The Annual Boom or Bust Lure thread - 2017 edition 2024
tcbass reply :
This will hopefully be a mid-summer tradition, a thread that covers lures that you've had success and failures with. This thread may introduce people to new lures that they've never tried before that they may try that will bring them success. People can also talk about lures that didn't work for them and perhaps others can give tips and hints on how to make that lure work better for them. I'll start with what has and has not worked for me.
Boom Lures:
Whopper Plopper: My new favorite lure. This lure is incredible. It casts super far, has amazingly sharp hooks (which is why I think so many people have the rear hooks foul hooking fish), attracts fish from far and wide, covers water fast, works well in calm and rough waters, catches fish consistently in all weather conditions.
I love topwater, I'd rather catch 1 fish topwater if I had to miss 3 fish regular. My old favorite lure was the KVD Sexy Dawg, however, the Whopper Plopper has taken that top slot because it just so effective and is easy to use. All you need to do is cast it out and reel it in. You can go from extremely slow to extremely fast and catch fish on the splashdown, you can also stop and go which you can't do with a buzzbait. It is just so versatile. The KVD Sexy Dawg was great but was limited to calm water to mostly calm water and didn't cover water nearly as fast because you need to walk the dog with it. The WP can cover so much water in such a short time period it is a great search lure but will also bring fish in from far away. It is basically a far more versatile buzzbait. One of the problem's I've always had with buzzbaits is that because of their lightweight you can't cast them as far as a heavier lure, well, the Whopper Plopper solves this problem being able to be cast a country mile and also has variable speed, the ability to catch on splashdown, more hooks for short striking fish so you don't need a stinger hook, and the ability to be effective in larger waves and rough water.
I think the 130 is too big for anything I do and the 110 works fine until I get into areas that have weeds that are just under the surface and the Whopper Plopper 110 goes too deep on splashdown and catches weeds, in that scenario I use the WP 90 because it doesn't sink so deep into the water on splashdown. Although the 90 doesn't seem to make nearly as much of a Whopper Plopper sound it has caught fish just as well.
Teckel Sprinker Frog: The only downside to the Whopper Plopper is that it is not weedless. And with it being mid-summer lake weeds have had time to grow up from the bottom and reach the surface. This has made the Whopper Plopper the wrong lure for the job. But what if you want a Whopper Plopper/buzzbait style action but don't want to catch weeds on every cast? There used to be no solution. Now you have it, the Teckel Sprinker Frog. I actually haven't gotten my hands on the a real Teckel Sprinker Frog, but my homemade ones have been killing it. I've used a Spro and Livetarget frog and also a Snagproof Phat Frog. I caught a lot of fish initially but am now having problem getting the lure to plane quickly and it is being dragged in subsurface for about the first 10 feet. I'm hoping using a ball bearing swivel over a regular swivel will resolve this problem.
However, the homemade Teckel Sprinker Frog has proven to be a winner, similar to the Whopper Plopper but the added bonus of being weedless. I have not lost a lot of fish on it in open water and I think the reason for that is is because it is being retrieved pretty quickly when the fish hit it they are immediately hooked. It can also be reeled in a lot faster than a regular frog that has to be walked the dog retrieved and because of this it can cover a lot more ground quickly. It also works well in rough water and open water, something that isn't a strong point for regular frogs. Another benefit is that it merely needs to be reeled in to catch fish wherein a regular frog normally has to be walked the dog which can be extremely hard to learn for some folks and I myself still cannot get a frog to walk the dog. Can't wait to get my order of real Teckel Sprinker Frogs see if they work better than the homemade version.
Bust Lures:
Ned Rig: I wanted the Ned Rig to work so bad, but it just hasn't worked for me. Despite using a weedless version it catches a ton of weeds and doesn't catch any fish that a CPS nosehooked Zoom Super Fluke or Wacky Rigged Senko can't catch under docks or out in the open in weeded areas. I've tried giving it time and popping it off the bottom or dragging it but it just catches a lot of weeds. I have caught some fish with it but it definitely isn't a presentation that I will be using in the weeds under docks.
Whopper Plopper hooks are sharp!
