Conference wahoo::fishing

    I've never used a slug-o, but I use grubs all the time.  
    
    You mention 'not to mention' gitzits, but I put grubs and gitzits in
    the same category and fish them interchangably. 
    
    I almost always have a 1/16oz leadhead with either a grub or gitzit on
    a spinning rod.  My favorite color is probably white for grubs, usually
    3-4".  For river smallie fishing I find this lure tough to beat.  I'll
    usually prefer a grub over a gitzit in rivers, but often use a gitzit
    in lakes.  I like the tail action the river current puts on the curly
    tail grub.
    
    Here's of my favorite river grub patterns that won the NH DEC tournament
    for me and Ed, and won last weekend's NHB tourny for me.
    
    Try tossing a 1/16oz grub up a fast white water that's dumping into a
    river, be it the main channel or a feeder creek.   Let the current wash 
    the grub downstream.  The smallies will often be waiting in line to 
    grab the next critter that is washing down stream.  Keep your line tight, 
    watch it close and wait for a tap, or for it to stop or change direction 
    suddenly, when it does (and it often will), set the hook frimly, with
    the small 1/16oz leadhead there is not much hook there so you have to
    be careful.  Keep the rod tip low to keep the fish in the water, if he
    jumps he may be history.
    
    If you pick up a couple fish on one color, when the action slows,
    change colors - you'll often pickup others.  When you have run out of
    colors to try, try changing to something heavier, like a jig-n-pig.
    There will often be nice fish holding a little deeper just waiting for
    a big ol crawdad to come by.
    
    donmac - who may be sorry he shared this come the next river tourny 8^)  

    
    
    	I don't consider them a worm...some may.  But the finesse lures
    	such as the green meenie I've found...with help from the Kiv...
    	to be great when hooked in the center and thrown without weight.
    	Twitch them just under the surface.  The slow drop in between 
    	tugs...seems to be when the strike occurs.  
    
    	Keith.....not_Gitzit'_for_this_note
    

    Git, oops, I mean "Keith", 8^)
    
    Glad to hear that reference to fishing the finesse baits like that 
    (weightless hooked in the middle), that's the first 'first hand' 
    experience I've heard using that.  I've been meaning to give that 
    a try...  Looks pretty silly, but appears to work real well.
    
    donmac

    Keith
    
    I don't understand what you mean by hook in the middle.  The meenies I
    have are shaped like a leech body is sort of s shaped.  Don't you need
    the weight in the head to make it sink and get that ripple effect? 
    When you hook in the middle do you thread the hook through and up into
    the fin areas or expose the hook out the other side.  I switched to a
    1/8th ounce head and that seemed to slow the fall way down.  Also what
    hook size do you use?
    
    DonMac  How big is the hook on a 1/16 oz jig head?
    
    As far as the slug-oh's they work very well when you hook the silly
    things right.  I made the mistake of burying the hook in the body like
    a texas rigged worm.  When you expose the hook on the top it makes it
    easier to hookset.  I tried a trailer hook but that cut the action way
    down on the slug.  you surface retrieve these things slowly and they
    swim just like a snake.
    
    Brian

    
    
    	YO! Brian....the ones we use are 4" straight bodied.  We hook
    	them in the middle...ie....2" on either side of the hook.  The 
    	hook is DEFINITELY exposed, it is just run through the width of
    	the body once.  The hook we use is a 1/0 short shanked wide gap hook.
    	Some people refer to them as a flounder hook....not being a salt...I 
    	don't know if that is a true representation.
    
    	As for the weight....the intent of going with just the hook is
    	to minimize the weight...and slow down the drop...with this 
    	set up...the lure doesn't drop....it "settles" to the bottom.
      	The retrieve is slowly work it just under the surface....stop...let 
    	it settle some...then repeat.
    
    	Kiv and I were so successful with this set-up one day catching
    	smallies....that a boat watching us ask if we were JUST smallmouth
    	fishing..we replied...."of course...not much skill in catching a
    	largemouth"...:-)	
    
    	The drawback with this set up...and lack of weight is that it
    	usually leads to a "nest" because the line doesn't have much
    	tension as you retrieve it.
    	
