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I would never make a statement saying there is no substitute for Rage Tail, because that is not true. These are all tools of the trade we need to assist us in catching fish. How you use them is up to you. There are many guys on this site that hand pour or use plastic injection systems that make craws. I've used them and they work just as well if not better than Rage Tail. So what makes Rage Tail so special, just because they are a sponsor and we have to promote them to our last dying breath. C'mon guys there is no one perfect plastic and many other brands catch a lot of fish as well. I would like to see what the response here would be if Netbait became a sponsor as well. What would would everyone say then? Would we have Rage Tail, Paca Chunk wars?????Just my persoanl opinion, if you want to delete this post go ahead. PS: With that kind of thinking since I own a Ranger than it's OK to make a general statement and say that there is no substitute for a Ranger boat? Senkosam, I like that you think outside the box and are trying new things and exposing everyone to new ideas. Job well done and I commend you on your ingenuity on posting other plastic baits as well in other threads on this site.

Where else can you dump all your available cash and not be expected to have anything to show for it. It ranks right up there with golf and weather forecasting.

Wow!!! Thanks for all the support and relevant opinions!!! They are not a reasonable facsimile. They are unique in tail action and so far have helped me catch over ten bass and many pickerel either swimming the lure or jigging in 15'. Brand loyalty is fine until someone or other company can produce a lure that is uniquely better, the same and/or cheaper. The companies mentioned produce great baits, but now with companies like Basstackle owned by a great guy named Bob I've been doing business for years (who produced the laser cut craw mold), the hobby of lure creation and design is no longer limited to those with the means to mass produce and protect with design patents. Unless I've actually tried a bait, I can't make an informed comment of its usefulness or characteristics, negative or positive nor comparisons. I don't promote companies nor sell baits so I have no reason to hype something I didn't strongly feel could blow away fellow bass anglers hungry for information that another had discovered and was blown away by successes. Thanks again for keeping an open mind. It's what make the sport interesting and challenging and for independent thinkers, extremely satisfying. Frank (Someone asked if I make my own jigs. I don't and buy them without skirts online. I add skirts from a site that is exceptional in color choices, price and service - bar none. Sadly of the many colors I've purchased (around 50), I still gravitate to using only a few that always work.)

Because shooting at them is dangerous.

First understand that the larger bass are not boys, they are girls. The next factor to consider is the larger size bass are adults, not juveniles and have lived over 4 seasons. These larger bass can go anywhere they are comfortable and eat nearly anything they choose. The one thing these big girls do is spawn ounce a year, which means pre spawn and spawn cycle is the time these larger bass are vulnerable to being caught then at any other seasonal period. The next 2 months in your region will be your best opportunity to catch larger bass. You can rely on finding the magic panacea lure or learn where the larger size bass are located. Study the lakes you fish, find out where they spawn and locate the deeper staging areas where these bass hold during the pre spawn period. These bass will be in deeper water than the younger and smaller bass. Swimbaits are a choice, jigs works good, big soft plastic worms are good, a smaller size A rig can be very good and don't overlook a wake bait. All those lures will catch big bass fished correctly in the right places. Tom

I always look for cheaper alternatives when it comes to lures, especially soft plastics. I bought a mold in December and made a few trailers to try in spring. It proved to be the perfect substitute for the Rage Tail or Speed craw. Creme sells it on their site for $1.99 a bag plus many other soft plastics. Here it's rigged on a 1/8 oz jig I caught bass and pickerel on in the last five days: Once my usual trailers are used up, my craw will be the only action tail I'll use accept my frog copy: The attached picture is of a Creme Craw. Frank

