primetime

Great Post..I have added larger hooks to many of my frogs, especially the Spro Popping Frog in smaller size which comes in 2/0 and seems to be a bit on the small side. I move up to a 4/0 Owner Double frog hook and it works much better. Academy now has a popping from that is a clone of the Spro Frog and they have 3/0 Hooks on them (I have only looked at them online) but I have changed out hooks on all my older Snag proof Frogs which had the thick legs before the Perfect Frog came out. I hate the Wide gap Owner hooks, so I put 5/0 Owner hooks on them, and then take the Wide gap Owners that seem to not do the job and add them to the smaller frogs... I agree that finesse Frogging is a great idea, I often fish the small 45T Live Target Frog on 15lb Big Game or on my Medium Action Spinning Rod with 20lb braid and I have not had problems losing fish, or with hooksets. The Live Target hooks are razor sharp, and I file them after every few strikes, but Tiny frogs like the 3/16 baby Bully Wa, 3/16 Scum Frogs, often work really well. My Buddy throws the 3/16 scum frog which he adds 2 suspend dots on the hooks for weight and flash, and 2 small split shots for added weight, and throws them on a Medium action spinning rod to skip them, and he uses 15lb braid, and often cleans up in water I fished with 40lb braid and the exact same frog....The Tiny Scum Frogs are Fantastic since fish can't really hold it without having the hooks if you trail that short hula popper style skirt. Scum Frogs come with Owner hooks, and if you look at the tiny ones you can see the hooks are desinged for lighter line as they are thin....

Sometimes it is an error at the factory and the company gives them the Ok to just bag them...I have seen this happen with several brands, bag full of salt, worms covered in salt, and yes it washes off, but I am sure they are salt infused as well, and because the texture and color came out well, they probably bagged them and then sold them on sale.... I have only seen this happen when a company has a bogo sale etc...I have purchased seconds like this and I have noticed that the one's that sit out in the heat, or get hot in storage, will turn translucent, extra soft, heavy, and become some of my personal favorites. I had a box of watermelon or green pumpkin candy worms that were covered in salt to the point that a bag of 10 worms would weigh almost 10 ounces. The worms turned Translucent and although not durable, they had a new "Shine" and because they were well made, they held their shape, even though they became almost 14g for a 5" Dinger. Normal Dinger weighs about .10 and even though they tore easily, they seemed to catch fish better than "Perfect worms". I would take a few and let them sit in your tackle bag on a hot day and then take them out after a few hours. The added salt gives them this shiny flash color, I have taken one of my favorite Rage Colors-Falcon Red and dumped extra salt in the bags, and they look awesome, just have not used them yet. They become delicate but I am Ok with Delicate if they produce bites. If you have ever felt a Lunker City Spanky Worm which sags, that is what you get if too much salt sits in the bag and heated, if stored in a cool area it just adds added scent imo....I would not hesitate to buy them or use them.

Believe me, you don't want to be like me..It is a sickness, I get addicted to some type of tackle making each year and now it is custom skirts, and Skirts Unlimited has a way to get you, you have to buy same color to get 40% off, that is 12.00 for 100 tabs which is almost wholesale direct from Vietnam when you add in shipping so I can't just buy 1...I have so many tabs that I now just sell mixes on Ebay and 2-3 times a week I will sell a mix of 50 for $20 so at least I get my money back. I also will sell some punch skirts here and there and now Friends are buying some stuff and it all equals out but I never collect. I just like messing with colors and Luckily I have a few ponds in my complex that have really good bass Fishing (Somehow Bass were stocked in there about the same time I moved in 4 years ago, and whoever put them in did a good job of picking young 2-3lb bass to stock.) Testing lures is fun, and you know right away if your bait is good or not, same with colors... These fish have seen everything, People fish the ponds and they leave because they are almos t impossible to catch on lures plus some guy kept dumping trees and structure in the water at night to make it hard to fish, but If it works in the ponds here, they work better on the lakes... Off Topic, but I am 100% confident that any bass over 3lbs will never strike a Senko, Spinnerbait, or Frog. I throw them all the time to get them conditioned and with so many 12" shiners and crawfish, Tilapia and bluegill, once they hit 3lbs they don't chase anything, I actually think it is harder to catch Florida Strain in ponds that have been caught before than in lakes. They only get sloppy at night after it rains it seems or if you use something very subtle in color and natural...That is how the skirt addiction came about, I wanted to find the best flipping colors for punch skirts and jigs and sure enough, match the water color, and then add the next closest flake, and you are good..Smoke brown purple smoke green, watermelon blue translucents....Black and blue used to work but they learn, I am convinced, or they just hear you coming...who knows, when I grow a legit giant it will be worth it.