    	The Kiv was the one that came up with this and has been successful 
    	using this in 8 to 10 feet of water...I tend to bump the shore with 
    	it.
    
    
    	Git...er....Keith

    
    
     W O W !!!!! Thankyou so much Gitzit. Yes this method has been quite
     successful, mostly in the "postspon" period. Oh by the way, these
     hooks are "gold" yes gold i know what you may be thinking, "eye sore".
    
      Well your right!!!  it's not the most attractive thing in the world
      but  IT WORKS.  
    
                                                       thankyou <--ha ha
                                                           kiv
     p.s  If you care...these hooks can be found @
          The Fishing Tackle Annex
          14 River St.
          Hudson, MA 01749
    
    p.s.s Keep the address Jack loves Christmas Cards...
                                                         

    Re .5>


    >	                The hook we use is a 1/0 short shanked wide gap hook.
    >	Some people refer to them as a flounder hook....not being a salt...I 
    >	don't know if that is a true representation.
    
    Nope...flounder hooks are long shanked narrow gapped hooks.

    MAYBE THAY WERE FLUKE HOOKS...HA HA HA
    
                                                 YOUR FAVORITE WISEGUY
      
                                                        KIV
    I'LL FIND OUT FOR YA. OH WAIT A MINUTE !!!
    
     BASSIN' BOB REMEMBER I SHOWED THEM TO YOU ???  WHATS YOUR GUESS?

    
       C'mon Murph!  Remember I use them in Fla. for bait fishing?
    What he's trying to tell everyone is Kahle wide gap hooks by Eagle
    Claw!  They look pretty silly in that little worm but they sure work!
    Oh ya, they twist your line up too!  I'm gonna make you sign statements
    when I give you info from now on!
    						B.C.

    
    	Mr Ota.....[yikes...respect]...clue us in.  You trying any of these
    	killer techniques????.....what maybe ten in the boat...nothing
    	under two pounds??
    	
    	Actually....interested if you have.
    
    	Gitzit'
    
    
    

    Well Gitzit
    
    The truth of the matter is with the colder temps coming up, I believe
    slowfalling rubber baits look attractive to the slower moving bass.  so
    I have been trying an assortment out for the upcoming Sept 30 tournie. 
    I will say a couple of things I have tried worked and will be happy to
    share them Oct 1.
    
    By the way I tried some rubber Salamanders.  I used a carolina rig
    hooked into the middle.  This allowed a slow fall and the body floated
    tail up like a salamander diving.  It worked (classified until after
    the tournie)
    
    Brian

    Plastic salamanders are deadly. Try rigging them texas style especially
    in the spring time!!!  

    what do you guys think of all the impregnated baits.  I mean you see
    ones with salt, amino acids and garlic.  Do you think they make a
    difference?
    
    Brian

    For the record, let me say that I have never impregnated a bait.
    
    I don't care what you've heard.
    
    -SSS-
    

    I use a lot of salt worms,  Fish seem to hold on to them a little
    longer.
    
    Les

    RE: .13
    
    Split Shot Steve:
    
    That is one of the funniest notes I've ever seen in this file. 
    Especially picturing you delivering the line in deadpan fashion.
    
    Good humor for a change!
    
    Tim,
    

    Anybody know where to find Slug-gos in the northern Mass or southern NH
    area? Does Zylas have them?
    
    My brother and I are planning a two-day fishing excursion this coming
    weekend and I'd like to try Slug-gos if I can find them nearby. I live 
    in Chelmsford and work in Nashua, so anywhere in that area would be 
    ideal.
    
    Kingston (NE Bass Supply) seems a bit out of the way...
    
    Ed

    
    "Fishing Tackle Annex" located in a barn behind a fire station in
    downtown Hudson Mass.  14 River St  (508)568-0575. Take the Rte 62 exit
    off 495, go about a mile its on the right just before the rotary.
    
    I know they have slug-gos, just bought some. It may be a little farther
    than you go, but they're there.

    
    
    Howdy Ed,
    
    I know Northern Bass Supply in Brentwood New Hampshire has them 
    as well as all sorts of goodies.  Brentwood is just north of Kingston
    N.H. on rte 125. 
    
