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Hard to beat the action of a Rage Craw....If I had to pick one I would go with the Zoom Ultravibe Speed Craw which is a similar style bait, but a Twin Tail grub will give you essentially the same action. Most companies have a similar bait, but the rage baits are made softer on purpose which is why they work so good. Rage Craw is kind of a hard bait to replicate but all the above options are good. Havoc pit boss, any havoc bait is cheap and good, same with a zoom chunk, craw etc...All the above are good, but hard to beat a 4-5" Twin Tail Grub? BPS xps grubs are good for the price, or the GYB grubs on Overstock on sale for $2.99-$3.99 a pack. GYB twin tail/spider grubs are awesome and for that price you get 20 a pack....Well worth it. Awesome colors especially for trailers, but Paca craws have a good flapping action. For saving money, Z-Man Elaztach has the Batzwing trailers that will last an entire season if kept out of the sun, Palmetto bug, plus they float up which can be good. I don't like buying Z-Man stuff in the mail because sometimes they come melted but TW is pretty good since they move items fast. They wont have the action of the Rage baits however, good but different.

Sometimes just seeing the strike is worth it, until you realize the fish is not coming back for seconds or a soft bait....I feel like every fish that I miss on a Frog is 5-10lbs since they sound louder. I missed one the other day and my buddy on the other side of the lake came running laughing thinking I fell in the water (Which is not all that rare for me) I am not sure I have ever heard a topwater strike that loud, and it took the Mouse underwater, line was moving to the side, I got nervous, but I lowered my Rod reeled in the slack, and set the hook as hard as I could....Nothing but a Mouse came flying back to me with both hooks jammed in the ass end of the mouse. I was so upset and fished the same spot for over an hour with nothing, Of course I now think it was maybe a double digit fish but you never know, it could have been a 4lber who decided to really smash it. I like the 4lb story better. I think I waited too long, but The hooks being stuck in the back sounded better at the time, I think it was maybe both? Still upset. Sounded like a bowling ball fell in the lake.

Flat ones or lighter ones....Arkie Jigs skip well and are good for swimming or pitching, I have a few jigs that have heads like on the slider Jig heads,and they are awesome for skipping and weedless so you can rifle them far back in the bushes etc.... If you look at skipping Jigs, they usually have heads like Swim Jigs, but the trailer helps with skipping, some trailers allow you to skip a jig better, but it really comes down to rod angle and practice. I am really good at losing Jigs when skipping docks/Shorelines because I always try to make the cast to the spot that if I get a strike, since nobody else has made the cast, I have a 10% chance of getting the fish in,or odds are I will just get snagged..... So I usually skip Tubes. Much Cheaper to lose. They also stay on the shank easy. Another benefit of a tube with weight inside, if you mess up a skip, you won't spook all the fish when the bait smashes the water and you tick off your partner because it is really loud. Tubes cause less commotion and fish usually smash them just as good as a jig in tight spots.

I would try a small finesse worm that you have the most confidence in, then rig it with a brass bullet weight and bead for sound....I often peg the weight about 6-12" above the bait and work it slow and steady with pauses. I like to use a smaller creature bait with appendages like a Pit boss in 3", or 6" Zoom U Tail, Curly tail worm etc... I would also try a smaller chatterbait in maybe 1/8 or 1/4 with a bright contrasting trailer that is not too over the top but has some extra flash. Or just add a willow blade to the back of the senko (MJ Rig) for flash and vibration, or try a smaller spinnerbait all chartruese... I like to split shot a small boot tail swimbait and use the split shot to kick up mud 6" in front, sometimes no bead,but if I am using a creature I like a bead.... Then of course, I always would try a floating Minnow bait,if water is stained,I may start with a rattling Rogue floater, or just work a Rapala with quick snaps to make a commotion, skip baits, but in muddy water I always figure Bass are going to be touching cover to feel safe,so I like to use a bait I can pause and work slowly in areas next to ambush spots. I feel Bass are always willing to feed upward in stained water if they are active and you can put the lure in the right places. Stained water in deeper Pits can be really challenging. I have a favorite spot that is usually super clear,but in rainy season it gets really muddy, and I have had awful days but usually if you figure out a pattern you can find them in the same area. I know people say Jerkbaits are not for stained water,and I agree, not suspending, but a Rip bait can be fished like a Topwater if that makes sense or get it to dive to the depth they are at. I have had days in stained water where I would swima rogue or Long A 2-3 feet deep and they smoke it. Some days nothing. Always worth a try with wakes/Rip baits,when it works, it works. Stained water can be tricky, but sometimes it comes together, Maybe a slow sinking Spoon could work if they were smacking a falling bait? Added flash of a silver minnow can be good.

