primetime

I have had the exact same problem on the whopper Plopper as well. I have also had the same problem at times on loud knocking topwater walking baits. I often assume its speed, size, maybe color....But my best theory is similar to the one above....Sometimes they are not always striking the bait to kill and eat it...Sometimes with loud and big lures, I often think its a territorial, predatory response to just smash it out of being annoyed...I have downsized at times and that has helped, but the same thing happens at times when I fish a floating jerkbait with 3 treble hooks. I will miss way too many strikes, hook them for a few seconds, miss it, etc....I think at times they just want to get it out of the way.. Then again, Its fishing...It could be the treble hooks, rod, line...but from my experiences, when a fish really commits to a topwater with treble hooks, once they are hooked they stay buttoned....But it is amazing how a fish can crush a plug with 3 treble hooks and not get hooked solid. If you get a barb through the lip and keep tension the rest of the way, Not sure there is much else you can do....They usually hook themselves, I try not to pull the bait away as best as I can but with topwater its easy to get startled/Excited when chucking and winding over and over.

Off top of my head I am thinking Bayou Craw...

Maybe try a small jigging spoon. We used to catch bass with them through the ice in NY. It does helpto add a live minnow to the hook on the spoon though.....Always seemed to outproduce any other trailer.... Those little crappie maribou jigs, and little road runners work well in clear water for bass as well. Light line, and like others said....Little swimbait on ballhead jig, little shad rap, rattle traps can work as well...little Ned Rig wouldn't be a bad idea...

I don't like messing around with changing hooks as I am always afraid it will mess up the action...I do crush the barbs down on many of my trebles. As long as you keep tension, you will hook plenty of fish...I actually believe going barbless on rattle traps and other baits you snap off grass actually helps you get more strikes and less grass. Most of the saltwater lures that come with single hooks from Rapala and Yo-zuri I would be confident with only because I would assume they are balanced right...But I don't like how it looks with single hooks. Never attempted it, but plenty of the big game saltwater guys use single hooks, but then again, different type of fishing.....

I fish the same baits for the most part...I would start with topwater if conditions are right since shallow, swim a jig or swimbait, fluke, senko, trick worm.....For topwater I pretty much always throw the tiny torpedo and a floating jerkbait of some kind, I prefer using the Original Rapala in the f-7 to f-9 size on spinning tackle, but if I need longer casts I will go with the bomber 14 floater or 15 size if looking for less strikes but bigger fish. If I can throw a chrome rattle trap, even in shallow water, I would consider that a solid option as well.....Same with a square bill. I like to cover water in the Fall, look for active fish, once I find them I fish it with the same baits I always use for most part.

I used to struggle with fishing swimbaits missing fish when I first started throwing them...I still miss too many fish at times from not having the rod in right place and putting tension on them to fast. I fish most paddle tails on a light texas rig or weighted swimbait hook, or back of a swim jig since I am always in weeds for most part. I would compare it to fishing a frog. You have to give them time to get the bait, then set the hook, but Its easier said than...Its much easier when buzzing a paddle tail on the surface cause you can see the strike. As mentioned above...Rod position and giving the fish a few seconds is key. Especially on the bigger swimbaits in the 5" range, you can fish the smaller ones on open hook almost like a grub and simply just apply tension and a sweep if using a line that stretches....Just like fishing a frog, you will miss some fish, but its all about giving them some time without pulling the bait away....The size of hook matters as well. I like to go big as possible for extra weight and better sets.

I use the Red Label Seaguar or Invisx when it is on sale.....I would not recommend Stren, Suffix, or Vanish....I have had bad experiences with them...I use the Red Label in 12lb and up and I have not had any issues with it that I have not had with more expensive lines, but I have never become a fan of Fluoro as mainline. I will use it as a leader for abrasion resistance which is the one property I find that matters for me. However, I tend to use Mono or copoly or straight braid more than straight fluoro. Even in clear water, I usually stick with my berkley Trilene. Moving baits, lots of casting....I just feel like Mono is more reliable...I don't notice any difference personally on weightless worms, or sometimes just tying straight to braid when being lazy with light line either...I try to simply use the lightest line possible....and it sinks fine, looks clear....I set the hook to hard for fluoro under #6-#8 lb test.... I actually think that sometimes tying straight to braid on lighter lines with 2-4lb diameter is as good and maybe better on moving baits, even weightless worms as fish can feel the diameter of the line in the water, thin braid doesn't seem to effect strikes,sinks quickly since thinner.... it just frays easily so have to always check it. I would never punch or pitch in heavy cover with anything but straight heavy braid unless its loud, then I go 25 mono...I have broken off too many fish with fluoro, even the good ones. I don't have patience to massage oil all over it the night before fishing....

