This year I'm going to work on crank baits
And seeing how I have more then a few wiggle warts I'll be trying them
So who else throws them?
I have a couple pre Rapala in a few craw colors and the new ones as well
And have you noticed that the older ones work any better as well
It's my number one lure I throw. Brads lure looks almost the same. I buy used wiggle warts on line and at yard sales.
I like the "original series" and "mad flash series" for wiggle wart colors. Once in a while you will find older warts online in colors they don't manufacture any more. I still use them. I don't use a lot of those high end expensive cranks. I haven't seen any of those really out fish a wart, a Norman, a bomber, a bandit just to name a few. I've seen the Spro, the Lucky Craft, etc., which are higher end baits and I'm not really convinced they are any better than what I'm fishing with now. It's all about what you have confidence in.
BD. ;D
Try Fat Free Shads too.
Quote from: djkimmel on April 19, 2013, 08:43:43 PM
Try Fat Free Shads too.
Thanx,
I own those as well
It's a Excaliber bait that was some how bought or picked up by Bomber
But it's a much larger bait over a wiggle wart and they only make 2 craw colors
BPS had the wiggle warts for 3 some thing so I picked some more
I'm out to find out if the Old Pre rapala fish any better than the new ones.
They used lead rattles were the new ones have steel.
The original Wiggle Warts had a secret, cult-like following. Especially in a few specific colors. I have not tried any 'new' wiggle warts so I can't comment on that.
Fat Free Shads actually come in 3 or 4 sizes, along with suspending and floating. Or used to anyway. I have so many, I haven't bought many in a while so I'm not positive which models they are presently making.
The Fat Free Shad moniker is a little confusing because they use that name for the originally made famous large size, while marketing the whole line of lures under that name too. On St. Clair, I use the next 2 sizes down a lot more. Off the top of my head, I think they are the Fat Free Fry and the Fat Free Fingerling. I'm sure about the Fat Free Fry.
I mostly pick the size based on the depth I need to get to first, and the aggressiveness of the bass 2nd. Bigger for deeper, and bigger for more aggressive, and/or need bigger bass (aka the tournament kicker fish back when I was fishing all those tournaments)! During the summer, I mostly use the floater, and later in the year, I use the suspending lure more often.
Bomber put their own name on some Fat Free look-alikes a few times, often at a better price, and sometimes with some interesting colors.
As far as colors on St. Clair, I mostly used white, green and/or chartreuse, or brown. In May/June, I mixed in some red too because it worked. As far as this color number or that color number, I was interested in white, green / chartreuse, brown, and sometimes red. The fish didn't seem to care much more than that usually so why should I? Erie seemed similar to me though I used green or brown more often because sheepshead lika da white! My arms get tired... ;D
There have also been shallow and mid depth running Fat Free crankbaits. I've caught lots of bass on those too including the big bass of the 2000 BFL Mississippi River Regional (5-9) on white mid depth (they were hard to keep running straight bouncing off lots of wood).
I have a boatload of other crankbaits but I have lots and lots of Fat Free whatevers. If they're good enough for the bass, they're good enough for me...
I only have 2 or 3 original wiggle warts in the regular size left (chartreuse-herringbone for color fanatics). They are beat up and don't like to run right anymore. I caught lots of bass on various wigglers but I could cast other types better and caught as many or more bass. There are parts of the country where wiggle wart fever is so high that you feel you just have to have them in the boat. But I haven't been to those parts in quite a while.
I probably have a few old magnum wiggle warts somewhere, but I have completely forgot where I put them.
That just means, at some point, some day, I will open up an old cardboard box, or a dusty, rickety tackle box, and a whole bunch of old lures will be new all over again!!! Christmas!! ;D
We have been spanking bass already this year on the Scatter Rap Crank they can't resist dang things. I have been impressed with them so far. One of my employes is out right now and has been getting fish over 20 inches today on them near the shop.
I fished the original rapala when it had no rattle, and was made of wood. made in Finland. I still have some new ones in the box. Gold and black!, silver and black! WOW, AM I OLD.?
Quote from: raisinrat on April 29, 2013, 03:30:42 PM
We have been spanking bass already this year on the Scatter Rap Crank they can't resist dang things. I have been impressed with them so far. One of my employes is out right now and has been getting fish over 20 inches today on them near the shop.
That's like a timely, helpful fishing report! Thanks! :)
Quote from: djkimmel on April 29, 2013, 06:58:07 PM
Quote from: raisinrat on April 29, 2013, 03:30:42 PM
We have been spanking bass already this year on the Scatter Rap Crank they can't resist dang things. I have been impressed with them so far. One of my employes is out right now and has been getting fish over 20 inches today on them near the shop.
That's like a timely, helpful fishing report! Thanks! :)
Mike who works at the shop just got this out there while casting for bass looks like walleye like them also.
(https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/935151_10151594072165189_287473188_n.jpg)
(https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/603714_10151586152756136_1579379272_n.jpg)
I have a few 3700 boxes of both the regular size and Magnum wiggle warts in the pre-Rapala era. I use them on Table Rock lake, but have won some tournaments in Michigan with them as well. I probably throw Ram crankbaits and C-Flashes more in Michigan though.