bunkerbstr

I've rigged them on a lighter punch skirt rig with 3/8 oz tungsten and swam through the grass. They work pretty well that way. Like other guys mentioned, they are a decent vibrating jig trailer. If you have the large size, get out the scissors and give them a hair cut. Also, depending where you guys live/fish - if you rig them on a belly weighted swimbait hook and swim around shallow grass (milfoil) you'll get knocked for sure.

LC Gunfish 95 is fantastic!

For heavy rigging - anything over 1/2 up to 1 ounce, I go with Water Gremlin egg for hard bottom/open water. Spro Power swivel, plastic bead and typically a fluorocarbon leader. I've tried mono and it works well too, just don't think a 3' leader is enough to make the bait float as much as people think, especially if you're using a heavier hook and bait. Grass fishing I'll go with either a bullet or mojo style weight in lighter weights such as 1/4 or 3/8 at most. For the shallower grass fishing, I've moved over to using a M/H spinning rod with braid main to a fluoro leader and after a few years of fishing it, I'm digging it. The Carolina Keepers are definitely a handy tool to have in the box. Like others mentioned, I've had issues with them sliding down the line, especially if you're fishing grass where you have to give it a snap every so often to rip it free. Doubling up with the Carolina Keeper is a good idea. And I also like the idea of adding a split shot behind it to hold in place (thanks for that tip WRB). I won't get into the long list of baits I use on the C-rig. Craws, worms, creatures, swimbaits - I use all of them. This another great post, enjoy reading all of your opinions. Thanks.

Interesting post, love the ones that make me think. Reading you guy's responses, I think everyone is correct. There are times where orange is 'the color' and times when white is the color to use and so on -- no wrong or right answer. That said, water color and forage should be what dictates your choice. However, I wouldn't be afraid to throw an orange belly jerkbait in a herring lake either, might be the ticket for having something different. I fish lakes that don't have any shad, herring and shad baits work. I fish lakes that have shad & herring and bluegill baits work. I do think for certain baits like jerkbaits, poppers (baits that fish are looking upward to see) color makes more of a difference. For deep cranking, not sure if it matter as much, though the "homer" color was won guys an awful lot of money over the years. Guess that's why we have a dozen boxes of crankbaits and honestly, I don't know if I have a color, I like the color that's working that day.

I agree with Mosster47. I have a handful of these baits in "fast sink" and "slow sink" models. Nice baits, good quality components, no complaints. The slow sink, as stated, sinks very slow. something like a few inches per second. It's good for surface and down to a few feet. As you wind the bait back to you it will swim upward on anything more than a slow retrieve so keep that in mind. I think the the slow sink model would be a good crossover kind of bait where you could effectively fish on top and/or subsurface. I've tried to let it get down to 10' and slow roll and it wants to come back to the surface too fast for my liking. I don't own any floaters. The fast sink model sinks fast - 1' per second. Think lipless bait sink rate. Definitely better suited for deeper fish. They have a nice swimming action and fish do eat them. I'd scoop up a few to match the forage in your area, I don't think you'll be disappointed. You can either swim it back to you on a steady retrieve or rip with some slack to make it dart & turn. A nicely engineered bait in my opinion. I use a 7' M/H cranking rod with 12 pound fluoro and 6.2 speed reel.

I have both the 3's and the 5's in the non-rattling model. Definitely a quality bait that catches fish. No issues with hardware thus far.

Agreed on the underspin model too. I started my son (now 12 yrs old) with a 33, it would have the typical issues where the line would catch and he would get frustrated so I picked up a Pfleuger underspin combo at DSG for around $30 several years ago. This past year he's begun spinning and baitcasting though he still uses that rod/reel combo too for panfishing. I took my time getting him into bass fishing, we panfished for years, then he caught his first 5 lbr and that pretty much ruined the panfishing thing. lol Last bit of advice I'll give you that was given to me -- fish with them like you are their grandparent and not the parent. In other words, they can't do any wrong; let them have fun. It's about making memories and you're doing just that. Good luck.

