Big-O

Forgot to mention that there is a tear tab that holds the tail to the body that has to be detached before you fish'em. Bend a rod!

Also don't make the mistake I did on the Rage Tail Toads and Shad. There is a small on the feet and tails that you have to pop loose before throwing them. That is to hold the feet into position to avoid distortion. I left them attached the first time I threw them and said to myself, Wow, they don't do much. After I realized I had to detach the tabs, I threw'em again and then I was hooked and so were alot of fish.

Here is how you rigg'em. Take the shad and set it on a table with tail upright, that's how it runs in the water. Place your hook in it's nose and bring your hook out just past the eye on bottom. Then pull hook thru as on a frog and re-insert it centered just in front of where the tail attaches. Push thru and expose hook on top or tail side of Shad. 5/0 wide gap works great for me. Chunk it and grab you $^#$! cause you're not gonna believe it. Well you gotta crank on it a few times first. THE REEL! Vary your retrieves to see the different styles of action and don't get caught up in listening to all the racket on quick retrieves. Slow it down to a slow slap, and run it across everything with a big smile on you face. Have fun with it cause I have.

The Craws and chunks are bad to the bone! Now, I don't use anything else, but those on TX Rig or jig trailers. Might better rethink the Rage Toads. That bait has a variety of action and noise depending on speed of retrieve that will rival a buzz bait on quick retrieve, and jitterbug sound on super slow retrieve. So far, can't find any other frogs on super slow retrieve that make any noise, but these do. I think they should call em 'Big Foot'. By the way, the longer you use them, the better they get, but I had a hard time figuring this out, cause the fish would tear em up pretty bad.

Shad patterns, white, grey and the silver or gold bling have been my producers in day time. Heck, I think you can throw any color Rage Shad at night and get smacked. When I've run out of the dark colors at night I would throw white or whatever and still catch just as many. I think it is the noise and erratic movement that they are attracted to and adjusting the speed of retrieve gives variety of both.

Last Fall, One of my buddy's and I saw a gathering at the boat ramp and someone had one of the Rage shad hooked up and was throw'in it for the group. Everyone there couldn't resist taking a turn with it, me included. He wasn't selling them or anything or his fishing partner would have bought him out cause he said it gave him a butt kickin that day. I've been using them ever since and they have almost replaced all of my buzz baits. They have better action than it shows on the film clips I've seen, alot better!

Which one? I have too many to count. Depends on time of year and length of tour. No way everything will fit in one bag if you have the variety necessary for all conditions. Sounded like an excuse for carrying too much gear didn't it. I thought so too.

The Rage Tail Craw in green pumpkin has been responsible for about 50% of my best fish over the last 6 months, Texas rigged or on the back of a jig. That would be my choice.

Been there, Done it!!! Throwin the Rage Shad at night is GOOD TIMES. No props or blades to gather the moss and grass and it makes the water move more erratic than my buzzes and I think it turns'em on. Or maybe we were just finding the fish on good nights. Regardless of the reason, I'm gonna do it some more.

I've fished the Red Eye shad with good results as well but I've had the occasional problem with some of all manufacturers products. Like you said, the nature of the beast. I really like SK's new soft plastic line called Rage Tail, they're GREAT.

The Rage Tail Shad is a top water and a dang good one at that. Yes, the tail is rigged upright on a 4/0 to 6/0 wide gap, my favorite being 5/0, and it can be fished in any kind of water at variety of speeds to achieve different action and noise levels. I did say NOISE! This bait rivals a buzzbait racket with terrific water movement and splash. It also moves side to side which I think is one of the reasons why the fish like it so much. Been using them since I saw them a the ICAST last summer and they're terrific. I'm a big fan of Rage Tail products, they have great designs. FISH LIKE"EM TOO.

3/8 jig and Rage tail craw or chunk

Rage tail Craw or a jig with the Rage Tail chunk is the definately the best I have found and puts alot of fish in the boat. Someone finally got it right.

The new Rage Tail Chunk or pinched Rage Tail Craw by Strike King are my favorite jig trailers. They are winning alot of money in the tournaments and they have better action than any I've seen. I also like the fact that the arms and claws stay on better than others.

During a Championship tourn last Fall I got smoked by a friend in the back of the boat when he was using the Rage Tail Toad. I used Horny Toads, Ribbits and Bronze eyes but couldn't find the ticket. Finally got wise and started chunkin them too. Have to say they are a versatile frog design.

There are many soft plastics manufacturers that use non bleed dyes and still others that use dyes that bleed extremely bad. Soft plastics are a form of PVC plastic thus made from oil base. The color dyes are additives also oil based to blend with liquid plastic before molding process. Even the best color and plastic baits will bleed after time especially if allowed to heat up in sun etc. It's the nature of the beast. Best to keep separated as previously noted, in zip locks if you want to maintain same color schemes. Heck, I kinda like some of the colors that just happen to show up when bleeding occurs. Doesn't seem to bother the fish catch ratio a bit.

I like the Rage Tail Toad. It has terrific splash and action. If it lands on its back in water, it also rights itself as soon as you start your retrieve. Slow retrieve has a plop-plop-plop sound and quicker really makes some racket. I'll find alot water to chunk these in this year.

Favorite is definately downsizing jig to 1/4 oz or less and using an active trailer chunk. can pitch and or cast when opportunity presents itself. Have found it to be as versatile for me as even Tex rigged softy's.

Feelin Froggy, spring is just around the corner. Gonna ck out the new frogs this year cause I've seen some new ones at BPS ans CABBY'S. Rage Tail video makes me shake and get short of breath.

Most any plastic craw works well for jig trailers. For shorter more compact presentation pinch top half of craw and thread on jig or leave longer for bigger look. regardless of size, I would try to use a super action craw like the Rage Tail or Paca. Rages have great action at both slow and quick movement and paca moves well at med or fast speeds.

Sorry , I left out Chigger Craw

The best action craws on the market in my opinion are Rage Tail #1, Paca and Zoom speed craw, then I go to twin tail grubs as trailers if I'm out of the rest.

I'm a firm believer in using only soft plastic craws or trailers that provide their own excellent action on the fall as well as with the slightest movement of the rod tip. Let's face it, none of us just drop and drag the bait and hope we get a strike, we all know that small twitches and added movement in our presentation always produce better results. I have found that softy's with their own super action give much better results with slowing the fall rate and holding the jig or bait in the strike zone a little longer or gets spastic action when hopped gently aver structure. Can we catch fish on soft baits that look dead on the fall or drag, of course, but predator fish like to kill their own meal much better. I'm gonna follow the advice of the pro trend and fish the best action baits I can find and just concentrate on location and sett'in the hook.

The Rage Tails from SKL are gettin my vote today. Followed by Zoom, Yum, Reaction Innovations then POWA-WOIMS.

Small pinchers or big pinchers in my opinion isn't what makes the difference. I will take a super action craw like Strike King Rage Tail or Paca any day over any and all the other soft plastic craws. Jigs, craws and creatures are my go to baits and I haven't found any other craw styles that can compete.