Warts?

[Versatile Futurian]

I'm just thinking about how many fish have seen wiggle warts in the Ozark area. I mean it has been a staple in every fisherman's box for years and will continue to be. Maybe a different crank would catch the bigger wiser fish that have been stuck by a wart in the past. What is everyone else's thought on this?

[Mitch f]

Sometimes two people can fish the same bait and one catches fish and the other guy doesn't. I think it has to do with the ability of the fisherman to fish the wart correctly and be able to cause fish to bite and also be able to detect bites ( yes detect bites) to be able to produce year after year. IMO the answer is no that a fish won't hit a wart because he has already been caught with one. I can see maybe up to 1 week memory before they will hit it again. But maybe I'm wrong

[Guest]

Sometimes two people can fish the same bait and one catches fish and the other guy doesn't. I think it has to do with the ability of the fisherman to fish the wart correctly and be able to cause fish to bite and also be able to detect bites ( yes detect bites) to be able to produce year after year. IMO the answer is no that a fish won't hit a wart because he has already been caught with one. I can see maybe up to 1 week memory before they will hit it again. But maybe I'm wrong

It took me 5 years of frustration to finally commit a rod & reel combo & line setup strictly for casting into high winds.

I've had my best results in the fall vs spring, but I'm a recent convert to the wiggle wart.

There's a bunch of runoff right now, with stained water too

Im not sure of the rainfall totals but things outta be lookin up for the wart bite.

Now, if I could just find a way to one-arm it

[Mitch f]

If you want to see the Wiggle Wart master, here he is!!

[dtrs5kprs]

That is a super video. Shows most of what you need to know.

The "pre-rapala" wart deal is getting totally out of hand though. Watched a Mo Craw new in box go for over $100 on Ebay this week. Over $20-30 for the regular craw colors. Good baits, but that is plum crazy. Could pay for a few years of Table Rock vacations if I sold some of my stashed baits.

You would think at some point Rapala would take the hint, and reintroduce the actual original plastic, paint, and rattles at premium prices. Or at least the craw colors. Can't believe they would be happy with the secondary market for the old baits. Guess they are too busy selling walleye baits with red and chartreuse lips.

[dtrs5kprs]

I'm just thinking about how many fish have seen wiggle warts in the Ozark area. I mean it has been a staple in every fisherman's box for years and will continue to be. Maybe a different crank would catch the bigger wiser fish that have been stuck by a wart in the past. What is everyone else's thought on this?

...and a mag wart or something like a fat free shad / bandit 250 will sometimes work if you just back off the 3-7' stuff that is getting pounded with the regular warts.

[Quillback]

Great video, thanks for posting it Mitch!

[Mitch f]

Yep, that video is very informative. Barker is the one who got Storm to put the snap swivels on the line tie.

[Smalliebigs]

Mitch, Barker is one of those guys that knows so much about fishing warts and that specific style of fishing it's really mind bogling......I just have to sit there and take it all in when I witness greatness such as him......you can learn a ton from people like him.

[ColdWaterFshr]

Eh, Barker . . he overheard me explaining to Roland Martin how to fish Warts one late evening at the old Rock Lane Lodge. We were trolling for spinnerbaits in the smoke filled lounge, talking up one particularly fine boozed-up specimen and Roland got all boastful about how he though the Hot-n-Tot was a superior bait and I had to shut him up cold and correct him in front of this broad he was hitting on that it was not a better bait and he just didn't know how to fish a Wart proper-like and of course there was Barker sidled up to us picking up some puppy dog table scraps. I remember him writing it down, and Good for Him that he knows how to take good notes and still be able to repeat it back all these years later.

Paul Dallas