These work very well

[joeD]

There is no need to spend money on air conditioning either. We've certainly survived without it. Sure is nice though.

One cannot have a home and a vehicle and a boat or canoe or kayak and time to fish and take trips, then moralize and rationalize about spending chump change on baits. Makes no sense. Look how much money one spends on fishing, then, one blanches at spending $15 dollars on a lure that might actually help catch fish?

Nonsense.

[Gavin]

Google up KVD's DAWGgone video on you tube for some good tips. he's working the bait tip up which is a good skill to learn in addition to tip down for short casts.look for the 3:24 version.

[Mitch f]

The last thing I would do after spending money on a boat, gas, food, sunscreen, etc. is to skimp on lures, especially with the factory hooks.

[Gavin]

I'm a tackle whore but it has made the difference. Size matters when your fishing a baitfish pattern. Amount of side to side or roll can make a difference as well. Probably have 30 walking baits in my smallmouth bag. Some cheap, some high dollar, some confidence, some new. Hardly ever lose one so the collection keeps,growing.

[Ham]

.....but I would willing to wager a milkshake I catch bigger river smallies than you catch lake smallies though

You know I fish creeks / rivers too right? I've caught big smallmouth in both scenarios in multiple states and multiple countries. It's not a big deal. I'm glad you're confident in your lures and your techniques.

[Al Agnew]

I don't go big on WTD lures to catch big fish, but I sure don't go small unless it's a small, extremely clear creek. Those the size of the Lucky Craft Sammy 100, Sexy Dawg Jr., or Super Spook Jr., in my opinion, are optimum size lures that will get big ones and numbers both in clear water. If the water has some color, I'll go bigger, like the Sammy 115. I never go smaller than the Sammy 85, but find a lot of use for the wooden ones I make that are about that length but slightly fatter. I like them in smaller, clearer streams partly due to the size, and partly due to lack of rattles. I'm going to make some bigger ones to see if a rattle-less lure in the optimum size will produce more big fish. I'm beginning to think rattles are being overdone in lures and it's possible that some of the big fish are getting too conditioned to avoiding lures that rattle.

And make no mistake, if you throw them in the summer and stick with them, much of the time you'll get PLENTY of action. But be prepared to have big fish break your heart when they blow up on the lure like it's World War III and don't get hooked. Some days you won't end up boating half or more of the fish that strike. It's like they hit it because they hate it, not to eat it. Other days, they are precision strikers and you hook most of them solidly. But even then, they often get enough leverage on leaps to throw that big, heavy lure. Still, many of my most memorable, heart-stopping strikes have come on WTD lures.

Rod length IS important, as is rod power and action, and it can be an individual thing. If you're having trouble making them walk well on one rod, try a different one, and especially a shorter one. My canoe topwater rod is a 5 footer. And the shorter rod will also make walking them while holding the rod tip high easier, and that's definitely useful, because you can walk them across strong current by holding the rod tip high and keeping most of the line off the water.

[joeD]

I just don't understand this need to be a lure martyr about spending a few extra dollars when you're going to the river in $40.000 truck and boat.

[fishinwrench]

I'm getting real attached to walking a FROG lately. The KVD sexy frog and/or the Kopper frog will walk really well once you get the hang of it and although I haven't used them for stream smallies the LM crush them like there's no tomorrow, and you can throw them absolutely anywhere without fear of hangups.

If one doesn't get stuck just throw it back at him and 80% of the time the fish will eat it again. That almost never happens with a hard bait.

[fishinwrench]

I just don't understand this need to be a lure martyr about spending a few extra dollars when you're going to the river in $40.000 truck and boat.

Oh I understand it. Do you wanna spend as much on every meal as you did to build your kitchen ?

Or buy a new lawnmower every time the grass needs cut ? No!

Guys with 40k boats whine like little girls over replacing 15.00 worth of gear lube all the time.

[joeD]

Smalliebigs, sorry, no good deed goes unpunished.