RRocket

I'm not sure I understand the question? It's a deep V, aluminum hull with a 20 degree deadrise. Tracks straight and true in all weather/chop. Yea, I'm trying to decide what to do as far as trolling motor. Still undecided.

Have enjoyed the advantages of my inflatable Scout 365 so much I decided to take it to the next logical level. Wife found the joy of being on the water with me while I fished so she asked if we could please get a bigger boat. So here it is This is a Highfield 390 Sport. Boat weighs 500, engine 200. Around 700lbs all in, so it moves swiftly with the 50hp Tohatsu. Hull is 4mm chromated and powder coated aluminum and can be beached, which comes in handy in the super shallow areas I often fish. On the flip side, this boat can handle big, open water should we get caught out. There's a reason these are used by search and rescue, police forces, etc Can be towed with my Prius Prime, because our other cars are ill-suited for towing. So not needing a new tow vehicle was a plus. Fits in garage too, so winter storage is no problem. As you can see in the stock photo, there's a nice little sun deck for the wife to relax while leaving me with plenty of room to fish off the side. I'm considering removing the "wing" so I can fish off the back more easily. Since the sun bed is removable, I thought I'd make a casting platform for when I'm solo. I think it turned out quite good! Just thought I'd share the early progress. Anyone else fish off of a unusual bass boat?

I fished poop baits extensively last year. They neither have the action, profile/silhouette, realism of ANY known forage. And yet....it was easily among my most productive baits last year. So I haven't the slightest clue what bass think they're seeing.

That head shape reminds a bit of the Z-man Texas EyeZ.

If I'm not using a Free Rig, I'm using a Jika Rig Jika is known as a "leaderless dropshot" and the action is very, very good due to the free moving hook. With a pencil weight it stays up off the bottom but not to the degree of a Tokyo. I prefer the Jika, as I think it's less fussy and far more versatile.

This

Right? If you miss every fish, I suspect there's operator error involved if they are being honest.

I've heard/read that in some parts of the country crayfish look rather orange or red. No doubt in my mind similar lure colors would work in a "match the hatch" type of way on those bodies of water.

Well I don't listen to Joe Pro, whoever that is. But some general colors that are widely regarded just didn't work as well here. YMMV.

I firmly believe that some colors on some fisheries just aren't very effective. That has been my experience. And red is one of those here.

Looks darn near like a walleye rig we'd fish here.

With something of this heft, you could certainly throw it weightless. But then we deviate from the discussion about using it as a trailer. Though I have seen a couple JDM skirts that get added or are part of the hook...Though the brand escapes me ATM.

I have a Geecrack Bunny Hog. A full 6" and high specific gravity plastic. The bait with no weights comes in at 1oz!! http://www.geecrack.com/freshwaterEN/product/lure/SB/bunnyhog.html

I agree. Nothing easier than deadsticking a worm. Wacky or maybe even downsized Ned. I've used the same for kids, but included numbers. For example, have them cast out. Now count to 10 (or whatever number). After they reach 10, then wind handle for 5 revolutions. Then wait 10 seconds. Repeat. They get it very quick.

Because it's incredibly fun! And a bit of a challenge. All I fish is UL, nothing else. But fear not...there are indeed limitations to the type of cover that I fish. "Heavy cover" for UL is quite different than someone rocking a MH rod. I typically cast only 2-3 feet into lilies pockets/weeds or work edges so that I can get fish out. It's about understanding the limitations but still being able to fish those fun areas. If I didn't fish weedy areas, it would cut down on my fishing spots significantly. I also fish these same weedy areas in late fall/early winter for Pike (with an UL leader). There's also some excellent areas covered with duckweed here. I have great success there, too. But again, I'm not going to be horsing anything out of truly heavy cover. At the same time, just because I'm fishing UL, doesn't mean I'll avoid cover. I just have to be smart about it. Also..it's so much fun! In all honesty, the bowfin are more problematic for me since they chew my line off. But in either picture below I didn't have any problem getting the fish out. Note the rig on the bowfin. Was in the fish when I caught it...It broke someone off! Thanks for the question! I hope it makes sense.