No sport to me is more challenging than bass fishing, one good thing about it is that you can do this year round in most states, it's a huge learning curve once you get off the banks and actually start to put some work in it. Books upon books have been written about bass fishing, how, when, what, why, where are all covered in these paperbacks and CD's but the one thing it does not cover is the individual, no other sport allows a person to be more flexible and in control of his or her own little pocket of happiness, from the cheapest to the most expensive stuff you can buy, it always ends up with a smile when you land that first bass or the bass of a lifetime, or see your children enjoying the same thing you do. Bass fishing is not only a sport, but a brain stimulant, it wakes you up inside somehow and makes you feel alive, it's a feeling I think we all feel but there is not a word to put to it that really describes it. The one constant in bass fishing is change, it's rarely if ever the same, every new spot holds a different challenge, every new day delivers another chance to learn, there is not one single thing I can really pinpoint that said this is what I love to do, it's down right depressing and harsh sometimes, and others it's the best thing that ever happened, kinda remindes me of marriage actually, but man, standing on the front of that boat or sitting on a shoreline by yourself or with a friend, watching the sun come up or set, when you make that first cast and hear the wind rip by the rod as the line strips off the reel and that bait finally hits the water, it's then that everything else dissappears, no mortgage, no car payment due, no fighting the crowds at the grocery store, just the gental slapping of water against the hull of your little floating island, hoping for a chance to set the hook on the corner of your house just once and land the fish of your dreams.

I actually don't think bass are great fighters, pound for pound. Smallmouths are decent fighters. Big spots are decent fighters. I think largemouths, pound-for-pound, aren't. I like bass fishing because I like being outside, it relaxes me, its quiet (unless I have a loquatious fishing buddy), and there's an element of challenge to it but it isn't competitive and therefore allows me to still be a likeable human (I am intensely competitive by nature, and competition brings out all my worst qualities). I also learned to do it at a young age and it has always been a part of my life, so part of it is just that I was brought up doing it. I also like the gear, gear is fun to collect and this gear at least gets use. I like the joy of the accomplishment of catching one, and I ESPECIALLY like the joy of watching someone else who hasn't done it catch one. Lots of things I guess.

It's that feeling when the hook is set and the rod loads up. Not much in this world feels better than that. I just can't get enough of it.

im a member of the Haliwa-Saponi tribe from North Carolina. myself, i dont find it offensive at all. in fact many of my fellow natives are fans of the team. and i never actually heard another native american call the name racist in my presence. DC city council needs to worry about DC, they have enough problems in the city they should be focusing on. Theyre probably bitter that the Redskins are no longer part of DC other than in name, and maybe a few charity efforts...i could go on and on about this, but really i dont want to, i hate when this topic comes up honestly, but usually cant help but chime in with something. fact is, i would be more offended if they were forced to change the name... also, just to point out, it was native americans who helped the redskins design their logo

Ditto. But I'll assume you know you've got fish in front of you... Trying to get a single bait to work is fun, trying to figure out how to get them to bite. Often there is a particular way they want it, and you just have to ferret that out. Taking a bunch of new baits along, sounds like plumming for some magic lure -hoping the fish will come to you, do most of the work. You'll most likely be disappointed if that's what's in the back of your mind. Much of the time the onus is on you, you have to go to the fish, and make it happen. So choosing a single or just a few lures, or better, lure types, I think makes a lot more sense.

Your cousin is wrong. Search here on BassResource.com for baitcaster maintenance, oil, grease etc. You'll find a lot of info.

Wow, it's RageTail or go home on this site, taking support your sponsors to the extreme. Strike King doesn't developed a lures on there own, they notch off and mass produce someone else's designs and have for decades. Yamamoto's twin tail grub is as good as any soft plastic jig trailer and has caught a lot more bass than other Trailers in this category. Tinkering with different lures is a big part of bass fishing, use your imagination and don't get into the heard mentality. Tom

I catch them on bass gear all the time. Your best bet is to find a quality musky fishery.

Locate your fish THEN practice the technique that best accomplishes catching them. You can be quite successful using a handful of versatile fishing techniques. oe

Generic baits have very little in common with Rage Tail soft plastics. If some particular shape is all you care about why not make it out of a discarded old tire? Then it's free!

Just a FYI - you can by a Symetre FJ for 59.99 at American Fishing Legacy.

