Current Fishing Report April 7th. 2015 Baxter, Missouri

[DavidB]

What a helpful report! Thanks, Bill. I look forward

to using the Varmint and the Wobblehead when we make our annual trek from Louisiana the last

week of April.

[Champ188]

Bill great report! Thank you! May I ask what you are trailing on your wobble head?

Enforcer, I'm certainly not Bill, but any number of things will work on the swing head. Strike King's Rage Tail series added the Menace grub a couple of years back and it works extremely well. That's what Mark Davis caught a lot of his fish on last year when he finished second to Mike McClelland in the Elite Series derby up here.

Other good choices include the Berkley Havoc Pit Boss, a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver or even the middle-size Zoom Brush Hog (Baby Brush Hog, I believe). Donna caught some last year throwing a regular old green pumpkin/chartreuse tail Zoom lizard.

[Bass Enforcer]

Thanks champ. The pit boss has certainly become one of my favorite trailers. Often times that is what I pair up with my football jig. Thanks again.

[Bill Babler]

What he said james hit it square

[Pepe]

Winding it like an idiot bait was the hardest part for me. Tried it last year and started by dragging or shaking it. Eventually tried just slow rolling it along and got it going. It is an idiot bait in the extreme, but it works.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "an idiot bait in the extreme". Please explain.

[Sac River Jim]

Enforcer, I'm certainly not Bill, but any number of things will work on the swing head. Strike King's Rage Tail series added the Menace grub a couple of years back and it works extremely well. That's what Mark Davis caught a lot of his fish on last year when he finished second to Mike McClelland in the Elite Series derby up here.

Other good choices include the Berkley Havoc Pit Boss, a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver or even the middle-size Zoom Brush Hog (Baby Brush Hog, I believe). Donna caught some last year throwing a regular old green pumpkin/chartreuse tail Zoom lizard.

I agree with Champ I use a wobble head year round with several different baits. this time of year try skin hooking a big bite baits craw tube in grn pumpkin/orange and hang on cause the smallies will tear it to pieces. i slow roll it just like Bill explained but with the craw tube i'll pause it for a couple seconds raise my rod tip let it glide back to the bottom then slow roll it again. alot of times they will hit from behind on the glide. when you start cranking it the rod will start loading up then set the steel to them.

[dtrs5kprs]

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "an idiot bait in the extreme". Please explain.

Like a soft version of slow rolling a rat-l-trap. Very little thought required, beyond getting on the right place and fish, and dialing in the speed. It is stupid simple chunking and winding. Easier than slow rolling a blade (no blades to fight and wear your wrists out), not like fighting to keep a crank digging, throws better than a grub, allows use of casting gear if you prefer it, etc.

No doubt it can be fine tuned, and I love tweaking setups to maximize effectiveness. But at its most basic you just tie it on, rig it up, chunk, wind, repeat. And unlike a lipped crank, it will do it at any depth you want to fish.

[dtrs5kprs]

I agree with Champ I use a wobble head year round with several different baits. this time of year try skin hooking a big bite baits craw tube in grn pumpkin/orange and hang on cause the smallies will tear it to pieces. i slow roll it just like Bill explained but with the craw tube i'll pause it for a couple seconds raise my rod tip let it glide back to the bottom then slow roll it again. alot of times they will hit from behind on the glide. when you start cranking it the rod will start loading up then set the steel to them.

Those craw tubes are good baits. Can drag them deep, flip them in bushes, or put them in beds. I've had some folks at TR laugh at them, but I have pretty thick skin when I know something works...

After shredding up a bunch of rage baits last year I added shrink tube keepers on most of my swing heads. That also lets me run Zman baits. The turbo crawz (think small speed craw) is a good one for it, and I plan to try their version of a beaver this year. Have to think they would eat about anything that has a lot of flap and wiggle to it, and might also be a good way to more or less scrub a single tail grub.

[Sac River Jim]

Those craw tubes are good baits. Can drag them deep, flip them in bushes, or put them in beds. I've had some folks at TR laugh at them, but I have pretty thick skin when I know something works...

After shredding up a bunch of rage baits last year I added shrink tube keepers on most of my swing heads. That also lets me run Zman baits. The turbo crawz (think small speed craw) is a good one for it, and I plan to try their version of a beaver this year. Have to think they would eat about anything that has a lot of flap and wiggle to it, and might also be a good way to more or less scrub a single tail grub.

yeppers Dave I catch all kinds of crap when my buddies see a craw tube on my deck. Dill asked me the other day after the Reeves Bros on Stockton if I throwed that stupid thing again I said yeppers but I failed to mention I had three keeps on it

we took 3rd that day

[Champ188]

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "an idiot bait in the extreme". Please explain.

Pepe, I assure you Dave meant no disrespect. Even the best of the crank bait fishermen back in the 80's called them idiot baits, and the term kind of morphed from there to apply to pretty much any winding-type lure. If anyone was gonna take offense it would be me ... I'm far more of a winder than a dragger.