Prime Whopper Plopper 110 area with weeds well underneath the surface:
Prime Whopper Plopper 90 area with weeds just underneath the surface:
Prime Tekel Sprinker Frog area with weeds either just under the surface or on the surface:
Homemade Teckel Sprinker Frog fish:
So, for 2017, what lures for you have been Boom or Bust?
bigturtle reply :
gatta say, nothing boomed or busted for me. Every new lure i tried caught fish, all my old lures caught fish, I'm happy
Bluebasser86 reply :
Boom for me would be the underspin. I've tried and tried to make this presentation work, then @gardnerjigman did one little thing at our tournament at Table Rock, and the light bulb came on. It's caught me a lot of fish since then, and was a big part of the reason we won the tournament that weekend.
Bust has been a tough one for me, and one that I'm still not willing to accept, but so far it's been a buzzbait. Year in and year out, one of my favorite baits and usually my most productive topwater. There's been a couple flashes, including my Kansas PB spotted bass, but it's really been a disappointing year for one of my standbys.
Of course any kind of crankbait has been an absolute bomb for me. It's been that way the last few years though. Getting to the point I've seriously considered selling all but a handful of my cranks since all they're doing is taking up space in my boat anyways. Had some decent days on a couple finesse cranks like the Duo Realis shad and #5 Shad Rap during the winter, but that's the end of the list. Even lakes that are normally good crankbait lakes, they've been complete duds.
tcbass reply :
On 7/30/2017 at 2:35 PM, bigturtle said:gatta say, nothing boomed or busted for me. Every new lure i tried caught fish, all my old lures caught fish, I'm happy
What new and old lures have you tried?
Tim Kelly reply :
From my summer trip, one of my more satisfying additions to the front line was a buzzbait, but a buzzbait with a horny toad on the back. It made casting a buzzbait easier and skipping it possible too. I love a buzzbait strike and the toad instead of the skirt was a great upgrade for me.
standman reply :
WP 90 is the $hit. I'm generally a cheap bastage, who doesn't like spending more than $5 for a lure, but couple days ago decided to splurge on the WP at Dicks -2 for $20.
My first ever cast resulted in a dink. Few casts later I hooked into a very respectable (for Chitown pond) 5.44 LMB, which happened to be my PB.
The WP simply gets the job done!
Mike L reply :
I don't like experimenting with every little thing that comes out. I tend to stay within my comfort level.
However, if a bait keeps getting rave reviews on here I'll pick one up and try it at a local pond or canal.
So far this year there are 2 that I tried and would consider a bust for me...a small underspin (Clayton, don't feel alone 
) and the ned rig.
I'll keep trying to make the underspin work but forget the Ned.
Mike
Dens228 reply :
On 7/30/2017 at 3:44 PM, standman said:WP 90 is the $hit. I'm generally a cheap bastage, who doesn't like spending more than $5 for a lure, but couple days ago decided to splurge on the WP at Dicks -2 for $20.
My first ever cast resulted in a dink. Few casts later I hooked into a very respectable (for Chitown pond) 5.44 LMB, which happened to be my PB.
The WP simply gets the job done!
Another Chicago boy here. For me the Wacky Rig seems to work almost every time and has kept me from being skunked, and hollow body frogs have been my go to with a lot of success all summer since I fish a lot of water with tons of weeds.
I've caught something on just about everything in my tacklebox but have not caught a single thing on any spinner baits this year.
Pictured bass was on a Wacky rig, from shore while I waited for a birthday party to start....
scaleface reply :
Boom lures this year .
Berkely Dredgers 10.5 and 14.5
Original Wiggle Wart - Day and Night
Luck E Strike 6 inch Twirl tail worms
Manns 6&8 inch Jelly worms
Homemade buzzbait - Day and night
Strike King Midnight special - Night hours
Bust lures
Soft swimbaits
Spinnerbaits during the day
Chatterbaits . I have yet to catch a fish on a chatterbait .
On 7/30/2017 at 2:42 PM, Bluebasser86 said:I've tried and tried to make this presentation work, then @gardnerjigman did one little thing at our tournament at Table Rock, and the light bulb came on
What was the one thing?
OkobojiEagle reply :
On 7/30/2017 at 2:42 PM, Bluebasser86 said:then @gardnerjigman did one little thing at our tournament at Table Rock, and the light bulb came on.
Apparently you don't want to share the light...
oe
Scarborough817 reply :
boom for me would be the spro popping frog as well as the ned rig and the red eye shad
bust is the whopper plopper i have thrown it multiple times in multiple areas and just haven't had a single strike. i would much rather throw a buzzbait than the plopper
tcbass reply :
On 7/30/2017 at 11:16 PM, Scarborough817 said:boom for me would be the spro popping frog as well as the ned rig and the red eye shad
bust is the whopper plopper i have thrown it multiple times in multiple areas and just haven't had a single strike. i would much rather throw a buzzbait than the plopper
Next time you get a hit on a buzzbait switch to a Whopper Plopper and see if you get bit.
