I'm looking at getting a new TW bait. I'v pretty much narrowed it down to a LC Sammy or a Yellow Magic popper. Any experience with these baits?

Thanks,

Clancy W

You've never thrown a Sammy?!

(buzzjet) cough..cough...

Well...... poppers and walk the dog baits both have there time and place, so get both. If you can't afford to buy two expensive baits like that, get a Spro Dawg 100, and an X-caliber Zell pop, both are great, or if you want to get multiple baits on a tight budget, good old Super Spooks and Pop-R's still catch fish just fine.

Well...... poppers and walk the dog baits both have there time and place, so get both. If you can't afford to buy two expensive baits like that, get a Spro Dawg 100, and an X-caliber Zell pop, both are great, or if you want to get multiple baits on a tight budget, good old Super Spooks and Pop-R's still catch fish just fine.

What he said...

You've never thrown a Sammy?!

(buzzjet) cough..cough...

Not a true sammy, knock off brands yes, but never a LC.

Clancy W

Well...... poppers and walk the dog baits both have there time and place, so get both. If you can't afford to buy two expensive baits like that, get a Spro Dawg 100, and an X-caliber Zell pop, both are great, or if you want to get multiple baits on a tight budget, good old Super Spooks and Pop-R's still catch fish just fine.

Thats what I was thinking, are you pretty much paying for a name? I've had great success with Pop-R's.

Clancy W

Sammy.

Zara Spook, personally I use Zara Spook Jr downsized a bit but not to much.

Well...... poppers and walk the dog baits both have there time and place, so get both. If you can't afford to buy two expensive baits like that, get a Spro Dawg 100, and an X-caliber Zell pop, both are great, or if you want to get multiple baits on a tight budget, good old Super Spooks and Pop-R's still catch fish just fine.

Thats what I was thinking, are you pretty much paying for a name? I've had great success with Pop-R's.

Clancy W

I can't tell you anything about Yellow Magic, never owned one, and probably won't. Sammy's are worth it.  Personally I fish more Spro Dawgs than Sammys,not because they are better, but because they are 1/2 the price, and when pike are liking topwater, not so hard on the wallet.

Sammy is a good bait. Gunfish also a nice option if you like LC.

and I would have a buzzjet but there all solded out!!

Looking at the spro dawgs I might get one of those. Which color would you suggest?

Clancy W

get the biggest spook and walk the dog on'em! 

Both.... But if i had to pick one, i would go with the sammy.

I've used yellow magics and Splash its but neither one has caught fish as well as the Excalibur Zell Pop, don't know what it is about that bait but it catches a ton of fish. Sammys are really good baits but the Spro bait or Excalibur Jimmy does the same thing for less money.

Looking at the spro dawgs I might get one of those. Which color would you suggest?

Clancy W

I like spooky shad in clear water where I can see the bottom in 10-12' feet  or more, in slightly stained it's a coin toss. I have caught them on bluegill, black/gold,and clear chart. I take the featherd hook off the back too. It's probably  all in my head, but I seem to catch more without it.

Seems like its more of what people are confidant with other than what works best.

Clancy W

Ordinary day: xraps

Tough bite: pointers

Ordinary day: skitter walk

Tough bite: sammy

That's what I found. IMHO, there's something about the LCs that catch fish when nothing else will. This coming from a huge Rapala fan. But that said, those tough days are about one in twenty, or less.

I like the Sammy 100 a lot, but there are a bunch of walk-the-dog TWs that will catch fish, spitting poppers are a different story, I have a bunch of different ones, and very subtle differences can make or brake them, even between "identical" ones. I have several Yellow Magics, and like the ones I get from Japan much more than the ones available here. They are much closer to the Rico and older Michael. The Don Iovino is good, and the Xcalibur works well for me when there is a bit more wind. Short answer (too late) is I would get one of each type you mentioned and try to build confidence with both. But I'm just a saltwater guy....

Lucky craft sammy 85 in MS American shad is the most versatle TW I own. Ive had a couple 100+ fish days on this bait and have probably spent a couple weeks total of my life throwing these baits. Calm water to a medium chop it gets bit. River smallies  absolutely murder it. It casts really well, I can almost spool a tuned E7 with them.

Dont expect it to have a true walk like a spook, its much more eratic, even going under water at times. Try to emulate a baitfish with health issues and dont stress haveing a true cadence.

back when www.overstockbait.com had a deal on x-calibur TW lures that were walk the dog. they were normally 12 bucks each at BPS but i got 2 for 10 on this site. i was able to get a strike on one but my inexperience shined and i lost it because i  set the hook too soon. they served me well as did my x calibur popper. i liked the x-calibur more than the rebel pop-r. i know spooks are the same style and worked the same way as others like the sammys, but i think they just prefer different than the "dog" style baits do. i think i prefer the dog ones

Im still throwing the LC Gunfish from time to time. I have one and its one of my most beat up lures that still produces like it was new. And yeah it is a LC. Lets not start the whole "not worth it" cliche.