primetime

I use the Gulp Jigheads, Sliders, and Shrooms, and my favorite is a light 1/16 Trokar saltwater boxer jig...I texas rig a half zinker and the saltwater hook is much stronger for heavy cover since I rarely get a chance to fish an open Jig worm... I usually rig a small light wire worm hook in size #1 EWG and crimp a bull shot in 1/32 or 1/16 right above the hook, add half a zinker that is soaked so it floats, and I find I do just as well with the Bull shot...I actually tie a loop knot to the worm hook and leave the shot an inch higher so it is almost a swing type jig action if I am "Strolling it"...I use the Z-Man Grubz the most lately...Earlier in the year I liked the finesse worms cut the best but the Z-Man heads are not good if you have structure around and need to tighted the drag..The heavier hooks can kill the action, but I have played around to where I can use the "NED Rig Concept" on 14lb test so I can go 100% weedless, the Trokar Saltwater boxer jigs are perfect for weedless texas rigs as well....1/16 is my favorite since with the hook it is closer to 1/12.

Try using a jig with a senko as a trailer...Especially if you work it slow...I like using the bitsy bug flip 1/2 ounce with a 4" Culprit in contrasting color...It gets crushed on the fall in deeper water... But I usually consider a Senko for shallow slow falling fishing, or behind a modified C-Rig or light texas rig...and for me, I like a Jig I can swim, pitch, and adjust the action with the trailer..I always have a 1/4 oz and a 3/8-1/2 jig in black and one in brown ready to go....I love to carry lots of tackle, but jigs and plastics catch most of my fish...The Zinkers work well behind a jig, and they are easy to slide through cover...It looks odd at first, but it get's hammered when the skirt flares on the bottom and the worm starts to float upright....Just started using this combo as I have a friend who has been combining the 2 for years, and he does really well....I like to pitch a yum dinger with a flipping weight (you can usually go lighter since they slide thorugh cover easy) and the dinger has the hook slot for easy weedless rigging and you don't have to move it much...If I am going heavier than 1/2 ounce, I figure the stick worm will work as well as any other since it is falling fast and through dark water....hope that helps...options are limitless, it is always worth trying different things...A quarter ounce jig with a senko looks better to me than a senko with a 1/4 ounce weight....

I use the 10" and 12" in the summer usually in grape with pink tail, red shad, and black..black and blue..but lately my favorite is the smaller 4" size on a split shot rig or shaky head....I also like a black and blue tail as my main light line skipping worm or on a light c-rig...I feel they do better in pressured lakes and ponds than say a 6" Culprit or Zoom Ribbon tail...I want to try the Robo Worm curly tails...I think they still make a 9" squirmin worm, I know the local flea market has a box of them in Junebug which I always carry, and if I want to flip them into heavy weeds, I just bite half the tail off and you have a Cut tail, more like a Cut'r worm...The cut tail worms were created by clipping of the end of ribbon tail worms...I remember as a kid going out smallmouth fishing in NY, and it was cold, and the guide was biting the tails off a 4" culprit ribbon tail and it worked great.... I used to always carry a bag of these for "Blue bird skies" but never had much luck on them, but then again never really tried them since I had so much confidence in about a dozen culprit colors, I almost always used the laminates..I do like colors like that for clear water at times, but I love Culprit soft baits, I just started getting back into them since they have stepped up their product line recently...Black shad ribbon tails are my worm....Red Shad culprit 6" is a great worm as well...Color is all personal preference, I am sure fire and ice would work just as well as Junebug etc...

Mr. Twister should have their color charts online somewhere from all the years since they used to have a color line up like GYB back in the 80's and the Phenom worm was their most popular worm.... The color could easily simply be Clear with Blue and Red flake as GYB would call it with their grubs etc..My First thought was the Fire and ice as well but that had more blue in it.... The other companies I can think of that made curly tail worms, and their were plenty, are BPS Squirmin worms, MR. Twister Phenom, Riverside maybe, I don't remember the curly tail worm but I am sure they had one, Luck E Strike used to have worms back then that were popular, Cabela's has their own brand, and then you have all the Charlie brewer worms and Mann's etc..I see bags of old worms at flea markets that were from companies like Edge, and a bunch of others that were only around for a few years.... If you are looking for that worm, I am sure MR. Twister has it, or if not, Bass Pro has it, or check out Locket Lures which is the OEM for Big Bite and a few more companies...I like the BPS squirmin worms, I Like the tail action a little better than on the Mr. Twister worms and they are a bit heavier and come in more sizes, but if you google curly tail 6" worms clear with flake, click on google images and you can find it...It could have been 100's of companies..Many were only around for a year, heck Stren used to make soft baits.