Morning Dawn Roboworms.....Been my new favorite finesse worm last few months.....I like to simply split shot rig them in shallow water from shore, I find I get much less line twist and I can still fish it in a similar way....I get frustrated fishing a dropshot here in Florida when shallow because of weeds and line twist from shore....I like nose hooking as well in general for dropshots, but with a mojo or split shot rig, long leader, the Finesse worms are light so they basically suspend off bottom, and if you use a Z-Man worm, it will kind of float of the bottom once the salt is gone.... I am sure dropshotting would work well if you put in the time to put it into spots you know hold fish or replenish since you can keep it exactly where you want it....

You can also use a light weighted hook with both craws, menace, or a senko...Gives it a bit more action and speed on the drop....Plus you have the keeper which is a nice feature..You can also just buy the DOA pinch weights or crimp a split shot on the shank and slide it up or down to get the bait to fall in the direction you want. I only peg the sinker if pitching into heavy cover. Having a weight slide seems to give the bait a better action after the sinker hits and the worm slows. I also feel I convert more hooksets when the weight is not pegged, but hooks with keepers like the Owner and Mr. Twister Keeper hooks are good worm hooks. Alot of companies make them, I think they used to call it the "Rage Rig" where you would use a weighted swimbait style hook on a rage bug and slowly swim it on bottom...I actually like to use a weighted hooks with alot of plastics to cover water quicker and find active fish. Nice thing about all the Strike King creature baits including the menace, is they make a great topwater swimming baits. Doesn't need to be a toad, then just kill it and see if anything was following if not hit on top...You can fish the Menace at any portion of the water column and get bit. I fish senkos with sliding bullet weights in deeper water often, and will peg a heavy sinker and pitch into cover instead of using a creature....Senko's will catch fish on any rig.

I think you can almost always get bit using any number of smaller baits on light tackle. Especially in pressured water or when fish are feeding on schools of newly hatched fry near the shore etc.....Duel has a really small floating minnow with the long cast system thats maybe 2.5" but casts twice the distance as a small rapala. You can keep it in same spots a long time and or fish it like a crankbait or topwater, wake etc.. The tiny wake baits like the Rebel Wake and the tiny Mann's are often some of my favorites when trying new ponds that do not have a ton of cover... Storm Subwart would be my go to crankbait for something small that can dive a couple feet. Same with the smaller Bomber Model A, Or the small J-5 Jointed rapala... And the Small Rebel Popper or Nano popper by Matzuo....Gets bit, often by bluegill but they will catch good fish at times.

I think that bottom black one is called a Hellbender or something similar..I think its an old Heddon or Arbogast lure around the time of the Mudbug, maybe earlier...Its a Pradco lure for sure...I actually think they still sell it. May be under one of the many brands they sell on their site...So maybe its a bomber or One of the walleye baits buried in the catalog.... The top left looks like a creek chub. If you search on ebay for vintage Heddon, Arbogast, or just vintage bass lures you will likely find them quickly...

Senko's catch fish if you fish them fast. You can fish them the same way you would Fish a fluke, and sometimes working them fast on the surface, letting them skip, then killing it if its not grabbed on the pause while walking it under the surface....Sometimes is the way to go...I like to do it with the bigger 7" senko style baits, make long casts over grass, work it fast on the surface, right under, fish it kind of like a fluke...When Bass are aggressive, they crush it just like using a Sluggo, the benefit is the extra casting weight of the Senko, and the action on the drop....Fish will look up at any surface commotion, sometimes they crush it moving, sometimes will grab it a few seconds after the pause...I usually start out fishing them fast and then slow down according to results.. The benefit of the Senko...Is you can rig it so many ways and it will catch fish as good as almost any bait. You can pitch them into cover with a bullet weight, Carolina Rig and work them as quick etc..... For some reason I stopped using the MJ Rig that I saw on the Tim Horton Fishing show years back, but I should start using it again because it actually works well....Simply get a screw lock style keeper, screw it into the back of a senko, add a split ring and then a spinnerbait blade, you can mess with sizes, colors etc...and then just cast and wind and it will come through cover better than a spinnerbait etc....It also gets bites on the fall since it puts off flash.... If fishing on top of matted grass, instead of using a toad etc...A senko just reeled over the surface gets plenty of strikes since fish have no idea what they are grabbing. Plus with the heavier weight, they can slip into little pockets weightless, in areas that everyone else is punching or throwing toads.....The bigger 7" senkos are heavy, you can pitch them into some heavy cover and get them to through...Sometimes that works better than pitching one on a bullet weight.. But I hear what you are saying..I prefer fishing fast, but a Senko flat out catches fish pretty much anywhere, and whenever I am unsure of what to use, I tie on a green pumpkin senko and just start casting.....

