes and pike is a Rage Swimmer. For panfish, a Mr. Crappie Grub is a good choice. These baits have action tails that vibrate as they move. They’re rigged on a jighead and can be fished quickly.

If fishing is really tough, it’s hard to beat a jig rigged with a Ned Ocho. This plastic body puts off very minimal action, and on days when the fish are finicky, that’s what will get them to bite.

Plastic baits come in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes, and can be fished quickly or slow. That’s a big advantage. There will be times when a particular color is what the fish prefer, but if you have some bodies in chartreuse, white, black, and pumpkinseed, you’re going to be good in most situations.

Before you leave home make sure that you have the licenses and permits necessary for where you’ll be fishing. Also make sure that you know of any regulation changes.

The planning part is almost as much fun as the fishing part of a fishing trip. Now all we need to do is get the weather to cooperate, and that’s something that we can’t plan for.