I'm thinking about buying some of these and I want to know if they are a good bait. Do you have any luck with these and how would you fish them differently than any other soft plastics?

From what I have heard or read all the Rage Baits are greeeattt. Check out the rage website and register for message board. Lots of guys from here are on there. http://www.ragetail.com/

Rand

Hell yes it's a good bait.  Best bait in the Rage Tail line-up.

I fish them on an weighted Owner Twist Lock hook, 4/0, 1/8 oz.  This keeps the bait upright.  It also makes it sink, slowly.  It will sink horizontally.  You can fish it fast, slow, buzz it on the surface, or slow swim it a few feet down.   A VERY versatile bait.

Here's a fish showing the bait and the hook I use...

http://bzty5q.bay.livefilestore.com/y1pD0U1t4getsuiq80jnn5cibj9p6CEtOcXpw6UtfSi15bB2Wbs-TQQBjYWaKaZNC7_KFoBfCvWLpo8pB0GIrwrKw/031.jpg

It is an awesome bait and it can be fished multiple ways (keel weighted hook, tx rigged, carolina rigged, weightless and shakey head jig).

http://www.ragetail.com/ragetailspacemonkey.html

The ways you can fish it are limited only by the recommendations here, and your imagination.

I too like the Owner Twistlock 4/0 for the Monkey.  It can be had in the 1/8 ounce weighted version, or just the bare hook and twistlock, no weight.

The weight aids in casting, while the weightless hook allows a slower retrieve to keep it on or near the surface.

Fishing deep, use the weighted.  On or just below, I prefer the weightless.  I did run it on the surface, through the emergent vegetation, with the weighted hook.  Got plenty of swipes at it.  Went to a weightless, and with the slower retrieve my hookup ratio improved.  That could be my fault, but it is what it is.

Eventually, I found that running it just below the surface (slower yet), yet shallow enough to create a wake or disturbance on the surface worked even better.

I find it also slips through the vegetation a bit easier without the weight.  The weight catches briefly on vegetation, then comes free.  I suppose at times this could induce more strikes.

Earlier in the season, late April and early May, when the lily pads were beginning to show, the following method caught 'em like crazy.

Five feet of water.  A few lily pads on the surface, with the rest at various depths as they emerged from the winter dormant period.

Toss a monkey on a weighted hook into the pads.  Leave the bail open or the reel in free spool.

Count slowly to ten.  Reel in the slack.  If you feel a weight, increase the pressure.  If you feel anything that indicates life on the end of the line, set the hook.

If nothing, drag the bait a couple of feet.  Pause, and let it settle back to the bottom.  Repeat until the retrieve is complete.

With braid, you will feel every  encounter the line or the bait has with the stems of the pads.  When you feel a tug, it's a fish.

Work an area of the pads thoroughly before moving to virgin territory.  I've pulled as many as six out of one casting area.  There had to be more that I missed.  

These were all nice sized fish.  Most likely pre-spawn.  

I fish in Massachusetts, so your bedding season may vary, but while not sure, I suspect any area would correspond with the emergence of the pads in a similar fashion.

Colors that have been most effective.  June Bug, followed closely by Watermelon/Red, then in no particular order, Big Tex, Double Header, Bama Bug, and Okeechobee Craw.

Those are the colors I tried.  For all I know, those I did not try may have been better.  I can only recommend what I have tried, and with which I have been successful.

These are fished mostly Tx rig, Carolina rig, pitched or flipped with pegged weights, on standup jig heads, weightless as a finesse topwater, and fished slowly on a light keel weighted hook is very popular because of the horizontal slow fall.

When the bite is tough in shallow water, a super lightweight carolina rig or split shot set up will bring'em in the boat when nothing else will, this is my grandsons go to/git'r'dun rig and he smokes me on numbers every time. He will not let me throw this rig when he is.....because he says he invented it

Big O

www.ragetail.com

I just picked up a pack of watermelon / red and black/blue also, guna give them a shot this weekend.

These are fished mostly Tx rig, Carolina rig, pitched or flipped with pegged weights, on standup jig heads, weightless as a finesse topwater, and fished slowly on a light keel weighted hook is very popular because of the horizontal slow fall.

When the bite is tough in shallow water, a super lightweight carolina rig or split shot set up will bring'em in the boat when nothing else will, this is my grandsons go to/git'r'dun rig and he smokes me on numbers every time. He will not let me throw this rig when he is.....because he says he invented it

Big O

www.ragetail.com

I think you will have to make him a deal he can't refuse! Let me fish it or a ice cream cone or no ice cream cone the choice is yours! ;D ;D ;D ;D

Pitching this thing is killer but I have also been having real good luck swimming them a ft or two under the surface. I rig them up Texas style and work it at a steady medium pace. When I come up to some cover I let drop down right next to it or into it. This has allowed me to cover a lot of water and  then slow down when need be.

The action of the legs on this bait is killer. In the 20 some years I have been bass fishing I have never seen anything like it. I have had many just hammer it while it was swimming and many just clobber it on the fall. By far one of the best soft plastic bait I have ever used.

Pitching this thing is killer but I have also been having real good luck swimming them a ft or two under the surface. I rig them up Texas style and work it at a steady medium pace. When I come up to some cover I let drop down right next to it or into it. This has allowed me to cover a lot of water and then slow down when need be.

The action of the legs on this bait is killer. In the 20 some years I have been bass fishing I have never seen anything like it. I have had many just hammer it while it was swimming and many just clobber it on the fall. By far one of the best soft plastic bait I have ever used.

What color do you like?