To me a Frog is nothing more than a weedless Topwater lure like a spook or Popper. I use them in any area that I can't fish a hardbait clean. Florida is different, we have good Frog bites in the Fall, I stop throwing them probably in November/December depending on weather, but you can use them in areas all year long if water temps on the surface is 60% since we still have mats in winter where it is worth taking a shot. I like to use black,white, or something with some orange on the belly or chart....I actually really like the LT Mouse when fishing pressured areas or ponds. I don't land as many fish, but I feel I get bigger strikes with the mouse....You have to really bend out the hooks or sometimes you get the mouse back with both hooks firmly set into the plastic....All depends on how the fish compresses it I guess.

I like the Owner Down shot hooks...Really easy to set up and sharp. I like the set up above, I find I have to really concentrate on not over working the bait when I drop shot, and also not swing too hard out of habit.

I sharpen everything if it does not scrape/dig into a finger nail.....I use a cheap file and usually a few passes does the job, but on some of the chatterbaits that come dull,it can take a bit of work to get them sticky sharp, but you can do it.

Now that Keitech is making many baits in the USA, I find that many of the brands are similar in texture/color with the exception of the Sizmic shads which are harder, which can be good at times...I like the BPS speed shad, good colors, price, lots of sizes etc...

I really try to Slow Down in the Heat we get this time of year. The water is hot, and I also feel the fish are pressured and sick of seeing the same creatures flying by on 1-2 ounce tungsten weights. I do better with spinning rods, 8lb test, split shot and 4" worms....In heavy grass,cover, just try to have a strategy for getting them out, but I try to get the strike first. I find finesse not only gets more strikes on tough days but also big fish as well. You can also fish the split shot rig like a crankbait and real it steady, slow,and use a small 3" paddle tail swimbait, stealth seems to help on hot flat days when the lake looks dead. Good quality line with drag set properly and you can land a big fish in nasty cover, worse case, go in and get it. I try to use 6lb but I find 8lb to work much better for Finesse since it does not fray as easily. If you are pitching to wood then you have to re-tie often, but throwing bitsy Jigs in 1/16-1/8 skipped on spinning gear is a nice change up from flipping gear...I would give the small bait, really slow approach a try even if you want to go heavier with line but I would try changing things up this time of year and think about putting a new bait, color, or just try and go stealth and slow...Simple natural color, solid brown or black trick worm is hard to beat on a tough day.

Overstock has had sales in the past where almost all GYB products are 1.99-3.99 per bag. Usually they never sell the flipping baits cheap, or they are the Kinami version, recently they had the Kinami Psycho dads in the best colors for .99 per bag of 5... I find the rage Tail baits on clearance at times at Dicks,and we also have Shops that will get in damaged bags, older stock,or just an assortment of plastic baits in bags that get put in bins for 1.99 per bag....Usually it is all the stuff from a local small shop that has gone out of business, so it usually has the best colors and styles of baits. The Rage stuff is hard to find on sale although certain colors will go on sale at times, rarely advertised, but Dick's does a thing with numbers on the end so if it ends in a .93, .47 etc you can get lucky. I recently found some Rage Cut'r Worms in 2 good colors for $3,50 a bag? I have noticed that many small tackle shops have gone under recently due to Amazon and competition, so local overstock suppliers will have nice lures for really cheap prices. Most owners are Saltwater guys in my area so they chuck Rage baits in with Mister Twister and consider it the same....