The 2 best days i ever had fishing out of the back of the boat was by simply using the same or similar technique the boater was using, but I downsized all the baits and used a color slightly different. I had a guy throwing the bomber Long A jerkbait on top the entire day, and he was not getting a ton of strikes but the 5 fish he caught were all huge. I simply threw a rapala and smaller fluke, and I would always have a trick worm or finesse worm to switch to since they will catch fish anywhere...Just my take. For Cranks, I would also try to go smaller profile..The bandits are all good, for a super shallow wake bait or 2' diver if you can find some Storm Subwarts and you can't go wrong with the Rapala DT's and Strike King, spro cranks any model really.....I would look to have some smaller profile lures, worms and jerkbaits. I would maybe grab a smaller Husky jerk and XRAP as most guys throw the standard bigger sizes.... Casting a Senko Or Fishing a Fluke, Rattle Trap is never a bad idea.....If topwater action happens, I would have some floating minnow jerkbaits/wakes.swimbaits....Bomber Long A, Bagley's Bang o Lures, Rapala's, and for certain a Tiny Torpedo which will catch good fish and also get a ton of action most days they are on the surface. Reason I say XRap and Husky jerk are they are easy to find locally, and one has a lazy action similar to a rogue which is a great jerkbait for less action, and the xrap has more of the pointer style of erratic action....Also a flat sided crankbait can sometimes make a difference, same with a one knocker or silent lipless crank since most guys will be throwing the louder ones. The best advice would probably simply be this...Just fish the baits and lures you tend to always use as you have confidence in them, and if they work in one lake, they will work in all the others. I used to make the mistake of trying new lures, copying what others were using or what I was reading etc.....Sometimes its best to maybe just buy a few new models of the lures you like, few colors that catch your eye....Tournaments are not the best time to try something new unless your Boater is slaying them, and if he is, he will offer you one if you don't have one. Try not to spend much time tying on new lures and changing out tackle. Every minute matters, cause in a long day, you may only have a few short windows to catch fish... Color should be easy to simplify. Fish the ones you like to use the most, have one shad color, one with flash, and something with chartruese...

The culprit Ribbon Tails have been pretty much my go to worm since I first learned how to catch bass in NY when I was 7-8. 35 years later, they have still been in my bag, or rigged on a rod at all times. I switched to the power worm for a few years when they first came out, but I truly believe they make the best ribbon tails. The colors you mentioned Red Shad and Tequila Shad are still my 2 favorite colors. Culprit has colors and laminates that have a different look, more shine, different tones of purple, red, and all the new colors are great as well. If you fish clear water, the Pumpkinseed translucent culprit worm is dynamite. Pumpkinseed has fallen out of favor since Green Pumpkin, but I use them whenever I find clear water and they are awesome, especially in the Spring....I throw them weightless, light weight, shaky rigs, and I use the 6" for light line, they no longer make the 4" so I just bite a piece off. The 7.5" weightless casts plenty well on a baitcaster, and that is my favorite size all year long. They also make a few other really good baits that are actually quite popular at least in Florida....The Fat Max Ribbon Tail is great for pitching and swimming over cover....and the Incredicraw is a great alternative to the BB Cricket and brush hog style creatures for punching....There is a reason that Walmart only has a limited tackle selection, and they carry a good stock of culprit worms, and they don't advertise....Dicks has them, BPS has almost an entire row of just culprits...So they clearly still sell plenty..... Get some for sure, Your Father fished them all the time for a reason. There were plenty of competitors back then as well. In the summer when fish have seen every worm, they will often catch fish behind other people.....I think weightless or light weight like you mentioned is the way to go as they have a flat bottom and gliding action and tail is different than other ribbon tails. The worm looks super natural in the water. And the Sluggo, Still one of my top soft baits, For stripers in saltwater when I go up north, and they seem to get bigger bites than a fluke.....The 4" are awesome little pond baits. I picked up a whopper plopper because of this site as well. I ended up getting the big one, in black figuring I would throw it at night. Its kind of heavy to throw on a most of my rods, so since I am limited to only 3-4 rods, I almost never use it. I almost purchased the Berkley Model at BPS the other day....I imagine the Berkley version is plenty good, I was impressed with how good all their new lures look, and the price....I had to buy the double prop bait since it had plastic propellers which is different, and come with really good hooks where the Devils horse and Boy howdy often have lighter hooks that are an issue as I use it on heavier line.... I notice you like all the Berkley hardbaits. I picked up a few of the deep cranks after reading your posts...So you have caused me to buy a few crankbaits....