I have been having luck using the large blade instead of the standard blade on 3/8 and 1/2...I took a few off a few really old Rad Z Man 3/4 oz flashback shads and those blades are really cheap and thin, but when you put one on a Either the Barlows Arkie, or any swim jig I prefer a bullet style with the line tie similar to above. I also use a standard blade on the 1/4 and it seems to work well, I need to try a few different blades since the Z-man blades are running low. I found a bunch of Rad FLipping Chatterbaits that had a rattle hanging from the body, banana head in chrome, and a keeper to hang your trailer, and then some original old 2004? that had heads similar to the VMC Moon Heads that are thin and round, have the eye, and a barbarian style hook, plus a mono weedguard that comes extra long with a long SK style Skirt. The hooks on those were actually good, and seeing all the versions they have made from the Chatter frog, Chatter Stick Jerkbaits, Flash back shad and minnow, all the new ones, Flipping, Micro etc...It gives you lots of ideas..The Diezel chatterbait is nothing more than the Z-man jigheads you buy over the counter in a pack of 3 I believe, and they are cheap, then just add a blade and you can slide one in without a ring. I bend the blades as well down and up and straight depending on weight and trailer but most times I like it down so it vibrates harder and seems to move a slower speeds which is what I am after. I love it when they are just right and kick out like it ripped out of grass every few feet, I used to use a Magic shad for that now I use a Kropto relax Segmented boot tail swimbait which apparently is the best selling soft bait in Europe for Zander but made here in the States and Exported. I think I spelled it right but at 2.75 and 3.5" they do not cause the bait to get too eratic which a magic shad seems to do, a regular senko is actually a good trailer on the lighter ones 1/8-3/16, or a GYB Tiny Ika. I am hooked on making these things now, I am back in the bladed jig phase this year and trying to find the "Magic Lure" since every company is throwing on a blade to a jig attached all kinds of ways. Do the Bubble blades cause the bait to run more erratic or just harder with more resistance? or would it be less, I was going to try some of those since shipping is free this weekend. Nice job on the jigs..Sometimes buying the skirts is the easiest way to go and when you only pay .30 each it is hard to beat that price unless you buy a ton of the same color on another site. I like the mix and match discount, but Janns has the mix for 17.50 and it is decent.

I will get a couple of pics of different bladed Jigs I have that are all tuned to move erratic, I am not sure if it is the oversized blades I am putting on them, the connection, or the trailer, but instead of just vibrating when reeling slowly, they almost have the action of one of those action discs you can put in front of baits they sold on TV.... I have been trying to get the blade really close to the head and I have been surprised how different the action is if you do the 1 split ring for flat eye, 2 rings for vertical, but oval or spinnerbait wire allows you to manipulate distance, and it seems the longer away they get the harder they are to keep vibrating... I will put some pics together when I get home. I will find out what type of heads they are, they are not anything fancy, I think they may be a Bass Assassin Jig with a long shank, or a DOA saltwater jig...Either way, it looks like the Fastach head the SK is using on the swing jig. Just started fishing bladed jigs after not using them for a year, not sure why I stopped but have the fever again. I noticed that every company in the USA now just takes their swim jig, and then adds a nice Mustad Snap to look strong, and then they have to attach the blade seperate due to the Z-Man Patent. If the company makes the bait outside the USA you can get a blade on the jig without the ring, snap, wire, and the patent doesn't hold up whiich is why guys are paying so much money online for the japanese lures which are not all that great imo. I tried the Jackall one and also one from another company, not sure if it was Lucky Craft or Some new name, it was a defect and paint was chipped but They fished like a standard chatterbait which I like but I hate the hooks on them as they split in half, and are just dull. I can't believe guys pay $10 for a $3 Jig you can buy on TW that only has a blade attached via split ring? Just look at the Swim Jig and vibrating jig and it is pretty easy to see how they just threw them together. The only one that has any unique design imo is the Stanley Hale which I am looking forward to trying soon. The Poison Jig from Strike King is wierd and I like it alot, for a bladed jig I think it is as good as the standard chatterbait with better hooks, and they use a split ring with a recessed eye, that bait is erratic if you put longer trailer on it..Trailer makes a ton of difference... Sorry for the ramble, I type fast and just let my mind go and the last few weeks I have been working on finding the perfect bait and feel I am making progress, many times it is a catch 22 because converting strikes can be tough if your trailer is too big etc.. I will post pics and I wanted to start a thread about ideas, I am curious to see if anyone else is simply using ball bearing swivels that are tiny yet strong, or wire to attach them, or using the large blade on lighter jigs....