When my bro has gotten bitten on a Senko I'll throw a Super Fluke just to see if they'll hit it. Always have. I'll also try different colors, if he's using a Bone WP I'll use a Loon, one is basically a white and the other is black. Both catch fish. Usually, if fish are hungry I think they'll eat almost anything. It's when they're finicky that it gets harder to catch them.
If you're getting hit on a buzzbait a Whopper Plopper should work and cast much farther and cover more area faster.
CTBassin860 reply :
Booms for me are the Rage Tail Rage Bug, Spro Rat 30 and the ever so trusty wacky rigged Yum Dinger.
Busts are hands down the hollow bodied frog and soft paddle tail swimbaits.Not a single fish on either one this year so far.
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 7/30/2017 at 9:40 PM, scaleface said:On 7/30/2017 at 11:09 PM, OkobojiEagle said:
Apparently you don't want to share the light...
oe
What was the one thing?
It was a 3.8 Keitech Fat. Something about it balanced them out perfectly so they didn't roll but was small enough that it could stay down deep, but soft enough that it had plenty of action on a slow retrieve. It was just the perfect bait for the heads we were using and it made all the difference in the world.
NorcalBassin reply :
Boom: Whopper Plopper
Bust: Buzzbait. Pretty sure I just don't know what the heck I'm doing so I don't hold it personally responsible.
fishwizzard reply :
Boom: Chatterbaits. I have tried them on and off for the last two years, but after getting a heavy power rod I am finally getting them to work. My lighter rods would vibrate my arm off and I never really had any confidence that I could make a good hookset. Now I can run one all day while still feeling it run and tick off the bottom. I have been catching with them all over, from working cover and weedlines, to just fan casting them across open water.
Bust: Full sized straight tail Texas rigged worms. The old classic has never worked for me and because of that I have a really hard time making myself fish them. I use other t-rigged plastics, smaller worms, and curly tails to good effect but my little box of 6-8" worms has never caught me a fish.
seyone reply :
Boom:
swim jigs with Keitech swing impact as trailers. These have been a go to for me the past couple of years fishing them primarily in clearer water.
Ned rig, this thing has been a smallie killer for me. High pressured clear lakes, and these things still produce.
Whopper Plopper. This year was the first time I have tried them, and they are a lot of fun.
River 2 sea Rover. Might just be my favorite walking bait.
Bust:
Chatter baits/bladed jigs. Usually good baits for me, I haven't had much success this year.
Z-man soft plastics. They catch fish and last a long time, unless they get hot. I have caught probably 50 fish on a single TRD, and have the rest of the pack melt because they got too hot.
tcbass reply :
On 7/31/2017 at 12:27 AM, NorcalBassin said:Boom: Whopper Plopper
Bust: Buzzbait. Pretty sure I just don't know what the heck I'm doing so I don't hold it personally responsible.
That's strange because they are fished almost the exact same way in the exact same places.
But if the WP is killing it for you, no point in changing.
If you want to see if you can get the buzzbait to work next time you catch a few on the Whopper Plopper switch over to a buzzbait and see if you can catch any on that.
Rook reply :
Everything I fish with is about as old as I am. 
My fishing reels are older than most of my lures. I don't use anything but the old Mitchell's.
Burke reply :
BOOM:
Super Fluke: Its my trusty lure where they just hammer it like breakfast where I go
Texas Rig: Ever since I got the NRX 803C JWR with Shimano Core 50 MG7. My Strikes has gone up 50% as I can feel the bottom with the craws.
Bust:
Frogs: Where I fish, There is thick lily pads..might be a problem lol
Ned Rig: Tried that and I always go back to wacky which they hit it more if I put the weights on the Senko.
riverbasser reply :
Boom lures or rigs? If both not much has changed. Shakyhead, wacky rig, jigs and ultravibe worms. The only new to me has been SK caffeine shads. They catch fish and look great in the water
Duds have spinnerbaits. Ha entire caught a fish all year and have almost quit using them
Gundog reply :
Boom would be the swim jig. I know that any jig can be a swim jig and that its more of a technique than a lure but I've caught a good number of fish on it this year. And they don't just hit it, most of the fish I've caught were solidly hooked.