I get anxiety thinking about this question...If I were to never sell any of the baits I currently have, I could never finish a fraction of it even if I fished every day of the year for the next 50 years...With 20 friends.....Selling tackle is dangerous, soft baits especially, every color looks like it could be awesome.....and what if they stop making the bait? Heck, I stash baits away that I still have not tried but look awesome...It is almost an addiction and sometimes when someone buys something I really like, it actually hurts a bit...I hate when they grab my houdini colored swimbaits and black and blue blue tipped senkos, but for some reason I love to stash Spider grubs...Not sure why...I guess it's because they sell well so it's like a bank...and it is a bait you can use any day any where...The soft jig...Single tail, Double Tail, plus colors, 4" vs. 5", then trailers, grubs, ribbons, it's like Bubba Gump...I had a hard time making a box last year and this year...Took hours to narrow down a duffle bag and 2 binders I hang from my waste..and I still was jamming worms in my Topwater box...My goal is to not keep anymore and switch to all Z-man and Culprit....For this week...Next week I may be into Gambler and Zoom..

You can get a 5" Zinker to float with a thin gauge 3/0 hook, once the salt is gone...It actually can be worked like a spook, but I usually like it falling slow...I don't think anyone makes a straight floating senko, but I know that BPS and Gambler and Luck E Strike all have the old school stiff floating worms, BPS has a true floating Magnum Lizard....I find that fish spit out the floaters that are stiff, but they are all a bit thinner than a senko...Just soak a Strike King Zero or Zinker in gulp juice or water overnight and you will be ready to go...A floating Stick bait behind a split shot is a good idea.

I also tend to prefer the standard design and open hook since it comes through grass well, and I have tried several versions of chatterbaits with weedguards etc. and I have not had the same hook up success...I do like the swinging idea and concept of the Freedom Jigs and the new trend...

I believe they stopped making alot of their line..They did have a decent line up of bio baits for bass fishing..Stick worms, Craws, Frogs, Swimbait, Ribbon tails etc...I don't think I ever really used them but I used to always see them on the Linder Fishing show as a sponser, and they are always using Rapala VMC products, so Trigger X was always on their rods for Bass, Walleye, or saltwater... I noticed the last time I saw the show they were using BIg Bite baits, so I think they cut back on the Trigger X Phermone bio bait line for Bass and also for Saltwater...I have not seen any new stuff around at all, it used to be on the shelves.. I am pretty sure they made a good bait...It is pretty much like Gulp, I am pretty sure their Swimbait was popular, and that big Ribbon Tail worm used to get some talk....I tried the Frog and didn't like it, same with the stick worms but I found some old green bags and they were half dried up when I purchased them. If packages are sealed they could be a good deal. I think they had some decent designs but for some reason they never were really popular down here in Freshwater, the shrimp and flukes were sold for saltwater however....I would imagine they work fine if sealed.

yellow and orange is a very popular stained water color...usually called clown on jerkbaits, or firetiger which is also effective in water where panfish are on the menu. 2 Great lures that are classics for a reason. Both are proven lures that catch fish..Rogues have been around since the 60's? and the Rattle trap was created in the 70's? and is the original lipless rattle bait... You for sure picked up two winning baits that have won tons of money in tournaments over the years and will keep doing so even with all the new stuff coming out....The rattle trap is fun to fish and you can fish them in places that will surpise you...Look on You tube for the Bass Resource videos on how to fish a lipless crankbait or rattle trap in grass, ripping a trap from grass, or how to fish a suspending Jerkbait...This website has the best videos since they break it down from the knot to the cast, line type etc....Good luck...good choices.

I have that frog and it is tiny but it can be cast on casting gear...I like to add a few tiny split shots as rattles, but as mentioned, wrapping the hooks with wire or suspend dots helps, and also adding a bobber stopper to the front of the nose helps it be more weedless and adds a bit more weight...3/16 is really a 1/4 ounce, you would throw a 1/4 ounce jig on a baitcaster right? Plus you can throw that frog on spinning gear, it is ok to use mono with frogs...The fish are OK with it...In clear water they prefer it, on a frog that size, you could get away with 10lb test easy....I like to keep my line out of the water, and on smaller frogs I will usually not hesitate to throw them on spinning gear or casting gear with 10-15lb mono, or use a mono leader, 25lb if in the heavy stuff, I get more strikes in open water without braid, never had a problem with hooksets on Mono even with big Frogs...I should say Copoly, I use 20lb Hybrid or 25lb Triple Fish Camo line usually...or big game in green depending on water color...I am very picky with line size and color more than I am any other part of the rig....Maybe I am crazy, but I have had days where braid is fine, but some days 25lb copoly leader would get bit 3/1 especially if not on a mat....On a Mat go braid...

