I need some help and advice guys. I finally got the chance to fish my zara puppy and it was awesome, magical moment. When I got back home for some reason I thought about upgrades, mostly about adding a dressed treble to the back. I got a friend's Father (who is a fly tier) to add a bit of crystal flash and some white bucktail to a #6 treble exactly the same as a couple rebel pop'rs I have.

 

I tried it out last night and it seemed to work ok but the action has changed. By that I mean it doesn't "walk" as easily as it did before. Also I wasn't getting solid hookups like a few nights before. I am thinking that the added bucktail is causing a bit of drag. Perhaps the puppy is just too small a size for added drag caused by the dressed treble? Also I was getting the impression that I was getting short strikes...perhaps the bucktail and crystal flash is too long?

 

I am starting to think that this might be a case of "if it isn't broke don't fix it" and just go back to the stock puppy. Anyone adding a dressed treble to their Zara Puppy's? I was also thinking about trying this to my Super Spook jr's but now I am not sure.

 

Would love some thoughts and advice.

 

On a side note...are you guys changing out the stock hooks with same size or upsizing?

Adding stuff to the back of your lure probably created too much drag, and is now not walking correctly. Pick up a super spook jr. They catch bigger fish, and are very simple to walk. IMO, easier to walk than the puppy. If anything, you could change out the stock hooks. I usually keep the stock hooks on mine, but I crush the barbs.

 

Zach

Yeah the puppy sucks a big one...The super Spook Jr. is a great lure. Make that upgrade...

I use a bucktail hook on the back of my juniors with no problem. Walks fine.

I stopped adding dressed trebles to the back of all sizes of spooks because of the loss of action.  There were only two advantages to having a feathered treble on the back. One, of course was the added tail action at rest, the other was also the disadvantage of the added drag.  It allows you to work the lure in a small zone for a long time, but it hinders forward movement .

If I add anything to the rear treble now, its a little flash-a-boo or tinsle and little is the operative word.  This material doesn't breathe like beathers do, but seems to draw some added attention from hesitant fish.

Two changes that will have a positive effect are adding a red treble to the front and a split ring to the line tie.  Topwater baits are the only ones that benefit from the addition of red hooks, and the split ring makes the lre that much easier to walk. Oh yea, on models that don't have split rings on the hook hanger, add one.

I love the Zara puppy. Only upgrade you need or that I do is change out the hooks to better quality. But that's only after I've caught a few fish with the originals.

Thanks guys. My order of Super Spook Jr's arrived today so I will try them tomorrow and see how it goes.

 

I will change the puppy back to stock and will upgrade the hooks and try a red front. I have been wanting to try a red front for a while now.

 

Really appreciate the responses.

I've heard of folks filing out a notch near the bottom of the line tie so the knot stays down in the recess, which helps zaras to walk easier. Honestly, though, adding a split ring seems to do the trick just fine for me. You're going to love the super spook jrs. - they cast way farther than the puppy, walk a ton easier, and draw just as many strikes, even from little fish that have no business chasing down something that size.

I've heard of folks filing out a notch near the bottom of the line tie so the knot stays down in the recess, which helps zaras to walk easier. Honestly, though, adding a split ring seems to do the trick just fine for me. You're going to love the super spook jrs. - they cast way farther than the puppy, walk a ton easier, and draw just as many strikes, even from little fish that have no business chasing down something that size.

 

Just what I wanted to hear about the Jr's. What size split ring are you putting on?

Whatever I have on hand - 3 or 4, I think. Shouldn't matter too much or negatively affect action unless you use something gigantic. I use the circular ones, but the oval ones might give you a different swing.

You discovered the drag problem that walking baits have, I have tried that on full size spooks and super spook jrs. and it limits the movement, on the puppy it more than likely crippled it to barely moving to the side. The Zara puppy is one of those baits like a chug bug in that you have to be careful of the hooks you switch to because if they are just a tad bit heavier then it will sit to low in the water and the same thing will happen. The chug bug walks, it was the first popper I used that walked on its own naturally and it had a mylar (Krystal flash) dressing, throw a feather or two on it and it ruined the side to side movement. The replacement hooks I recommend are Mustad Triple grip in the original size that is on the bait, a lot will tell you to use Owner Stingers which are awesome hooks but they are beefy and weigh too much, you would have to go down a size to use them. That is about it, in reality the bait needs nothing, it is a finesse topwater that will work when the fish are feeding on bugs like dragon flies or damsel flies, good luck.

Great info smalljaw67. I really appreciate it.

 

Good to know the Mustad triple grips will be ok.

The puppy is just too small of a walker to add anything to and get it to work right still. I'm not a fan of adding stuff to walking baits, but I'm usually moving them too fast for the fish to get a good look at them in the first place.