*** Jigs and any jig with a flat bottom...Green fish makes a skipping jig and so does pepper that is good...The Stanley wedge head jigs skip well. I find any arkie style jig, pan head, or even a bitsy flip will skip just fine...Never tried the revenge, they look super nice though, pricey but nice....

ROF and the ability to keep a bait at the depth you want is important. I find sometimes a 3/8 bladed jig will rise on me depending on trailer and line and retrieve, but a 1/2 will keep it down better most of the time. For jigs, I usually use 5/16 as my starting point. When I first learned to punch I would use 1 oz to 1.5 oz weights and I missed almost every strike if I even knew I had one. In order to really learn I started with a 1/4 oz-3/8 Weight or Jig to get used to the feel of that since you can put that through most cover just not as fast, but now that I have improved, I can just work a 1 oz weight faster since it falls right through, but faster falling lures often generate more strikes when a standard fall is not working. In clear water I prefer heavy since I don't wan't fish examining a slow falling bait...I learned how to fish plastics on texas rig when young so Jig fishing was easy to learn, but I would get proficient with the Texas rig first, if bottom is soft you may not feel it, but learn to watch your line, and watch line fall to see how deep it is and then mark it with a marker, this way if your line jumps on the fall on slack, which sometimes is what they want, controlled is hard to always do, you will know you have a fish if your 6' mark is under water, fish is running with it... Line watching is the best way to fish a jig imo if you lack confidence or have not learned to weight the jig. Any movement that is not normal is a fish, so swing......Under mats often suspended fish will travel from far away and want the bait pinned right under the mat, so always work it up to the top, control it slowly down and pause it mid way, shake a bit, let it flutter, then shake on bottom, pump it a few times, and when pinned I like to gently tap the top as if it was a bluegill eating bugs...Once you find a pattern you will gain confidence and start recognizing strikes and weights to use. Using really heavy Tungsten weights is hard, not all that fun, and you lose fish from popping open the mouth if not good at setting perfectly and on time... Get in the habit of pitching with the hand you do not reel with. If you want to pitch with you RH baitcaster, with your right hand, I still do many days and it always comes back to haunt me at the worst times since you are fishing for only a few bites and they usually come in groups...2 hours with nothing and then next 20 yards you can limit out. Missing the first one can get you frustrated, I like to try to use 3/4 for punchiing with a worm to start...

Sometimes Big Bass Stun a frog like they do with big shiners and then circle back to take it under...This can take up to 30 seconds as they will examine it, I usually wait if it does not go under and let it sit, then barely shake it like it is hurt, if nothing happens I slowly move it away, kill it, then speed up like it is getting away. Sometimes they just smack it and that is it, just don't want to commit, Often a smaller frog will work, or a different action, I find if I slow down I get more solid strikes. Rattle vs Non rattle matters as does color... But be patient, a 50% hook up ratio is about normal, figure you only hook up with 70% of treble hook topwater strikes since many are not bass, or they miss it, or just don't want it but as mentioned, follow up with a soft bait and don't give up on the fish. I rarely throw the frog back if I have a fish miss it or I pull it out of its mouth, I know they will sometimes hit it again but I find that is rare for bigger fish. I follow up with a SK Caffiene Shad Fluke, or a Flipping bait if over grass, but on mats it is different, they probably can't find it and you want to go SLOW and steady, erratic causes them to miss. I find most guys including myself work a frog to fast on top of heavy cover, they will come from far if you work it slow and if they miss, those fish will often hit a flipped creature as soon as it hits the water. Worst case, mark the spot and come back if it sounded big...You know when it is a big fish, they just use suction to take it under with little splash many times, a Slurp that sounds small is often a big one under a Mat.

