MSPbass

Thanks! I actually had a bag of these in my hand just yesterday, but decided to pass because I wasn't really sure what to do with them. I Went with some more YUM Money Craws, but it sounds like you can fish the Space Monkeys exactly the same as the MC; which is just about however you want. I like it.

"One other thing to be concerned with is the oil in the plastics to keep them soft." Thanks for the tip. I think what I have most of will be OK; but I'll keep an eye on that.

I get you're putting the Space Monkey on a weighted hook, but are you fishing it like a jig on the bottom or reeling it straight back in like a swimbait?

Thanks for the link AndyPD! I knew this had been discussed before, but I failed to produce any such threads after multiple searches. Storing them flat or vertical is a good tip. I'm also intrigued by TodedoEF's comment about garlic cooking spray.

Some folks limit their buzz baits to dawn and dusk. Some even say it's only good in the Fall. I, however, fish buzzbaits all day long all year. I love em! I would agree with most though, overcast and/or a little wind helps the buzzbait bite. The main thing to look for is some sort of cover: a log, an overhanging tree branch, a dock, a little clump of pads, etc. Cast past the target area and buzz it back to you. If you can hit the cover, even better! Keep your rod tip up and reel it back at a steady pace. Try slowing it down and/or speeding it up if that doesn't work. Myself, I never burn a buzzbait, but some do. On occasion, I will twitch the rod tip to get an extra splash every now and again. On your cast, try to slow down the bait before it hits the water and start reeling immediately. You will sometimes get bit a second after it hits, so watch your landing. I've heard some say that a bass can track a bait as it flies through the air so they can snag it as soon as it goes under. I will sometimes let mine sink a second two, but more often, I'll pull the rod tip up and start reeling before the bait hits the water so it just skims the top and takes off right away. Like with frogs, you can easily pull a buzzbait out of a fish's mouth, so wait 2 seconds after the initial hit; you want to feel the bass pull before you set the hook. It's hard though. If a fish boils on it, and you don't freak and yank the bait out of the water, there's a good chance the bass will go after it again. Stay calm and keep reeling. I always follow up with a second cast to the same spot. But, after that, if you have another rod handy, throw a worm or fluke to the spot the buzzbait was attacked and let it sit there for a while. If not, I say keep casting around that area for a while. I think bass often get so ticked by a buzzer, that they just want it gone. It might only take a few more passes by that noisy thing for the fish to hit it again. I do think you can over buzz an area too though, so keep that in mind. Give it a break after a while if you're not getting hit. Throw something else for a bit or move on down the shore for a while and come back later. I've never tried those Counterstrike buzzers, but they look like they would throw a lot of water with those two blades. Keep at it with those and I know you will get a strike. I suggest grabbing a cheapo black buzzbait off the rack and try that too. Sometimes, it's just a steady bubbling gurgle, not a big splash, that gets the most hits.

I've always kept worms and soft plastics in their original bags or separated them into zip-locks when buying bulk. However, this year I put together a little travel bag that was at the ready for those times when I could sneak home, grab a rod and do some shore fishing for an hour or two. It turned out this was how I've been doing quite a bit of fishing this year. For that tackle bag I put a bunch of plastics, sans bags, in a single, small, plastic storage box and, I have to say, it makes selecting bait so much easier. I think I assumed plastics needed to be kept in zipped bags to stay fresh. But I've seen almost no difference in the, mostly, worms that I've been using in this box. I also seem to change bait more often and try different styles, colors, etc, this way. It's proven to be an easier way for me to organize and is much more efficient when I'm on the water. However, I'm not sure I should do it with a larger number of baits. Is there a reason I shouldn't do it with more plastics and bigger boxes? Do baits like Senkos or Super Flukes really dry out and, if so, after how long? Do you think it's detrimental to a bait if it's, say, anise scented but was in the same tray as a garlic scented worm? Is there any other reason not to fill a few utility boxes with baits out of their original packages? Thanks

Just last week I found a jar of Smelly Jelly that was tucked away in a gear bag a couple years ago. I decided to bring it along that day and, man, I forgot how long that stuff stays on your bait! I've been using the YUM garlic spray for a while now, but I'm going back to the Smelly Jelly Bass Feast.

Thanks everyone.