If in Naples, There are some really good Rock pits you can fish that are near Gulf Coast University..I used to fish them when I would do career fairs a few years ago and they hold some giant bass and are public (at least many of them are, They are in Fort Myers, Roland Martin caught his biggest Bass on TV in one of those Rock Pits on a 5" Senko-13.4lbs).. I would fish Florida the same way you fish any other place, just keep in mind that most water is going to be Tanic colored so the colors that most people use are pretty much the same, obviously you can have success with any colors but here is what I would suggest...Also, most places will have lots of weeds, and bottoms will be soft for most part, but if you do some research , it pays to learn which grass grows on hard bottom or sand, that is where the activity will be in many places right now as the Spawn is in full swing.... Senko and Trick worms, Power Worms...4",5" 7" Senko is great from shore, plus you can work it over grass cast it a mile..When in doubt, use Black and blue or watermelon Red, or Junebug....Green Pumpkin, and then go with a few of your favorites.I like a baby bass colored trick worm, and a salt and pepper if water is clear..... Casting Jigs and Swim Jigs, bullet weights, hooks for all sizes, and the carolina rig or split shot rig from the shore is deadly in weedy ponds, the Floating Strike King and Z Man baits work well but right now....Lizards...Can't go wrong with a few packs of lizards, that may be all you need....I like something with a chart tail and also red shad is a good color many times. Frogs, Soft swimbaits...Bring Soft baits, that is what you will use the most and you don't need a huge selection, a few frogs, few spooks, torpedo's are great this time of year, floating Rapala or Bomber Long A over weeds or flats is deadly, if you are good with cranks, then you can find spots for that... From shore, finesse tactics often produce the best, I would think about getting a cheap short rod in the 6' range and a cheap reel so you can skip small tubes, jigs, and frogs under banks that are undercut and overhangs....There are lots of good articles on where to fish and what to fish if you use the Google...I am in Tampa which is far, but If I was in the area I would share some Spots but I only know the Rock Pits near the University, and I do know that the Public Parks in Tampa get very little pressure....Don't discount the places that get pounded, most people are not Bass Fishing, or fishing at all, I am sure Naples has some killer golf course ponds and Lakes in Subdivisions...Just make sure to get permission if you see No Tress passing and when in doubt, call FWC, they will help you out....They want you to catch fish on your vacation, visit their site, it is really helpful...You will have a blast, fishing is at its peak right now....you can get a 10lber or bigger on any cast...Spiinnerbaits and chatterbaits are popular as well....Hope that helps..I could go on for pages, I type fast...Hope that helps...Think Weedless...and don't be afraid to go at night, and Florida strain Bass are skittish, work softly...But at night they are more aggressive.

1- Smithwick Devil's Horse is one of the more popular here in Florida, and so is the Rapala XRAP Prop which is more expensive but they do have different actions...I like the wooden Devil's horse and Cordell Boy Howdy's since they float higher and the props are not as loud, you can still find the older ones cheap on Ebay, but the new plastic one's are fine...For a double prop with torpedo shape the Cotton Cordell Crazy Shad is another really good topwater for when fish are schooling or active. I have 2 of the academy Slush props (I have not used them much but the quality is awesome) but If you want action, the Tiny Torpedo is hard to beat....Small, I would suggest adding split rings since they come without, and you will lose less fish but I love Topwater Prop baits....The Heddon Torpedo is kind of the standard for me, I have tried more espensive ones but I find I do just as well with the Torpedo compared to Lucky Craft etc... My overall favorite however is......The Bagleys Bang O Lure Single Prop Floating Rip bait....You can get them in 2 props, 1, and the best part is you can easily remove the prop and put it on another Floating Minnow, or any lure, but the Bagley's prop bait get's killed...The Gold/Black stripe is a killer.... I would never leave home without a XRAP Prop, Devil's Horse, Tiny Torpedo, Regular Torpedo, Crazy Shad, and several Bagley's prop baits, and the Bagley's is my workhorse since it can do tricks....

