25 BLOW-UPS ON SPOOK AND ONLY 2 IN THE BOAT

[Phil]

FINALLY GOT TO GO OUT FOR 2 HOURS YESTERDAY FROM 4:30 P.M. TO 6:30 P.M.

WHAT IS GOING ON. SPOOK BITE SEEMS TO BE AWSOME. BUT CAN'T SEEM TO GET A HOOK INTO THEM. FISH IN THE 2 TO 6 LB RANGE ARE BLOWING UP ON THESE SPOOKS. WHEN I DO HOOK ONE, IT COMES UN-BOTTONED ?? HUMMMMMMM???

FINALLY LANDED 2, ONE ALMOST BY MISTAKE, RIGHT AT THE BOAT A 3LB SMALLMOUTH CAME FROM 25 FT DEEP WHILE I WAS REELING IT IN TO RECAST (WOW).

JIGS

[Terry Smith]

Change color slightly

[g-man]

Follow up bait. Like a senko!

[sTony]

Have you changed out the hooks on the spook or are you throwing them with the hooks that come with the bait?

sTony

[Johnny C]

Pace!!!Steady constant pace...Lots of fish in the evening are guarding fry right now. As it calms down after the afternoon wind the fry will come to the surface. Some of these fish are not eating the bait on the first shot. Keep changing the pace and don't set until a strong pull!!!!

[Phil]

no, did not change the hooks, I did sharpen the hooks as I do on all my baits. Speed yeah I did that and slower produced more and larger blow-ups , it seemed. Probably just to excited, I try to say one thousand one before I set up, but yeah sure !!!!!!!! Spooks and Frogs are my worst !!

Thank guys

JIGS

[Joe W.]

I have a terrible time hooking up on spooks most of the time. I think I just get a bit too excited and try set up on them early. They have to really blast it for me to hook them. I love fishing spooks and any top water actually but I lose a lot of fish. It's not one of my strong points for sure.

[Rod Rinta]

One thousand one, is your problem. I never set before one thousand TWO. Try it.

[Otay Michael]

Do you stop the cadence when it gets hit? Don't.

I just keep reeling as if nothing happened, as sometimes nothing did as they missed it (which takes practice as it's common to swing on the sucker right away). If you just keep working it until you feel weight it's better, as a lot of times they see it 'trying to get away' after they missed it and hit at it again. If you pull hard trying to set the hook you take it too far away from them to allow them to hit it again. I've seen the same fish try to eat it two, three or even four times before I felt the weight and he had it. Sometimes you see them fighting for it with their buddy.

Of course, that's if they are trying to eat it. If just protecting fry they will just slash at it with no intent of eating it and nothing you can do. Sometimes, with sharper hooks, you will snag them when they do that. I do follow up with a plastic if it was an unusually large fish that hit it.

Sometimes it's just a small one that can't get it in his mouth anyways.

About them getting off: you must reel like crazy once you get one, as they will use the weight of the lure to throw it if you give them one inch of loose line. Reel it in as if your life depended on it and you'll land a ton more fish. Frog fish too. I've just started doing this and I'm landing a lot more. Noticed the pros on the videos reel like crazy and that gave me the idea to follow suit. It's not rocket science but it's just as complicated.

Hope that helps.

[big_gorilla]

This is hard to do for most people but if you think your in the right area work the bait about five feet and stop it. Let it just sit there for a while. They will hit it while it sits there. I learned this at Clear lake two years ago.

Change the hooks out.

I know its a blast just to watch them hit it but its funner when land them.

Good luck!

[Phil]

YOU GUYS SEE THE HUGE HOOKS ON THESE ZARA SPOOKS.....CHANGE TO WHAT ????

[Guest]

I agree slow down the pace of the rips or switch over to a popper or smaller bait.

[Phil]

I agree with the follow-ups with senkos etc, and smaller baits poppers,slow down etc etc.... I just wanted to know about the spook and suggestons on it..

Thanks to all for your response's

JIGS

[NaCl]

of the spook. It has the effect of making the sppok look like a small fish chasing a shallow minnow and it seems to generate better hits on the spook. I suspect the simulated "feeding" action triggers the same instinct in the bass towards the spook.

Of course, smaller bass might eat the front runner instead of the spook and, on a couple occasions, I've had double hookups doing this.

.....NaCl

[NaCl]

I always change out the hooks on a spook or superspook. And I add a feathered treble on the tail.

.....NaCl

[Joe W.]

