OK BR, I have a newbie asking about a lure that will walk the dog on a constant reel. He cannot get the motion down just right, and wants to build confidence in the style. Jitterbug....what else? Would prefer something with better hook hangers and that would hold up to lots of bass and bigger bass. Think going to Mexico!
Jeff
glidebait!
Mann's 1 minus or any of the large wake baits would work somewhat mimic the action.
Jitterbugs don't walk they wobble across the surface. In the Jitterbug category a wooden musky size Jitterbug and Jackall Pompadour would work, the Pompadour having excellent hooks. BB1Rat falls into the snaking or waking surface action that should also work, Mexico has lots of rats!
316 lures made a surface soft swimbait with a jitterbug style face plate and a cupped head design can't recall it's names or if he still has them?
The Owner Zip N Ziggy top water lure walks with very little effort, might try it, good hooks!
Hope this helps.
Tom
I'm with fly, a wake bait.
Topwater or subsurface?
Topwater. I am struggling here. When the bite is on, nothing beats a spook, duo 110 or gunfish down there. He needs something similar. I though wakebait, and I thought rat.
Jeff
Try a walker that also splashes like a Chug'n Spook or C'NS, Jr. It's less important to get the twitches timed correctly. Fish will see it as a struggling prey on the surface.
Walking a bait isn't that difficult. Just keep the tip down and practice. It'll come. It's easier with BC equipment. Watch YouTube videos on the subject.
I have never tried walking the dog until last summer. I used KVD sexy dawgs after someone on here, I believe, recommended it for a first timer. It took me about 5 casts and I was walking like a pro....well almost. I have tried spooks and other top water plugs and nothing is easier than the sexy dawg and they flat out catch fish.
23 minutes ago, the reel ess said:Walking a bait isn't that difficult. Just keep the tip down and practice. It'll come. It's easier with BC equipment. Watch YouTube videos on the subject.
Tell him not to give up on a Spook (or whatever he's trying to walk).
I remember my frustration learning how to walk this type of bait and finally realized the importance of slack in the line between twitches. Keep the rod tip low as reel ess says and coordinate your reeling and twitching with a certain amount of slack in the line. Same deal if you're working a Fluke.
Practice, practice, practice. It's worth learning.
Timing is everything Jeff
Check out the Molix Supernato Beetle ~
http://advancedangler.com/2015-icast-raw/mike-iaconelli-molix-supernato-beetle/
Might be Good.
Also don't forget Sitxo's favorite - Yellow Magic Popper.
They're also making a walking bait called the Yellow Magic Havana ~ looks good.
A-Jay
What about the new Iivingston Walking Boss II. That may cover the bases on what he's looking for. Jitterbug lip style with exellent hook hangers.
Just tie on a Scrounger / fluke for him & be done with it ~
A-Jay
What about something like the Megabass X Pod? Even if he can't get a great walking action down, the bait will still be productive.
I dunno man...in my experience, walking the dog is action imparted by the angler, not the bait itself.
Why not just more practice? Or perhaps a shorter rod?
I agree with everything above. He just seems to think there might be a bait out there. I told him I didn't think so. Just checking with yall.
And just to be clear, I can walk the dog just fine........
Jeff
This might be a little off cause its mainly used for saltwater and stripers. The Shimano Waxwing is a constant retrieve and gives a walking the dog action. It's a little below surface to work,but not much.
http://www.cabelas.com/product/SHIMANO-SUSPENDING-WAXWING/1932227.uts?productVariantId=4058482&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=45-129393039-2&WT.tsrc=CSE&WT.mc_id=GoogleProductAds&WT.z_mc_id1=04068116&rid=20
Jeff, the Zip n Ziggy walks itself, all the guy needs to do is lift the rod upright, lower it and reel in the slack...it walks on it's own!
Tom
The wazwing is aim the rod tip at the bait,and steady retrieve. It's a do nothing with the rod, lure walks itself.
Kills it on Calico bass.. just haven't used them in a couple years, water's been too warm to spend time on Calico's.
I added split rings to my Jitterbugs to get more free swinging hooks for less leverage by the fish to throw the bait. And this past year I had very good success with the Livingston Walking Boss. It has very good hooks, a Jitterbug type clear plastic lip and an elongated jointed body. Using just a slow steady retrieve the lure will wobble like the Jitterbug but with better hooks and hook hangers and better action - in my opinion.
Establishing rhythm/cadence is something we shoud be doing with every lure!
One highly over looked top water is the Rattling Chug Bug!
Get him a 4" BBZ shad, I bet they would eat that. All you gotta do is crank it
On 1/11/2016 at 7:03 AM, Chris at Tech said:I dunno man...in my experience, walking the dog is action imparted by the angler, not the bait itself.
Why not just more practice? Or perhaps a shorter rod?
Yeah, that! I use a 6'6" M BC combo now. But when I started, I was using a 5'6" with a pistol grip.
And you don't have to maintain the cadence all the way to the boat. You can start with two twitches, three twitches, four twitches... See what the fish like. They'll hit the thing sitting still if it angers them enough. Floating line, like heavier mono, say, maybe 15# or 17#, will help the action as well.
Jeff if he has problems with slack line movement using the rod suggest he tries using the reel. Reel stop then reel then stop. Stutter reeling will walk the dog with some baits. Have him try it along side the boat to get the rhythm down. Might work.
On 1/11/2016 at 1:16 AM, deep said:glidebait!
I fish a Savage Gear Glide Swimmer with a fast or slow straight retrieve right on or just below the surface and it kills the smallmouth at times. Comes in big sizes that should appeal to the grande bass he'll be targeting.
Thanks everyone. I am going to get him to pick some of these suggestions up and let you know how it works out!
Jeff
Your retrieve does not have to be textbook perfect to get bit!
I fish Chug Bug, Hula Popper, Pop-R, Baby Torpedo, & Devil Horse by simply giving it a jerk, jerk, jerk, pause, & repeat!
Another steady retrieve lure is a Stanley Ribbit, fish it super slow
Don't know if you've tried this one or not, but it's the easiest walking/popper I've every used:
http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r251/Crestliner_photos/PopNImageJr_zpsb5982451.jpg
I believe Heddon puts it out under the Bill Dance line-up. Called the "Pop n' Image, Jr.". It's a crackerjack!
The new Molix Beetle looks like it could kind of do what you're looking for. Have you tried adding a split ring on the fluke as well? That makes it even easier to walk one, might be worth trying before investing in all these other baits.