a whale on a minnow! 2025
paul. reply :
mattlures matt minnow that is. 
every once in a while, there is a sweet little bait out there that just seems to "fly under the radar" for some reason. either people just don't know how effective it can be, or they do know and decide to keep it a secret. i'm not sure which is the case with this bait, but this big ol' fatty here didn't take it so well when i broke the news to her about this cool swimbait. 
the matt minnow is ideal when you fish small waters where big fish reside, but might be accustomed to smaller forage. as with all of matt's baits, the realism is second to none which probably explains why this big doll was all over it. might be worth y'all's while to check 'em out.
if ya don't know, now you know. you'll have to decide for yourself whether you wanna let your buddies know. ;D
Fat-G reply :
Nice! Weight?
LCpointerKILLA reply :
nice fish paul!
Marc David reply :
Another giant Paul! Keep them coming, nice post.
Thai reply :
Beautiful fish Paul! Shes so pretty and fat! What did she weigh? im guessing high 6-low 7's?
Keep at it brother!
simplejoe reply :
Nice fish. Another fat fish tricked by a Mattlure swimbait.
Chaz Hickcox reply :
Everytime you post something it's HUGE!!! I think we need to test your fish for performance enhancing drugs.
roadwarrior reply :
Geez...
That's a beautiful fish and a great pic!
CONGRATULATIONS!
paul. reply :
thanks guys. she weighed 8-4. very nice little pot belly and very thick across the back. she might make it to 10 in a year or so if she eats well and nothing happens to her. of course a fish like this could easily gain 3/4 lb. in one big feeding binge too. i'm keeping my fingers crossed.
nUgZ reply :
Another beautiful fish Paul!
Mattlures reply :
Awsome fish Paul ! thanks for posting.
You are a stick!
looking4structure reply :
What a nice fish.
NewAngler reply :
Do you catch anything under 7 pounds?
bocabasser reply :
paul--how do you rig your matt minnow? i got a bunch from tw and i tried the screw in hook with weight, but it just doesn't swim right. i have been using a 5/0 ewg with one of those clamp on weights, but there has got to be a better way.
Grey Wolf reply :
Excelliant fish as usual.
steezy reply :
thats what I want for xmas !
-HAWK- reply :
Quotepaul--how do you rig your matt minnow? i got a bunch from tw and i tried the screw in hook with weight, but it just doesn't swim right. i have been using a 5/0 ewg with one of those clamp on weights, but there has got to be a better way.
Ditto, Whats your secret Paul. ;D
BTW Awesome fish and great picture!
Mrs. Matstone reply :
Awesome fish Paul! Congratulations. ;D
paul. reply :
thanks again for the nice words guys. i use these hooks, the kind without the screw. 4/0 and 1/4 oz. has been a good size for me. yes, they are a little harder to rig, but the bait swims better and looks a whole lot more natural. in fact, with this hook, you cannot tell there is a hook in the bait AT ALL if you rig it properly. it just looks like a real minnow with a fat little belly. ;D
http://www.***.com/descpageDHOOKDVT-DBXS.html
matt might have a different idea about what works best though. go with whatever he says.
bocabasser reply :
thanks paul. how do you bring the hook through the head without ripping the bait? do you peirce a whole with the hook and pull the eye through backwards? ( i hope that makes sense). it seems all you do is catch monsters!!! right on.
preach4bass reply :
ANOTHER nice one! Good job man.
D4u2s0t reply :
nice fish! does anyone know what these weigh by chance? (the baits, not the fish)
mrlitetackle reply :
GREAT fish!
yet another win for Paul. !!!
good job my man.
Mattlures reply :
Thats the same hook I use and had in mind when I designed the bait. To rig it. thread the line through the tiny hole in the nose out through the belly slot. Then tie on the hook. Then push the hook point up through the back of the minnow and push the hook eye into the nose. When rigged properly you shouls hardley see the hook.
5bass reply :
What a hawg Paul!
I own some of the Matt Minnows but havent thrown them much lately. I've been busy with the Matt Shads though. Killer baits, no doubt about it.
Fat-G reply :
Sorry.....had to stop in again
How were you fishing the bait?
What kind of Rod/Reel/Line?
Depth?
Presentation?
Once again, nice fish!
paul. reply :
61/2 ft. med. heavy rod.
pfleuger trion reel.
20 lb. berkley big game line.
actually i was fishing in some really shallow water. many times on late fall or early spring afternoons, fish will move in shallow to feed when the sun has been on the water for a while. particularly in small waters, where the shallows might actually be the warmest water in the lake.
to be honest, i had only just started cranking when this fish hit. but my usual retrieve is just a slow to med. crank with an occasional pause or twitch. when i say occasional, i actually mean seldom. do not overwork or overthink this bait. you can twitch and pause too much if you're not careful and it will turn an interested fish off. you wanna just make it look like a little minnow on a casual stroll around the lake, minding its own business, oblivious to harm. most of the time, think "spinnerbait" with your retreive and you'll be o.k. keep in mind water temps and depth control as you determine optimum retrieve speed.
but honestly, this little bait is WAY more versatile than just a "chunk and wind" presentation. experiment and have fun with it. don't be handcuffed to one particular retrieve or cadence. you can fish it like a t-rigged worm, hopping it off the bottom. this is especially effective if there is grass around and the bait suddenly pops up out of the grass and then disappears again as if hiding. you can also use a very erratic retreive at times like a fluke. and you might be amazed at some of the savage strikes you get burning the bait at breakneck speed sometimes. and i had probably better not say how deadly this thing can be on a bed in the spring sometimes. oops, i just did.
so basically what i'm saying is let the fish tell ya how they want the bait, not me. like any other bait, what works one day might not work another. if i have missed something, i'm sure the more experienced swimbaiters on here can elborate. i'm still learning myself. good luck. i
paul. reply :
and here's a pretty cool vid i found on youtube which shows the realism of the bait, its key features, and just a few of the colors.
sambrochill reply :
wow, that's a beautiful fish. Congrats on catching it.
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