gobig

pretty sure it was two of them

Thats not braid its leadcore

Quite some time back I made a similar post and there was not a whole lot of response. I buy what ever I can that is made in the USA with out sacrificing the effectiveness of the bait. Roboworm Reaction Innovations Yamamoto Big Bite Gambler basstrix Zipper worms

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/anal-retentive-fishing/1349689/

Please do not take this as me trying to single anyone out. But this supports what I was trying to convey in my post. The above statement could be totally true but it is not the whole picture. We all know how effective rip baits are this time of year. The right swimbait applied to the technique of ripping can be very effective.

I have never personally used this swimbait before. Based on the reviews on the BPS website it sounds like a decent bait. Multiple people claimed to catch several pike on the same bait so it sounds like its fairly durable. And almost every review stated that it has great swimming action. The first thing I would do is change out the split rings and hooks. BPS has a tendency to put junk hardware on their baits. The last thing you want is to hook a toad and have a hook bend out. I prefer owner hyper wire split rings and I would use at least a 2x trebles. Next you need to determine the capabilities and characteristics of the bait. For instance the ROF (rate of fall) on this bait is sinking. That does not tell a whole lot. You can use a pool, a 5gal bucket or anything where you have a predetermined depth and clear water. Count how many seconds it takes to reach the bottom. Also pay attention to how the bait sinks. Does it fall nose down? does the tail wag on the fall? does it fall flat? does it spiral? Pay attention to detail. When you swim the bait does it perform well at low speeds? what about high speeds? Will it turn 180deg when you pop the bait? Once you become familiar with the bait you can apply it to the best suited techniques. I will try to make this as clear as possible on how swimbaits or any other bait for that matter can be applied to a technique. What is the technique? Imagine this... you cast out letting your lure sink to the bottom. You let it set for a few seconds and then you drag it towards you in a small deliberate motion. Your rod goes from 9 o'clock to the 10 o'clock position you pause for a few seconds reel up the slack and repeat. In this description the word lure is general, it could be anything. In place of the word lure you could insert swimbait, jig, carolina rig, droshot or pretty much any lure that has the characteristics and capabilities that allow it to be applied to that technique in the given conditions. The lure does not define the technique the technique defines the lure.

This is an interesting topic. There is a lake that near by me that I would have to call my home lake. The property on the west side of the lake is state owned and at one point was leased out to the public. I know there was a problem with sewage seepage from more than one resort. Since the leases were not renewed by the state the lake has started fishing way bigger than it used to and the shad population has grown considerably. We have had some good conditions for spawning fish the last few years but I find it interesting that the time lines seem to line up.

I agree completely. This can work. Sometimes I think this kind of entry gets their attention. But I have also seen where this detours the bite. Picking areas in the mat and Learning how to work the bait down through the cover takes some practice but can make for a rewarding day. Some cover is so thick that you don't have to many options in weight. In these cases you can use the spool tensioner to slow the fall. As far as hooks go I use the ones sold by paycheck baits. They are made by Gamakatsu and IMO far out perform an EWG.

I believe there are times when it matters and there are times when it does not. I think the profile and size of a bait far out weigh color in most cases.

I would go before hand. There are supposed to be some pretty heavy winds coming. Out of curiosity what lake you going to?

I have a feeling its going to be Ravens and 49ers.

Sad but true

I think big fish do what they want, they make their own rules. I have had experiences that support everything said here. I caught an 8.5 in Feb last year that appeared to be spawned out. She was definitely void of eggs and her tail was raw. Then again I caught an 11.4 in late June where she was literally expelling eggs as I was unhooking her. This is a direct quote from the Big Bass Zone. "Bigger fish spawn deeper. And many times, they spawn earlier. By March and April, it can be to late. Although the water temp is not prime before this period-it may be 58 degrees-I think that big fish are big because they do things differently."

Weeds, shadows, docks, logs, stumps, mud lines, fallen trees ect... all form points that fish use. Points are not limited to land/structure. point    /pɔɪnt/ Show Spelled[point] Show IPA noun 1. a sharp or tapering end, as of a dagger. 2. a projecting part of anything: A point of land juts into the bay. 3. a tapering extremity: the points of the fingers. 4. something having a sharp or tapering end: a pen point. 5. a pointed tool or instrument, as an etching needle.

