Lefty76

Need some advice. Have any of you ever used the Booty Shaker 5.0 swimbait and what hook did you use to fish it with? I ask because the owner beast hooks I have are way to big. Thanks

Tom, Thanks for the advice. I will have to get some of those hitchiker springs.

I noticed that Tackle Warehouse carries these: Slide Off Weed Guard Anyone ever use these weed guards?

Thanks for the information. In regards to those weedless boogers, I am curious about the hook size they were meant for.

Got the itch to throw the 8 inch Hudd again. Problem is that the jig hook constantly catches vegetation. Vegetation is really coming back since the Texas winter storm killed off all of the tilapia in the pond. Has anyone ever tried installing weed guard in the top of an 8 inch Hudd?

I recently acquired my first kayak (Diablo Amigo) as well as a Lowrance Hook 5 fish finder. Both are still in plastic. I not very keen to the idea of drilling a hole in the top of the kayak for the wiring. What are the Pros and Cons of a transducer arm versus glueing to the hull? Thanks

The 190 makes a much louder sound than the 168.

I recently acquired a Whopper Plopper 190 model. I have been using a 168 model for a couple of months and really like it. For whatever reason (maybe due to rod & reel combo) I it is much harder to get the 190 model above water and spinning in comparison to the 168 model. The rod can handle the lure, but it is as if I need to use a reel with a faster gear ratio. Anyone else have this issue? Using a Shimano spinning reel and a saltwater rod.

I never fished a jig (“jig and pig” back in the day) when I was growing up. I believe this might be why it feels so odd for me. I used a Little George in the past but that was for casting into schools of white bass when they are running.

I recently purchased a few 1oz 6/0 hook Warbait Swim Jig Heads which I tried on a Big Hammer 9inch paddle tail. Photos attached Maybe it's due to the heavy jig head but I feel much more comfortable fishing this paddle tail with a 10/0 weighted Owner beast hook. Any advice on learning to fish using swim jig heads??

I may consider buying one of each (Calcutta 400b and a Tranx 400)

The one I really like about a Calcutta 400 is the line clicker option for fishing with live bait.

Considering updating two new reels for swimbait use. My two considerations are the Calcutta 400 and the Tranx series. Prefer to have two swimbait set ups. I do like the idea of a low profile 400 bait caster as I have 3 old green 5:1 CU200’s. Is the Calcutta 400 still a popular choice? Dependebility and line capacity are my two main concerns.

Plan to throw Carolina rigs and 1ounce jig head + attached paddle tail swimbaits with the flouro. With the braid, heavy top waters, so I will use a mono leader. With spinning reels (braid), top waters and 10-12inch worms with no weight. Possibly flukes, but I cannot seem to catch a bass over 2lbs with a fluke (use 7” Zoom Super Fluke). Anyone know of bigger & better flukes on the market?

Given that I am learning how to fish slower on the bottom (worms and jig head swim-baits) I have decided to give Flourocarbon a try. I have put 15lb P-Line flourocarbon on two of my three small bait-casters. The 3rd has 30lb power pro braid. For someone who is used to casting mono, what is the obvious they should know about Flouro? Regarding the 3rd reel: Given that I already have 30lb power pro braid on two spinning reels, I may consider giving Sufix 17lb mono a try. Anyone ever use Suffix mono before? At bare minimum I plan to use it as a braid to mono leader. Thanks

I tried out a Hudd (8" ROF5) for the first time last week and ended up getting it stuck on a submerged tree stump. Got it released and noticed it was damaged. In the photos you can see that a chunk of plastic is missing and the jig hook harness frame is visible. Can this Hudd be repaired with the void filled up with Mend It? I notice that at a crawl it leans to its right. Not sure if that is due to the damage. With that said though, I am a believer in this lure and have two back-ups.

Below is a photo of my swimbait arsenal. I have yet to throw the Keitechs, but I tried out one of the Hudds last week (8" ROF5). Deepest water is around 20feet. Mr Young, Now I understand why you like them as a slow moving bottom swimbait. The boot tail movement is unique/somewhat subtle. Do the Hudds need to be prepped/softened up before using? I just pulled one out of the package, tied it to 20lb Pline mono and casted it out. The hard baits are all 8inchers. The BB-Z stays on top when retrieving while River2Sea S-waver200 sinks a few feet. Yet to cast the Gigantrel bluegill/tilapia imitation. Tilapia and bluegill are the big forage in the farm pond. Between these lures and 12 inch Berkely power worms, I should have all i need to lure a 8lb plus bass into biting.

That makes sense regarding line diameter. 30lb power pro has the diameter of 8lb mono.

Maybe it’s because I am having to re-train my thumb after a long hiatus, but braid behaves very different coming off a baitcast reel due to its weight. While casting a 5 inch whopper plopper on braid is a joy, casting a light worm or spinnerbait in the wind is as if you are just begging for a backlash. I have a spinning reel with 30lb braid which will be my dedicated reel for weightless worms. With regards to bottom fishing worms, I may have to give fluorocarbon a try as I hear it sinks faster than mono. How many of you base your choice of line on the fishing technique as well as the type of reel?

Last Thursday the temperature warmed up to 72F in central Texas. Caught several bass on a 5 inch Whopper Plopper. First time ever using the lure. The tail hook seems to snag into the bass while reeling them in. Has anyone else noticed this?

Just curious if anyone is familiar with this reel. Saw one in a rod and reel shop and the owner told me that they can cast very far.

I way afraid of that but they will find use in the future.

Tom, Field & Stream just happens to be next to Golf Galaxy (My #1 hobby) I actually went there looking for some rods for my refurbished Green 5:1 Curado reels (circa 1998-99). Ended up purchasing two Dobyns Fury 7' 3" flipping rods. (These will be used for big worms and other lures they can handle.) On one reel may try out 30lb braid and a Flouro leader. On another reel I may try 15lb mono. Line on the 3rd Curado is TBD. Two Daiwa DX Swimbait rods are in route from Tackle Warehouse and should arrive tomorrow. Plan is to use my reconditioned 5500C3 reels that have been updated with levelwind bearings as well as all new bearings. Plan to use 20lb pound mono on these reels. I did not expect to see Keitechs there as I have never seen them in Bass Pro Shops or Academy Outdoors. I never seen any swimbaits at those stores except the Bass Pro Shops brand and have ignored those. I saw them and grabbed them as there were few on the shelf.

Ok so I went to Field & Stream and got these: The largest hooks they had in stock were 7/0 Berkley Fusion & Eagle Claw TroKars. I hope they will work on these size of baits.

Gentlemen, I really appreciate the responses. Regarding the Huddleston's, if you are fishing in 8-12ft water depth, which ROF would you use? Thanks