The Rapala Formula for weight, or the one that is on most sites...Get the length of the girth, length to fork of tail, and then a length of tip to tip...I usually cut a piece of mono so I can get the fish back in the water as quickly as possible... I have found that using that formula, and then using a scale, usually get the fish within an ounce almost every time..The key is getting the girth right, but I have a Rapala scale that has a lip gripper and goes to 25lbs that is pretty accurate, I gave it to a friend who likes to weigh everything, I think it has a hook as well, I don't think hanging a big bass from the gripper is the right way but I am not sure..I only have fish weighed if it is in a tournament or if I think it is "Special"...But I trust the formula, if it says 6.8 and I think 7, I go with the 6.8 based on tests and it is really close and much easier than trying to weigh a big bass imo... I don't like stressing fish in the spring especially, although I am probably just paranoid, but I try to get them back in the water as quickly as possible and I usually don't take them all the way out unless I have a camera handy which is rare since I fall in the water often....

Bomber Suspending Long A is the best shallow runner imo for the price, and the Rogue is also right up there...Those 2 are the one's I mainly use and the Timmy Horton Pro Long A's in his G Finish colors are like $4.99, have 3 T3 Excaibur hooks or I think know they changed to Mustad or another good brand, and the long A does a roll when suspended that is unique and you can fish it from 1-5 feet, maybe deeper... Rogues are great as well, they make a bunch of sizes, but I think those 2 are the best deal when it comes to "Ready to fish out of the box"...The Academy brand Megabass knock offs that say Floating on the website for $3.99 I think are acutally suspending, I ordered a bunch thinking they were FLoaters and wanted that design, but they are certainly not floaters.... The Long A casts a mile as well.....You can also find deals on the Yo-zuri Suspenders these days as well...I am not a huge Suspending Jerkbait guy, but I have had days where those Sashimi jerkbaits work well, and the Bomber Long A is one of my top 5 lures, usually the floater, but that is the first suspender I tie on, I use the Rogue for a slimmer profile or if I need to get a bit deeper....The Rapala X Rap is another good one you can find for sub $7 online, and I have a friend who loves to fish those like a crankbait and he kills them on that lure all summer...I think the color he uses is Olive shiner?

I guess they may have stopped making the larger worms, I am pretty sure they had a 10" & 12" worm at one point, but I have not visited their website in years, I once stopped by the facility and they are an OEM in Longwood Florida who makes baits for a bunch of different companies, I am not sure who, but here in Florida the Buzz tail Shads and Tournament worms were popular since they were availale at most tackle shops, Walmart and Dick's etc...I have not seen a bag on the shelf in years, but they may have changed their business model to mostly OEM.... They are a smaller company and make quality baits, so I would not be surprised if they make any worm that looks similar...I need to check out the Stembridge baits, it would make sense for a niche company to use them to pour their baits in bulk....

The small Lunker Hunt Pocket frog with popping mouth and regular with lifelike legs is tiny, 1.5" but that thing gets crushed in ponds....They are fragile but I just put skirts in after the legs rip out or rattles or leave the legs off...I think the fish get conditioned to the big frogs pounding them over and over since we all cast to the same spots that look really good. I love to throw them on the bank in ponds and gently walk it in...I do the same with jigs and worms....I have been working on really slowing down in pressured water and also working on my skip casting to get a frog far under overhangs and deep into undercut banks....I use a bunch of small 40mm, 45mm frogs, Matzuo makes a really good skipping frog, tiny, with a unique popping mouth, they come out of the same mold as the original R2Sea Bullywa's and are a bit firmer so they skip well...The tiny bully wa is really good as well, so is the smallest Scum frog, that baby is the smallest I know of, althouth that pocket frog without legs is maybe an inch...And it gets big fish, I just saw a guy land a 11lb bass on the pocket frog in a local pond on You tube, spinning gear, looked like mono....I am getting into small baits this year and they do seem to work well in tough spots, Crappie baits catch double digit bass more often than we realize.

If your favorite color popper or walking bait is chartruese and black head, then I would buy a frog in the same color pattern...I use a Chart Zara Spook often since we have alot of stained water, and I also like the chart/black spook, so I also use that frog color, but I think the top color matters....For me to see, if windy, in the muck, if a big fish sucks it under without much sound, you can cast some frogs that are aerodynamic really far, and many strikes come in the first few feet....I put red dots on the top so I can see it, I treat it like a bobber, when it goes under, I swing, often times they stun it and come back around to slurp it...I hate when I swing to early so I really like to be able to see it at all times. We also get some big waves on our lakes, and some of the best spots are topped out with weeds, so if you throw a black frog, it is hard to see it or hear it. I don't think a bass knows its a frog, it just sees surface activity and strikes it...a good amount of strikes come as soon as it hits the water, so I wonder if they see it falling or just hear it... Green Pumpkin colored frogs work really well, especially if you add some chartruese to the belly at times....I would never leave home without a green pumpkin strike King frog or spro frog...Or Scum Frog..I buy too many, I am the sucker who buys all 38 colors from every brand, and a few extra's in case I lose that color, in each size of the line up..Spro is tough, lots of colors, lots of frogs and sizes....but they look awesome in a box...I actually think I am now a collector, I have boxes full, but fish only a few....I am proud of my Frog boxes....Overall, I don't think you need more than a few colors and now a days, almost every brand of frog is good. The new Scum Frog Trophy series are becoming my favorites, especially that new rattling version with 4/0 Owner hooks, the body is perfect texture and it glides more than walks...Great price considering the hook is worth $4 alone...

