smalliebigs

I'll second three things: 1) The assortment is big and can be confusing (on the other hand, lots of options) 2) I have had a few inconsistencies. 3) a few were ordered for me as gifts. I received them 1.5-2mo after they were ordered. EZ-Shad -- Small lipped slow sink bait (mine has a lip which used to be shown on the site, I see the ones on the site now don't show any lips). Unique action and fun to grind on rocks shallow or fish a little faster a little deeper than most other slow sinks. For a small bait it also "pulls" a lot of water due to the lip. It has gotten bit pretty well. Within a few weeks clear coat started to "orange peel" on me. Before long all the clear peeled off, but bottom coat has remained and as the color is mostly white I'll keep fishing as is. It is the only bait I received that has the paint issue, but it still swims and gets bites. Also, the split ring got straightened out by a good striper, so that needs replaced with a heavier ring if you have stripers. I like this bait because its grind-ablity and heavy pull are unique in a small bait. EZ trout in smallmouth -- floating. Action looks really nice. I haven't really thrown it enough yet to determine if it gets bit or not. Boil buzzer and buzz bommer JR -- These have been OK and I've used them to catch some schooling stripers. Bass didn't school on the surface like normal this spring, so didn't try it with them yet. 8" kicker trout??? -- I think it is a kicker, not sure cause somebody else ordered for me. The front hook is on the first section (like kicker), but it has 4 sections (like "EZ"), no lip (like kicker) and no hook slot. The invoice said 2 slow sink, but one was slow and other was floating. Both only came with front hook. Slow sink had more body roll than I like until i put the back hook on (which I would use anyways). Then it swims OK. Again, don't really have any time on it yet. "Floater" has clear plastic over the hole in the joint of front section of bait, where the sinking had a weight there. I think maybe they forgot to weight this one after painting? It has WAAY to much body roll for me even with both hooks, so I think it was a mistake. Anyways, I didn't contact them because I want to try to experiment with it to get a super slow sink. So, one bait with a clear coat issue, and one with a possible forgotten weighting issue. Maybe a symptom of their trying to catch up with demand. EZ shad and the buzz style baits are the only ones I've put significant time on and they've been pretty good for what they are.

Dude, that slammer is wreck-tacular, lots of love on it. I actually thought about your slammer success and dedicated to throw my 9" more this morning. No success for me yet. My regular possum will dive a little, maybe 2 ft + or -. How much deeper does the crankin' possum go than the regular?

A little update. Took clacker out again last weekend for about 2 hours and caught 3 "average" fish. Took it out again today for 3.5 hrs, caught 5 fish including this chunky 4+. Usually wouldn't bother with a pic for anything under 5, but lost the 2 big fish I hooked in the above post and wanted something to back up the report. Have had several other hits each time out. 5" Bait flat gets bit if looking for numbers, and time will tell if it can also consistently interest the big ones (and if I can get them INTO the boat).

Looking forward to some cool baits in the black market as people unload their extras of other baits to replenish funds spent on these new baits!

I read somewhere that the guy next to the kid isn't Perry and that nobody knows who it is/was, or if that is even supposed to be "the" fish. In this digital world, I can't imagine that photo is real until somebody has the actual hard copy to review. Interesting I would feel that way when one of the other things about Perry's fish that amazes me is how many people have revisionist theories applying today's circus atmosphere around "world record" to what might or might not have happened then.

I've always wondered what goes through the mind of a bass the first time it decides to eat a particular food. They aren't taught "eat this in the spring", "don't eat that, it has fins that can choke you" etc. When they get hungry and see something that MIGHT fit in their mouths, something makes them go "yeah, I'll try to eat that". I've always figured this (and reaction bites) is why we catch bass on some very wacky baits, especially small to "tourney" size bass. One of the key themes of "In Pursuit of Giant Bass" is that big bass have already learned where and what to eat to get big. This puts them in specific locations at specific times. But does it also mean they are most likely looking for specific food? Do they outgrow the "well, if it fits in my mouth" stage of experimental eating? No doubt they still go off the main course at times, as big fish are caught on baits representing food not naturally available/common in their waters. What is the balance of "match the hatch" and "show them something different" as it applies to size/profile/action/color/etc? I definitely find myself heavily (90% ?) presenting baits that would classify as "matching the hatch". Just a discussion point. Really curious of the opinion/experience of those who fish multiple waters with differing bass food sources on a regular basis.

Might depend on the size of the TT. I put a 10" worm on a 7" to approximate a snake. Swam really well, but I didn't really fish it enough though to say if it can catch fish or not. I imagine a paddle tail would work with similar resistance. Also tried it on a 4" stubby, but the bait couldn't really move the big worm.

I must be living right/lucky or something. I often leave my rods strung up for a week between trips. When I do need to retie (change baits, striper gets line around wood, etc.), I do pull off the "kink" at the rod tip though. Only cast offs have been due to line wrapped around the tip guide or forgetting to re-tie after see-sawing the line over rock/wood. I use 15-25 lb big game.

I think there's more than a handfull of underground guys who want one!

I think there must be more donkeys swimming in those dink/herring lakes than anybody realizes, just don't think anybody has really figured them out yet on most lakes (Randall certainly has it figured out). It doesn't help that some herring lakes less than an hour apart fish totally differently.

