what "other" baits are you guys using for great lakes smallmouth, besides your standard erie darters, tubes, and cranks? anyone have a good hand pour like an erie darter, looking to show the fish something a little different.
nemesis baits makes some outstanding gobies. xtemebass tackle for tubes.
I know a lot of guys that drop shot for smallies all the time, shallow and deep. Dartag was big into a couple years ago I don't know how much he still does it?
Try the Jackall Crosstail Shad.
Alot of guys are using Zipper Worm Company Pudgy's, shot worms and 3" lil Thumpers on LSC and Grand Traverse Bay. www.zipperwormcompany.com Awesome hand pours....
Cant go wrong with berkley gulp alive minnow s and leaches
I second the Berkely Gulp leeches.
I too favor the large black Berkley Gulp leeches on St. Clair and Erie. In the Great NW corner lakes, you can't go wrong with a 4 inch curly tail grub fished on a lead head hook exposed. Slick days on St. Clair I've done well with it as well.
Also check out Revolution Baits gobie. Its alot bulkier than you usual gobie plastic and has done very well on both erie and st. clair.
Quote from: Cheetam on April 01, 2012, 10:09:45 PM
Try the Jackall Crosstail Shad.
O yea ..... ;D ;D & Super crosstail shad
how are you guys riggin the Berkely Gulp leeches ?
Quote from: Weedsnager on April 02, 2012, 10:13:17 PM
how are you guys riggin the Berkely Gulp leeches ?
I dropshot them. I nose hook them with a size 1 gammy split shot hook.
Wow, y'all just give up the ghost eh ?
Try this - springtime rattle traps - jerk baits, Especially in the spring - my first 6 lbr came on the LC chartreuse shad 100 ct. And white spinnerbaits in 6 fow - kustom kicker has a high quality 1/2 oz thats survived a whole summer and countless smally beatings.
Summertime is all NEmisis 3 inch, tubes from Xtreme bass tackle (obvious) Berkley gulp minnows, and if you want to try something new, PM and I'll hook you up with a dynamite alternative. That rocks deep in the rivers.
Reaction Innovations Smallie Beaver. Hands down my favorite bait for smallies.
Except here on Table Rock Lake (where I am as I type this). So far this week It seems to be shakey head worms in watermellon black flake or a blue pearl grub swam slowly near the bottom.
Mojo beat me to the post I would have made. Only one addition perhaps. Wayne C. talks about using hula grubs in areas of current on a 3 way rig.
Mojo, I believe that dynamite in the deep river is not a legal bait. Not even if you put frog legs on it. :o :o :o
Look guys. If it ain't broke don't fix it. It is a know brainer. Drift and drag tubs. Any color in lake Erie as long as it's green, or made by Wayne C.
Quote from: Got Fish?? on April 03, 2012, 05:12:59 PM
Look guys. If it ain't broke don't fix it. It is a know brainer. Drift and drag tubs. Any color in lake Erie as long as it's green, or made by Wayne C.
Yeah buddy !!!!!!!
Quote from: Got Fish?? on April 03, 2012, 05:12:59 PM
Look guys. If it ain't broke don't fix it. It is a know brainer. Drift and drag tubs. Any color in lake Erie as long as it's green, or made by Wayne C.
No one drifts and drags tube on southern lake michigan......when you head out on the weekend on the south end of the lake there can be a ton of boats out there, and alot of people fishing the same area, i wanted some ideas on showing the fish something a little different.
Early and late in the year, try blade baits too.
Quote from: stackenem on April 03, 2012, 04:27:23 PM
Mojo, I believe that dynamite in the deep river is not a legal bait. Not even if you put frog legs on it. :o :o :o
Speaking of - you get your popper frog ? Enjoy my friend.. ...
One more question about the gulp leech, are you guys using 3" or 5" ?
When I've used it for bass, I've used the 5" with better success. You do lose a bunch of them some days so I don't use them a lot anymore.
Mojo, Yes I did and thank you.
I would say i have more success on the 3" leeches. As Dan says you can lose a lot of them. I super glue the noses of just about all my soft plastic baits to keep from balling up or ripping off. I dont know if there is a scent with the glue but i give the baits a good dose of yum F2 spray.
Once the water is above 60 F give the Heddon Super Spook a try. It's a big fish bait on LSC. I throw the Okie Shad color.
On the Gulp leeches, I found the pumpkin color to produce the best(maybe it represents a Gobie)? Last summer on Erie I found to get 2x bites using pumpkin vs. black (5inchers).
The guys from SWAG. Through some spinnerbaits together for me. They call them Lake Michigan Ailwhite. I am going to be on Lake Michigan opening week for catch and release. I'm going to throw them, I'll let ya know when I get back. How well I did.
I catch a lot of smallies on a 3/8 ounce black jig with a black poorboys trailer. All the way from Chicago to NewYork.
Well I'm back from Elk Rapids. We did not get a chance to throw those spinnerbaits put to gether by S.W.A.G. The lake was producing large waves and we could not get out on the big water.
Ya shoulda followed me over to Intermideate Lake GFish. We slammed um yesterday . Today not so much just males. Not much wind either . Today the sun just turned them completely off.