Brad_Coovert

Hard to beat a soft plastic toad like a Horny Toad, Cane Toad, or Ribbit on top of grass or left to drift down into the holes. Large lizards, swimming tail worms or big grubs swam over and through the grass also work. Senkos and trickworms wacky rigged on grass edges can be deadly. Big tubes can be fished like floating frogs over grass as well. Brad

I have several models from the lines of many manufacturers. Norman, Mann's, Lucky Craft, Cordell, SPRO, Bandit, Reaction Innovation just to name a few. All good baits. Brad

IMO, walking is not something a frog is designed to do, but something that is part of the overall frog equation. Soft bodied frogs are made first for fishing in vegetation. Open water action is an afterthought IMO. When I frog fish and my bait has exited the slop area and is open water, I always walk the bait on the way back to the boat. Sometimes, you get an extra fish here and there this way. The Croaker from River2Sea has a built in keel. The RI SWamp Donkey has a narrow, longer body than other frogs and a line tie that points down. Bother of these baits have been designed with some walking in mind in open water. The remainder of frogs, like a Bronzeye are basically flat on the bottom, but they can still be walked a bit with some practice. The Furbit was designed around slop fishing and then swimming in open water. The rabbit legs and the removable blade give it a different look. They rae not bad baits. The Basirisky is an awesome bait. It's a slop bait with the action of a Jitterbug. IMO this is a must have bait. All of these baits are great frogs IMO. Good luck in your frog search. Brad

Anything bait the word "Paca" in its name. Brad

3/4 oz. football head jig with Paca Craw. Very successful bait for offshore fishing. Brad

Berkley Beast + Carolina Rig = Nice gliding bait. Give it a try next time you have a Crig bite. Brad

Clear water - I try match my jig color to the surroundings I am fishing. I try to do the same with my plastics. Most times, watermelons, green pumpkins, blacks, smokes, cinnamons get the job done. Stained- Same colors, but add in some white and chartreuse as well as some colored flakes. Muddy - Black baits with red, blue or chartreuse and solid white baits. White is actually a good muddy water color. Brad

They also have a smaller 3 1/2" version that has been a killer on smallies for a few guys I know. They have a bigger 5 1/2" version in the works as well. Good luck! Brad

Case Plastics has some great baits and Charlie Case is a great guy. Be sure to check out the Jack's Worm, Wacky Jack and Brush Puppie. I use all three with good success. Also, most places have Case baits around $3.49 - $3.99 per pack. Brad

Brown/Purple laminate Tiki Stick. Good color. Brad

I've never seen any other sizes other than the regular and Jr. size. Brad

The Spit'n Image is a great bait. Short and fat like a shad and easy to walk. I've done well with them. Seagulls also like it a lot. Brad

You will find dozens of "***", a generic name of many brands of knock off's that have a slot in them. You can get some from *** or check around the internet. Just about everyone who sells tackle has some sort of Senko type bait. Brad

I've fished with these baits quite bit and they can be awesome baits. My preferred way to rig them is weightless on a 4/0 Mustad Ultralock Impact hook. I just let the hook ride in the slot on top of the bait. I will either fish them just under the surface, or let them sink a bit and then bring them back on a steady retrieve. Maybe a pause or jerk now and then, but a steady retrieve works best for me. The fish usually hit the bait, the rod loads up and you nail 'em. Hooksets with this rig have been very good for me and the fish have topok the bait deep on most occasions, so they eat it pretty well. You can also deadstick them like a Senko and fish them on a Crig, which one of my buddies was doing at Barkley this past weekend to catch quite a few of his fish. They will also work well on a jig head fished deeper, but that limits their swimming action IMO. They are great baits IMO. I have had a lot of good reports from my customers who have used them. Good luck! Brad

OK, I'm at a club tourney at Barkley on June 2 and 3rd. I'm in Little River and the Crig bite is hot on about any bait we are throwing. My partner and I both have limits and are culling. I cast out an get hit the moment the bait hits the bottom. I set on a good fish about the same time my partner casts his rig. I ask for the net and my partner lays down his rod to net my fish. Just he nets the fish, his rod takes a dive as a fish grabs his bait and takes off. OK, we're bummed as a brand new rod and reel just went for a swim in 12' of water right next to a 26' channel. :'( :'( :'( About 10 minutes later, up comes a fish just thrashing like crazy trying to throw a bait. Adam casts out with a crankbait a few times and behold, he snags a line. The line belongs to hid rod and we end up recovering the rod, reel and the fish. 8-) Too bad he was a bit short, a keeper would have been a better story. Adam also managed to beat me that Saturday from the back of my boat by 1 lb. I got him back Sunday though by 6 lbs. Brad

SPRO Bronzeye and Bronzeye Jr. River 2 Sea Croakie RI Swamp Donkey Scum Frog Popper and Thunder Toad Snag Proof Wiggle Wog DEPS Basirisky Soft plastic frogs - Horny Toad and Cane Toad Brad

I rig the 4 1/2" Live Magic Shad on a Mustad 4/0 Ultra Lock Impact Hook. Hookups have been very good. Brad

Marty, I'll try to get a picture and post it if I can my camera working. Brad

10 lb. Test YoZuri works very well for me. Brad

Other weightless plastics on the mats can be good, such as a large lizard or an overlooked bait, the Kalin Mogambo grub. For punching through, like Roger said, a streamlined bait with a heavy weight. Braid is also a must for heavy grass IMO. Brad

They did. Z-Nail Brad

Marty, the split ring does let the blade have more control over the bait and the Swim Blades will rise up easier than those with fixed blades, but I have been bending the blades in a curved fashion to take out some of the action. It has helped keep the bait down a little better. Yes, trailer hooks help, but I also shorten the skirt and trailer to make the bait more compact. Brad

First, let me clarify. The Chatterbait has great action, just terrible construction and components. As for fishing these blade style jigs, I avoid clear water with them and use them in stained to muddy water. Grass, wood, rock and open water - I have done well in all. Sometimes a steady retrieve, sometimes a lift and drop works best. Also, I tune these baits by bending the blades to reduce some of the action and vibration. This has worked better for me. Brad

For thick gunk, I like a bait without too many legs as they slide through thick stuff better. Large flaps help move water, but still sldie in the cover. Sweet Beavers, flipping style tubes, Paca Craws, bullet head jigs with slender trailers, etc. Brad

I've talked to a lot of GYCB people. Good bunch. Never a bad word about other manufacturers or other anglers who choose to use other products. As for the Swimsenko, it's a good bait. It can be fished lots of ways, on a jighead, on a bladed jig like a Swim Blade, weightless or weighted. IMO, the best way is Texas rigged with a screw-in weight or screw-in plastic guard and swam through cover. It's a good slender swimbait and quite weedless. It is more durable than a regular Senko as the plastic is tougher. For colors, I like the watermelon, green pumpkin and black colors as well as the pearl color. Good luck! Brad