Bust...well if you have read some of my other posts you know how I feel about the Whopper Plopper. I've fished it at various times and it just hasn't produced. I mean, no fish at all on a lake that is pretty good for top water baits.
ww2farmer reply :
Boom: Nothing
Bust: My entire 2017 tournament season so far. I am just "off" this year. 8 tournaments in and so far I have cashed only once (2nd), flirted with being in the money twice (a 4th and 5th), had one tournament where my execution kept me out of the money, and have laid 4 total eggs. Two of which I was on the trailer and gone home early due to being spun out badly, and two more in which I just couldn't get anything going at all. Either this will continue, or redemption is a few casts away. I know one thing............the getting spun out and giving up is a troubling trend that I have to nip in the bud real quick. I have to get back to grinding when it's tuff, and figuring out how to keep my head in the game when it's not going well. I have adopted a new "positive attitude", and I am getting drive in me again. Mark the date bass resource...7/30/17.....the great ww2farmer tournament funk stretching back to Sept. of 2016 is over!!. Heck, I might bomb the next one, or two, or 10, but this little "getting spun out" phase is over.
Dorado reply :
Boom - Z-Man White Shad Chatterbaits, Rapala Rippin Rap in Chrome w/ Blue Back, Zoom Super Fluke Jr. in White Ice, Roboworm FAT 4.5" SXE Shad Staight Tail Worm and Zoom Junebug Finesse Worm
Busts - Jackall Pompadour Jr., Whopper Plopper 90s, and Megabass Pop- X. (So, apparently I spend too much $$$ on top water lures that I get zero action on). I even had to mail the Pop X back due to a defected product right out of the box. As long as I have my true and faithful black Jitterbug.
Turkey sandwich reply :
Boom - a variety of Siebert Arky and Football head jigs (I'm absolutely loving the hooks on the Dredge series. The hook up percentage is incredible and they are a nightmare to shake. I have landed several 15-18" fish with their mouths hooked completely shut. The Arky Dredge with the recessed line tie helped to win me a tournament in June.), Whopper Plopper 90, grubs, wacky Senkos, TRD/Ned rig fished on the swing, 4-5"soft plastic sculpins fished on swinging football heads. I feel like my pitching from a kayak has improved a lot this year and that my technique dragging a football head has also gotten better. The Ned is new, and I'm finding that I'm picking up extra fish drifting either it or the wacky Senko that I'd otherwise miss. The Whopper Plopper has all but replaced buzz baits and has straight up outperformed walking baits in scenarios where previously I'd be throwing a Spook.
Bust - frogs, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, walking baits, Yum Christie Craw. Outside of a few fish on DT 14 and XD6s, I've had almost zero crank bait success this year, which is really frustrating as they're normally my go-to for covering water. I also feel like I've caught some less-than-favorable conditions when I've had the opportunity to get out, be it high flows, chocolate milk, fronts etc. Still, even in lots of conditions that should have been very frog, walking bait, and spinnerbait friendly, they just never seemed to produce. Admittedly, I can definitely improve my frog technique. Not technique specific, but I can also get better at finding patterns faster, doing a better job eliminating water before getting on the water, having more patience fishing deep weed edges, and working on boat control with the kayak. The Christie Craw is the only bait that I bought where I'm really disappointed in it's performance/action versus my ability to use it.
Koz reply :
I bank fish only and I think that influences what I toss on a daily basis. I've caught fish on jigs this year, but I don't throw them that often. If I was fishing from a boat I'm sure I'd fish them a lot more.
Boom
These are the ones that I toss every time I head out. If I don't catch something quick on these I know it's going to be a grind that day.
Whopper Plopper 90,110,130 in Bone
Texas Rigged Yum Dingers and GY Senko's
Bust
Swimbaits
Crankbaits
I've caught one fish each on a swimbait and crankbait this year no matter how I fish them. If fishing is slow on a given day these are usually the last things that I pull from my tackle bag.
Now that my son loves to fish this is the first year that I have fished a lot in a while (we probably go out 3-5 nights a week). Not only does that make it fun, but I've caught fish on just about everything this year including jerkbait, jig, frogs, chatterbait. spinnerbait, beetle spin, popper, and trick worm. Biggest bass this summer was 4+ lbs, so the only thing that can make this year better is landing one over 6, even if it's not a PB.
buzzed bait reply :
On 7/30/2017 at 7:54 PM, Mike L said:So far this year there are 2 that I tried and would consider a bust for me...a small underspin (Clayton, don't feel alone
) and the ned rig.
