Subsurface bait

[jamie]

My recommendation of the week is (*drum roll)..

The Charlie Megabait!

 

Sure..it seems like a California style swimbait that almost borders on something I'll use for Pike next week in Ontario. But..what the heck..it's workin'.

The technique: Rip/Rip/Rip/Pause (thank you Mike Kauchak).

[SmallieJonze]

Picked some up a couple weeks ago and got to use them once with no luck. Although, I threw the bait shop at 'em that day, too. Nice swimming action on these babies. Hope to catch a few on 'em.

[kend]

Picked some up a couple weeks ago and got to use them once with no luck. Although, I threw the bait shop at 'em that day, too. Nice swimming action on these babies. Hope to catch a few on 'em.

 

The fish ate already, when you arrived, or they didn't want what you were offering.

Or, perhaps a water buffalo in heat, was stomping thru the area.

[Many wade anglers cause too much disturbance, and spook the fish---the fish will move out or shut-down].

 

Often times, the swimming action, of a lure is too fast.

Most fish are lazy, after they've already eaten---then won't chase, but they'll often times gulp in a bottom crawling critter---many times setting motionless, on the bottom.

 

If the fish aren't taking top water, go to subsurface lure, and if they're not taking subsurface lures,

go to bottom crawling critters.

 

Fish won't take top water lures, if they're not active.

I don't waste time using top water lures, in muddy water conditions.

 

Twintail grubs, rigged weightless, can be fished (swam) along to top, subsurface or crawled along the bottom.

A great all around lure.

Very productive for me.

 

When fished along or toward shore, shallow water, along weeds, wood, bridge pilings, or the like---

make a cast, close to the object, allow it to slowly fall---allow it to lay motionless on the bottom for a few seconds.

Slighly jiggle the rod tip, to impart a slight action to the grub.

Pause a couple seconds and slowly move it forward a few inches and pause.

The move it along the bottom a foot or two, and pause---repeat the cadence, 3, 4 or 5 ft,

then reel it in quickly, to make another cast.

Make short casts to start, then gradually making longer casts.

You want to catch the fish that are close by, before catching the fish that are further away.

 

I generally start with a 5" size, then downsize to a 4", if they're not taking the 5".

Sometimes, I shorten the 4", by cutting 1/2" from the nose end, and other times cutting 1/2" from the curl ends.

Cutting of the curls ends makes a slower movement, akin to a crawfish moving its claws slowly, as its crawling along.

The full curls of the grub, often times is too much action, like the "c-tail" shape of grubs.

 

On ocassions, I use 4 to 8" size worms.

Some worms are of the "c-tail" type, while others have longer curly tails.

Oftentimes I cut-off the tip-end, 1/2 to 1". This gives a different action to the worm tail.

 

Yesterday, I started with a 6" worm---after 20 minutes of no bites or fish, I trimmed the tail tip end off.

On the next cast to the same area, I caught a 16" LMB.

I refished the area, and caught 6 fish, 12-16", in about 30 minutes.

Go figure.

 

Hope these tips help.

 

Works for me.

 

PS---

John,

Sorry, I didn't get a chance to chat with you the other day.

I was bussier than a one-legged cat in a sand box.

[kend]

My recommendation of the week is (*drum roll)..

The Charlie Megabait!

 

Sure..it seems like a California style swimbait that almost borders on something I'll use for Pike next week in Ontario. But..what the heck..it's workin'.

The technique: Rip/Rip/Rip/Pause (thank you Mike Kauchak).

 

Jamie,

>>>(*drum roll)..<<<

Do you roll the drum in butter and garlic, before you fry them? ;-)

 

Some Fox River anglers, refer to drum as "silver bass".

 

Yep, that Charlie Bait is a great fishing catching lure.

The smallies love the 3-4" size.

Great prespawn and fall lure. I haven't had much action from it, during the warmer water periods, in the Fox River.

 

A friend, caught a 22" LMB on a Charlie Bait, about a month ago, while practicing with his new muskie rod and reel outfit. He didn't know huge LMB were in the lake. Now he fishes it a few times a week.

[SmallieJonze]

No worries, Ken. I was sort of rushed, too. I almost always am. Otherwise I'd sit in the shop and pick your brain all day.

I usually do all my fishing in the early mornings from 5am til 9am (all Mrs. Sullivan lets me get away with) and haven't got much topwater action, at least not early on. Haven't got much subsurface action either. It'll pick up as the sun gets a little higher later in the morning. The jig/craw stuff has been productive right now. Specifically Warrior jigs with craw chunk trailers and skirted twin tail grubs on slider heads crawled super slow.

Tried the Charlie the other day and couldn't keep it from rolling....can't figure out why. It looks fine...no cracks in the lip etc... I'll have a closer look later. Maybe the lip got knocked crooked or something. I dunno...

[Dana Lee]

jamie, you take those to Pardee Lake and never look back. I use the storm swimbaits for BIG Largemouth, Huge crappie, and cats. never really tried 'em for small jaws. Those baits look like a million bucks!!! The lake record at Pardee was broken i think at least twice this year and i can honestly say i believe the next world record shall fall from that lake. im guessing a 25-26 in. smallie with a 20 in. girth.... CAN YOU IMAGINE?

[kend]

........

Tried the Charlie the other day and couldn't keep it from rolling....can't figure out why. It looks fine...no cracks in the lip etc... I'll have a closer look later. Maybe the lip got knocked crooked or something. I dunno...

 

The lure may have a distorted lip or the tie point (loop) is distorted.

 

Some shallow running lures will "rotate", when fished in moving waters---

due to the increased "pressure" on the lip, which causes it to roll.

 

It'll work better in the slower or slack water areas.

 

Tie the line direct to the split ring or use a snap---

NO SWIVEL!