A-Jay

I do this ~ A-Jay

No Trailer hook on this one for me. I'd be pulling grass & weed off it continuously I think. A-Jay

Thank you for the heads up ~ I'll be watching for that. A-Jay

What is this wicked sorcery ? A-Jay

Thanks for the tail color tip ~ Got the pink just need the Chartreuse. All set on the tool & the extra picks (pic) A-Jay

At the beginning of each of the past few seasons, I like to select at least one ‘new to me’ presentation to try my hand at during the upcoming open water period. Three seasons ago, it was the A-Rig. Two seasons ago it was the vibrating jig. Last year the Ned Rig as the all the rage for me. There were plenty of trials & tribulations associated with learning to fish these baits. Success did not come quickly, but I kept at it. Turned out to be a good choice as each has proven fairly effective for me. So for this, the 2020 campaign, it’s going to be the Spro BBZ-1 Rat. While I haven’t fished a ton of true wake baits in the past (at least not in fresh water), this one has really peaked my interest & curiosity. And after watching a few you tube videos of these baits getting totally pulverized by very respectable Green & Brown bass, in waters & situations that seemed very similar to what I routinely encounter here, I placed an order for a modest ‘beginners kit’. Two each of sizes 30 & 40, along with a few extra tails. The Bait Monkey was very pleased. Starting out, I expect to need long casts so I plan on throwing the 30 size (1/2 oz) rat on what is essentially my walking bait rig – 7’ M/F spinning gear spooled with 20lb Sufix 832 Braid. The 40 size (1 oz) rat will be presented on 7’1” MH/F casting gear spooled with the same Sufix braid in 30lb. (my Whopper Plopper rig). Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, I fully expect the occasional Pike or Muskie to feast on Rat Meat, so like many of my presentations made on Lake Menderchuck, the Rat Pack will always be sporting a decent trace of wire between the braid & the bait. In conclusion, (once I actually get some open water) I plan to keep this thread running with updated Reports, Pics & if I’m exceptionally fortunate, some vivid video of any & all ‘Rat Pack’ action that occurs. We’ll start with this season and see how it goes. More importantly, I’d like to invite & encourage all BR members who may have similar experiences with these baits to share them here as well. So there ya go – It’s vermin or bust. A-Jay

At the beginning of each of the past few seasons, I like to select at least one ‘new to me’ presentation to try my hand at during the upcoming open water period. Three seasons ago, it was the A-Rig. Two seasons ago it was the vibrating jig. Last year the Ned Rig was the all the rage for me. There were plenty of trials & tribulations associated with learning to fish these baits. Success did not come quickly, but I kept at it. Turned out to be a good choice as each has proven fairly effective for me. So for this, the 2020 campaign, it’s going to be the Spro BBZ-1 Rat. While I haven’t fished a ton of true wake baits in the past (at least not in fresh water), this one has really peaked my interest & curiosity. And after watching a few you tube videos of these baits getting totally pulverized by very respectable Green & Brown bass, in waters & situations that seemed very similar to what I routinely encounter here, I placed an order for a modest ‘beginners kit’. Two each of sizes 30 & 40, along with a few extra tails. The Bait Monkey was very pleased. Starting out, I expect to need long casts so I plan on throwing the 30 size (1/2 oz) rat on what is essentially my walking bait rig – 7’ M/F spinning gear spooled with 20lb Sufix 832 Braid. The 40 size (1 oz) rat will be presented on 7’1” MH/F casting gear spooled with the same Sufix braid in 30lb. (my Whopper Plopper rig). Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, I fully expect the occasional Pike or Muskie to feast on Rat Meat, so like many of my presentations made on Lake Menderchuck, the Rat Pack will always be sporting a decent trace of wire between the braid & the bait. In conclusion, (once I actually get some open water) I plan to keep this thread running with updated Reports, Pics & if I’m exceptionally fortunate, some vivid video of any & all ‘Rat Pack’ action that occurs. We’ll start with this season and see how it goes. More importantly, I’d like to invite & encourage all BR members who may have similar experiences with these baits to share them here as well. So there ya go – It’s vermin or bust. A-Jay