I'll keep trying to make the underspin work but forget the Ned.
nailed it for me, both of those baits are useless in my hands (i know they catch fish, but i just can't seem to figure it out).
Boom lures:
5" weightless stick bait (old faithful)
bett's spinner blade, 1/4oz jig head and a single tail grub has been killing it on the river for me for 2 years now so that one stays in the boom category!
Dorado reply :
On 8/1/2017 at 1:51 AM, buzzed bait said:
nailed it for me, both of those baits are useless in my hands (i know they catch fish, but i just can't seem to figure it out).
Boom lures:
5" weightless stick bait (old faithful)
bett's spinner blade, 1/4oz jig head and a single tail grub has been killing it on the river for me for 2 years now so that one stays in the boom category!
I hear you on the bett's spinner blade and single tail grub combo. I caught my PB crappie this year that way and countless bass and channel catfish too. Interchanging that spinner blade with a Roadrunner easily puts that in my top 5 lures of all time.
Choporoz reply :
Boom: Rage Tail plastics...is there a bad one?
Bust: the answer to the question above just might be Smokin Rooster....got a pack as a gift...so, I have tried really hard....worked them much longer than I'd have ever stuck with something that I bought...I just need to send one pic of a fish caught with one...but, not sure its going to happen
buzzed bait reply :
On 8/1/2017 at 2:50 AM, Choporoz said:Boom: Rage Tail plastics...is there a bad one?
Bust: the answer to the question above just might be Smokin Rooster....
that's the only rage plastic i consistently see on sale and yet i've never felt the urge to purchase one!
CroakHunter reply :
On 8/1/2017 at 2:50 AM, Choporoz said:Boom: Rage Tail plastics...is there a bad one?
Bust: the answer to the question above just might be Smokin Rooster....got a pack as a gift...so, I have tried really hard....worked them much longer than I'd have ever stuck with something that I bought...I just need to send one pic of a fish caught with one...but, not sure its going to happen
I plan to pick some up to carolina rig
Choporoz reply :
On 8/1/2017 at 3:25 AM, CroakHunter said:I plan to pick some up to carolina rig
That's where I've had it the majority of the time....had one good bite, but lost him halfway up
J Francho reply :
The smoking Rooster is a dead ringer for the small bullhead and madtom that are all over the place here in the spring, during the spawn. I Rage rig them, and gently guide them through spawning flats. I don't particularly target beds with them, though.
Boom: 30+ bass yesterday on the new Savage Gear Goby Tube. Drop shot the smaller size.
Bust: Whopper Plopper. I caught a few on it. Meh.
cgolf reply :
Booms
Gambler Ugly Otter
Rage Menace, still hate the price, but they work
Spin Frog, Homemade, fished it twice now in less than ideal locations and got a nice pike and multiple hits. This thing seems like a winner.
Lipless baits The fish can't stay off these things
Arishi Spybait Tried this for the first time this year and it worked extremely well for me.
Busts
Lipped cranks aren't working as well as years past, but I am chalking it up to all the rain and funky weather patterns putting the bass into a more passive mode this year.
Everything else i have tossed this year has worked for me.
scaleface reply :
I need to add Rapala Fat Rap to the Boom list . Bass were close mouth on cranks today but the Fat Rap seduced a few...
...and add the Red Eye Shad to the bust list . One of my favorite but they just havent got it done this year.
tcbass reply :
I forgot to add the chatterbait to the bust category. Only used it once but didn't get a bit. However, I haven't caught anything on spinnerbaits either.
And add the Booyah Vibra Wire Spinnerbait to the bust for me also. Only used it once. Feels a lot heavier than the same sized Terminator and is much harder to work.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Need to add the craw tube to my boom category. Never had much luck with them but they've been doing work for me this year. Seems like the average size of the fish is really good with them too.
FryDog62 reply :
Booms
- 5 inch Caffeine Shad on an Owner 3/32 oz Screwlock hook. If there is a bass anywhere near where this hits the surface and does the slow fall - lights out. Its such a good skipping lure under docks too. Pearl, Glacier colors.
- 5 inch Kalin's Baby Bass 5 inch Wac-O-Worm. Weightless in lakes, 1/16 oz VMC wacky hook in rivers. It just works... around cover, skipping, weed edges, etc. Old Faithful.