I have caught over 100 fish in a day on plastic worms, should they be banned? As long as bag rates and C&R are respected I have no issue. There is also a difference between multiple rods and one. With more than one rod you can fish different speeds at different depths at the same time. Besides other than tournaments it is legal to use more than one rod on most lakes out here and I don't find that to be unsporting. As far as in tournaments I don't feel it should be banned. If anything the number of hooks should be limited to two. This would put the rig on the same playing field as something like a double fluke rig which is already legal in tournaments and used for years.

Contrary to popular belief the Alabama rig does not operate on magic. You still have to locate fish and they have to want to eat it. I don't see why it should be banned. It is an artificial and everyone has the same ability to use one.

We don't generally get water temps in the thirties out here so I can really comment on that but I do catch fish on deep cranks year round. Norman also makes suspend models that you can fish more like a jerk bait with a stop and go retrieve. Just because its winter does not mean that there will be no periods of activity. In my experience warming trends help but are not the only times cranks can be effective. Many times the bite will be there in short windows of opportunity. You may go 4hrs with out a bite and then all of the sudden they chew for an hour and you pick up 4 or 5 fish. Knowing this what I generally do is pick up a crank right when I get to a spot and fan cast the area. If I don't get bit I I'll put it down and go to something else. But every time I get to new water I give a crank a few casts, if you hit these windows at the right time you can put some weight in the boat. Winter crankbait fish almost always seem to be quality fish.

I could see an advantage possibly in clear water where the bait is dead sticked or fished really slow, where the fish has a lot of time to examine the bait. I have had fish key in on chartruse tip of a robo worm hot tip. However more often than not I think it will make no difference.

I have several reasons for my suggestions, here is my take on it... Most of my suggestions come from what I have learned throwing bigger baits and fish I have caught on the rig so far. - I don't play the fish, I have the drag locked down and I wench them in. I want a rod/reel that can over power the fish and line that can handle that stress. If you have the power to move a big fish and fill there mouth with water they are less inclined to throw a bait. I have caught many of fish that weigh way more than the line and rod rating when I play them. - When you start talking about baits/rigs that weigh ounces there is a lot of stress on the line and knots when casting. I would use no less than 20lb test. - I have to agree with the use of a rod that has a more parabolic bend. Which is one of the reasons for using a swimbait rod. It has length, parabolic bend and lots of backbone. Not only does this help getting more fish to the boat but you can make more than a dozen casts with out it feeling like your arms are going to fall off.

A friend and I have been throwing our own versions for a month or so. Out here we can only have three baits on ours. Depending on what baits you put on the rig the weight can vary considerably. I have been throwing mine on a Lamiglass Swimbait rod 7' 6'' MH, paired with a Curado 300 that is spooled up with 65lb braid and a 25lb co-poly leader. This rod is designed for throwing 6in swimbaits and works beautifully. We have managed a few 7lber's half a dozen 5's and I broke off on a fish that was quite possibly a double D. This rig has so much big fish potential its not even funny. Its also got the potential to break the bank if ya loose one. If mine would have been store bought that would have been over 50 bucks gone in one shot. With that being said I could not imagine trying to throw one of these on anything less than a swimbait rod with a 300 series reel and heavy line. If all that wire don't bother them I don't see why braid or heavy line would? Think about it, if you had two 7's were hooked at the same time that's over 14lbs! And for those of you where you can have 5 baits what if you had five 3lbers hook up at once? That's alot of stress on a rod and reel. Why chance it? As far as getting tired goes.. this is no different than throwing something like 6in BBZ 1 all day. On the right rod with proper casting technique its no problem for me.

I prefer to rig it with the 8/0 Beast. If you go to the little creeper website there is a really good rigging video.

Merry Christmas

I have to second the trash fish. This bait is amazing, it has become one of my favorite soft 6in swimbaits. Its not just a slow roll bait. The way the fins are there is alot of secondary action to the bait and it performs well at slower speeds.

If a Bass wants to eat your bait you can not reel it fast enough to get it away from him/her. Bass are extremely efficient predators and will move to get a bait even in cold water. It is true that slower is generally better in cold water but it is not always the case. In fact when I can get a reaction bite going in the cold months they are usually better fish then the ones ya get shaking a worm. The most effective way I have fished a lipless in the winter is yo yoing. Cast out let the bait settle on the bottom, pop it off the bottom, letting it settle again. The strikes will come on the fall. Vary the intensity of how you work the bait to see what they want.

Not really sure I understand the question. What do you mean fish it like a plastic worm? Plastic worms are fished so many different ways I think you need to narrow it down more.