I've always thought these looked like bass catchers, so when I unexpectedly ran across a good sale on them the other day, I ordered a bunch. When I look them up on the Internet, I see they're fished any which way you can think of. I'd like to hear what folks here think of them and how they use them the most. Thanks! PS: Do you shorten a Nories Bug for use as a jig trailer?

That's pretty funny. I didn't even consider that as an option. Duh! Thanks for all the other replies too. How about line burying? You know, in the unlikely event that a backlash occurs? Does a mono back stop the braid from burying unto the spool should I, possibly, pull to hard getting out a knot or just ended up with a heavy duty birdnest on cast?

Thank you RR!

Most of my reels are getting low on line and I'm thinking about switching my braid from Power Pro to McCoy. McCoy, however, is much more expensive. I'm thinking about putting on some mono first; but I'm not sure how much. It seems like folks who use it just to prevent slippage, only put on a few yards. But for bulking up the spool to save braid, I assume you would use more. How much more? Thanks!

Vision Lures Honeybuzz!!!

Can anyone tell me what's going on at Reaction Innovations? They are discontinuing the Ballbreaker (per RI) and the web site has a lot of nothing. No Swamp Donkeys, no Smallie Beavers, the Skinny Dipper isn't even on there anymore. Found one Swamp Donkey on eBay for $16 and not a single bag of Ballbreakers. I did a search here and only saw a mention of it: "supply is low". When I Googled it, all I found was a quote from their Operations Chief who said they are doing "stellar" and their folding/selling off is only a "rumor". What's up?

Wow, I can't believe I didn't come across that article while looking them up before. Thanks RB! It's great (as always).

Anyone try these yet? They obviously don't look like the rest of the soft swimbaits out there. Optimum says they're designed for performance, not appearance. Would like to hear from someone who's tried 'em out before I buy in. Thanks http://optimumbaits.com/OB2/?p=136#more-136

I've been a strict PowerPro user for years. However, I recently got a reel off eBay that came spooled with McCoy "Mean Green" Braid. Seems smaller and rounder than PP and I think I love it! A new TW order is shipping my way today. By the end of the year, I expect to have all my lines changed to McCoy and this fancy Yo-Zuri stuff I kept hearing about and finally tried.

The Purist is a step down from the Trion. A big step too. I've had both but don't have the Purist any longer. I do have to say that I haven't held the new black Purist2 but it looks like it's just a black Cetina. There's a new Trion on eBay right now for $80 and a few Supremes for $99. I know it's more than you have, right now, but the Supreme is nice. I got one myself, for less than $60, on eBay earlier this year. It pays to be patient. I love it too. It's no Patriarch, but it has the dual breaking and a super smooth cast. I say take your time and wait for a better deal on a better reel.

I like the XTools scale. It holds fish much better than I expected. It stores in my tackle bag nicely, but is also small enough to fit in the pocket of my cargo shorts if if I'm shore fishing. It also floats; which is a little extra insurance for when you are on the water.

Huh, that's interesting. I wouldn't say they were in the water long at all either. But I did have to re-rig and then toss them much sooner than expected. Great little bait though. And very fun to fish. I plan to throw a lot of these little guys now.

Strikes aside, how long should one of these last in the water? I got a few packages on sale from my local shop a few months ago. I caught a fat 4lber on the MN bass opener this Sat. so I'm convinced of their effectiveness. I think I love them actually! But they did seem to loosen up and slide down the hook after a while. I had to put on a new Fat Ika much sooner than an average Senko. Is this normal? I thought maybe they were on sale because of a problem, or age, or something.

I don't know if it's the "official" terminology or not, but it seems like most folks consider the bigger hollow bodied baits, Frogs and the solid plastics, usually with the paddle tail feet, Toads. Frogs are often fished slow, in heavy cover. But they walk the dog in open water really well too because they float. Toads are usually fished faster and buzzed across the surface. They sink. I love the Stanley Ribbit toads, but have a new bag of the Rage Tails ready to go for the MN opener this weekend! Hollow bodied frogs do behave differently too. I think the Reaction Innovations Swamp Donkey's are really easy to walk and they don't fill up with water fast like some others do.

Yup yup. Deadstick a fluke too.

Amazon has your 7' MH HMG for $110 right now. Free shipping too. You'll love it!