I tried one of these today, weightless Texas rigged. Caught 2 pretty quickly, but talk about line twist! Has anyone tried these with a keel-weighted hook, or a bullet weight? Any other suggestions?

Thanks,

Dave

I fish the RI skinny dipper sometimes, which is a comparable bait I think. Sometimes with a keel-weighted hook, and more often on the back of a swim-jig. With a keel-weighted hook on spinning gear, I haven't seen any line-twist. Never fished it weightless though, so can't help you on that.

I haven't fished one weightless either but you could try tying a swival in line like you would do with a trick worm. That should take care of any line twist issues.

Weightless on a Gmakatsu 4/0 Offset Worm Hook; weighted with a split shot;

C-rigged with a 1/8 oz weight or fished on a drop shot rig.

I fish them on an Owner keel weighted hook. Owner has two versions. I use the Yamamoto version. The wire is lighter, and the weight is tapered at both ends, so it slides through the weeds easier.

I fish it with a quick tug and release. The rig goes through thick coontail like you wouldn't believe. The sharp tug makes it dart toward the surface, give it slack in a hurry and the weight makes it dart back to the depths and into the weeds. Another sharp tug and amazingly, it shoots out of the weeds and toward the surface, only to dart back toward the bottom the second you give it slack.

You should work it in clear water where you can watch the bait until you develop the feel to make it dart like an injured minnow, or one in panic mode, trying to escape.

I prefer the above to the version below of the Owner twistlock keel weighted hooks for the fluke.

For freshwater I never use weight and I always use leader and swivel, I have played with BB swivels and I don't see any advantage. I don't line twist for 3 reasons, 1. I use braid(braid does twist in certain applications). 2. I make sure the hook point is perfectly centered, I really take my time on this one. 3. I don't twitch, decided to try my beach snook technique and it works very good for bass, I pull the bait with my rod keeping my bait fairly straight, it does not roll over, so no twist. IMO I get more strikes by not over working a fluke, bass like hitting an easier target.

They will twist up your line if fished weightless with any speed at all. I like to fish them on Sworming Hornet jigheads, and when they get a little torn up, they get trimmed down a little and used as swim jig or chatterbait trailers.

Just picked some up and tried them on stripers last Saturday. Awesome bait! Rigged on a 5/0 EWG I didn't notice any line issues at all.

Try a heavier hook like a Gama Superline or go to a weighted hook like the Falcon Bait Jerker, which you can get with as little as 1/32 oz. weight. Use as little weight as needed to keep the bait running true at the speed you desire.