I feel like everyone in Florida uses either a black and blue soft bait or something in a green pumpkin blue mix....then Junebug... I still have a pack of the Mann's Blue Jelly Worms. I should bring them back out and use them. I use the bright fire and ice blue culprits on sunny days when I am struggling and sometimes they come through. THe Manns Blue color is a different blue than anything i have seen in years. You are right. I bet they would work well instead of a trick worm, especially with the translucent color, I always feel Roboworms and culprits work well because of the different colors compared to other baits, Mann's was once the worm to use, so has to work just as good today. I have never seen a blue translucent Senko which is strange...Also Grape worms which were my favorite back in the day are never in color lineups. Everything has flake in it or a solid purple....I almost never use solid black anymore now that I think about it, except for trailers....Strange how the industry will change things up and stop selling good colors.....Producto has an 8" straight worm with a small paddle tail that is in a grape color that I love and alot of people actually use that worm, also in electric blue....But its an older niche Company/OEM.

So Far I have been using the rage Menace, Bug, and a cut down 4" Culprit ribbon tail or Zoom like someone mentioned. I have also been doing well on the lighter ones with a little finesse worm or 3" MR. Twister grub....I know flukes and swimbaits rigged upside down are popular but maybe I need to fish them differently that way, its a ton of thump and swinging...The weight of the lure, and maybe I am crazy but the different models ride higher or lower, track straighter than others...So I guess there really is a difference between Regular, Elite, project....Then I have some customs I been using for years I bought from a member on here that have worked well, but I am planning a trip to a good lake on Sunday and hopefully I can put a good morning together and maybe get some fish over 5lbs be nice..... I have chartruese rage bugs that work well....They were blemished supposed to be a laminate but are all chart and translucent, actually work well...THe lake Fork Magic swimmer has done well for me, but I am a big believer in showing fish something completely different looking sometimes works better.....I guess you only have so many soft baits, maybe I will try a tube...

I actually stopped logging into this site for a good year, then have logged back in here and there when I want to get some info on a technique etc....Reason I stopped for a year reading all the tackle threads, is because It was legit causing me to spend way too much money on Tackle and whenever I had time to kill, I would stop off to just "Browse" tackle shops and walk out with a bag full of stuff I read about on here. I promised myself I would not do that this time around, I already have way too much tackle because I love collecting stuff, maybe a hoarder, but Fishing lures have always been a "Hobby" when younger, but I have to admit, I am easily influenced to buy new stuff, I never fall for advertising hidden inside magazine articles (Lying to myself) or Fishing shows on TV pushing a bait (with a few exceptions) but I am already guilty of getting back into a chatterbait obsession now in past week after all the talk which I know is legit. So I go out and get more half ounce models, Have always walked by the Jackhammer $20 models on the shelves and just shook my head...But I now own a Jackhammer I will be afraid to throw in heavy cover, picked up a bunch of micro, all sizes, needed more darker blades and copper, then the BPS model looked good and boom....Now I need new trailers....Which I guess....Is likely not unique to me....Or maybe it is, at least i don't bet on football games or fights much anymore so I can rationalize tackle purchases since fishing is healthy. Sometimes I think buying new lures is just as fun as fishing them. So the Bait Monkey is no joke....But not logging in didn't help all that much, I just ended up buying stuff that nobody else used for good reason apparently....I would imagine Strike King early on after the Rage tails came out, had a large percentage of sales directly linked to this site....Not sure why more bait companies do not advertise on here. Strike king really seemed to find the formula, and also produce killer baits.....Aldo doubt I would have ever thrown the Ned Rig, Roboworms, and all the GYB baits if not for this site.....And they are baits I feel I would be at a disadvantage if I didn't have them. I probably should start throwing the Norman Fat boy more often since I grabbed 4 of them a few years ago.... In summary to my thesis.....I have already started to get better with the Chatterbait just testing them out in different ponds and experimenting...Never realized that they legit catch bigger fish. Not only bigger fish, but they almost rip the rod out of your hands on most strikes....Any suggestions for some of your favorite non standard trailers?????

