iceintheveins

I'm always buying new plastics and thinking of new ways to fish them. Nothing wrong with hoarding them. I have a whole cabinet full of tubes, grubs, worms, lizards, senkos, flukes, frogs, craws, and just about anything else you can think of.

It all depends on how aggressive the fish are, how deep the water is, ect. I fish them on as light of line as possible because they will sink pretty deep when you use a 3/0 EWG hook. I can fish them in the 15 - 20 foot range on six pound test. It's not a presentation fish at that depth often see, so they really tend to love it. Flukes and other jerks, including senkos, really are just about the best lures around, except for murky water. They just are very natural and lifelike. I usually let the lure sink to it's desired depth, then give it a jerk or two. I will let it sink back down (when most strikes occur), and then repeat the process. I will change the number of jerks and change the length of the pauses. An erratic action is the key.

I actually fish flukes deep so most of the time I DON'T see them. Using lighter line can really get them to sink deeper, and it's a lure that bass in the 10 - 15 foot depth range don't see much. SLURRRP!

Hmm that's a good idea. Can you still get the good cutting/darting action when you rig it that way though? I know you can use a Carolina Rig to run some other crankbaits, so I don't see why it wouldn't work with an X - Rap.

They are lethal ripped over deep weedbeds, provided the weedbed is deep enough that the X Rap won't tangle in it.

Black colors and bubblegum are best for murky water.

In - Line spinners are a fantastic presentation for smallies in rivers, and they will catch BIG smallies. I use spinnerbaits in deeper sections of the rivers, and in - lines in shallower sections. Rooster Tails and Mepps are okay, but they are far inferior in action and fish catching ability than panther martins. Panther martins are the world's best inline, and it's not even close IMO.

X - Raps work best with sharp jerks, alternated with pauses. I will often go jerk pause, jerk pause, jerk jerk pause, jerk pause, jerk jerk jerk pause, ect. I always vary the length of the pauses. You get the best action on braided line like power pro.

White is one of my best, if not my best, colors for flukes. I really like baby bass, lemon shad, watermelon seed, and arkansas shiner.

I know the type of weeds your talking about, they SUCK!

Wow that's awesome. I'm going to get some for big pike.

I like rat l traps, but Cordell Super Spots are a bit better. However the XPS Rattle Shads from BPS are the best of all IMO.

I use a 3/0 EWG Gamakatsu hook for the 5" fluke, and a 1/0 hook of the same type for the 4" fluke jr.

That wire guide also latches on o weed, i find them pretty useless when you are fishing rocks with weeds around them, some of my most productive spots. Most of the rocks I fish don't have weeds, so I don't have that problem. Ever tried the No Snagg Veggie Jig?

That is really tough. I might have to say a spinnerbait though, even though I do better on other lures most of the time. Just a matter of versatility though.

I carry two different lure retrievers. One is a telescoping pole with a spiral on the end. It will reach down to 18 feet and will almost always unsnag the lure because it comes in direct contact with it. The hound dog type retrievers that clip onto your line don't work quite as well, they fail sometimes. However when the water is over 18 feet, they are the only chance you have to unsnag your lure, and they do get your lure out more often than not.

I'm telling you, use Lindy's No Snagg Timber Rock jigs. The wire guard doesn't usually interfere with strikes and it really stays out of the snags well.

Bass Pro Shops XPS rattle shad in 1/4 ounce size.

I have an answer for your problems. Lindy's No Snagg Timber rock jig. They are great for throwing curly tails for both bass and walleye in rocky, snaggy areas. You will miss maybe a FEW strikes, and occasionally they will hang up as well, but I would lose at least five to ten regular jigheads to every one of these that I lose. http://www.lindyfishingtackle.com/tackleshop2/home.php?cat=370

Pike can be suprisingly fickle, especially here in Colorado where they have tons of food such as abundant perch, crayfish, and stocked trout. A jig under a float will work, but my favorite early season pike bait (one of the best to throw any time of the year though) is a fluke or sluggo.

You have one of the finest bass fisheries in the world around there, the Cal - Delta area of the Sacramento and San Joquin Rivers. Lake Shasta is also very good but it's further away.

With just about any plastic I like a medium or medium heavy rod that is good and stiff. Stiffer rods feel ticks better and set hooks through plastic better.

A clear pop - r, spook, or crazy shad is great on calm cloudy days in really clear water.

Anything that lives in the lake will nail them, not just bass.

Snaps are nice for cranks, but I do get a bit better action tying it on directly. I use the rapala knot and have no problems with it, ever. One of the easier knots to tie IMO.