I always give the little kids in my neighborhood a bobber, split shot above the hook about 6", size 10 hook, and a Gulp Maggot or Earthworm, and it catches everything...Kids want action or they get bored. They are just as happy as catching a cool looking cat fish than a big Bass...But they also catch shiners, Gills, Bass, Crappie, and all kinds of odd fish in ponds. Bread works well since Carp and Tilapia will strike at times. The Key is the split shot over the hook, and a bobber, not sure why the split shot works but it just does, I give them wide bite circle hooks and just tell them to reel when the bobber goes under and keep it steady....It is more fun watching a young kid learn to fish and then see him get that addiction to where he is waiting for you outside by the ponds to intercept me while walking my dog to show me pictures of catches. One Kid is only 7 and he is now catching Bass out of the lakes on spinners, Poppers, and His Dad just hooked him up with a new set up so he can get out and hit the Saltwater scene.....Kids Love Bowphin and BIg Catfish, just put a split shot on bottom with a chunk of dead bait or gulp is hard to beat. Minnows will catch anything as well, key is explaining the circle hooks which is kind of tricky and I often wonder if that is best way to go...

I have been buying mine in bulk which are scuffed up seconds from a few different companies and guys online are selling 1.5 ounce weights in 10 packs for $30, 6-1 oz for $12.99, and I scored a bunch of 1/2 and 3/4 defects direct from Vike... I like Silver anyhow for anything over a half, plus if you burn a tungsten weight, it turns black, heat it with a torch until it turns orange, then drop in ice water... Some have inserts so make sure you don't burn those unless you put it back in..I don't trust any tungsten without Inserts but lately if you look online you will be amazed at the deals...Looks like lots of companies have been unloading blemishes, especially hollow frogs from Snagproof and if they are still around on Flea Bay you can score 3 Phat Frogs for $15. Not sure of the defect, Couldn't find it but they were not listed as Snag Proof, or in orignal package....But I have seen this from many companies, If you like say Bass Assassin baits, give them a call and see when they have blemish lists, overstocks etc. and sign up...If they ask for a Tax Id, You can always give your SS# for a discount as a Sole PP, but they rarely ask... Tungsten is going down in price big time now that the companies/factories making them have warehouses in USA, Candada since Shipping is what killed pricing when I last wanted to sell them...

I have started making skirts to match forrage and I made a bluegill match to the tanic water we have in FL and it is a Smoke Purple, Metalic Grey, Watermelon Blue Flash, few strands of a dark Orange color..... I rig this up on punch skirts, Arkie Jigs 3/8, Swim jigs, bladed jigs and use the standard trailers in Purple, Black/chart, Watermelon candy...Been happy with the GYB 4" Spider Jigs under the skirt for bulk, or just rigging on a Strike King JIg like above but a different brand swinging Jig a friend makes....or buys, not sure but they flatter head than the SK jig above but I like this jig, especially with a blade added to the front, becomes better than a new chatterbait imo....1 large oval split ring, oversized blade, small strong Tsunami clip with swivel to stop twist as it darts left to right and all over all on it's own, reminds me of the D&M Jigs.

I have been told by a guy I trust that these can be better than a vibrating swim Jig around grass, I have tried it a few times and I still can't figure this lure out. I have tried using a paddle tail fluke, sassy shad, and a few other's, but I need to figure out how to catch fish as well on this since the guys who use it, seem to do really well, It has not really taken off which is why I think Bass will Strike it when everyone on the lake is throwing Chatterbaits over grass... I need to experiment some more when the fishiing is good instead of using them when it is off. I love the idea, also the dozen I purchased about 2 years ago all turned brown but I am sure it doesn't matter... What is the best way to fish this? SHaky Head style or chatterbait style? I have never watched anyone score on it.

