Primus

Good job.

I also live in Michigan in some lakes I run into the occasional Pike and there are a others where they are very plentiful and I usually hook at least one at these lakes when I go. Maybe I have been lucky but I've only lost a Hudd and a shad bait the last couple of years throwing swimbaits, that said I don't use swimbaits exclusively as some do which would no doubt would lead to more Pike/ Musky encounters if I did. It's a tough call but I choose to fish without a leader because a leader would likely cost me bites and since it's rare that I lose a bait to the toothy critters I'm willing to take that chance. For the lakes with heavy Esox populations I'm more likely to use a less expensive easily replaced bait like a BBZ or soft baits which generally aren't as expensive. That said it's a tough call and a heavy Florocarbon leader seems like it would be a much better option than a steel leader if you go that route.

Great job on the video's Marbles, thanks for taking the time to put it together and thanks to the other guys who chimed in. I really enjoy seeing a positive exchange of info.

Caesar congrats on breaking in your Armageddon. Question regarding the Armageddon, how does the bait compare/ contrast to the Wake Jr. besides being larger ? Thanks

Who the fvck is this "Mikey" guy everyone keeps talking about? His baits sound like the shizz! I think it's the kid in the Life Cereal commercial, he grew up and started making fishing lures

I love that bait, has a very realistic swimming motion for a hard bait and like the gills it gets bit. I lost my first one because my line broke, fortunately I replaced it along with a couple of back-ups.

I don't do a lot of night fishing but when the weather is hot I like to start at app 3 am and fish till about 10 am so I can combine night and morning fishing. I throw a big wakebait, a Deps buzzjet ( not a wake bait , but it seems to really piss them off at times just too much fun) and a black spinnerbait with a big thumpin' colorado blade when I need a subsurface presentation. I know this is a swimbait forum but in my opinion there is something special about that spinnerbait at night and I can't go out without one on the deck of my boat. I usually start off with the blade and when I get a couple of bites I won't leave the area without trying the wakebait. If I get a few strikes on the wakebait then I will likely stay with that, if not I will keep alternating.

drewbie pick up the 316 hardbaits when you can. That said there are a lot of great baits out there like the MS Slammer, 6" or 8" BBZ, Triple Trout that you can get right away to get you started. Speaking of 316 the soft baits can be ordered at any time, the Rising Son and Mission fish are very popular baits. Other great soft baits to get you started can be acquired from Rago, Huddleston etc. Just start throwing some big baits and let us know when you stick your first swimbait fish. Eventually, you will no doubt have a few 316 hardbaits to round out your arsenal.

Both are good, I prefer the 9".

I was with him last summer when he nailed one of those fish, we had a nice outing.

Cool Vid.

Same for me. Great bait.

Love the hard gills, like Mason I had a couple nice ones come unbuttoned last summer. This year with expierimenting by upsizing with the KVD Mustad trebles to see if that helps.

50/50 for me. Their are certain situations where I feel conventional tackle is the best tool for the situation. I tend to use swimbaits more when fishing alone and trying for that trophy fish.

The Matt's gill is a very good bait for numbers, the old version is prone to chipping which I usually touch up with fingernail polish and or/ sharpie pens. According to Matt the new version is much more durable, only time will tell as they came out about 6 months ago. I'm hopeful to get one of the 316 gills down the road.

Sorry I should have proof read the last post before hitting the submit button

Since I've been fishing swimbaits I've had outings where they haven't hit the baits but I will fish something else as needed, for me swimbaits are part of my lure arsenal but I also employ other baits/ techniques as needed. I did get skunked once late last fall when the water temp was about 39 degrees. Though we don't have the giant fish that reside in places like California I am under the impression our fish are easier to catch and getting totally skunked is rare. That said I have on occasion have had outings without a keeper even after catching 20 or more fish. The nice thing about swimbaits is that the majority of fish I catch are 3 lbs plus.

Is there are picture of the Stocker Trout bait? It was if my knowledge is correct never released for sale but apparantly made for a few of his friends , I would like to see the picture for sake of comparison. I'm not sure how Matt can be faulted for releasing a soft deadstick floating bait when to the best of my knowledge there is not one available in the marketplace and he wants to fulfill the demand. However it would be very disapointing on his part if he were intentionally doing an exact replica of an existing bait.

Check the Bass Tackle Depot website, looks like they still have a decent selection under the Baitsmith name. If the order is over 50$ I believe they they will ship for free. I stocked up Thanksgiving 2010 when the Tackle shops were running the 20% off sales.

Pretty well sums up my view on the bait. I like the Male Bluegill color.

So far the Wake Jr, however my collection is modest compared to some. Missed the last few releases, the Bluegill is number 1 on my 316 wish list. Kid is playing ice hockey (expensive sport) which has cut into my wintertime tackle spending, that said I have to put them first. Gonna try for a couple of baits this summer to add to the collection.

You'd step up to the "custom" line in the LDC for that. There are pics of full EVA rods on there, as well as a couple with a cork foregrip / EVA butt section. Thanks speedbead, good to know that he can accomadate my preference. Saving up to upgrade my Hudd rod looks like LDC will likely be my choice when the time comes.