Depth dictates size. <10' 3/8-1/2 ounce. 10-20' 1/2-3/4 ounce, 20'+ 3/4-1+ ounce. I cast them out, free spool to bottom, engage reel and start a slow drag sweeping the rod (think c-rig fishing). I'll give them a rip every now and then moving the rod vertically just to annoy anyone looking. Trailers: Power Team Lures Craw D'oeuvre, Paca Chunk, twin tail grub, Yum chunk, Zoom chunk and of course #11 Uncle Josh.

$200+ during the last week. Off the wagon. Been 50 days since last purchase. TW order (2 of them because 1 wasn't enough Lol). Nothing special really, just feeding the monkey Basstrix, Aruku Shads, bunch of 6th Sense stuff (75 flat and ****** 70), Jackall crankbaits, a few Pointers, Biwaaa 7 swimbait. No Megabass. Had like 5 in the cart and didn't pull the trigger. Who am I kidding? lol

I use both brands - I have the regular old 3600, 3700 as well as a bunch of the newer and older Plano waterproof models. I recently picked up a half dozen of the Plano waterproof boxes - 3700 shallow and the deep model. The deep model (I forget the model #) lids were so warped upon arrival that they wouldn't close. I sent email to Plano along with a photo showing, they told me to take back to store where purchased. I ordered them from TW and wasn't about to ship back a couple boxes, it'd cost as much to ship as it would if I bought new ones. Anyway, with that said, I like the Plano waterproof boxes just fine, they're solid and last a long time. I've had some of the previous style for close to a decade. I also more recently picked up a few of the Flambeau waterproof boxes. They have the rust inhibitor dividers, latches similar to the waterproof Plano model and seem solid though are also more brittle in terms of the plastic on both the box and the latches. I haven't broken the boxes or latches though they latches do seem like it's a matter of time before they'll snap off. The Plano latches are more of a Rubbermaid kind of material, more flexible but not completely unbreakable. So with that, I own both, like both, but a little upset with Plano's customer service and the response received when I took the time to show them a faulty product that allegedly has a "Limited Lifetime warranty."

Agree with Jeff - Muck bottom calls for dropshot. Fishing a jig in muck is tough. Nothing worse than having your bait hit the bottom and as soon as you turn the handle it's bogged down, covered with goop (wind in and repeat, cast wasted). Also, I feel like any bait you pin to the bottom with a weight (tx rig worm, jig etc) could hide the bait in the mud cloud and as a result fish may bite but likely miss the bait. Last thing, try slow rolling a spinnerbait and let the depth you're fishing determine the weight/style - tandem, willow, double colorado, etc. Good luck

I have three different 843C rods - CBR, GLX and IMX. I don't have the E6 in that model, though the 843's I do own, I've got Curado B, Curado E and Chronarch E series reels. All of which seem to work/balance just fine.

S-wavers are decent and priced pretty good. Get a few of those, learn their nuances and build from there. I haven't experienced it personally (I only own 3) but have heard from several guys that there is some level of inconsistency with S-wavers in terms of sink rates and overall swimming action. Hudds are awesome. If you're getting into swimbaits, I suggest you scoop a few of these - 6" and/or 8" and don't be afraid of the trout patterns in waters where trout don't live. Bass don't seem to care. Slow rolling a ROF 12 in 20' of water and practically getting your arm ripped off is totally worth paying $20+ for a plastic bait. Mattlures makes a filthy hardgill/glide bait too. Money, but worth it.

Glacier Glove - I have 3 pairs of them. Different weights depending on how cold it is outside. Under Armour fleece liner good for 40-50 degree temps - not waterproof. Newest acquisition is the Simms ExStream glove (expensive but worth it if you fish in the cold) - very warm, fleece lined, thumb & index finger fold back so you can tie knots and stuff. They don't have the best grip on them though and given the fold back fingers, they're not waterproof but are resistant to precip (rain/snow). Finding the perfect fishing glove is tough to do. I have like 5 different pairs and keep all of them on board during the winter.

I make my own most of the time, though the Jewell Eakins, Booyah and Bitsy Bugs are all decent jigs. You'll get a slower fall with the spider style jigs, they'll grab a lot more water than full skirts. You asked about color - Match the bottom - Black, black/blue and green pumpkin ought to cover you pretty much everywhere.

Indeed. I have a few of these; they work.

