On 7/14/2025 at 6:00 PM, RRocket said:

Here's what the Dolive Stick looks like. Granted, this is the "Fat" version..but having fishing the regular version a lot, it behaves the same. That shimmy/swim on the weightless drop is money!! 

 

 

I like that a lot!

3 hours ago, woolleyfooley said:

I like that a lot!

And you can tune how it drops weightless by the hooking hole..

19 hours ago, RRocket said:

And you can tune how it drops weightless by the hooking hole..

Can you explain that? Are the holes for nail weights?

23 minutes ago, woolleyfooley said:

Can you explain that? Are the holes for nail weights?

No  - it's different positions for the hook. The more forward you have the hook , the straighter it drops...move the hook back and there's more 'fluttering' and side-to-side motion on the drop.

5 hours ago, woolleyfooley said:

Can you explain that? Are the holes for nail weights?

No, that's where the hook point comes out when you're Texas rigging.

 

 

You guys convince me to get it a shot. Some 1/4oz and 3/8oz weights and some cover shot HD 2/0 hooks got here in the mail today. I wasn’t exactly sure about hooks but I think those will work good for some 2.8-3.5in plastics? 

32 minutes ago, 10,000 lakes Bassin said:

You guys convince me to get it a shot. Some 1/4oz and 3/8oz weights and some cover shot HD 2/0 hooks got here in the mail today. I wasn’t exactly sure about hooks but I think those will work good for some 2.8-3.5in plastics? 

I use 1/0-2/0 EWGs for plastics that size. So I presume your hook will work just fine...though I've never used them.

5 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

No  - it's different positions for the hook. The more forward you have the hook , the straighter it drops...move the hook back and there's more 'fluttering' and side-to-side motion on the drop.

Yea, you said it so much better than I did.

 

It's such a great bait. But I still think it's under the radar, mostly. Its incredibly versatile. Trailer, minnow, fluke, fish it like a Senko, wacky rig it, drop shot, etc The tail had great action, because pintail. But the body had this great rock to it because of the dual density plastics being used. And it's a noticeable wriggle. So secondary movement like that on the stall is money for a Free Rig bait.

 

The Dolive Beaver gets the shout outs for being great on the Free Rig. But the Dolive Stick is right up there and is a great Free Rig bait. It's my go to when I need "fish profile". It gets thrown around...probably only 2nd to my Beaver use.

Heading to a place that gets lots of tournament and guild pressure not to mention other anglers. We’ll see if this is the ticket…

2 minutes ago, 10,000 lakes Bassin said:

Heading to a place that gets lots of tournament and guild pressure not to mention other anglers. We’ll see if this is the ticket…

 

Make sure you give us a review!   

3 hours ago, 10,000 lakes Bassin said:

Heading to a place that gets lots of tournament and guild pressure not to mention other anglers. We’ll see if this is the ticket…

Certainly looks like that should be the ticket. 

 

 

 

On 7/16/2025 at 5:32 PM, MN Fisher said:

No  - it's different positions for the hook. The more forward you have the hook , the straighter it drops...move the hook back and there's more 'fluttering' and side-to-side motion on the drop.

Oh ok, cool! So that’s where the bend would be on an ewg for example, right?

On 7/17/2025 at 10:05 AM, 10,000 lakes Bassin said:

Heading to a place that gets lots of tournament and guild pressure not to mention other anglers. We’ll see if this is the ticket…

Any update? 

25 minutes ago, RRocket said:

Any update? 

I didn’t fish it much yesterday. I pike robbed  it from me within the first 5 minutes of using it and I didn’t rig another up. I’ll give it another shot next time I’m out. 

5 hours ago, 10,000 lakes Bassin said:

I didn’t fish it much yesterday. I pike robbed  it from me within the first 5 minutes of using it and I didn’t rig another up. I’ll give it another shot next time I’m out. 

I feel your pain.

 

Pike, Bowfin and Gar are a constant source of headache for me.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DN27b00Zmmz/?igsh=MXFqMTJ5M2trdmRqaQ==

 

Good new video show casing the difference on weight separation from Keitech themselves. This is only a 1 Meter tank.

8 hours ago, bx.versatile said:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DN27b00Zmmz/?igsh=MXFqMTJ5M2trdmRqaQ==

 

Good new video show casing the difference on weight separation from Keitech themselves. This is only a 1 Meter tank.

Neat. Thanks for sharing! The only issue I have with videos like this is that they’re dropping it straight down, which isn’t realistic. I’d love to see what it looks like at the far end of the cast coming back towards you. 

3 hours ago, woolleyfooley said:

Neat. Thanks for sharing! The only issue I have with videos like this is that they’re dropping it straight down, which isn’t realistic. I’d love to see what it looks like at the far end of the cast coming back towards you. 

With some slack in it, free rig will drop pretty close to vertical. Steve Rogers has some videos on YouTube showing it working.

4 hours ago, woolleyfooley said:

Neat. Thanks for sharing! The only issue I have with videos like this is that they’re dropping it straight down, which isn’t realistic. I’d love to see what it looks like at the far end of the cast coming back towards you. 

It drops straight down with slack in it....it chases the sinker nearly straight down to the bottom regardless of where you're at. That's part of the appeal of the Free Rig.

 

Also, this is a great video

 

 

 

 

 

I have minimal experience with the free rig but settled on one bait so far, Keitech Crazy Flapper.  Plenty more to learn.

6 hours ago, Columbia Craw said:

I have minimal experience with the free rig but settled on one bait so far, Keitech Crazy Flapper.  Plenty more to learn.

Great bait! 

I need to come here and set the record straight - I committed to the free rig at my new house because they wouldn’t bite any thing.  I have caught probably 200 bass since mid July and all on a free rig.

 

flukes are amazing on a free rig with the right hook and when you are moving it more and searching more.  Trick worm is also amazing for this.

 

haven’t had a single bite with the beavers or craws.  
 

by a country mile my best producers are the boring 10” culprit ribbon tails that are unsalted and sort of float and undulate and the mag speed worm which really naturally separates and glides and is nice and easy to cast with even a 1/8 oz sinker.

My setup is 7'3 M/F Action M Power, 7.2:1 reel , 20B/15FC.

9 hours ago, Pat Brown said:

 

haven’t had a single bite with the beavers or craws.  

You are not alone.

 

I have been tinkering with a spider grub on the free rig - with a 2/0 light wire hook it has a really nice almost flat fall.