- Keitech Fat 4.3 inch on a 4/0 1/4 oz swimbait hook. As a search bait I prefer this over crank baits now, covers water and weeds don't stick to it like a crank. Caught my PB walleye this year on one.
- Shadow Rap - high confidence lure in cold water (which we have a lot here in Minnesota). Caught my PB pike while jerking for smallmouth this Spring.
Busts
- Drop-shotting. I caught my PB smallmouth on Mille Lacs last year drop-shotting ala Seth Fieder style, but have yet to catch anything on a drop-shot this year. But then again I haven't been back to Mille Lacs either --
tcbass reply :
On 8/3/2017 at 7:28 AM, FryDog62 said:Booms
- 5 inch Caffeine Shad on an Owner 3/32 oz Screwlock hook. If there is a bass anywhere near where this hits the surface and does the slow fall - lights out. Its such a good skipping lure under docks too. Pearl, Glacier colors.
- 5 inch Kalin's Baby Bass 5 inch Wac-O-Worm. Weightless in lakes, 1/16 oz VMC wacky hook in rivers. It just works... around cover, skipping, weed edges, etc. Old Faithful.
- Keitech Fat 4.3 inch on a 4/0 1/4 oz swimbait hook. As a search bait I prefer this over crank baits now, covers water and weeds don't stick to it like a crank. Caught my PB walleye this year on one.
- Shadow Rap - high confidence lure in cold water (which we have a lot here in Minnesota). Caught my PB pike while jerking for smallmouth this Spring.
Busts
- Drop-shotting. I caught my PB smallmouth on Mille Lacs last year drop-shotting ala Seth Fieder style, but have yet to catch anything on a drop-shot this year. But then again I haven't been back to Mille Lacs either --
Does the caffeine shad float if not weighted down?
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 8/3/2017 at 7:53 AM, tcbass said:
Does the caffeine shad float if not weighted down?
No
gilkeybr reply :
Boom:
Ned Rig. I had great success this weekend with a 1/15oz head (preferably a dark color, but white also worked) and a tail in a green pattern (New Money or Canada Craw). Tried PB&J TRDs and didn't get as much success. The down side is you will catch numbers, including little fish. Caught more than one 6-8" bass. But also caught a 3.2lber as well as several other respectable fish
S-Waver 168. Picked this up last winter in the "I Know It" Color. Got a hit on my very first cast. Nothing like the thrill of seeing that "big" bait glide through the water and seeing the flash of a fishes side come out of the shadows. So sold by the 168 I just got a 200 size in Bluegill pattern. Can't wait to try it some more!
Bust:
Jigs. Never have gotten even so much as a sniff on a jig. I know this has to do with the times/places i'm throwing them since they clearly work for many people. I need to improve this technique.
Shaky Head. Same story as the jig. I don't have the confidence to throw them in good conditions because i'd rather throw something I think is going to work. I need to dedicate some "prime time" to fishing these presentations
Flukes. Tried various colors and can't seem to get a positive response from the fish. Have caught a couple, but much less then I would catch in the same span of time with a t-rigged stick bait
tcbass reply :
On 8/3/2017 at 2:14 PM, Bluebasser86 said:No
So, it's basically just like a fluke?
J Francho reply :
On 8/4/2017 at 2:04 AM, tcbass said:
So, it's basically just like a fluke?
A fluke with coffee scent and a different body and tail, but I treat it like fluke, rigging and fishing wise.
tcbass reply :
On 8/4/2017 at 2:10 AM, J Francho said:
A fluke with coffee scent and a different body and tail, but I treat it like fluke, rigging and fishing wise.
Cool. So you think it's more successful for you than a fluke?
FryDog62 reply :
On 8/4/2017 at 2:04 AM, tcbass said:
So, it's basically just like a fluke?
It does sink - it has an extremely high salt concentration so it will sink on its own. I've used it weightless and on the 3/32 oz weighted hook. Because it's so full of salt they don't last long. That's why I think you have to use the screw-lock type of hook, either weighted or weightless. It does help them from crumbling apart as easily but you'll still go through them. I may catch a couple fish per Shad, sometimes more.