Robert Orr ~ So Good. A-Jay

No Doubt recent history has been exceptional. But I'm old enough to have been rooting for some Very Bad teams as well. The Boston Patriots were always Brutally bad and the Boston Red Sox seemed to break my heart at some point every summer for SEVERAL Years in a row ! Both my Dad & His Dad never saw the team win a WS - Decades. My son is TOTALLY spoiled ! He's about to get a little reality check though. I'm a little ashamed to say, I actually might enjoy that . . . . just a little. A-Jay

Been a 'sports fan' my entire life. And while there have league strikes & what not over the years, it never included every sport at the same time. Something was eventually come up. Now, not so much. Besides not having a team to root for, when I'm not wearing fishing garb, I'm eternally adorned is whatever New England / Boston sports team is making it happen. So my wardrobe choice each day has been tough ! A-Jay

Me too ~ At 15 years old, I was still having a hard time finding my arse with both hands in broad daylight. ? A-Jay

Agreed ~ A cast every 5 seconds. So perhaps 1 second to present the bait, 3 seconds to work the bait and the last 1 second to reel it up the last few feet and make another cast. With any gear but especially THAT gear and for 8 hours ~ that's a Olympian Effort ! While I don't remember this particular event, seems this would need to be a target casting deal, with dirty water and at very close range. A situation I'd love to try but rarely encounter in the waters I fish most. Either way, I'm not ashamed to know that there's no way I can come close to Mr Martin's performance 1974. #machinegunmartin A-Jay

Mr Van Dam has had some success Power Fishing, but that doesn't always mean fast . . . https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/crankbait-speed-kvd.html A-Jay

Excellent. You've received some great advice already and most likely will continue to. My suggestion ~ One way to perhaps make the trolling motor learning curve a little shorter, is to stop doing so many things at once. Learning while you're fishing can be a little tricky. Instead, perhaps spend a some time not fishing at all and just use the trolling motor to tool around. Slowly maneuvering around docks, in & out of tight quarters, holding on a spot in a little wind - whatever you can think of that enables you to get the hang of it and gain some confidence. So when the situation arise down the line, you'll be ready. Same type of deal can be a big help learning to run, dock & trailer a new rig with the outboard motor as well. In both cases, only go as fast as you want to hit whatever you're maneuvering around. Power Never Saves. Good Luck. A-Jay

First Off - wear your life Jacket. Next - you haven't mentioned what type / size boat you have; that would help. So let's start there. A-Jay

The Ned Rig for me is like any other presentation - situation specific. Often thought of as attracting bites from smaller fish, and there may be some truth to that, it's not always the case. The bait shines for me in the flattest (often the toughest) conditions. And with results like this, in these situations, I'll always have one rigged on deck. A-Jay

Agreed ~ Think about it - at the start of the season there are no 'baby', minnows / panfish/perch yet. Everything that's lived through the winter is at least close to whatever it's 'adult' size is going to be. Later in the season after everyone's 'spawned', it's a different story. But not early on. So when I'm looking to feed them something from the bait fish / non-crayfish category, full sized jerkbaits, drop shot baits, and even crankbaits, get the nod for me. When throwing a crayfish imitation deal - the size stays the same for me. 3 to 3.5 inch tubes, Regular sized Rage Bugs, and a Pro Rock Crawler do well. A-Jay

The SK Burner spinner bait is fairly unique . . . Also, I am of the opinion that if there is anything 'unique' with just about any bait, wire baits included, it's who is presenting it, along with how, where & when. A-Jay

Hello Stephen and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to the interactive aspect of Bass Resource ~ A-Jay

A-Jay

On that note ~ Slime up 1/2 a foam ear plug (new or used) with Megastrike and slide it in the end of the tube. Slows the fall & holds the scent. Very Tricky . . . A-Jay

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ During the hard water season the reels come off the rods for maintenance and after a thorough cleaning, the rods are stored in their Stick Jackets and hung in my garage. Open water season they get plenty of use (hopefully) and remain in the boats rod locker. A-Jay

Nothing tastes as good as being lean & fit feels. It was a Day 4 workout this morning. A-Jay

You guys ARE KILLING ME ! A-Jay