EastTexasBassin

Buzzbaits and ragetail shads are my favorite

I like fishing the baby craw on gambler giggy heads, spot removers, or finesse jigs. The baby craw is hard to beat when the bite is tough. It has saved the day for me many times.

ragetail baby craw is excellent

I fish soft plastics and jigs about 98% of the time these days.

Those are some fat hawgs there! Nice fish guys!

Here's a few fish I caught on Tuesday. It was 98 degrees and HUMID, as it is and will be for the next week. I'm gonna have to take up night fishing.

I use many of the same baits on a dropshot rig as I do on a c-rig, and I use it in much the same way. I prefer bigger baits, like 10 inch worms and big creature baits. I use a half ounce weight up to a 3/4 ounce weight most of the time. My dropshot rig has 40lb braid as the main line with 20lb flouro as a leader. I use a pendulum cast to launch it as far as I can, and work over a good distance of structure with it. Its a great way to cover deep structure.

The eeliminator has been one of my top producers this year. I prefer it weightless, with a VERY slow subsurface retrieve. It's great for fishing around heavy vegitation because you can crawl it over the mats and then slow wobble it through the pockets. I've done best with the pearl and blue glimmer for this presenation. Fishing it fast, like a buzzbait, has been good around the outside edges of the grass. When the fish don't want it up top, I like to fish it on a light weight c-rig. I use a 1/8 to 1/4oz weight about 18 inches above the line. A lift and pause retrieve will work, but I've had better success with a very slow and steady retrieve. Make it swim the same way it does at the surface, just deeper. For this presentation, I've done best with the black/blue color and watermelon w/ red flake. As far as losing the tail of the annie on the hookset, I've had that happen a bit and the only way to reduce it is to wait longer before setting the hook. With its bulky size, its easy for bass to grab the tail of the annie and swim a bit before taking down the whole thing. Use a good scent like JJ's or Megastrike and give 'em a few seconds before you stick 'em. It will still happen here and there, but I think it will happen less often.

Had some fun with the anaconda, the smokin rooster, and a jig 'n lobster yesterday. It was nearly 100 degrees, but the bass were biting best during the hottest hours of the afternoon. Anyone know the name of that plant that is along the shore in the background of the first pic? They look like lily pads, but they're smaller and they don't rest on the water, they rise up 6 to 8 inches out of the water. Just curious

Several times. The last time I was out, my buddy had a fish break him off while using a baby brush hog. I caught that fish a few hours later, and returned his baby brush hog to him.

My success with other swimbaits is far from limited. I've caught fish with various retrieves, around many types of cover and structure, and in many different conditions with similar swimbaits...just not with the BBZ1 Shad. Usually I would say that its just me, except that I hear the same from so many anglers. There's nothing wrong with the bait, I just think that there are many better choices.

I fished mine quite a few times before I caught a fish on it. I've only had one good day with it. The only way I've caught fish with it is on a fast retrieve, using it as a wake bait. I spent some time fishing it slow, no hits. Many people will agree that it doesn't catch fish the way you would think that it should. It looks very nice, just not to the fish. I don't know why, but I've had a lot more success with the strike king sexy swimmer.

A 1/2 oz to 3/4 oz jig with a ragetail Lobster.

It was HOT yesterday afternoon, but the action was hot too. My buddy and I caught between 40 and 50 fish. We caught most of 'em on ragetail toads, t-rigged RT thumpers and RT craws, and baby craws on the drop shot. I also caught some on a cut-tail RT thumper on a drop shot, a couple on a lobster jig, and a couple on a blue eeliminator.

Nice fish!

5/0 Superline Gammy EWG

The one in the first pic is watermelon w/ red flake. The others are the green pumpking w/ pearl belly.

It was mostly cloudy yesterday morning, with occasional light rain. My absolute favorite weather to fish in. I tore up a bunch of ragetail toads. It was a blast.

I'll take a rainy day over sunshine anytime. I LOVE fishing in the rain. My favorite lures are buzzbaits, ragetail shads, ragetail toads, and spinnerbaits.

It's an all year bait. When the fish aren't feeding up top, you can put it on a light weight c-rig to get the same action down below. My favorite way to fish it is around surface vegetation. The important thing is to reel VERY slowly. Be sure to rig is perfectly straight, or it might turn over instead of wobbling from side to side.

I always have both rigged and ready. I go back and forth, hitting each piece of cover with both. I usually try the jig first, to go for the big bite.

Ragetail Lobster

Sounds like you guys had fun! Next year, come to Texas! 8-)

Whatever kind you use, make sure that it is free swinging. Don't use the plastic sleeve to make it stick straight back from the lure. A free swinging trailer hook will stick 'em every time.

yes. it does.