Loop_Dad

Oh no! Now everybody will start throwing ribbon tail! Culplrit floats without hook. With hook, tail stands up, so this might do the job for you. I just received the Culplrit in the mail and the weather has been pretty nastly here in central Texas last few days, so I am yet to fish with it yet. I don't know how he fishes the worm, but I like to fish with big jigging motion, so actually probably it doesn't matter if it floats or not as my bait is constantly doing up and down. Does he fish slow?

Ok, I can share my story and I prefer to believe I am not an idiot I've been using righty for decades. A couple of summers ago I decided I want to try out lefty because I thought it made a logical sense. Many on here encouraged to do the switch. It turned out I had problem with my right arm being tired, especially when I use longer stiffer rods. Also I felt pain on my right wrist. What was happening previously without realizing was that I would cast with my right arm and gave my right arm some break by switching to the left arm. I can go all day without feeling a thing. I returned my reel after one day. Now, I have pretty decent muscle on my arms. Something to think about probably.

I ordered this from ebay and it was only $1.99 shipped. I'll give this a shot to see if I can make unhooking even faster. I think if this tool work as it supposed to, a hook can be removed very fast.

Maybe this red hook remover. http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/300881320682?lpid=82

Well, to me if someone said it is designed for gut hooked fish, it should involve some turning of the hook, otherwise hook won't come out no matter how long the neck of the tool is.

Well, this is for deep hooked, but not necessary designed for gut hooked.

I never knew there was such a thing. Which one is this?

I have three tools currently. Bent needle nose. Bolt cutter. End cutter. I'm considering getting a lip gripper to help me with holding fish securely with maximum access. (My knuckles are rather big.)

Mine has been great! I've moved to TX from CA and fishing has been very good. And I don't think the winter is real winter around here. Only minus is that I don't have fishing buddy yet.

Deep congrats for studying and actually trying thing out. To me that's the big part of fishing, trying something new. I've read that book and also read the other book written by a scientist Knowing Bass Scientific Approach, which he talks about colors. I also used to dive long time ago. After going down a few feet, certain spectrum of lights are diminished and things become mono-tone even in clear water. So I doubt fish see much difference between say blue and purple in deeper water. Either way, to make any convincing conclusion about effectiveness of color, one needs a lot more sample than a few fish. Or forget that and fish the color you like and be happy! That's what I do.

I'm not familiar with VMC hook, butt I would guess it is close enough. Do you still have the original hook to compare? I personally wouldn't worry too much about weight difference, unless bait stick out from the water completely vertical or totally flat on the water. I think these baits need some angle from water surface. This is jut MHO.

I've been using lots of big worms lately. I use ol monster, even magnum a little bit. I use owner's twist lock light wire in size 6/0 for ol monster. Even if it is light wire, they change the size of wire accordingly, so with 6/0 I feel they are strong enough. I set hook depending on how the bite is. It is kinda hard to explain the timing of setting the hook, because it is case by case, but if I try to put it in words, If it is hard bites, like strong pull, I set hook immediately. If it is a very slight tick, I'll give just a couple of a few seconds of delay. My hook up ratio is pretty good, must be over 90%. But if it was working before and suddenly missing, as other poster mentioned, there might be smaller fish nibbling. I would switch out to shorter bait and nail the fish to find out.

No just you. I do exactly that. To me it is much easier to adjust the speed manually by me, than trying to remember 'which reel am I using again?' Also keeping them same makes it possible to rotate the reels.

Can someone confirm this? Does it? I have Recon and they don't float. I assumed the Thumper is made out of the same material, is it not? If one of these floats, it would be great as I have better chance finding them locally.

I always wonder how they measure the length of ribbon tails.