CJ

Nice catch and great story! It's nice to see that people are still grateful for what many would say were the small things in life. To us anglers, they are really big things! CJ

I would consider what size cranks you will be using mostly. If it were smaller square bills like Bandit 100's, I would be looking for medium/moderate. Heavier rods will not load up very well with lighter cranks hindering longer cast. I personally use medium rods with moderate action for all cranks except what I call giant cranks (8XD, 10XD, etc.). These are heavier crankbaits with bigger hooks. I feel like I need a rod with more backbone to help drive the hooks of the giant crankbaits and I've noticed that fish don't throw the bigger hooks near as much either.

It's more "how and where" than "what". 3 questions to ask yourself: How deep and where in the water column? What speed and how much vibration? What color or flash? Just my thoughts without the "why"

MFBAB, you would need to add rings for water current and elevation if you were on the TN River to complete the clock but then it wouldn't just be cosmic, would it?

8" in western Kentucky.

Every aspect there is to bass fishing. I don't care how well I've done or how much confidence I may build, I will always need to improve. When we think we are the best or have mastered anything to the art of bass fishing, that's when we start becoming less of an angler.

First off, I don't use braid for the reason others have mentioned. You will increase your chances of loosing fish in my opinion. If you watch the pros, I don't think you'll see any of them use it on a crankbait either but, people have their preferences. This is a good topic however so I'll give my 2 cents. Yes you can get away with most any mono or flouro given you keep your diameters small enough to enable good action and proper diving depth of the crankbait. But let's get a little more technical by starting of with some facts about crankbaits and line types. Note, we're talking about lipped cranks. Smaller shallower diving crankbaits (i.e,Bandit 100's, 200's) are more prone to reduced action and diving depth with larger diameter lines. Line types such as mono and flourcarbon will adjust action and diving depth also. Flouro will enable sharper, crisper action than mono due to less stretch and will make a crankbait dive deeper because flouro is more dense causing it to sink. Larger deeper diving crankbaits (i.e, 8 and 10 XD's, 6th Sense 500 Crush) are less prone to reduced action with larger diameter lines but still diving depth can be adjusted with use of smaller/larger line diameters and types. *With these two facts, we can fill in the rest of what's in between. The beauty of this is that we can fine tune crankbait patterns. We can adjust depth and action. A couple of examples: There was a tournament where Rick Clunn was using 17# test mono fishing a big shallow diving squarebill crankbait around standing timber and stumps. He was wearing out some big prespawn bass using a light powered glass rod. He used heavier line to because of the cover he was fishing and the size fish he was catching. The larger crankbait's action was less affected due to the size but I'm sure the main factor was the fish were biting it. I believe he went to a lighter power rod to compensate for line size to help keep fish from throwing the hook. Mark Rose loves to come to KY Lake and tie on a 6XD with 12# flourocarbon. A few years back (before the giant crankbaits)some fish had dropped down a little deeper than what that set up would reach. He dropped his diameter down to 8# Flouro to catch his fish that were holding to rock piles out on the ledges. He also had to use a lighter powered rod to compensate for the lighter line. It helped keep the fish from breaking his line. With that said, this is a small guide to where I "start" with what I fish. I also use a lighter powered rod to help compensate for the less stretch flourocarbon: Small square bills- 10-12# flourocarbon Small deep divers- 8-10# flourocarbon Med size square bills- 10-14# flourocarbon Med size deep divers- 8-10# flourocarbon Large square bills- 12-15# flourocarbon Large deep divers- 8-12# flourocarbon Giant deep divers- 12-17# flourocarbon

I have used goat. It is softer which gives more action and is pretty thin.

Looks like this one has been answered but I use 140 Ultra thread. I feel anything larger builds a lil too much for me.

I started using 6th Sense last year. The jerkbaits and the 500 Crush. I'm still on the fence with the jerkbaits. It's hard for me to put down Megsbass. I absolutely love the 500 Crush. I throw deep cranks mostly from May-July on Ky Lake and this crank will flat out catch them. I have had a few that didn't run well out of the box and one that leaked but Casey at 6th Sense has always made things right for me. If their square bills are as good as their deep runners, I would give them a try.

Great post and some great looking jigs!!!

Once you really get into several "swiming pool test" you'll find all kinds of small tweaks that will make big differences!

You can catch fish on a bucktail in stained water very well. The key is the color and picking the proper trailer feathers to get more action out of the bait. I don't like giving away too many secrets to the jigs I tie but if you look for wider saddle hackle feathers that are twisted or have a helix and tie those pointing outwards and making sure they clear the bucktail hairs, you'l get more "kick" out of your jig. Here's a jig I like for stained water:

WOW! Lots of nice fish!