    Gus.
    
    P.S.  I've found that the Alewive color is a GREAT color, with
          Tennessee Shad right up there as well.
    
    If you need more info on N.B.S. send me mail and I'll give all
    the gory details.....
    
    
    

    Ed
    
    Barnacle Bills on 117 in littleton also carries them
    
    Brian

    Thanks, guys. Littleton sounds like the best bet so far.
    
    Anyone know if Zyla's has 'em?
    
    BTW I called Sportsman's Trading Co. (down the street in Nashua) to see 
    if they had them, and the guy (somewhat impatiently) says "I dunno, come 
    down and look around..." I almost didn't go, but I took a few minutes 
    during lunch. They had less than ONE WALL (about 10 ft) of fishing lures. 
    It took me 30 seconds to see that they didn't have any... and I burned up
    3-4 miles worth of gas and a good chunk of my lunch hour to find out what
    that guy could've told me by taking a few extra seconds of his time.
    
    They won't see me again...
    
    Ed

    
    RE: .20
    
    Barnacle Bill's is on route *119* in Littleton, not 117.  The shop
    is located about a mile or two west of 495.  
    
    Rick

    Zyla's does not have them. I live in Merrimack and go often. NBS in
    Brentwood does. As the Bandit says, the 'house of plastic' behind
    the Hudson Mass fire station does too.

    How has your luck been with the Slug-gos?   I had some really visious
    strikes while fishing them over lily pads and very heavy weeds but did
    not get any hookups. The way you have to hookem and the size makes it
    very hard to set right.  
    
    for those of you with luck are you using them as topwaters or letting
    them sink some?
    
    Brian

Hey Brian,

All the people in my club us these babies with un-believeable success...We use
a 3/0 off shank hook and let them sink to the bottom( even when fishing pads).
You know how you just shake a gitzit on the bottom, do the same with the sluggo.
Many times you will get a pickup on the fall and not know the fish is there, 
thats why we twitch it a little after it gets on the bottom...Its a great bait,
I talked to Herb Reed last year about how it should be fished and he had a lot
of GREAT pointers.........

"Words for the Brothers of the Fin"

Bigbird

    I have hooked and landed(some) in two ways. My experience, or success
    has been on top as soon as the Slug-go hits the water. The other, and more
    successful way was whwn the lure went to the bottom and was lifted. I have
    not had any luck reeling them in. I have used them a fair amount. I do
    think one thing that may have impacted there fish catching ability has
    been the way they are hooked. It is crucial that the hook be placed just 
    right or the lure does not swim right. May have been my problem with 
    the swimming technique. 
    
    Hooking is another real test. You have to let the fish take the lure for
    a few seconds. Another thing, I used the hooks that come with the lure,
    and I switched to 5/0 Gamakatsu (suggestion from the folks at NBS). 
    Hook-ups were better. 
    
    For me, I am not sure it is a lure that I will depend on. I will give it 
    another year and see if I can make adjustment. 
    
    One thing I really liked about the lure was the way it casts. I use an 
    All-Star TWS with a Abu-Garcia 521 and it is a sweet combination. I am
    refering to the 6" lure. I had more success with red shad than any
    other color.
     
    Ed
    

     Ed, talk to me about the TWS. What kinda lures and types of fishin' do
    you generally do with it ? Do you like the 6'6" length better ? How is
    it in the wind ?
    
    --The Skoal Bandit (A SERIOUS All Star Freak)

    Just read an interesting article in this months In-fisherman on Rubber
    Crawfish.  I have been using the Salty Craws as tips for jigs with a
    moderate amount of success.  Who else uses rubber craws and whats your
    favorite type and technique?
    
    Brian
    
    PS
    
    Did anyone catch the Roland Martin show this week.  He showed an
    interesting way to rig a rubber salamander.   He ran the hook
    completely through the head so that the line and eye came out. He then 
    inserted the barb into the body texas style but moved the knot so it
    was parrallell to the barb and ran only the knot back into the head.  With
    the eyelet free he used a walk the dog type retrieve and that made the
    salamander really swim back and forth like the real mcoy.