Ditto everyone else's comments. I've had some for a decade or more, still use them, they still work. As others mentioned, keep colors separate and try to keep out of fluctuating/extreme temps, as in don't leave in your boat or garage all winter long. Bags and/or boxes, I keep them in both (boxes on the boat, bags are my back-ups, kept in the bait barn until needed) and don't have issues.

That's great to hear, cool you did some experimenting and figured some things out. That's what makes fishing great. I've been using them for a few years bass fishing and a lot of years for crappie fishing (Road Runners). Anyway, I'm like you, I mess around with different stuff - flukes and a variety of smaller swimbaits depending on where and how I'm fishing. A lesser known undespin - I like the Spintrix Basstrix version for bottom crawling. Pin the Basstrix minnow (designed for the head), crawl around the bottom and you'll get your arm taken off. The Swarmin' Hornet version is really cool too, though not as stout of a hook as the Spintrix, but man you can slow roll a fluke, RI Dipper, Keitech (whatever you like) on the bottom or for suspending fish and they'll eat it good too. For the lighter Swarmin' Hornets (1/4) I use a M/H spinning rod, 10 lb braid and a fluoro leader. I use the smaller fluke for that one. On the heavier 3/8-1/2 size, I like the Zoom Super Fluke. Agree with WIGuide - you can fish them wrong as long as you fish them slow. Only thing I'll add is try to pop and stall them like you would a spinnerbait during the retrieve and make sure you keep a good grip on that rod - think "nervous baitfish" during the retrieve.

Warning. When you buy your first 110, you're done. Within a few years (or sooner) you'll look into that 3700 and all that'll be laying in there are 110's and their variants. You'll be scouring the internet for colors, ordering customs, etc. Years ago it was the Husky Jerk, then the Pointer 100 came along. Both of which are great baits too, but man, they ain't a 110........ Just saying.

I think it's more about preference. Some will say use glass, some will say graphite and/or even composite rods. Specifically for square bills, I like a rod that has give but not a ton of give if that makes sense (CBR 845 works for me). Typically, we're fishing square bills around shallow cover, grass, etc. I like to have a rod that I can snap the loose of grass when encountered. If you're using a glass rod, it's a lot spongier and is tougher to snap out of weeds. Also, using the larger square bills equipped with larger hooks, a little stiffer rod will help penetrate the size 2's into a fish's mouth. There's not correct answer to your question though. Again, it depends on how/where you are fishing which determines the type of rod to use. If you're fishing more open water stuff, a glass (or composite) rod might be a better option. That being said, a lot of today's graphite rods designed for crankbaiting have the properties of glass without the added weight, thus making them a better choice in my opinion. I don't own any but have used a friend's Quantum KVD Tour cranking rod. For what you're willing to spend, you can scoop two of those instead of 1 Loomis. They're light rods and very capable of doing what you'll need them to do.

I recently picked up some Shadow Raps and SK jerkbaits. Caught fish on the SK but haven't done anything on the Shadow Raps yet. I'm with pretty much everyone else on here, if you can spend $20 on one jerkbait, get a 110 - pick your color and just get one (shiner/shad something like that). I have tried them all and honestly, there is something special about those darn 110's. I wish it wasn't true but it is...

I use P-line Fluroclear in either 4 or 6 pound on my UL spinning rods. Also 10 pound Power Pro braid to a 6 pound leader works great too. That rig will give you the sensitivity of braid and will also give you some stretch using the leader. We usually go with somewhere around 6-8' leader.

Great topic and absolutely true. If you have wind, chop, shallow weeds - there aren't many baits that will work better. Besides, the bite on a spinnerbait is awesome! Keep using it until it dies, when it dies on top, just follow the fish down as the water cools. We've caught them slow rolling on the bottom when water temps plummet into the 30's around here.

I've been using the G Loomis CBR 845 - 7' m/h action. Usually spooled up with 12 pound FC. I've owned a few of them for around 10 years, caught hundreds of fish on them. I would give them a look. Only gripe with that model, if you're looking for a dual duty rod (mid-deep cranking too) the handle is a bit short for me if I'm bombing bigger plugs . If it's just for square bills/target oriented casting, you'll like it just fine. Good luck

Definitely a Strike King - looks like the firetiger KVD model: http://www.basspro.com/Strike-King-KVD-Spinnerbaits-Double-Willow/product/1172012114/