I wish I had the Correct "Answer" to this question, because if I did, I would not be writing books until I have won a bunch of Major Tournaments, and was set for life financially, and at that point I would just be a mouth piece for sponser's most likely. If anyone truly understood "Bass Behavior" then fishing would be easy. I could create 1 line of lures/baits that would sell better than all the rest since I would have the Proof of huge Tournament Results since I could get all the biggest fish to strike at any time under any situation, and finding fish would be simple. For every book about one technique, I can find another book from another credible source about doing the exact Opposite, and neither are technically wrong. I have watched little kids catch more fish than me using a plastic worm and just chucking and winding, and I then realize that I may "Over think" things at times. The next time you are fishing a Pond and not having success, take out a #14 hook, 2lb test, catch a few shiners or small bait fish and live line one....You will be surprised at the amount of fish right in front of your feet. True story..... I read your question again....I once lost a Spro Frog I really liked when it was stuck on a branch, I pulled until the line broke and the frog fell into the water. I then Tied on a U Shaped Stick without a Hook to try and catch the line and get my frog back....On about the 15th cast, I am slowly creeping the stick toward the frog, when I see a wake come flying out from 10 feet away and no joke....A big bass smashed the stick.....I always assumed it was because the bass thought maybe the stick was a snake about to eat the frog???? The thing that made it really strange was the bass was in a spot under bushes and must have watched the first 14 attempts to hook the line? Why that cast? Did it just finally get angry? Territorial? The Fish came from the bank in shallow water so I would have noticed if it crept up into that spot before the entire "Loud" scene. One of the oddest things I have seen Happen. I ended up catching that fish a half hour later when I went back and pitched a worm into the bush...Solid 3lb Fish in a 10 acre Pond.

Wasn't Ned's favorite bait the no longer made 3" Yum Dinger on a Gopher Jighead? beetle, Ho Daddy, and other ringed baits? I believe He started using the Elaztach only after trying the Zero line from SK after they were showed to him. He preferred them since the system was based on frugal bass fishing as much as it was for the "Floating Properties" I read an article where he says over and over the more fish you catch on a Zinker, the better they become and you can get to 100 Bass per day on 1 worm since it is 2 baits after being cut. A bait with Rings will "float" as well, same with salted baits after soaked a bit. I am cool with Z-Mac "creating" the NED RIG, but a Jigworm is a Jig worm, just depends on how you fish it, and type of Jig. Charlie Brewer would argue a Slider Style Jighead works better.

GYB when overstock has them on sale for crazy Cheap....Same with SK....Only buy them on sale, and when I find them, I but alot and then use them often. I get by with other brands just fine when I don't have either, but I have enough stocked up where I can always find the few of each line I really like..... I would never pay $8 for a pack of senkos...Just can't do it....Same with Rage stuff. I wait until I see them for half off or if some color is marked down, SK doesn't really make any bad colors if that makes sense. I can fish any color they make and be confident. Strike King gets my vote...Better selection, Priced better, make different lines of lures for different price ranges, plus they make the Zero and Elaztach line so I can still fish some Elaztach stuff. Only bait SK is missing is a Spider Grub? But I could go without the spider grub if I had too. GYB now has spinnerbaits, Hardbaits but they all end up in clearance racks for some reason. Not sure why, they look good? I guess it is hard to get $7 for a Popper when a bag of Grubs is $8. I just feel the GYB hardbaits are designed to catch Fisherman first (All companies do this but I never think of GYB when thinking about lures).

I just can't use 3" senko's. Not sure why, but I can't go smaller than 4", even then, I want to use a 5".....But I like to put split shots in front of most of my baits on spinning gear. Including Hardbaits/Spinnerbaits etc.

I fished in the storm we had for a few days as much as possible, and had mixed success fishing in areas where the water entered, exits, and had more current than it usually does. I focused on areas where I knew bait would be, but Fishing was hit and miss, Couldn't get any strikes on topwater or Jerkbaits on the surface, I didn't do well in stained water unless throwing a boot tail swimbait under the surface as they would only swirl if it was waked. They would not come to the surface on any trip. Most of my success came fishing faster moving baits from Flukes to Swimbaits, Crankbaits, all to match the size of the bait fish that was trapped. Spinnerbaits along the shorelines that were flooded and along original break in depth worked in some areas but finding a pattern is very tricky. Before and after the storm I did well pitching Jigs/Texas rigs into newly flooded shorelines but the timing of when fish were striking was hard to predict and figure out. After a storm is weird, same during, but I think alot of it comes down to getting lucky and finding fish willing to co-operate. We found groups of fish in smaller areas that would be easy to catch, but quality was much harder to find. Before a Storm is always my favorite, but even that can be frustrating since the fish often are moving all over the place so you can't find them in the same areas that are always reliable. I threw a Chatterbait all over the place thinking that was the right choice-Wind, Stained water, ambush areas, but only managed a few dinks. I thought the chatterbait would be perfect but I guess to much vibration. Skinny Dipper & Gambler EZ swimbaits worked best with 1/8 bullet weight. Caffiene Shad fluke, & Ocho fished like a sluggo. After the Storm it was better fishing reaction strike type baits instead of fishing slow...But I am sure somebody else did well fishing the opposite way. I used to think after storms was best to fish new flooded shorelines but that is not always the case, you have to find the right shoreline and even then, they may have not moved up yet so in the past we have done well fishing the older break lines and just being patient with soft plastics fished slowly but that get's old when it is slow.