Couple things. I saw someone fishing some sort of top water lure with something tied on ahead of it at Pedro last Saturday. The guy was fishing the ranger tourney. I talked to him as well pulled out of camp on our boat.

What was he fishing? what is a front runner?

Thanks.

[kb]

Jigs

The hoks that come on the Super Spook are size 4 trebles and they are horrible. I always swap the hooks out on the bait. There are two hooks that work pretty well but my choice when fishing around alot of big largemouth are 2 2X Size 2 Round Bend Gamakatsu on the front and back and a size 4 2x round bend in the middle. You also need to swap out the split rings on the bait to a heavier model. I have never been a big fan of feathers on the spook as I think it attracts the fish to the back of the bait.

The missed fish can be several things but one of them is post spawn fish often jump over the bait and even behind it. They are not trying to eat it but don't like it where it is. You can try a Rico on those fish and often get them to bite (don't be afraid to swap out a #4 round bend treble on the belly of your Rico)

Yoiu have to let the fish tell you how they want the bait (fast, slow, stopped, erratic) It is never the same.

keep throwing it!
kb

[Blue_R70]

Couple things. I saw someone fishing some sort of top water lure with something tied on ahead of it at Pedro last Saturday. The guy was fishing the ranger tourney. I talked to him as well pulled out of camp on our boat.

What was he fishing? what is a front runner?

Thanks.

Clicky: Front Runner

[lionkiller]

YOU GUYS SEE THE HUGE HOOKS ON THESE ZARA SPOOKS.....CHANGE TO WHAT ????

Same size Gami's...feathered trailer hook..called 'stinger' I think. The stock hooks aren't too great... will bend straight with a big enough fish. Happened to my buddy on a striper last week.

AND.......add a #3 (I think...) split ring. This allows the hook to swing more freely. No trouble hooking up here at CL or on those Mendo stripers!

[JustinD]

Maybe just wait a few seconds before any set. Make sure you feel the fish. Just my 2 cents worth.

[Dynastyworms]

Jigs,

What line do you use? With topwater i use braid. I never count i just keep on twitching the bait. When I get short strikes, I take the back hook off and tie it to a 4-6in braid leader, then tie it to the spook. Give'n you the same bait with a greater hooking range.

just my .02
Zach

[Phil]

7 FT HEAVY ROD 17LB TRILENE MONO LINE, THIS IS THE HEDDON ZARA SPOOK, COMES WITH TWO NUMBER #1 HOOKS, SHARP.

[Dynastyworms]

might be your line. Line that strech's and bigger hooks. harder to set on long cast. IMO

z

[DeltaDan]

This post is a WEALTH of info !!

[Ridge_Runner20]

7 FT HEAVY ROD

Hey Jigs,

That could be a big part of your problem right there. I always throw a Spook with a moderate action, graphite-composite rod (like you would for crankbaits). Personally, I use the Bass Pro Shops Crankin' Stick in the 7' MH action. The composite blank and moderate, parabolic action have the perfect amount of "give" in the top half of the rod, but still plenty of butt strength to get them moving toward you. A heavy action graphite rod (particularly a heavy, fast action graphite rod) has nearly immediate flex recovery, and you'll be very likely to pull the bait away from the fish prematurely. And even if you do manage to get a hook into them, that stout tip, coupled with the leverage a fish can generate twisting and turning those two big treble hooks, can really prove detrimental. Try the "softer" action of a composite or glass rod; you'll be glad you did.

As for the hooks, on a regular Spook, I simply remove the stock hooks, put two oversized split rings onto two #1 Gamakatsu 2X trebles and slide them back onto the hook hangers. The trebles will now swing much more freely under the bait, and your strike to hookup ratio will go way up. I'm also not a big fan of the feathered rear treble, partly because of what kb said and partly because I think it tends to hinder the action a bit... but that's just my opinion.

Hope this helps.

RR_20

[Joe W.]

Couple things. I saw someone fishing some sort of top water lure with something tied on ahead of it at Pedro last Saturday. The guy was fishing the ranger tourney. I talked to him as well pulled out of camp on our boat.

What was he fishing? what is a front runner?

Thanks.

Clicky: Front Runner

Thank you sir!

[Phil]

OK THANKS GUYS

GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU AT THE FPT TOMORROW AT DON PEDRO
AND ABA AT MC CLURE TOMORROW

AND

100% AT DON PEDRO SUNDAY

JIGS