I just got one of the 5" clackers yesterday, and gave it a workout today. The Ayu color and body shape is a good match for the herring in my lake, although I kind of wish I'd gotten the 7. Positives: All three hooks have rotating swivels, allthough I took the tail hook off. I don't think it is necessary on a bait this size. I like the way the line tie was done, keeps the profile a little more low key. Swimming action is nice, like a triple trout, but a little tighter/faster, probably because the tail is solid unlike the TT. Action is a very good match to herring swimming action. Casts well, and can be worked on the surface very convincingly like a fleeing bait, even "jumping" once you get the hang of the rod angle and action. On a slower roll it seemed to track about 1.5-2 ft deep and would suspend without folding for a beat before sinking at a rate I'd say is slower than a TT and a little faster than a HPH. Most importantly it got bit. I fished it in the "rotation" for about 4 hours and it was the only swimbait to get bit today. I landed a dinky 3 lber, had a 5+ come un-buttoned and lost an even bigger fish (more on that in negatives). Also had several follows. All fish came when blind casting and on steady retrieve and were not actively schooling fish, which is a key indicator that it will continue to produce on my lake. Negatives: The 5 inch bait comes with 1X size 6 (I think) Owners. I lost the biggest fish I hooked today when it bent out both trebles. I really should have noticed the thin wire hooks before. After that I replaced the front hook with a 2X size 4 and it seemed to swim just as well, but will be getting some 2X size 6's to put on it. Overall I'm impressed and plan to get a back-up 5" and a 7" and will keep the clacker in the regular rotation.

Well, Texas does THINK it is a country.

Tdot, I'm not surprised that hardgill still gets bit in that condition, but how do you land them?

Why do a picture Don in home depot looking at the hanger things, he just happens to have a weedless hudd in his back pocket (don't leave home without 'em) and what do you know, they fit.

In no particular order, things I try to accomplish with boat positioning: Natural travel direction of the bait wind pushing me away from key spot to hold position better w/out "washing" fish Eddies Shadow away from where I expect fish to be. Multiple "sweet spots" to cast to. ability to "push" baitfish where they need to go to activate some feeding w/o spooking the bass If a stupid striper grabs my expensive bait, can I apply pressure in a direction to keep it from going under/through the dock if it forgets it is a striper and not a bass and and decides to go shallow instead of deep. The importance of each can vary depending on the particular conditions at the particular time.

I. Want. Nice job Randall!

Everything that has been said is true. The action, stability, durability all top notch. Even stripers can't hurt this thing. Best of all, it flat out catches fish. Unfortunately, I have a habit of losing baits to gar/stupidity before documenting their still intact finish after nearly 100 stripers and bass. After becoming a believer in the bait last year, this winter I found out how effective a slow roll bait it can be in cold water. I (and those with me) caught several 6+ fish on the bait reeling the bait over "buck brush" and docks along creek channels sow slow it almost didn't appear to have any wiggle. From my vantage point, anyways. The fish liked its subtle wiggle at that extremely slow retrieve, and that's all that matters.

I hadn't lost a swimbait in almost a year. On thursday I had a big striper get into some wood and lost a HPH. Then later the same day after landing another striper I didn't notice that the line got wrapped around the rod tip. Next cast, snap. 2 HPH gone in one day after a year without losing a bait. Sucks, but I'm less bummed by the financial loss than not having my favorite color available until I get another one.

Fort Jackson? When? Will you have a boat or yak? The best chance for a smallie in that part of SC would be the Broad River. It has very limited access points, but you can wade fish it near some of the bridges in down town Columbia. Right now its too high and muddy to wade fish, but it may become manageable if we stop getting rain between now and whenever you'll be around. If you have access to a yak or canoe, the options on the river are a little bigger. I don't put in a lot of time on the river, but I know 6" TT, HPH, and soft swimbaits work there. For largemouth, what is best depends on what water you'll have access to. I've had success on the few places I fish around here with TTs, HPHs, and baby HardGills, but some are better at certain places than others.

I've had one fish that after I lipped, weighed and I laid on the grass for a photo with its mouth remaining wide open. I didn't really notice until I went to release it, and it didn't close lightly on my thumb like they usually do. Instead it took off thrashing across the surface for a few feet with its mouth wide open. Only one I've ever had any suspicions about hurting, and not sure that I did anything different than any other. Not sure if it was hurt, or just weird. If I had noticed before release, I'd have tried to see if it was "stuck" open.

Has anybody fished this bait? How deep does it dive? Looks kinda like a slammer or woodtail, and the lip angle looks like it would be a diving bait.

Jointed Rapala Magnum Husky or Sassy Shad For "real" swimbaits, I guess it would be a Mattlures gill.

I have a few lakes where I have done quite well on gill baits, but the lake I fish the most it has not been a "go to" bait for me. I don't think the fish key on them very often in this lake, but I've personally seen a few times where they did. Also, the biggest tourny bag on this lake in the 4 yrs I've been here (31+ lbs w/ a 9lb kicker) was caught when a school of big bass showed up in a small cove to eat bluegills. Anglers said it was unexpected and they've never seen it before or since. So, even on lakes where they aren't the #1 prey, they are still a bait worth imitating.

Raylan: You ever hear of the saying "you run into an @$$hole in the morning, you ran into an @$$hole; you run into @$$holes all day, you're the @$$hole."