White River Arm Report 2-26-12

[Bill Babler]

I'm using a Falcon Cara T7 jerkbait rod and using right now 8 pound maxi. When they starting getting really frisky I'll go to 10 pound.

[abkeenan]

I'm using a Falcon Cara T7 jerkbait rod and using right now 8 pound maxi. When they starting getting really frisky I'll go to 10 pound.

Thanks Bill. I have been using 10# Trilene 100% fluoro for two years and like it but have not even 1/1000th of your skill or knowledge on the jerker. Is there a reason you like using mono over fluoro for jerkbaits?

[ozarkgunner]

Bill,

I love the new pic. I'm a proud MU grad. MIZ!

[Bill Babler]

The Carbon sinks the jerkbait on any surface water temp. I weight my baits and suspend them in corlation with the current water temps, to suspend and slightly fall. If you fish a suspending stickbait on carbon it will sink as the line sinks, pulling the bait down from the nose.

To much and you are not in control. Also the Maxi is pretty thin diamenter and is very strong. Fishing 8 pound test it allows my bait to get where I want it to with the ability of get it loose if its hung and fight big fish with a bit of confidence. Just a personal preference deal.

Is that Tiger not great. Becky and I found it in a shop in San Antonio Tx. The minute I saw it I had to have it. It is a puppet and Becky makes it dance during the games. It relieves her stress. The puppet really likes it when Denmon hits those 3 balls.

[buckcreekmike]

The Carbon sinks the jerkbait on any surface water temp. I weight my baits and suspend them in corlation with the current water temps, to suspend and slightly fall. If you fish a suspending stickbait on carbon it will sink as the line sinks, pulling the bait down from the nose.

To much and you are not in control. Also the Maxi is pretty thin diamenter and is very strong. Fishing 8 pound test it allows my bait to get where I want it to with the ability of get it loose if its hung and fight big fish with a bit of confidence. Just a personal preference deal.

Is that Tiger not great. Becky and I found it in a shop in San Antonio Tx. The minute I saw it I had to have it. It is a puppet and Becky makes it dance during the games. It relieves her stress. The puppet really likes it when Denmon hits those 3 balls.

Isn't the reason that these baits cost from $15-$25 because they suspend perfectly, (I know it ain't because they are so durable!). I realize that water temp affects the suspending action too. I was using a Rick Clunn (Megabass clone) at LOZ, and couldn't get it any deeper than about 5'. Maybe it doesn't need to get any deeper I don't know, but if I start weighting it won't it not suspend, which I thought was the reason they caught fish so well in the first place. I also like the fact that if you get hung up and it's no deeper than about 5' you have a chance at saving it most times too. I broke out the lucky craft pointers too and they got to about 6' or so.

[dtrs5kprs]

Is that Tiger not great. Becky and I found it in a shop in San Antonio Tx. The minute I saw it I had to have it. It is a puppet and Becky makes it dance during the games. It relieves her stress. The puppet really likes it when Denmon hits those 3 balls.

I'll be kind and let this one go, lest we start something more divisve than A-rigs and eating brown fish .

[Bill Babler]

Buck Creek Mike, the suspending action of any bait is related to the water temperature. Most baits have a temp they will suspend on, say 50 degrees. If the surface temps are above and or below that the bait will react in accordance to the water temps. On warmer water most baits rise. On cooler water most sink, depending on the desired level of boyancy the manufactor sets the bait at.

The suspending feature of a bait is but a miniscule part of the cost. Weighting systems that prepel the bait on the cast, specific actions of the bait the hooks and split rings used and most of all the colors and paint of the baits and the quality of the manufactoring process are more about the cost than the suspending features.

A composite of all of these eliments as well as popularity, research and other factors are why they cost what they cost.

I have to constantly adjust my baits for boyancy throughout the day or choise baits I know will work as I desire them in certain water temps. Even baits that are the same, will most times suspend at different levels or rise or sink if you don't adjust them. Taking the line out of the process, lets me get the baits like I want it.

We have been fishing suspending stickbaits since the 60's here. I don't have a single bait that I fish out of the box. Every bait I have has been adjusted from a 8 dollar bait to a 30 dollar bait.

I easily have over 200 stickbaits. Complete weighed and painted by Buster Loving to custom baits by Tim Hughes. A good friend and fantastic fisher buddy of mine has 150 megabass baits with lots of them custom painted and everyone has been tunned and reworked and reweighted. Long winded explaination.

[Flippin]

Bill how do you know what depth you bait is suspending at?

[Bill Babler]

Yes. Usually takes me a while each day to determine that as I adjust to current water temps.

[Flippin]

Bill do you know what depth it is at?