I have to say, I usually can find the positives in any lure, and I love to try every hollow body that hits the market since I love topwater fishing. I tried this a few times when it was cold just to see the action, and I thought it would be a good bait since it had a wicked side to side action, nothing in the rear to imped the hookset, Trokar hooks, and the Metallic Purple Color matched the bluegill in tanic waters I fish... I recently was on a good topwater bite with a Live Target Frog (I love the mouse as well) and I had a fish cut my frog off (Gar/Bowphin) so I looked in my box and figured I would pull out the LT Sunfish.... I was fishing stained water, light cover, open water, and not mats (It is probably good on mats like the Guntersville Frog for Hook up Ratio, fish don't see the bait) Here is what the LT Sunfish Looks like to Bass and to Turtles....Either a Dead Stiff Bluegill that is bent from drying out, a bathtub toy being walked on a leash or rope, and I knew it was not going to work well when Turtles started chasing after it every cast, They only do that when guys are fishing for catfish and throwing dead bluegills in the lake. It is the fakest looking bait I have ever thrown, I took about 20 casts, cut the line, tied on a Spro Frog and had a good fish on the first cast and into the evening the bite was good. I then tried the Molix Supernato Beetle and I will say this..If you want to spend money on a hollow body... BUY THE MOLIX BEETLE...Action of A Jitterbug, can pop it, wake it, it also looks like a crazy crawler/High Riding wide wobble wake bait only weedless. It has awesome hooks that make it way better than the Step Wa which would fall apart but Molix has this right..This is my new Night time bait since I can chuck it everywhere and reel steady and without a skirt in back, hook up is fantastic. LT Sunfish are now $10 bogo and have been for last 6 months at Dicks, Same time TW just got them in. That should tell you they over estimated how many they would sell. If you like it, that is great, maybe if the Bass are used to seeing bluegills water ski on their side or walk 360%, I can't think of what this even mimics. Maybe if you C-Rigged it it would work, I will try it on a mat since it may be good for that, but I already traded my other 2 for a pack of Tuf Line... Bass or Turtles? This is a turtle magnet...I have to say, I think Bass may be following it so they can laugh, I can find good in any lure, but this looks like a Bathtub toy that has way to much action since nothing walks like that, they should have made it a poppin style flat with same colors...I am trying to find a Metallic Purple Hollow belly since I still feel the colors are legit...Interesting take, Even Alligators won't hit this and they love a frog. Sell it, Don't bother, Or go to Dick's and buy 2 for $10.

It is a light line 6lb test, med light fast action reel, light gliding weight that you can clip to adjust size if I remember the original heads, do nothing steady slow style, but Charlie Brewer would catch fish like people talk about the Ned Rig now....It is a complex system and based on the fact he cut opened 100's of big bass and always found more small 2-3" minnows than any other bait.... I opened the book last night for a few minutes...He was on to finesse in the 70's...Not a shaky rig even though I fish them like that at times because I am guilty of his #1 sin..Over working baits, minnows do not move all over the place..they stay straight, head does not move, and the heads glide and he says over and over...Do not hop...slow, steady, kill. straight and slow, 4-6lb test and with skill, you can fish Florida weeds where others use 20lb test...Not sure about that, but 8lb maybe, but not in summer when his technique is best.. In his time 6lb was 6lb...guys get excited landing a 10lb bass on 6lb test and then tell me it was Hybrid, Xt, or any line really, and most 6lb tests now break over 10 some over 12....Key is a good quality drag.

I started using the charlie Brewer Slider system which was the first finesse tactic I ever learned and i use the baits in other ways but his system was predicated on tough conditions, smaller 4-5" worms to mimic a minnow on bottom super subtle. The theory is based behind using a finesse straight paddle tail worm without salt, and it was the best way to mimic a minnow with a straight retrieve. If I remember it right, the best way to fish the original and snagless heads was to simply let the worm glide to the bottom and then just reel steady and try to blend color into the water color to make it appear translucent and a minnow sliding along the bottom without all the extra wiggle. I learned it years ago and now I just use the Brewer baits for clear water lakes on light tackle once in a while if I want numbers, I would put it as good as the ned Rig but different depending on your style. I use the spider, pro snagless for light texas rigs and I use them for a swimbait like the keitechs, 3-4" grub, beat Shad, Cane stick swimmers, and they come through grass really well since the head is essentially the same head used on many swim jigs today like the lunker city Pan Head, booyah Swimming Jig, Standley Wedge head weight system, and a bunch more. If you google which models to use for which soft baits a guy will come up who does a full page article on which are finesse, which are strong hooks, which are better for what etc...I have stopped using them as often since I feel the quality has gone down, the last batch I ordered 2 years ago was a 20 pack and half the hooks were damaged, chipped, couldn't get them sharp....I received a refund from BPS but I still have some left but I feel that they can still be a productive Jig head if you use them and get annoyed pegging weights. The Charlie Brewer Website has alot of good bass baits. I use the worms, grubs, and craws on split shot rigs and the craw in watermelon chart core 3" fits the bitsy bug jigs perfectly and it works great in ponds....the grub is essentially an early version of the Swim Senko with a wider wobble, the tail is more compact, body has ridges, lots of cool colors, and a great trailer on anythiing. They work awesome for all types of fishing, local shops sell them for Red Fish and they fly out of the shop when they come in on clearance. Cotton Candy worm is a top seller. You can essentially use any finesse worm, but another way to fish the slider Jig heads is with a gitzit tube in a baitfish color, cast it out in deeper water, and work it back with a 2-3 crank and pause to give it a zig zag action. It is actually a techniqe guides use for Salmon, and you catch Smallmouth when you use it, and I should try that down here in Florida...I know it was a hot technique about 15 years ago...