For my part, I want to try the 2Way as I think it would be great wacky....or cutting it in half to make a leggy, poop bait type rig. And REALLY want to try their bladed jig, the Maxxblade Type Speed. I really like the compact size with the weed guard.

It's just one of those baits that makes me smile when I use it.

As mentioned previously, it's excessively weedy in many places I fish, so weedless is a must. Particularly for topwater. So I was extremely excited to test a lure that reminds me of the Heddon Crazy Crawler, except this one is weedless and plastic. Sign me up!! This is Raid Japan Micro Dodge. It comes in a large blister pack with 3 baits. The color is "Ice Back". The body is 55mm (2.16") long and the tail 45mm (1.77") for a total of 100mm (about 4"). The body is elastomer (like Elaztech I believe). It stretches and is extremely durable. It has some nice appearance details, especially the eyes. The tail is thin nylon strands with green sparkle. The wings are 67mm (2.6") and feel like a firm silicon. They should also be quite durable. They are removable via a slot in the side. There are some nice technical details too. The hook slot in the bottom is deep, which will allow the bait to easily clear the hook. They recommend a couple of books and there are recommended indents in the nose for either. My preference would be the Ryugi Infini. This is a deep EWG which would allow the bait to really slide down the hook increasing hookups. The hook slot on the back is the best I've used. It has a unique shape that allows the tip to nestle down without the need for texposing. It works perfectly. I did not have the appropriate ultra deep EWG, so I used a Zappu Bellows hook. I wish it was a bit deeper but beyond that it fits nicely and the soft body easily clears. Because this is elastomer, it's s bit tough to hook. Without the hook, it weighs .2oz and with the hook nearly 1/4oz. So perfectly sized for my UL rod. I used it with my 6'4" Expride UL paired with a Vanford 2000 with 6lb. Unfortunately, it was extremely windy. But I did manage to find a fairly protected area to throw. If any fish were present, they would be Northern Pike. First, this casts much farther than expected! I thought the wings would act as a sail and catch the wind. Not so, (somehow). It floats of course. The action is that greatly, exaggerated side to side crawl! And it also makes that unique popping/plopping combo sound. I love it! Not much in the way of technique. A nice, steady retrieve. If you get too zealous with your retrieve, it will pop out of the water and somewhat cartwheel. So a steady, up to moderate speed works best. With the wings removed, this does a shockingly good job as a topwater pencil bait!! Almost Eefortless walk the dog. Or erratic jerking. Both worked and both would surely produce. To test the weedlessness, I deliberately casted into shore, into weeds (albeit dried) and no hang ups. It just pulled through. Overall, this is a really, really nice modern reinterpretation of all time classic with some really distinctive touches. This will be getting much use for Pike and Largemouth. For those of you who prefer bigger baits, they also make the Micro Dodge Big. 1/2oz and 4/0 hook.

I totally believe you!! Same sort of odd thing here! Purple(s) handily outfish Green Pumpkin in the areas I fish locally. And it's not close.

My favorite worm was a two tone purple called "Purple Rain". Love purple!!

Geecrack Bellows Sticks for me.

No. Preference and/or different look.

I can assure you they are rigged correctly in my testing. And of course length of bait matters, too. You might get a slow sinking 4" to stand, since much of that length has the hook in it. But something longer? Not so much. As mentioned, I did have some that stood up. But once any sort of disturbance (ie current) is introduced, most fall over whereas the "real" floating worms seem unperturbed by anything. As always, YMMV.

I have done tank tests. Sinking baits, even when rigged correctly, often fall over sideways. Whereas the floaters never fall over sideways and are always tail up. As with all things, YMMV.

Damiki Mausrin http://damiki.com/product/mausrin-jighead/