Shadcranker

Zoom has the best selection of shapes and styles of plastics of anyone out there. Loaded with salt. Reasonably durable. (no disrespect to the GY fans, but they tear up way too easily for the price, unless you're sponsored by them). Fairly priced. Great colors. They're the best plastic co out there b/c of the variety and quality (IMHO). Oh yea- They are very innovative too. They keep putting out new designs every year, so I can satisfy the bait monkey w/o cashing in my retirement plan. SC

1. 6" Zoom Lizard- TX or carolina rig 2. Zoom baby brush hog- carolina rig 3. 3.5" prowler tube on BPS 3/16 offset tube head 4. 5" Kalin Grub on 3/16 oz round grub head 5. 6" Zoom Trick worm on a shaky head

Time to fish: any time you're fishing. Seriously, the only time I don't fish a jig is when the fish are really keyed in on hard baits in the early spring (jerkbaits, traps, cb's). If they're really aggressive and keyed in on shad, I will do that. Also, sometimes in the Fall when fish are chasing shad, you can't put down a trap or topwater. I fish jigs year round when fishing fairly slow (shallow, deep, and in between). I usually fish it slow (90% of time). Only exceptions are: 1. swimming a jig around boat docks. 2. stroking a jig on structure (ripping it off the bottom to trigger a fish). 3. Hopping a jig or speed dragging a big football jig on drop offs. Trailers are mandatory IMO. As a matter of fact I usually trim the skirt back in line with the bottom of the hook to show off the trailer more. The trailer gives it the crawfish look. My favorite trailer is a Zoom Super Chunk (Super Chunk, Jr for finnesse jigs like the Bitsy Bug). I also like the Zoom Super Speed Craw and Sweet Beavers as trailers. Best way to develop confidence in a jig: Leave everything else at home. Take three different sizes and go fish it in cover or on deeper rocky banks. The Bitsy Bug is a great place to start, b/c you will get tons of bites on it, giving you a feel for the bite, and helping to build your confidence. Keep colors simple. Black n blue and some shade of green or pumpkin brown will cover it 90% of the time. Good luck, and stick with it. SC

Zoom Brush Hog is huge and catches big fish flippin in the Spring.

Great baits and even better value for the $$$. I'd say for the money that Norman and Bandit make the best quality baits out there. The DD 14 and DD22's are both great for structure (ledge fishing). The DBN is a great little bait for winter and eary spring. Rapala makes a fine bait, but for the money, I tend to buy more Bandits and Normans. SC

I use gamakatsu 3/0 and 4/0 EWG hooks almost all of the time with plastics (except for drop shot or floating worm). Size depends on size of the lure (I end up using the 3/0 80% of the time). I use the 4/0 when fishing a 10" worm or an extra large flippin bait like a Brush hog or double wide beaver. I use a red one when imitating shad (fluke or white fl worm). My hookup rate went way up when I switched to the extra wide gap model, and it's definitely a confidence thing.

Fluke, Bandit 200 in shad color, and a jig. Shad schools are a key deal in our area in the Fall. I know you said 3 only, but spinnerbaits and rattle traps are key in fall too.

been reading the threads on the other post below, and I see G'ville, Amistad, and Fork. When will you all decide where the trip is going to be? I'd like to try to go this year; especially if it's Guntersville. I know it's a long way off, but curious.

Curado in the 100 size. take the extra $50, and buy yourself some 15 lb P-Line, some lures, and go have fun. I own around 10 Curados- old green ones and the new ones, and they are workhorses- proven to last. Best value out there IMHO. Some of the other brands mentioned feel and look great, but we'll see how they past the test of time. Curados last and have all the performance I need.

For me it depends on four things which are tied to each other: Line size (4-8 lb test on spinning tackle, and 10 lb and up on baitcast tackle) Water clarity (largely dictates the line size- clearer= light line) Cover - generally, the thicker the cover the more likely I am to use BC gear. Lure weight- spinning tackle handles light lures better (1/16 to 1/4 oz.); for most applications over 1/4 oz, I usually will use baitcasting gear. If I'm fishing clear water with sparse cover, I expect the fish to be spooky, and I will usually fish more finesse tecniques (shaky head, swimming a grub, light tubes, small shad raps, etc.). Spinning tackle is the only way to go on the light stuff. If I'm fishing more "power tecniques"- big jigs, Tx rigged worm, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, big jerkbaits, crankbaits, etc., I'll use BC equipment. To sum it up, light line=spinning; heavy line=baitcast. I have several of each for different applications.