Thanks, half Ounce vertical...Man is it hard to take that Menace off but I bet this gets bigger fish, I will try that tonight..Awesome thanks, I figured 1/2 would work better and I think Sieberts Vibrating Baits have Football heads with a ring like many I have..Good deal. That helps, I need to work on my chatterbait game as I put it away for a bit and forgot about it until recently. I used to reel to fast and give them too much added action, I always put good lures away and forget about them after new stuff comes out or I just can't put the plastics and jigs, Frogs down....

I picked up a bunch of these baits when they first came out and I figured they would make a dynamite pitching bait, maybe a jig trailer (All Types) and C-Rig bait as well. I have had some success with the bait on some days but I believe it has much more potential that I am just not tapping into. If anyone uses this bait and does well with it, I would appreciate any tips on what size hook, weight, when and where, etc... I have tried it on bladed jigs slowly rolled but it seems to just not produce as well as other trailers but I have heard that people do well with them as a trailer on chatterbaits? What size Chatterbait as I am thinking 3/8 may be too light for a bait that dense? Also have hook up issues when I use it as a trailer....Before I sell them I want to figure it out since I feel this style bait is way under fished and I feel it holds potential to clean up when everyone else is using craws... Thanks in advance.

I was thinking it was a smaller shellcracker, or a modified version of shape which would be cool if they put it out. I am still learning how to fish the bait, I know it has potential but I struggle to find the right situations to use it as I mainly pitch with it, but as a trailer I never have success which is strange since I do well with the Big Bite versions which are slimmer, I wonder if that is why..Anyone clean up on the Shell Cracker? Any tips appreciated. Strike King is putting out so many baits and lures lately, they must be making some good money. Good for them. If only they would make a longer Menace Grub and then add some appendages to the sides like the intruder from Bruiser...I love that bait and would love to see them make different styles and sizes like with the Rage Craw,DB,Lobster, Baby, I never know which is what as I dump same colors in same bag since the Rage Craws all work great. Plus I buy the same 2 colors all the time. Saves Space. I am also calling for a 3" Rage Bug....They have both sizes in the Rodent so I would love a 3" and I would really not need any other baits except from a few from different companies.

Rebel Pop'R baby bass color on 8-10lb mono.....Or Rebel T10 Jumpin Minnow...That bait walks like a champ, has a profile that drives fish nuts, I use it over the IMA Skimmer which I had thing for due to its thin body and action, but the T10 seems to just be a better version and shorter....Bone and bone chart....Best $5 money can buy for a topwater walking lure...

I know that people rave about the Cavitron and the Lunker Lure is an oldie but still comes with the old pale flat rubber and seems cheap, but that is the only buzzbait I throw and I almost never throw them since it seems you need to tune them just right etc...I will say that Strikes on Buzzbaits usually are bigger fish than other topwaters, so I would watch a video on how to get one to squeek, I have a buddy who is always messing with his buzzbaits so they squeak, and he is on to something because when he get's it right he does well some days and it seems it is the sound.... I only throw them for fun, so I just mess around with speeds and it seems really fast sometimes works best, not sure why but that is when I tie one on....

Academy has Zoom Flukes on sale for $3 a bag of 10, 40+ colors, I get a few fish per bait, and they work awesome...I favor the SK Caffiene shad but that is only good for one fish, but fine by me...Cast further,Sink awesome, tons of salt....I would keep buying whatever Fluke is causing such a problem.... I love chewed up bait problems....Better than coming home with 9 shiny baits in a pack and then putting the one you rigged earlier back in the bag.... Z Man are durable but sometimes they come crooked etc...I like seeing them first, plus I toss all my stuff in one pile since I don't care about bleeding for most part but you need to be careful, Strike King Zero has the ZULU and I feel they have higher QC even though it is same stuff.... Hard to beat a Zoom Fluke for price, and doing the job...Wave makes a Tiki Shadick that is really durable, comes in some cool colors but I never get around to using them since I have SK Flukes to use first and I go to them first and Zoom for special colors.... They can also ruin a huge bag of plastics when your buddy uses one and tosses it in the pile....I realized 3 days later, lost a good 300 soft baits so be careful to leave them in a seperate bag and tell all friends they can't give them back...1 bait can last a week, no joke...It will be floating after about 10 fish...Zulu seems to always come straight...Good call.

