BassinMass978

I think Grady Codd also did an episode on there where he talks about the punker. Straight 80# with the knot trick I showed earlier is his go to as well, and that guy is an absolute hammer! that episode with Jeremy was wild haha! I listen to it when I want a good laugh.

Yes exactly. I just keep sliding the last knot down until I have to cut some old knots off to make room lol! No problem! Its a trick that I picked up from some older swimbaiters years ago that seems to have been forgotten about. It works really well though!

@bigpoppabass this is what I mean. Stack the knots. I use some mono as whiskers too. Helps it from fouling and holds the knot where you want it.

Congratulations. Serious gut on that one

I’ll have some photos for you after work today. I really personally don’t like leaders. Just another connection knot to go wrong, and if you’re using the right rod/hooks/drag setup then it shouldn’t be an issue. try our owner STX56’s. They are 3x strong but sticky sharp and thinner than owners normal hooks. Zo-wire is amazing

No problem. I also fish 20+ ft visibility water, and straight braid for walking baits has always done me good. Since it’s more of a reaction strike, I don’t think the line bothers them too much. Even still, for maximum camouflage, I like cortland master braid or daiwa grand 8 in blue to blend in with the sky. lunker punker is one my all time favorites, and I’ve tried everything from mono, to topwater floating copolymer, to braid to leader and nothing works as good for getting a good walk out of it than straight braid. 80# is still smaller line diameter than 20# mono, so it’s all gonna cast a mile with a bait like that. one trick you can do to help with the line fouling up in the hooks is to leave a bunch in knots with long tag ends to help keep the super limp braid out of the trebles. I can post a pic for you later. Hope it helps!

Straight braid to get the best performance out of it. 80# for something that heavy. If it was under 3oz you could go with 65#

@Mossyback Angler They’re great for the price. I don’t like full finger gloves that don’t have the convertible digits, because I need to slide them off to deal with knots,etc. exposing hands to the cold. The neoprene ones have been keeping my hands warm and dry for as long as I’ve been using them. Your thumb might get a little wet from a baitcasting spool, but it’s manageable.

Running the boat to different spots, I slap on some real winter gloves to beat the wind chill. while fishing I like to use Palmyth’s. They have a few options. The price is right, and I like that you can keep all the digits inside the glove, but “drop the top” to make casts, tie knots, deal with hooks, etc. been rocking them for 3-4 years now.

Keeping it going with an older catch. Back when I had to rent boats haha! This one was on the Victim Trout. Another MA largemouth just a couple OZ shy of 5lbs. When it comes to the Victim Trout, I often see or hear “iykyk”, and that couldn’t be more true. The glide on these are comparable to the OG 250 when you want to get it wide, but much more responsive and predictable. The build quality of all Marc’s baits are honestly in the top tier. Feel free to share your catches on Chuck Baits. This is not just a thread for me. I know from talking to the builder that there have been some DD’s caught on these baits, and I want to see them!

Picked off another Massachusetts 5 on the flat joint Victim Gill. This one was 5# 2oz. She hammered it, breaching the water like a shark. Amazing bite for 40 degree water temps in November. Absolutely love this bait. Performs flawless at any speed, especially the slow crawl. Been on them the last couple weeks. 5 bass over 5LBs since the 2nd week of October. All from the bank too, because my boat is broken. The other 3 coming on conversational gear though (don’t hate), so I can’t post them in my chuck Baits thread haha!