I'd say the Caffeine Shad is somewhere between a fluke and a wacky worm. The front-end is like a fluke but the thinner tail has a small air bubble in it. Between the bubble and that the weighted hook is in the middle (not like your typical nose-weighted jig) the lure will stay horizontal more like a wacky worm. When it hits the water be sure you have semi-slack line like when you fish a wacky worm - then it typically dives a foot or so to the side or backward like its swimming, then slows and starts spiraling downward like a dying baitfish. Most of the time it stays horizontal - a slower fall when weightless and a little more rapid at 3/32. Either way the darting then dying action usually trigger a strike if there's fish in the area. If not twitch/jerk the rod tip up gently a couple times and let it dart/die again. Great action -- better than your typical fluke IMO.
Skips very well up underneath docks. I also had good luck this summer throwing it about 4-5 feet deep into the Lilly pads then wriggle it on top back to the weed edge and let it dart/die back into the open water. Caught a lot of bass that watched it come over the top of them, follow back to the weed edge and then hammer it once it falls back into the water.
BTW, the 3 fish in my photo were all caught on the same Caffeine Shad on a 20 foot section of dock within about 4 minutes...
Its not a new lure on the market but it was for me this year and I've had a ball with it!
fishwizzard reply :
Caffeine Shad's are great if you can accept the durability. They are also almost twice as heavy as a Zoom Super, so you can use heavier tackle and fish them around cover a bit more fearlessly.
J Francho reply :
On 8/4/2017 at 2:12 AM, tcbass said:
Cool. So you think it's more successful for you than a fluke?
Maybe some days, others maybe not. They're similar, yet different baits. I like them, but I like Super Flukes, too.
tcbass reply :
On 7/31/2017 at 8:35 AM, Gundog said:Boom would be the swim jig. I know that any jig can be a swim jig and that its more of a technique than a lure but I've caught a good number of fish on it this year. And they don't just hit it, most of the fish I've caught were solidly hooked.
Bust...well if you have read some of my other posts you know how I feel about the Whopper Plopper. I've fished it at various times and it just hasn't produced. I mean, no fish at all on a lake that is pretty good for top water baits.
Whsy speeds are you fishing the Plopper? I almost always catch my fish going pretty slow.
Gundog reply :
On 8/5/2017 at 10:28 PM, tcbass said:
Whsy speeds are you fishing the Plopper? I almost always catch my fish going pretty slow.
I've been varying the speed. Keeping in mind that the plopper is a combination of lures, I've varied the retrieve speed from just twitching it and pausing to a steady retrieve and everything in between. The funny thing is after I stopped throwing it I would come back to that area with a torpedo, a buzz bait, a spook or a zoom toad and catch fish. I really don't know why it hasn't produced. I doubt its the speed.
tcbass reply :
On 8/6/2017 at 8:17 AM, Gundog said:I've been varying the speed. Keeping in mind that the plopper is a combination of lures, I've varied the retrieve speed from just twitching it and pausing to a steady retrieve and everything in between. The funny thing is after I stopped throwing it I would come back to that area with a torpedo, a buzz bait, a spook or a zoom toad and catch fish. I really don't know why it hasn't produced. I doubt its the speed.
Weird. Maybe color, size, or they just don't like that lure.
AnotherSenkoQuestion reply :
Boom: Jika Rig - The rig that may replace 3 rigs. I use Mustad Fastach to change weights for different situations.
Texas Rig: Goes through cover as well as Texas Rig, may be even better since an tungsten pencil weight is super thin. To me it's more sensitive with 3/4 - 1 ounce weight compare to heavy Texas/Punch style.
Swinging Swim Jig: I tried making my own, it caught fish, but it never looked natural when swimming with a swimbait. My guess is that the swim bait wanted a weigh at the bottom to balance it out. But now with Jika rig, the weight is hanging at the bottom, this resolves the issue. It's weedless as heck too, I use an 1/2 oz tungsten pencil and swim it under grass and lily pads.
Biffle Jig: I don't fish this much, but I can see the same concept. Dragging an teardrop style weight with bait hanging 1 inch above will give it a different look and same great action as an Biffle Bug.
Bust: Double Plopper, runs uneven sometimes.
Russ E reply :
Boom bait this year:
Chatterbait. this is the first year I seriously started using this bait.
have caught several nice fish with it.
wish it was more weedless.
Bust bait this year.
weedless Paddle tail Swimbait. It looks good in the water, but has not yet produced for me.
have tried this bait several times this year with little or no success.
Several times I have fished back through the same areas with a Fluke, squarebill, or Chatterbait and have caught decent fish.
not giving up yet.
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