Primus

Try some heavy jigs for reaction bites , in mid summer I've had success with 1 oz or 1-1/4 oz Dirty punch jigs or Strike King Hack Attack with Rage Craws or Rage Space Monkeys as a trailer. Sometimes I throw them in the grass but there are other times I use heavy jigs in fairly deep water to generate reaction strikes .

I have the old version of this bait under the name Xcalibur , it is definitely one of the top lipless baits out there . They also made a 1 ozer which is actually my favorite. The rattle chamber is larger on that size and it seems to be a little louder than the smaller sizes . I have a few stockpiled with no plans of selling them.

I love the Caffiene Shad when fishing shallow grass, I fish it very fast on a frog rod with braided line using a combination of fast twitches and a little straight line retrieve . I tend to do better with the R.I. Skinny Dippers and similar baits prespawn when they seem to want it a slow to moderate swimming retrieve whereas I like to use the Caffiene Shad postspawn/ early summer when I seem to do better with a more erratic retrieve for reaction strikes . I also use the Super Fluke , this I usually fish with florocarbon line and it excels when the fish want more glide from the bait . Regarding color, whatever you are confident in , I do well with Smokey Shad & Watermelon Red in the clear weedy lakes that I like to fish.

This one works well for me when fishing weedy lakes , I usually go with the 1 oz size. http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Dirty_Jigs_Tour_Level_No-Jack_Punchin_Jig/descpage-DRTYPCH.html

For big worms I like this one http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Xcite_Baits_X-Lock_Shakey_Jig_System/descpage-XXL.html

I have Senko style baits poured minus the salt, works great . To the poster ShortFish I really like the look of the Biz Baits worm , might need to check them out when I run low . I also like the Xcite bait Maximus worm for a power shakey head as it also stands up and more importantly catches big fish . I can also cut that bait down if I want a smaller profile.

I have the smaller size Savage Gear Duck and the first time I threw stuck a couple of bass with it and missed another strike fishing it about an hour that first time . So far so good in a short period of time. Think of it as a floating buzzbait that you can stop during the retrieve or you can fish it real slow if needed and it looks like more natural than a buzzbait . That said I'm not overlooking buzzbaits as they are a proven lure. The Savage Duck looks good in the water and I plan on throwing it some more when the opportunity presents itself for topwater fishing .

Like the other guys have said it's part of the game, most of the time I can catch plenty of fish on them that I feel I got my money's worth especially when it catches me big fish . That said and this is a general comment and not directed to the original poster but when buying pricier baits like the Hudd if you are concerned about the cost of replacing these baits then it might be better sticking to baits like the Reaction Innovations Skinny Dipper where you get several baits in 1 bag for about 5-6$ .

Hellavu a fish , Congrats !

Thanks for the replies

My go to in the past was Baitwerks , unfortunately it does not look like he will be taking any new orders soon. Any suggestions ? Thanks

I've never fished in Louisiana but I'm pretty sure that Shad is probably at the top of the list as far as forage goes , the Bull Shad would be a good selection . I've done well with this bait painted in a Golden Shiner pattern . One bait that gets bit everywhere is a Matt Lures Hardgill, that is definitely another good bait to consider .

Congrats on the nice smallies, looks like you had fun .

I prefer the weedless 68 and the Hudd Shad .

I agree with the previous posters for the most part but there are a few floating lipless swimbaits like the floating version of the Duo Realis Onimasu that goes subsurface on the retrieve, with the billed baits there are some like the Pat's Perch swimbait that basically fish like a large crankbait. Two of the most popular billed floating swimbaits would be the MS Slammer and the 3:16 Wake Jr and they primarily fish as surface wake baits but will go a foot or 2 subsurface if cranked in fast . Basically before pulling the trigger make sure you research each bait to see if it will fit the intended application like you would with conventional baits. That's my 2 pennies on this subject .

I really like the weedless shad, I don't have a lot of experience with the grass minnow. Why throw the weedless shad ? First of all it swims very natural . I also use the boot tail style baits in grass but there are times when the more natural swimming Hudd gets bites over the other options . I think it really shines in a clear water lake with light wind when the fish can get a really good look at it. The other reason I like to throw it is it not stocked in the Tackle Shops by my house and I like to be differentiate myself from the other local fisherman when I can .

Nice write-up. In addition to the baits you have recommended I would also suggest a Bluegill style swimbait as this forage is found throughout the country. 2 of my favorites would be a slow sink Matt lures Hardgill and also the floating version of the Got'Em Coach Bluegill . Tight lines .

Very good lure and put together well, no durability issues. I caught a 6 lb 15 ozer on it a couple of years back along with numerous 4 lbers which are nice size bass for SW Michigan. The Floater is definitely the one to get. Had no problems with hook up ratio though if I remember correctly I replaced the ones that came with the bait with hooks 1 size up. I like to fish this either with a slow wake, sometimes I will occasionally twitch it . The most productive retrieve is to fish it like a prop bait ripping it a foot or 2 and then letting it stop. Then repeat . I will often combine all 3 teschniques in 1 cast. One of my 3 favorite wake baits along with a 316 Wake Jr. and a 9" MS Slammer. I throw this with Curado 301 reel , Dobyn's 795 swimbait rod and 20 lb Stren Hi-Impact . I'm not as fond of their slow sinker, for that I prefer a Matt lurers Hardgill though I also use the floating Matt lures Hardgill when I want a little smaller profile for a Bluegill style wakebait.

I get Senko knock-offs poured without salt and fish them on a football style Shaky head, this has worked very well for me over the years. If I remember correctly all the Xcite baits soft plastics float as well, the Maximus worm has produced some big bites for me over the years. I also like their Raptor Tail Jr. as a jig trailer. Tight lines.

I think the buzzbait is gimmick lure in terms of looking at it out the package and wondering why would they hit that but as most fisherman know they are a very effective bait when used in the right situation .

I was behind the curve regarding the effectiveness of the Kietech Swing Impact as an example that comes to mind .

Xcite baits & Power Team lures also make buoyant plastics . This can be an important attribute at times, especially if deadsticking your jig, however as others have pointed out the Rage Craw is a terrific bait when you need a lot of action and when they are hitting it on fall or looking for a swimming presentation . That is why I use a few different jig trailers as there is not one that is the right fit for every situation .

I like the look of the bait.

I'm a little late on this topic. That said I would start with 2. The first one would be a Slow Sink 2 joint Matt lures hardgill as there are Bluegill all over the country and this bait flat out catches them and will build your confidence along with giving you a shot at a Big fish . The second I would go with would be a 9" MS Slammer, I would use this mostly as a topwater bait but it can also be effective cranked down as well. I usually slow wake the Slammer or twitch it like a large floating Rapala . There are a lot of other terrific baits out there but these are proven mid priced baits to get you started, fish these hard especially during low light conditions . If you decide you like this style of fishing then you will no doubt want to acquire other baits and build your arsenal, if you don't you should be able to sell these 2 respected baits and get most of your money back as they are very popular with the big bait community .

I had 3 largemouth over 6 lbs, one of them came on a Strike King 8.0 Magnum Squarebill, another was on a 3/4 oz Strike King Structure jighead with a Structure Bug soft plastic and the biggest was on a Got Em' Coach Bluegill swimbait and that one went 6 lbs 15 oz . I also caught a few between 5 - 6 lbs using jigs , swimbaits and deep diving cranks .