    I just spent the weekend up in Maine doing some very hard post spawn
    fishing.  We tried deep and shallow 5-10 feet and it was hard slow
    fishing.  What worked however was when we moved into extremely shallow
    1-2 feet and in the thickest part of the weeds(had to pole in the
    motors would just jam up)  We fished sluggo's both the 4" and the 6"
    and what a bunch of fun that was.  The bass (average 2lbs) nailed those
    babies like no tomorrow.  We rigged them using the Gamatsu 5/0 hooks
    rigged as described on the package with one exception.  Once the point
    of the hook comes out bury just the tip back into the body.  That makes
    it truly weedless.  I used a walk the dog retrieve and you should see the
    action these have.  It however, has one significant and very major
    drawback, line twist.  No matter how carefully we rigged them, major
    line twist which results in loops which results in birdnesting
    somewhere in the middle of the day happens.  
    
    There is one story I like.  We were fishing some great shallows loaded
    with treestumps lily beds etc.  A very large Nitro cut  us off big
    time.  Pissed me off.  As soon as they moved out of that spot, I went
    in and fished it and pulled 4 2lb largemouths where they had zero. 
    Those guys started yelling we were using live bait etc.  I followed
    behnind them for the rest of the morning pulling bass when they caught
    zippo.  Justice I love it.
    
    Brian

    Brian,
    
    In a recent article in In-Fisherman, Rick Zaleski suggests using Sluggos 
    the same way you did. Sounds like he was right. What color(s) worked
    for you?
    
    You used 5/0 hooks? Sounds a little BIG to me. (That's what they recommend?)
    I've used 2/0 hooks on the 4" sluggo with good success (with a slip
    sinker about 18" up from the lure).
    
    I tried the 6" sluggo (red shiner) last saturday, but had no success.
    (But they sure LOOKED good!) Caught 3 good sized largemouth on a 
    chart. grub, though.
    
    Ed
    

    BTW, I've used small, black snap swivels with the sluggos and had no
    problem with line twist.
    

    The best color was Arkansa Shad a brown and light brown color, also the
    grape colored one worked well and in the 6" I used clear with speckles
    in it.   The six inch one requires patience.  You have to let the bass
    take it for awhile count to 3.  Its a long bait and the 5/0 only comes
    down 1/3 of the way.  But this bait is so real to a bass they hold it
    and keep hitting it all the way in.  My brother lost a couple that were
    in the air before they finally let it go.
    
    I would't go any less  than a 4/0 on the 4 1/2" sluggos in fact I
    switched to the 5/0 for both sizes.  You need the length and size to
    get a good solid hookset.  Also I thought of a swivel but I really
    think that it will greatly diminish the action and weedlessness of the
    bait.  I was literraly bouncing this stuff off grass and lily pads
    anything like a swivel would have hung it up.
    
    Brian

    Ah, yes... weeds and pads... No, I wouldn't recommend swivels in that
    environment.
    
    HOWEVER... I have experimented with using "fly snaps" - tiny snaps
    employed by fly fishermen - and have had good luck with them. And they
    are very convenient. As small as they are, they seem quite strong, and 
    are so small as to be negligible as far as weight is concerned - and you 
    can bury them in any plastic bait, too. Rather hard to find, however. 
    Most places that sell mainstream fishing stuff don't seem to carry them...
    
    Ed

    
    
       I have used Slug-Go's with moderate success.  But I picked up a bag
    of Mann's new Shadow the other day...  first cast 1 1/2 lb. largemouth.
    I've caught fish consistently using the Shadow.  It is shaped like a 
    bait fish and has a little different action than the Slug-go.  If you
    like the Slug-go I think you'll like the shadow just as well.  Give it
    a try.
    
    
    Bear
    
    

    Bear
    
    I used the shadow and the new culprit jerkbait.  Both have very
    differenct actions than the sluggo.  I feel that they are actually less
    lively but the shape is more like a baitfish.  I also like the fact
    that the Jerkbait has a hollow cavity that the hookpoint comes out and
    rests in so you don't have to pull the hook through an 1/2 inch of
    rubber (sluggos) for a hookset.
    
    Brian