I will let the fact the Dick's has had them Bogo at $10 each since they came out as to how well they work.....When lures that get released with hype, then go straight to clearance racks, there is a problem. They made too many and they look like you are fishing a dead stiff Bluegill (Bent like a dead gill) or some type of fake plastic toy? I had to buy 1 because of the concept and because I am a sucker, but I would buy the LT frog/Mouse instead. Those are good baits. I have liked just about every hollow body frog and bait, and I have have tried most avail as I love buying this category of baits. I would put the LT Sunfish in the Mann's Giant Frog/Pancake category, Boze ZZ Walker, and I would rather by 5 Jawbone Frogs for $10 than a LT Bluegill any day of the week. Just my honest take. I am sure they catch Fish if in heavy cover,but so will any bait a fish can't see, but in open water, it does Attract Turtles better than any lure I have used, so it could be a good tool for finding Wood, then tie on a different bait the turtles won't chase....Gators won't hit it, that is a problem. A few Bass have smashed it as it landed but they would have smashed anything that landed.

1/16 oz chatterbait minnows....Light Road runner Hair jigs...light line 6lb test, 4" curly tail worm with a light wire worm hook on a split shot or a slider worm, straight tail on a darter style jig head/slider head....Gitzit tubes work good on the slider heads as well in baitfish colors, the thinner Gitzit baitfish tubes..... I love a split shot 4" Worm on light line when I want action and often it produces big fish. Translucent natural colors that match the water color...Light line, light rod is fun, and can be addicting.

I am guilty of collecting the Spro Frogs. I love the color patterns even though I only fish 2-3 colors. I just like ordering a few new colors every month. I get the urge to buy cool looking frogs, and those Frogs do look awesome, but I will stick with my $10 addiction for now. Those colors do look awesome for sure.

BB Cricket as mentioned....It doesn't look like much, but it is a good bait that is a good start. If you want more action than the otter/Rodent style creatures often work better, but the BB Cricket is easy to fish, and comes in some good colors, and comes through cover easily. So many good baits, I think color and size is the key at times, and if a simple bait is not working than I try a bait with more action like a beaver style etc...I usually stick with black/Blue, GP, Watermelons...Keep it pretty simple. I try to not use more than 1 ounce if possible, I feel I miss more fish with heavy weights, plus it can start to feel like work with 1.5 and less like fishing. Every company makes good baits these days so if you like the brush hog, I would imagine it would work fine if falling fast. I like the smaller Brush hog for some reason.

I consider it Fall when I can start fishing faster and throwing Lipless Crankbaits again like early Spring to cover water. I actually prefer Fall since the lakes get less pressure than in the Spring and fish are often chasing bait. You can use the same baits, like mentioned the fish move and once you find them they are usually much easier to catch than in the Summer-July-Sept here in the South. I like October and November before and after a storm so I can find moving water.

For some reason I seem to do much better with black blades and gold blades since I fish them in stained water and I also fish them kind of like a spinnerbait but I try to fish them slowly so the blade just starts moving and basically fish it like a swim jig...Slow, deflections, and experiment with trailers since they seem to change the action more than anything else. I use a regular grub most of the time but also a paddle tail swimbait, finesse worm, and one of my favorite trailers is a gulp Leech which really works well some days since it is thin and has a unique action.. I throw them all the time and I am still not sure why they work so well some days, then under the same conditions fish will just swipe at them and not commit. For some reason I rarely do well with silver blades, I like to color them black or use copper or gold blades, and I also do well with the Rage Menace as a trailer rigged both flat and sideways...It is still a bait I feel Like has alot more potential then I have tapped into.