What kind of structure and cover does your water feature? Is it a river resevoir where current is involved? What is the main forage?

Excellent info Roger! One thing to note as far as what big production companies offer is that this type of lure is tough to mass produce and actually have a fish catching machine. It's a lot like some crankbaits, you would have to go through a few to get a special "fish catcher". I took me with the help of a local guide and a fishing partner literally months to find the right "formula" for these jigs. After several trips from the tying bench to the swimming pool to the lake to get everyone's opinion and review, most importantly the fish's approval, we finally came up with we thought was the best jig. Sure any jig can catch active feeding fish but a good jig can make the most inactive and highly pressured fish bite. Even the placement, length, and which way to turn the hackle feathers was very critical. I think this is a lure that will always be left in the hands of a custom builder. I'm still constantly tweeking a few things and learning small details to make it even better. I'm also working on smaller more finesse types for smallmouth(though SM like what I've come up with here) and jigs better suited for other fisheries outside the TN river chain. Chris

I use atleast 2 different presentations. The best and most common is what you will see KVD do in this video link, CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO!: http://www.bassmaster.com/series/go-pro/4282222399001 Then Edwin Evers shows you a little different presentation with his first fish here: http://www.bassmaster.com/series/go-pro/4276548646001 Really simple, you throw it out there and let it sink to the bottom then crank it a few times then kill it. The fish will usually hit it on the fall but I've had strikes at all 3 phases of the presentation. The first fish KVD catches in this video picks the jig up off the bottom after it has fell back down from the eratic retrieve. I've had fish hit it during the retrieve but most of the time they wouldn't get it until I killed it. The other presentation that I've caught fish on that were busting on the surface was to immediatley start my retrieve as soon as the lure hits the water and use more of a twitching and yo-yo type retrieve.

. Deer hair is hollow, buck tail is NOT hollow, that is a common misconception, only the bottom hairs on the tail are hollow, then as you move up it is only the portion of the hair that is in the hide that is hollow. I learn something new everyday. They are still very bouyant and don't collapse in water as does craft hair. I'm sure each has it's time and place.

As I've stated on another thread in the "Fishing Tackle" forum, I've become addicted to tying big and small bucktail jigs. I used to toy with custom painted crankbaits and catch some fish but these are the first lures that I have just flat out crushed big fish on that I built from start to finish. It's a lot of fun to see what I can come up with.

You're dead on Roger. Craft hair soaks up water and won't hold profile as well as real bucktail once wet. Bucktail also floats which has become key to my latest endeavors. The fish on Ky Lake have been beat up as of late. The current has been turned way down positioning fish down off the side of the break or very near the break. Slow dragging a football jig tied with the right formula of bucktail, hackle, and flash has turned out to be deadly. As smalljaw has stated; natural lures entail action that can't be matched by artificial and show the bass something different.

I don't want to break the rules of the forum but a PM to me is a good stone to turnover.

The Ultra Minnow swims decent but falls over on it's side on the bottom. I've caught many fish with big gizzard shad, little drum, and even small Asian carp tails hanging out of there mouth lately. Drums and gizzards feed on shellbeds. I really don't know but I feel part of the presentation is that jig needs to stand or lay straight up on the bottom(some bigger fish have picked it up while sitting on bottom). The reeling it up simulates a fleeing fish which engages the reaction from the big fish, kinda like you don't run from a mean dog instict. I don't feel it's a reaction strike though cause some fish will chase it all the way out to deeper water and to the boat on occasion.

Teardrop mold with a collar and a 32786 Mustad. I also have the the Poison Tail mold. I cut the pins off flush with the mold to eliminate the brush guard. I think this head swims better and sits upright on the bottom. It takes a 32886 Mustad. Most of the bucktail jigs I've seen have a small lightwire hook. My partner and I have noticed we lost some fish on smaller hooks but the heavier ones will get them in the boat.

Thanks! I'm really addicted to tying now. I've weighed in two 20+ LB. bags recently on jigs I've tied. Haven't won but been in the money. It's still extra special to do well on your own lure. I make them from pouring the head to finish. I made a huge order for hooks and other stuff today so everybody that wants can give them a try. I'm also tying some that will be downsized for other types of water. I saw that Mann's had the copyright on the original Preacher Jig. They were 14.99 at BPS. Ridiculous! They didn't really have enough bucktail to hold a good profile once wet.

Caught my PB earlier this year on the JR.!