Heading back up to the Adirondacks soon and remember last year I caught a bigun on this beauty (RM Smith Lures, I think what he calls a peanut bunker). It makes a very enticing “v” wake on the surface if fished very slow. Run this thing over grass beds a foot or two below surface and hang on, when they hit it, they hit it hard.

 

Anyone else throw saltwater plugs in lakes and rivers? I’ve got a bunch more and they all are fished at night, mostly all metal-lipped swimmers like this one. Haven’t tried small darters (or daghters for all of you New Englanders) but I bet they slay.

 

 

I like striper poppers as a nice big popper for SM or LM. Not necessarily pencil poppers, but big poppers that more resemble a pop-R. 

Yeah, fish can't read lure packages. Most of my striper lures get a workout for LMB in the pre spawn, and pike most of the year. This spring, a tuna minnow caught a few good ones for me. 

Yeah it probably ain’t a secret much anymore but throwing big salt water baits for bass is something I discovered back in the 80’s. One of my buddies bought a tackle box at a yard sale and among other large baits was a Riplin Redfin I believe it was called. He gave it to me it accounted for several big bass over the years. When a fish hit it you could be sure it was well bigger than average. I like to throw a Super Spook as well. Bass just seem to hate those things but in a good way. I think they’re trying to kill it most of the time.

 

 John 

Twitch baits like 17MRs, Catch2ks, sub walks all work.  Any plug that doesn't need current to help with action would work at some point.  I'll throw a needle fish or a bucktail instead of a darter if I dont have current.  That's just me though, give em a shot.

MirrOlure She Dog 83MR Surface Walker

 

MirrOlure - Top Dog 94MR

 

Paul Brown's Original Series Corky 3-5/8" Suspending Jerk Bait

14 hours ago, MassBass said:

I like striper poppers as a nice big popper for SM or LM. Not necessarily pencil poppers, but big poppers that more resemble a pop-R. 

That made me think of this one: a small popper for back bays in salt. Nice and thick and a huge cupped face for throwing lots of water but only 5” long. Thinking of putting on thinner-wire hooks and trying it on LMB.

Rapala's Salt water Skitter walk in white has done very well for me. It is slightly larger then the freshwater version and walks-the-dog very easily.

Fishingmickey

I have caught freshwater fish on saltwater lures and saltwater fish on freshwater lures. Fish will bite any lure if it is presented well.

Years ago on the Merrimack River when fishing for shad with small shad darts, we discovered that striped bass absolutely loved them. Mostly schoolies, but even some bigger ones. All we ever used for stripers after that were Shad Darts and Kastmasters.

 

Doesn't matter what the package says? If they work then use them.  One of my best bass crankbaits was made for Walleye and my best finesse worm is for steelhead .

 

Allen