I used to use them when I lived in NY when younger since there were not alot of choices, the BIg O by cordell and Timber Tiger, Rapla Max Rap or Fat rap, forget the name were only ones i remember using...I think as someone mentioned above, Its about confidence and using the same bait to get comfortable and efficient worming it through timber....I still carry the timber Tiger in 2 colors in the 2 size which is shallow for when I come accross wood, and they float up quickly like most fat body cranks and balsa, and they have always caught fish for me, cant say any better or worse than other models. Now I just use a or Duel square bill or KVD as I feel like I can control them cause I have been throwing them the most, and I know for sure they both have quality hooks and are proven. I know for sure that there is a guy who fishes the susquehanna river in Pa and all the lakes etc. in Ny region has won alot of tournaments with the Timber Tiger and is pretty much his main crank...But I guess 20 years of throwing it, he can recognize a good bait or one that needs adjusting right away. Buy 10 crankbaits and maybe 4 are perfect out of the box. Some never seem to track well....Most times I have no idea this is happening cause I am not a good crankbait guy, at least I would never start with a crankbait to fish wood deep or shallow, I go with soft baits or Jigs. Only a few hundred nice cranks to choose from......I feel like I only use new baits or lures I have never caught fish on when I am not catching fish....So I am guilty of trying lures at times that are not ideal. Sometimes they won't hit a crankbait....Bass don't get a good look at it most times, especially if colored water, so If you don't have confidence in them, I wouldn't throw them either. I have tons of lures I know work well, I never use cause I would be changing out lures all day and not fishing..... Bomber just introduced the older Fat A again, and that was always good for not getting hung up since it had a fat body and rose quickly.....

I like this Idea of rigging one on a weadless Jighead. Not sure I have ever thrown one like this but have seen it before, now that swim jigs are so popular with a twin tail grub, I imagine this is a good way to give a different look in all the areas I fish where the bass get pounded with the same stuff.... I am glad this post was made. I left the spider grub out of my bag when I minimized my tackle cause it was getting out of control....Good thing Is I have a closet full of baits and lures that I can pull from as I never throw them away....I am going to let the spider grub creep back into my bag.....And someone mentioned the IKA...May have to let 2 bags of them creep in as well. Tackle creep after cutting your bag down to only 3 boxes and as many plastics you can jam in it, in pockets etc....Is an issue. Rootbeer green flake and some copper have always worked well. I seem to like all my baits in that color range....

The Neko Rig frustrates me. I know it catches fish, and has a unique falling action, but I am starting to think there are way to many "Finesse" rigs out there to learn, and This one is not something I go to....Maybe I should, I carry the nail weights, but I still have a hard time seeing how a wacky rig with a split shot pushed down to the head is much different. I usually just throw a bulleted shape split shot or I keep a bobber stop in front of bullet weight and behind, so I can adjust length as needed to move to a more mojo/carolina look, or push it tight to the head which actually lets baits stand on bottom. Especially Elaztach baits, ribbed baits, and one of my favorites the Net Bait Squirrel tail worm which I am glad I purchased years ago, its a good worm with a floating tail... I have had problems with heavier nail weights falling out after a catch, or snag, or just from fishing it when I leave the head of the weighted nails on the end...I just feel a split shot provides identical look, at least when side by side on a cooler.....Just my take. I think maybe I just love to add split shots and fish a mojo style rig.......Not to get off topic but people complain about C-Rigging being boring, But here in Florida, a light c-rig instead of a pegged texas rig seems to work better for me when casting for reeling back to boat...Its so easy to adjust and make it any presentaion you want. Not sure why a shaky head or any other weighted rig would be more fun than a carolina rig.....Or Shaky head or heavier ned rig....

