Primus

A couple of good outings during the spring, after that not so much.

Try the 68 Hudd at night, the extra thump seems to call them in like a colorado single blade spinnerbait.

I usually use 1/4 or 3/8 oz swim jigs with a 5" grub, I have put a lot of fish in the boat with this set-up. I fish in the SW part of the state.

1/2 oz single spin spinnerbait with a large colorado blade for vibration. I usually use black .

There are a couple of things to add that I don't think have been considered yet. The reason KVD and other pros do well with 6XD's and similiar deep divers is that they are much better at finding that " spot on a spot " and then analyze the proper retrieve angle . They also don't make 1 cast on that spot and move on, they will often hit it repeatedly to fire up the school. They will factor in how current or the wind & weather positions their fish.They do this much more proficiently than the average angle.Anyone can catch a few fish on deep diving cranks but few can do it as consistantly and with their skill level. Also, if you are not getting bit on these baits you probably are not making long enough cast especially if your target is 15' plus in depth. Having the right rod / reel /line combo is critical for this type of fishing. Rod should be at least a 7'6" cranking rod or else you are wasting your time. Line is typically 10 or 12 lb floro. Some of you catching fish on deep divers are doing these things I suspect others who are not having success are not. It's the little things that make a difference in fishing, the more you do the more success you will have. Shallow cranks like the 1.5 baits are a different story and in my opinion are easier to fish though there are little details that can make you more successful. That said one reason why a RC 1.5 might outfish a Strike King 1.5 or vice versa on a particular day often has a lot to do with vibration pattern. Under most conditions I like the 1.5 size squarebills . Don't overlook the large 2.5 or 3.5 baits under 1st light or last light conditions on clear water lakes, there is something magical about their drawing power in these situations. When fishing stained water I usually use the 2.5 unless it's sunny day. One little bait that at times has outfished the others is the new Ima Bill Lowen squarebill, had a couple of occasions where they wouldn't hit my KVD or RC cranks but were tagging this bait. I only have 1 for the time being but plan on adding a few soon, it has earned a place in my rotation. Regarding Strike King I personally like the 6XD, 1.5 & 2.5 along with the Red Eye Shad though I have caught fish on the other models as well.

To me the magic of football jigs is that it has been for me the most effective jig ( not counting swim jigs ) for drawing strikes after the fall. In addition to hopping it & swimming it what makes the bait special is that I can rock it or it will kick up on it's own when it hit's an obstruction. When I need to tease bottom oriented bass into striking it's tough to beat a football jig. I believe that kick up action for lack of a better description is a big strike trigger. I also do well on grass oriented lakes fishing the outside weedline fishing around sparse grass or dragging it uphill on deep points, to me the football jig can be fished in most grass lakes if applied correctly. Though I acknowledge there will likely be advancements made in jig design I don't ever forsee the day that traditional jigs won't be a major part of my fishing arsenal.

Not sure why you are not getting bit on the heavier lipless cranks. The 1 oz Xcalibur 1 knocker has been productive for me at times slow rolling them in deeper water, violent strikes ! Expierimenting with 2 oz Sebile Flatt Shads, haven't used them enough to draw any conclusions as I recently acquired them.

Try the Xcite bait Maximus which is the worm that Yum copied. The difference is that the Xcite is much more bouyant while the Yum will lay flat on the bottom when rigged on a jighead. Both will catch fish when descending, the difference is the Xcite will attract more bites when shaking it on a mag size shaky style jighead.

Swimbaits, lipless cranks, square bills , beavers , bladebaits & jigs.

Sounds a lot like me, I have no idea how many but it numbers in the 100's. Certain key baits I will have a few back-ups to the back-ups of some of my favorite colors. If they discontinue something I like I will buy an emergency stash. Not that I have a problem or something

Shhh ! Another secret that's out. You are right that tiny crank will put them in the boat when the fishing is tough.

I agree, I've been fishing jigs for a while and there is a lot of good info in this thread. Never thought about fishing football jigs without a weedguard though I thin it out considerably. I might have to try it.

Sometimes it pays to go to extremes regarding lure selection in fishing, in this case smaller than normal. The other extreme works very well at times which would be jumbo sized lures such as 10" plus plastic worms, 7" Senko's and large swimbaits. It always pays to expieriment.

Think of those small swimbaits as oversized crankbaits, shouldn't be a problem. If you step up into larger swimbaits starting in the 1-1/2 oz plus range into then you might be looking at more specialized tackle to present those baits.

X2

I was thinking of getting a few myself to try on a football head as well. Try Dichoso baits, he can make a floating version in any color that you want. I had him make me some no salt floating Senko type of baits and have been very happy, he also offers a paddletail worm.

As iabass8 mentioned these baits can be awesome in the spring in the fall, I've caught bass in water as cool as 42 degress with these baits. In addition to what he mentioned regarding technique I would add slow rolling in cooler water. The Spro bait really excels for that type of retrieve. Don't rule them out for the summer, lately have some success slow rolling the 1 oz Xcalibur knocker bait and picking up a few fish. Starting to expieriment with even heavier baits to fish even deeper. Picked up a Sebile Flatt Shad XH SK 96 which weighs over 2 oz to fish deeper than lipped deep divers and to give the fish a different look.

Adding to what's already been mentioned every angler should have a few Ghost patterns for clear water.

I have a few scrounger heads lying around but have not taken the time to fish them. Looking for recommendations on your favorite size, trailer and presentation tips. Thanks

I don't have a preset go to lure, top picks for me are going to vary based on type of lake , water clarity & seasonal patterns. That said from early spring to late fall a jig will always be a top option.

I saw them previewed at the 2011 ICAST and was waiting for them to be released but to date I have not seen anyone that carries it. It certainly looks like it has potential.

If I had to carry one style of topwater it would easily be the popper especially for numbers of fish. I've had some occasional success with prop baits but it's not nearly as consistent as the popper. That said a very cool topwater/ jerkbait hybrid prop bait is the Shimano Triple Impact, not an easy bait to find but if your interested check out Ichiban Tackle.

Thanks Big O for the response, those are colors I also like but there is something about Smoke Purple on certain clear water lakes in this part of the country. That said you have a good color line-up, just need one more

Nice additions to the Strike King line-up. I know it's been out for a while but I've become a big fan of the rage chunk & craws. I hope you guys consider adding smoke purple as it's been a killer color for me on certain lakes.

I have a few different baits I fish depending on what I'm looking for... Striike King RedEye Shad- 1/2 oz is my go to bait if I'm limited to one. The fish love that shimmy on the fall. The one negative is they do a poor job with their metallic finishes, they flake off too easy. That said I keep buying 'em. Damiki Tremor 80 Silent version- on a couple of occasions when the fish slowed down on the rattling baits this past spring this bait would add a few more fish after I had caught the more aggressive fish with the rattling bait. Sebile Flat Shad- they make 2 models a gel filled silent model & a painted finish knocker. I like the gel filled bait especially on pressured clear water lakes. Has more vibration than most baits which seems to be a plus at times. Spro Aruka Shad - the 5/8 oz does very good slow rolling and wiggles well at slow speeds in colder water. Koppers Live Target Crawfish Trap- because it looks cool and gets bit. 1 oz size Excalibur knocker- been expierimenting with this bait as a sub for deep diver cranks to give the fish a different look and fishing it deeper than I would normally fish a lipless crank. So far I've been pleased with the results but like everything else in fishing it doesn't work every time. 5/8 oz Yozuri - good all around bait, very productive.