Blade Bait Recommendations

[Blue Raider Bob]

I'm having so many fouled casts using the Damiki Vault that I thought I'd get everyones opinion on their favorite blade baits. The Damiki gets bit for sure, but I keep reeling in a bait that has the rear treble wrapped with line. Do you soft jerk these baits, steady retrieve, how are they used and am I the cause? I am not using these as jigging spoons, but more like a crank bait with a slow jerk bait type retrieve and slow drop. Any thoughts, and what are your favorites?

[Choporoz]

Unfortunately, my source recently cut way back on production.  I did get some from Besotted that I have yet to throw, but they look good.  Getting bodies from Barlows and putting them together was always fairly economical.   If you are fouling a specific size or even specific bait quite a bit, play with the different holes on top.  Sometimes a blade will foul continuously on one hole, but be fine with another.

  90%+ of the time, I am casting out and short hopping off the bottom all the way back.  Once in a great while, I retrieve over sparse remaining grass, and occasionally drop it straight through bait schools...mainly just too impatient to change to propper spoon.

[Dwight Hottle]

@Blue Raider Bob Are you using straight braid? If so try using a short mono leader, it’s stiffer & won’t foul like braid. The attachment hole closest to the front of the bait is what want to use for horizontal retrieves. The center holes are for vertical jigging. 

[Pat Brown]

44 minutes ago, Blue Raider Bob said:

I'm having so many fouled casts using the Damiki Vault that I thought I'd get everyones opinion on their favorite blade baits. The Damiki gets bit for sure, but I keep reeling in a bait that has the rear treble wrapped with line. Do you soft jerk these baits, steady retrieve, how are they used and am I the cause? I am not using these as jigging spoons, but more like a crank bait with a slow jerk bait type retrieve and slow drop. Any thoughts, and what are your favorites?

 

I think I read somewhere that you only use braid in another thread.  Apologies if I'm mistaken.

 

 

Can't use braid with them IMHO

 

 

[TOXIC]

I fished the SteelShad and Damiki side by side and the SteelShad fouled much less.  I verticle jig only and the fouling is much less.  I can’t wait to try their new offering.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

I throw them on FC, and I still end up with a fouled bait occasionally.    I think the guys above are right about braid though, if you're getting fouled up a bunch, that's likely the cause.   

 

I just chunk them out there, let them hit the bottom, and then yo yo them back.   As soon as you lift the rod and feel vibration, drop the rod and retrieve the slack.   Less is more in terms of the amount of lift and vibration. 

 

I've gone way down the blade bait rabbit hole, and have tried blade baits from quite a few different companies.   

 

The only two baits I feel you really need are 1. Damiki Vault and 2. Megabass Dyna Response.  

The Vault works better when they are actively feeding, producing much more vibration.    The Dyna Response works much better when they're not really chewing, it's the finesse version of a blade bait imho.    Has far less vibration.     

 

You can always try using frog style hooks that come with many of the JDM blade baits.   They use frog hooks so the baits lay flat on the bottom, and by extension you'd have one less hook point to get fouled.  

 

Also changing the hardware on the Vaults is a must, or at least change the hooks.  I like Owner STX 38s in size 6 IIrc.   

 

Lastly, don't forget to get a red/craw blade bait, there will be days when a red one will outfish a shad colored one massively.  

[Choporoz]

1 hour ago, Choporoz said:

Getting bodies from Barlows and putting them together was always fairly economical. 

Looks like Barlows is getting out of these, too.  Lurepartsonline still has them.    Put a pair of Owner trebles and your choice of clip or fast snap and you're tossing these without the fear I feel with MB or Steelshad tied on.  I have used higher end blade baits (especially vaults) with some success.   But honestly, the slight edge in bites I feel is way offset by fishing them cautiously.  Blade baits have to spend a lot of time contacting bottom, rocks, wood, etc.  I lose them at a higher rate than any other lure.  I won't fish them as well if I'm worried about losing them.

[FishTax]

I use the bps and Cabela's ones. I'm far from a pro though. Also I throw on mono as I do most things. They vibrate hard so no issue feeling it. 

 

I've got a giant steelshad xl I'm waiting for the right time to throw. Not sure when that will be but probably over deep water. 

 

I'm definitely getting more into blade baits this year. So far I fish them like a lipless but I'll also say @AlabamaSpothunter seems to be a wizard with these so watch his posts and videos to learn.. He had some great ones last year that inspired me to buy my first collection of baits. 

[Blue Raider Bob]

16 hours ago, FishTax said:

He had some great ones last year that inspired me to buy my first collection of baits. 

He's responsible for my addiction as well!   🙂 I am really enjoying the blade bait program and will use mono as well. I have never liked floro.

[Team9nine]

“Yes” to the mono and fluoro comments, or at least use a short leader of either if using braid - same as many do when throwing topwaters on braid.

 

Another trick - just remove the rear hook on the Vaults and upsize the belly hook. That will completely solve your rear hook wrapping issue 😄 It also cuts down on the amount of hangs.

 

Vaults are my favorite, along with a historical fondness for original Silver Buddies, for most mid- and deep water work. I use Johnson ThinFishers in shallow water. Vaults are a favorite, though.

 

If you hang on anything wood, getting straight over it and just repeated slack line jiggling, using the lead body to act as a lure remover, frees most baits most of the time. Wedged in rocks can be a bit trickier. Everything else gets a lure knocker. All told, I don’t lose than many in a given year.