TW has the Gambler Ugly Otter on sale for $2.99...That is a fantastic flipping bait, it has paddles which give it a diferent action and pushes water, it is a killer bait and comes in about 20 colors all really good...... TW also has a few other great deals right now....Man fishing is unhealthy for my wallet.... In reality, the 2 baits you have compliment each other nicely, Maybe get a bait that glides a bit on the fall, The Rage products are all good, I just go to best selling items and buy from that page and usually I then look around for a few odd baits I have never seen but I would grab $3 Gambler baits while you can...People now throw the newer baits so the original John Crews punchin baits like the BB Cricket and 3" Otter are not used as much since he now has Missile so people leave them on the shelves..Not sure why, I would imagine he still uses the Cricket all the time, Missle has nothing similar and he cleaned up with that bait, but that is my rant....Missle is good as well but I lose claws and pieces after every cast...Just my take....

Both really good, I love the 3" chigger in the cinnamon purple color, I use them alot, the Rage Craw causes more vibration and both will work, I like both, I love Strike King Baits because they work, but I do believe that Powerbait scent really helps, I just feel like they have not kept up with companies when it comes to new ideas and baits, I feel like many of the newer baits seem Gimmicky like that Frog, and I feel like the Thief was just a dud...The lighting bug is good but too expensive, I guess they put more design into the Havoc line these days? Other than Power Worms, Chigger Craws, I can't think of any other baits that get mentioned any more...Berkley was the only name I knew for a Decade and I never looked at Culprit worms once Power Worms came out....Now I appreciate the culprit... If you want to go huge, get some 5" Chigger Craws, they are always on clearance somewhere, they are huge like the Tiki Wave Lobster, If you want big bites only, it scares off most fish under 3lbs...I only use them when it is hot and I need to drag the bottom and kill time, so why not hope a Giant sees that Giant Craw which must intimidate fish since bluegills wont peck at it and back away...

I only said that because I once fished a tournament when I first moved to Florida and The Guy I was paired up with was not all that friendly at first, the only thing he said to me as we pulled up to a bunch of timber and flooded brush was "Make sure you don't hit any docks, trunks, branches, and make sure you don't spook the area, We can both win this event in the first hour if you know what your doing....Well, I hit the trunk, the weight did a deflection and it fell in the water like it was a bowling ball....We did not talk for a good amount of time, his fish were not there, but he ended up winning later on and once I sacrificed my body to land a fish for him and it was a clear Big Fish things became better....It takes alot of practice with heavy weights, braid, settings, and I felt stupid...He won the tournament so all was good, but that was one of those moments when I should have known better.... I just picked up a ton of 1.5 oz weights super cheap with inserts, in a good mood....I hate buying them but found a guy online who must of purchased a top brand that had some scuffs on them....Ok with me...

Terminal Tackle, All Hardbaits are good, I have used the basics, but I use them mostly for hooks and weights, $25 free shipping..The Pistol is a great topwater, and they make some good looking wake baits and shallow cranks that I have not used all that much but I am sure they will work well, the lipless crankbait works well, also the Megabass Ko looking bait that says FLoater.......It is a good quality SUSPENDING JERKBAIT, they have never corrected it, it will dive and suspend but the colors are great, they peel like every other bait, but I hear the Frogs are good as well...They have a Spro Poppin Frog right now under their label and the size seems to be in between, for $3 I would grab one but they use Eagle Claw hooks which I have been told need sharpening, but they have a bluegill color frog for $3 that looks as good as any other....I use their tungsten and Hooks, never had a problem, Pistol, and the double prop baits are a steal when you see the color in person, VMC hooks....They do a good job with pricing and House Lures...Looks like companies are taking notice, they are all getting better and Lucky Craft has lures for under $10 now, so maybe the house brands helped lower prices....