Don't worry about the hook or the trolling motor-H

I use light colored baits when trying to mimmick a shad- For instance a Pearl Fluke is dynamite on schooling fish. A white trailer on a white swim jig is great when imitating shad (typicaly swimming around docks). Also use a shad colored finesse worm on a shaky head in winter when shad are dying. SC

I've just started using the Bang Pure Craw in the aeresol can. Main reason is it's so easy to apply. I have some megastrike and others, but they are all messy and hard to deal with compared to the spray can. The Bang product sure smells like the real thing, and I understnad it's real oil from crawfih that have been rendered down (cooked).

I've used them fairly often this year when structure fishing in 6-25 ft (dragging off ledges). My favorites so far are: 1. Jewel Mike McLelland model in 5/8 and 3/4 oz. (the newer model with the brush guard and cross-eyed tie). Their skirts are really excellent quality. 2. Jim Moynagh's All Terrain Football Jig (1/2 and 3/4 oz). They have a rubber coated textured head which is different. 3. Omega Football Jig (same sizes- they do have a few round rubber models). All three of the above models have great hooks, skirts, colors, baitkeeper barb, and crosseyed line ties. The Omegas have a Gamakatsu hook, and the other two have Mustad Ultra Points. The other two brands I have are PJ's and Revenge, which are both good. I just relly like the top 3 best. As far as trailers go, I have experimented with everything from twin tail grubs, Paca craws, sweet beavers, Zoom super hogs, and Zoom Speed craws. I Usually use the speed craw or the twin tail, but it doesn;t really seem to matter. One real key here, and believe me I learned the hard way by losing three quality keepers in a tournament- use a heavy action jig rod (7' H action). You can't set the hook well enough on a standard MH action worm rod.

Just got my swimbait order- 4- California Swimbabe Baby E's in different colors 4- 3:16 Bait Co Shad baits Now what the heck do I do with these things? They look good; certainly lifelike. They're bigger than what I'm used to in other baitfish imitations (CB's, flukes, etc.). Please share your advice as to when and where to fish them. My idea is to fish them hard this Fall when the shad are grouped up in the creeks. We'll see.

Suspending Smithwick Rattlin Rogue (best for the $$$). The Pointers are nice, but not worth the extra $ IMHO. Fished em both, and had better luck on the rogue.

Two ideas: 1. Academy Sports in my town has top quality plastics, SB', and CB's for $.88 or $1.88 now (select styles and colors only, but for instance- 5" Yamamoto Senko (black n blue)- $1.88. Brush Hogs in Wat / Purple- $.88 per bag. Strike King Series 5 CB in good colors- $1.88 ea. 2. Try the closeout bin on the Gambler web site. they usually sell overstocked items for dirt cheap, and many are really good colors and styles. Usually around $.99 per bag. Good luck.

I've been dragging footballs on deeper ledges recently (1/2 and 3/4 oz mostly in either black n blue or pumpkin green colors). What trailers do you like best when fishing the footballs deep (8-15 ft)? I've been using two kinds: 1. twin tail grubs 2. Zoom Speed craw Thanks SC

I have some, and they are high quality, but the best football I've found is the new Jewel with the fiber weedguard (ones with McClelland's pic on pkg). They have the cross eyed line tie, trailer keeper, and excellent hooks. Only one close in quality IMHO is the Picasso Fantasy Football jig, but they're not worth the $$.

I've looked around at 4-6" swimbaits and have narrowed my search to three (mostly fish around shad and alewives): 1. 3:16 Shad 2. Optimum 3. California Swimbabes Baby E Has anyone used any of these? Thanks

I like P-Line CXX Green in 15 lb. use it for 90% of my baitcast applications. It's a bit stiff (use line conditioner), but it's exceptionally stong and long lasting.

Zoom Super chunk Jr- I use them all the time with Bitsy Bugs; wide range of colors, although i either use Watermelon or Black to match the jig. Perfect size for the Bitsy.

Falcon makes a good rod for under $100.

McCoy Mean Green is great mono for spinning reels. Very limp and casts very well.

We use them all the time for offshore structure around post spawn and through the Summer. I drag a 3/4 or 1/2 oz jig off of main lake a creek channel ledges and also over deep humps. Jig size maily depends on wind or current (heavier in more wind and / or current). Either throw black n blue or some shade of green. Trailer- either twin tail grub or Zoom trailer. Key deal to the ledges and fishing it deep is to use the right equipment (7 to 7'6" Heavy action rod on flourocarbon line and a fast reel to catch up to the fish). You need the stiff rod to set the hook in deep water. It's also good for "soaking" deep brush piles on structure. Generally I just slowly crawl the jig over the structure, but sometimes you can trigger the fish by hopping it and letting it fall on slack line.