As long as the hooks do not interfere or tangle with the blade on back, or the line on every cast, or the hooks tangle then you should be fine. I know they make 3 sizes and I think I use a #3 on the standard, and hooks are usually 3x Strong Excalibur TX3 which I have always liked but I am not sure what the newer ones come with. I like the Torpedo and use them often, but I have had the same one's for a long time, I would think the action would be the same with the hooks and rings you are using as long as you do not have to fix tangles every few casts. If you do get hooks tangling the line, each other, or lure is not working right then I would probably go to the heddon Website on Pradco and see what size Trebles they stock them with and then match the size and use a smaller #2 or #3 ring which should be fine. The Torpedo is marketed toward saltwater and Freshwater on the packages of the one's I see down here in Florida so they have heavy hooks which I also change out on the smaller one's since they are too thick for light line imo.

They look good, I would imagine they would work, but I seem to always gravitate toward a big Power Worm when I want a bigger worm or the Yum Mighty Worm, Producto Paddle tail...I notice that when I fish a 12" worm I get fewer Strikes, but for some reason a 10" worm just seems to get alot more attention and the same quality fish. Big worms have always been either hit or miss for me, I only use them in the Middle of the Summer for some reason, but the extra size seems to make a big difference. I have had success with some of the Power Team baits, I like some of the colors and designs,but I rarely use them except for the swing Hammers which I have a bunch of so I often cut them down as trailers since the paddle tail/Flat Bottom can be good on a swim jig at times. I would imagine it is tough to make money as a smaller bait company these days with the bigger brands dominating the marketing, companies like Yum and Havoc lowering Prices to $2 per bag, kind of hard to compete unless you can create something really unique. I hope Power Team is still in business, when I ordered from them they sent me a good amount of Samples to try out which I appreciated. Seemed like a good company to buy from.

with floating Toads now on the market, the Elaztach, Larew kind of floats, Manns toad kind of floats, but the Stanley Top Toad is a hollow toad that floats perfectly, so does the Sizmic and my general view is if Bass are willing to chase and strike a toad like a Ribbit, Horny Toad, or Swimming Toad like the Manns, Larew etc...Then I will go that route since the hook up ratio is better for me, cover more water, and toads seem to produce fish of the same quality, you can always go over the area again with the hollow body which can land bigger fish, and has a different action. The Floating Buzz Toads are actually really good, The Stanley Top Toad is a great idea and seems to have a better hook up ratio than hollow bodies with buzz legs, and having the ability to stop them is huge. you can also take your favorite frog, say a Booyah pad crusher, and simply add new legs to it like say end of a ribbon tail worm/Speed worm, even the ones from punch rigs work at buzzing on top. Then you have the best of both worlds. I use the Scum Frog Big Foot but sometimes the feet get in the way of the hookset, I like soft toads that float better personally, but if on cover, hard to beat a Ribbit style. Many strikes occur when the bait sinks or waked under the water.

I have the blue Slick 8 strand on almost all my casting rods and like it because I color the last 8-10 feet with a sharpie a green color, black, brown, whatever, all braid loses color fairly quickly especially the 8 strand smooth braids, fish in the rain and it is white within one day in some cases. If you are a line watcher, You can just use the sharpie trick to color the line to match the water every time out, you can make it a blend, or sometimes green/brown smeared together blends in well. I have been using the blue PP Plus for a couple years and I hate using it without a leader and even then I feel if I do not color the last 10 feet it effects my ratio of strikes. I have no doubt seen it make a huge difference fishing Topwater lures, especially if you leave your line in the water while working a lure. Maybe I am neurotic, but I just feel better with greens, browns, black colors on my braid, and green/clear on mono....Deep stained water, It probably doesn't matter. I always wondered...Guys say Black frogs are the best since Bass see them easiest due to the shadow, but then they say "Color your braid black"....I do it, but wouldn't that mean black frogs and black line are also seen the easiest? Kind of a contradiction, but I get the reasoning, and I would still choose black braid to my black frog than Blue braid to my frog....I love the bright blue for pitching and flipping, you can literally color the line to match the depth, maybe add a foot or two extra of green, then if you see the blue line under water or twitch at any time, swing....It helps me, but I never tie direct and have never done well tied direct but just color it...PP Plus is a great line that gives you added distance on casts, strong, and lasts all year easy.