Vinny Chase

I have yet to catch a 7, but a majority of my 6+ lb bass have come off a deep crank or a jig. My biggest though, came off a trick worm.

X2 for the 200e7

Ghoti, Thanks for the suggestion on those jigheads. Now that I look at a picture of the skinner dippers, I have thrown them before but don't remember the action compared to the cane thumpers...another thing I love about the skinny dippers is the color selection; way more extensive than the cane thumper line.

Scared to the death of ticks! After getting home from a week in the boundaries waters, I took my shirt off and couldn't help but notice a dime size tick on my collarbone. Luckily my mom heard me screaming bc I passed out a few minutes later.

I've gone through the same thing where people have called me out on my fish, but you can't let it get to you..there are so many variables that can alter the size of the fish. Congrats!

Wayne, I'm not saying that you CAN'T catch fish with silent baits. What I am saying is that you will have a higher catch ratio with a bait that fish her see and hear better in low light conditions...that is just my two cents from experience.

Thanks for the advice J

^ This...this makes me think of all the big bass that have spit my hook and snapped off, and it just fuels the fire.

^ Speaking on quality, that is another reason why I started this thread. The cane thumpers tear after almost every fish.

Ghoti, I'm just simply pegging a bullet weight and t-rigging the swimbait with a 4/0 ewg..have yet to have a hook up problem. The one thing I really like on the cane thumper is the channel for the hook to rest. I've found that I can slow roll this bait in weeds and not get hung up, does the skinny dipper have anything like that?

Misunderstood your post then, but I do agree with you that there a times where conventional wisdom is thrown out the window and techniques you never think would work do. For some reason though I have yet to get that at night, its either topwater, t-rigged plastics, cranks for me.

Unfortunately, I never see those deals at Dicks or else I would throw rage a lot more...again all I was saying was that a lot of people, sales aside, cannot justify spending $6 a pack of plastics.

J Franco, I was refering to cranks, and it is a matter of opinion. I throw what I have confidence in and that happens to be loud obnoxious cranks that will get the fishes attention in low light conditions. Outside of cranks, ribbontails are probably my top producing nightime bait. I use a 10" worm with a heavier unpegged weight and a bead...this gets their attention pretty quickly.

I was getting a little off topic, but the point of my post was that the reason why a lot of people have yet to try the rage line is the price...it scares people away. But congrats on the success!

Obviously that is true, but I want that bait to be LOUD so the bass can hone in on the bait. At night is the only time I strictly throw rattle Baits.

I have been using the cane thumper with a lot of success this year. I am just curious of what you guys are using, and how you would compare that to the cane thumper. Thanks, VC

^ I need to turn off auto-correct hah

That's what makes bass fishing so fun! It's a game between you and bass everytime you are out on the water. Like the other hit on, a lot of it has to do with the presentation of the wait. Depending on different variables, bass might need a slow pop-r sitting in their face to get a bit. Other nights a really loud fast retrieve like a buzzbait is the key. And the nights where they just want to come up, just go down to them!

I know the rage products have some great qualities and do catch fish, I just can't afford to go through three packs of rage craws (when I am smacking em ) when pacas are half the price and don't see a difference in hook ups.

Don't use the silent cranks, you will much more productive with rattles. I like black or white crankbaits at night, my favorite being black/red belly DD22.

Thanks for all the suggestions! This is really going to help when it comes time to upgrade!

I still use the older HMG for medium cranks...very nice rod, but my next purchase is going to be a dobyns champion to replace it. Also the price is wwwwaaayyy too high on that rod.

I'm at work and don't have time to write a book, but I certainly could. Like lynyrdsky1 said, what types of conditions are you fishing? You might just be fishing in times when the bass are lathargic, like in the middle of summer. When it gets hot, try and think of the mood you would be in....probably sitting on your couch relaxing. Bass like to so the same thing, so here are two options: 1) throw deep diving cranks that will get down to where they are more comfortable. 2) pitch light jigs, worms, or creature Baits under docks, or heavier versions in deeper water.. I am just guessing that the conditions are the problem, but ignore this if I was the wrong assumption.

Thanks DVT, No I haven't tried that rod, but I have heard good things and I might have to try that rod...I am adjusting accordingly, but I do like to dig in the weeds a bit then rip out, the rod just feels too whippy.

I have been deep crankin for 8+ years now and I still haven't found that perfect rod and I'm sick of buying a new one every year that I end up using for other techniques...My most recent rod was a 7'6" MH XMLti, but it doesn't have the power I need to rip out of the heavy weeds we have here in MN. I also don't think I like the length... So my question is, have any of you found the "perfect" rod for fishing deep cranks in areas with high amounts of vegetation?