Well we made it. We are in cabin 8. Checked in with Jeff and should start slaying them as the sun rises.

oh man, i was at Smith Mountain Lake a couple weekends ago. it was sunday morning and i was just out on the deck of my uncles house smoking a cigarette and watching a boat fish my uncles dock and the one next to it. i finished my smoke and went in the house and was staring out of the big window still watching them fish. next thing i know the guy on the back of the boat is messing with his pants and starts taking a leak and the same time my aunt walks in the living room and asks what im doing. i said that guy down there is peeing right out in the open off the boat. she went out on the deck and yelled to him and embarrassed him and he jumped/flinched midstream. he was probably cleaning the boat at the end of the day LOL...

I buy rubber folding chair tips and insert quarters and put it over the butt of the rod. Cheap, simple, and looks attractive.

I fish for fun. Throw all the dinks my way.

One of my biggest fears is, that when I die, my wife will sell all my fishing stuff for what I told her I paid for it.

Been bass fishing for around 20 years and have a garage full of stuff. The question is do you guys fish better if you just take 4-6 of your confidence colors and leave the rest at home or do you bring stuff you don't normally use to experiment with? Been struggling this year and think I just have to many options in the boat.

Whats your budget? Youve got a 50 dollar rod, 70 dollar and a 100 dollar rod

None of the above! *** Black!! Best 100 dollar rod you will ever purchase!!!

Nice slob!

x2 all about the thumb brake. make sure you keep ur thumb on the spool the ENTIRE cast. engage the reel and then focus 100% on feathering or 'thumb braking' the whole time. go outside in ur yard at night and practice casting and thumb breaking into the yard in the pitch black. if ur lure hits the yard w/o ur thumb on the spool you will obviously backlash. it will force you to brake till the end. short casts will force you to keep ur thumb on the spool even in the middle of the cast. the darkness really puts you in touch with ur spool like a blind man. not only helps for skipping but all around BC cast control. also alot of vid's say to focus on the target ie 12" space between the water and dock. i found this to be initially bad advice. focus on the first 'splash down' spot ur jig is going to hit. focus on the dock space after you get better. ie think about skipping a rock across a pond as a kid. you'd focus on ur first skip location and let it rip. you wouldn't focus 50ft ahead and ignore the initial 10 ft splash down spot. after you're better you'll instinctively line the whole cast up, back to front, front to back, several times like a pool shot. you'll evaluate ur cue ball, sink ball and pocket inside out...but always focus lastly on the cue ball when executing.

I always throw back. Even if he got my plastic. An example I have is a team tournament, I had a hit and set the hook. Due to my neglect, my line broke. (That's why you should retie often!) My partner threw right back to the same spot, and BAM, hooked a bass. He got it to the boat and low and behold my bait and hook were in it's mouth. My hook hadn't penetrated but was sideways in it's mouth. We added it to the livewell, and I got my bait and hook back.

I am headed out out fishing in the A.M. for a little so I figured I could take some comparison pics for you guys. Top to Bottom: Metanium (2013), Curado 200E, Curado 50E, Chronarch 50MG You can figure it out the farthest reels are a Chronach D and and Older B series pic below Can you spot the imposter? Daiwas and 1 Revo are always along for the ride Chronarchs old B and the last great one until the new JDM Metanium comes State Side of course, and a Metanium MG Side by side 200e and 50e

Well I am not a super pro at skipping like some people on here are but i can do it well enough to get it where I want it. I use a super short lead on the bait and do a roll cast with it. I find the longer the lead you do the bigger the chance of it swinging to high above the water. The best adivce I can give is like if you ever beat a bank making a million short roll casts to every little spot you see. It is like doing the same thing for me ecept I am not trying to completely stop it when I hit my target if you get what im saying. The way I learned is by making tons and tons of low and fast roll casts to little spots along the bank from a boat. Then I just apply the same technique to skipping. It is the same cast just with lees thumb. Hope that helps some.

Good news! My truck is fixed! Bad news! It cost me $470. I'm headed out in the morning and should arrive around 5:00 PM.