Great Idea adding some liquid scent or lubricant to a hook to get a better hook set. Surprised I have never heard of that before, but something I am certainly going to start doines.....Awesome Info and easy tweak to use..Plus maybe I will get more fish using scents more often...Win, Win.

Just fish structure, weeds, and look for drop offs like in any lake....May have to get deep into the coon-tail with a heavier weight.... Sometimes on a lake with a ton of boats, you can often do well getting away from everyone if its not a huge lake. I have seen times on smaller lakes with lots of pressure that we will do really well in spots that never produce when nobody is on the lake, but when its packed, the fish seem to all want to get away from the noise and pressure...Can't go wrong with your confidence baits just experiment and look for spots others are missing. If the lake has big bass, alot of pressure, then they are big for a reason. Not easy to catch....Takes patience, maybe try it at night...

I used to love spider grubs....somehow they have gotten lost in the creature bait madness going on in my arsenal...But they work great no matter how you fish them..Good pitching bait, good trailer for jigs for extra bulk and flare, sometimes they are good weightless as they fall really slow. Its basically a twin tail grub with a plastic punch skirt..... There is a guide on Stick Marsh who punches with spider grubs as his go to bait....They flat out work, all GYB baits seem to work well....BPS has a good one as well, and Yum used to have a good one....

I use the slider Original Open hook jigheads more than I use the Ned Rig or Shaky head if I can get away with them since they are light wire hooks, and obviously not great in weeds, and if around alot of cover, its tough to put pressure on a good bass and get him in unless you have open water and some time to let the drag work.....Hook sets have never been an issue, I consider them like using a Darter head or any jig head. I barely set the hook, maybe a sweep once I feel the pressure, or just reel down, since I use 3-4" worms. I have had issues with hooksets on the spider weedless hooks at times and like Tom said above, Its because I sometimes use a worm way to thick or big, so then it will bunch up...I set the hook with the spider jigs as if it were a pegged texas rig which it essentially is or weedless shaky head/Football jig...You need to match the right size of bait to the hooks size, guage etc... I have not used the spider jigs in a while, but I kind of remember the last batch I ordered was not sharp. Not sure if that is common, or just a bad batch.Kind of like how the BPS jig heads are dull and I never have confidence in them even if fishing them open cause compared to the better brands, the hooks on jigheads make all the difference. Maybe just give the fish more time, and fish with the same rod, line you would with a weightless or texas rigged Trick worm or smaller ribbon tail since they are thin and fish take the entire bait...Bluegills and crappie will also grab finesse rigs and sometimes its easy to mistake them for Bass. I would run the hook against your fingernail and see if it catches, if not, the hooks may just be dull. There are good videos online from the original charlie brewer system that explains slider fishing in depth....Its a good way to put up numbers, and fish do not see that gliding action often anymore so I wouldn't give up on the rig....Slider worms do have the ribbbed body, so maybe make sure the hook point is in between the thicker parts....

I love all the spooks from the original versions that were silent, to all the sizes and love the one knocker cause it is loud, but not too loud which I feel some baits are. You can't go wrong with any of the spooks, and the Bone color is my all time favorite walking color, fresh or saltwater, any water color, and sometimes I will add some chartreuse to the bottom and sides with the zoom marker for accent, same with adding a feathered treble which can really help some days... There are a ton of good walking baits on the market, some expensive, some not so much....I have way too many of them cause I like buying lures, but have not noticed much of a difference between the different one knockers which are popular these days. Every single brand sounds different than another, so be impossible to crack the code on that one and say one is better than the other overall and not just on a certain day. I do throw a really loud Expensive walker I think its from Damiki, but it seems to work just fine, no worse, no better. Same with the Rover. Best park of a big walker is long casts and covering water and with loud one knockers, like a whopper plopper, it seems to generate strikes way more aggressive, I think maybe it ticks them off and they just smash it to kill the sound. Fall is my favorite time to fish since nothing beats topwater action. Especially when you have been throwing weedless frogs and plastics on top most of year...