After you get them, can you post back here stating if they can be installed with bolts and nuts, instead of using the knobs? Thanks.

I'm pretty lucky in that the lake I fish, if I get 50 bass, odds are there will be 4 or 5 big bass in that number. If all the bass were 10 or 12 inches, after 5 hours, I'd change to another lake. For me, the thrill of the big fish wears off quickly, going two or three hours with no strikes at all is not what I like to do. I need consistent action to keep my interest up. It's a big reason I don't get excited about musky fishing. All musky anglers have to do is SEE a couple of fish in a day and they're happy. I've had 10 hour days where I caught 5 muskies and was not that thrilled with the long lulls in between bites. To each his own.

Thanks Team_Dougherty I just bought a set of J-racks on Amazon,$21.00 plus shipping,great deal. When the J-racks get delivered to my home,I`ll be putting them on trailer with the other set I have already. I`ll be using superstruts for frame, like on your trailer Thanks for the info and pictures.. Going to get the 15/8"x3/4" superstruts,using u-bolts to hold them to trailer frame. That way if I want to use my 12' boat it will be easy to remove the superstruts. I`ve looked all over internet at different trailer modifications, and found I like yours the best!

Nice one, Phish.

Got some good news.......my sons 8 pm baseball game was postponed due to scheduling conflict I think! I don't care about the why.....just that it got postponed. Now I can get 6+ hrs sleep instead of 3 or 3-1/2 hrs. Will make the drive down much better! I guess it is just a sign that we were meant to attend the road trip this year.

That's the idea. Whether it's a fact....well, that's just fishing.

Never, ever look anybody in the eye while eating a banana.

If it's 30lb braid you will be fine. 30lb monofilament or copolymer is too heavy for most lures 3/8 oz and less.

Offering unsolicited advice on fishing styles, techniques, presentations, equipment, etc. should be avoided. Asking advice on any of these things is fine; telling a grown man what or how to do something unasked is what wives are for.

Zman finesse worm, very soft so I get lots of action and buoyant so they stay off the bottom. Even my wife catches fish with these worms on a dropshot. I tell her to cast it out and leave her bail open, count to 30, close the bail and reel in your fish. The Zoom Meathead worm is a close second for me.

I only name mine on days something goes wrong with it.

If fishing with a buddy and you loan him a lure and he looses that said lure on a fish no appology needed. If he looses it in the trees or brush he has two options, replace it or go get it.

X2. I've been trying to teach myself how to skip and it works pretty good. I look like a dang drunk monkey trying to do it from shore, but its kinda working lol But ya the Flip N Swim can cover some serious water as a search bait. Basically a spinnerbait with no blades. It comes through the nasty with the head design real well.

That is awesome!I remember when I use to play soccer growing up and my coaches always put in a lot of effort to help us improve and it showed. We were undefeated for the 2 years I played. Kudos to you sir!

I should name my boat after my wife, then she can't say I don't spend time with her. Ha.

Exactly if you teach them right from wrong soon as they are around fire arms they will be fine. Noah got his red rider for his 3rd bday he turns 4 in 3 weeks and he knows gun safety better then some adults. He makes sure he puts his BB gun on safe right after the shot and he only takes it off just for that second to squeeze the trigger. He had muzzle awareness down pat to he's a very smart ad safe little boy when it comes to guns. When I come in from hunting he stops me at the door and asks to make sure I'm unloaded and on safe. He asks to see his or mine or any of the family's guns he doesn't just open te cabnet up and look he asks and we take it out if he touches it he makes sure we give him a rag to wipe it down so not to rust. This is all from my soon to be 4 year old son!!!! He grew up so far seeing me an all his uncles and grandpa shooting and hunting so hes seen it and been around it his whole life.

My tournament ruler I backed with velcro. I glued the corrisponding side to the side of the boat so when I need it I can just rip it off. I know its kinda goofy lookn but a hip pack holds tools well.

Find a tube bait that is as close to the color of the crawfish in your steam and fish it with the smallest tube jig that will keep you on the bottom. Best smallie bait that I know of.