I keep my colors simple for most part, but I do like to have a few frogs that have a bright top if I am making long casts so I can see them easier...I have never noticed much difference with color, I like to buy all kinds of colors, but all you really need is a shad color, black, white, and a firetiger color or chart bottom...However I do really well with a color made by Spro called Toad and I don't know why..I think it mimics a bluegill maybe, its a translucent tomato color...Some days it seems to work awesome on tanic colored water when the sun comes out...I am not sure color really maters all that much, I like to make sure the skirt and frog has some contrast in stained water and usually they come that way...I also like to mark up the bottom of my frogs that have a white belly with some black dots, and also use a chart marker to add a stripe on each side so it can be a panfish, Shiner, Frog, or whatever they want to think it is....I don't think I ever use a green frog now that I think about it....

If you look on TW it will give you a good idea of which heads are used for what situation for the most part.... Grass Jigs usually have a line tie that is pretty close to a texas rig, bullet shape head, but they make jigs now you can fish in grass that stand up on the bottom, finesse flipping jigs with heavy hooks, casting jigs are pretty much all purpose, but you can do almost anything with a heavy duty swim jig since most swimming Jigs have thinner weedguards. I like Arkie style jigs for skipping but there are so many different styles now and Tungsten jigs designed for grass seem to be the best if you need to go heavy since they have a thinner head...If I am fishing grass that requires anything more than 3/4 I go texas rig or punch rig, it is just easier for me... I have been swimming and Pitching/Punching the Flipping style weights that have the collar on them for a skirt. BPS sells a pack of 3 which are actually not much larger than Tungsten and you don't have to worry about Inserts and line fraying...They make a 1/2,3/4 and ounce...1/2 is the heaviest I ever swim, but you can buy skirts cheap and change up colors on the fly which is handy, but I pitch the Strike King Heavy duty swim Jig and also swim it around all types of structure. Football style jigs are designed for rock or hard bottoms and pick up grass easy, so they are not a good choice for flipping but I am sure they would work in the right situation...It is all about the line tie angle and hook angle, plus weedguard which you can always thin out if needed, trim a skirt, change it, but TW has about 8 sections that break it down, very few people agree on favorite jigs, although Colors are pretty standard, I rarely use anything other than Black and blue or brown/green

I always carry a bag of the big paddle tail 10" grape Producto worms since they are buoyant and have a different action than any other worms...They also make a really good bait called the Buzz Shad. It is a swimbait/Fluke Hybrid with a burner or Ultra Vibe spped worm tail that floats on the pause....They are inexpensive and hold up well. They also come through cover as well as any other worm and something about that grape translucent color makes them work really well on certain days...I see the 12 Fathom baits around but have not tried them yet, I won't be doing much Saltwater for a while....

I am actually the opposite, I like to fish the larger paddle tails alone or sometimes I put a willow blade on the shank of the hook...I tend to fish swimbaits with a boot tail in grass much like you would fish a toad. I buzz it on top, wake it, but usually a mix of both works best..Often if you work it in spurts to get a buzz going for a few feet, kill it, let it sink, then start working it slowly up to the surface or keep experimenting until you get bit...Some days they won't come to the surface to hit a bait, some days they want it just out of view like a spinnerbait or swim JIg, and if fishing around grass, the key is the weight...More weight creates more thump, but you also have to reel faster obviously to keep it high in the water column...The most weedless way to fish them and I have used the LF Magic shad boot tails and I remember they needed a larger hook than most baits, I think I needed a 6/0 Weighted EWG swimbait hook like the Owner Beast locks..I find 1/8 is usually plenty of weight, but i prefer to put a bullet weight in front since it comes through grass nicely and if you slip a bobber stop in front of the weight for some reason it helps keep junk off the bait. You can change the action of the bait by using pinch weights on a large EWG hook, if you place it toward the back you get a different action than the front and some days they want a bait that is not too aggressive. I would start out with a 6/0 maybe 7/0 hook on same rod you throw Chatterbaits/Swim Jigs on, and often you don't need weight if you want to get a super slow fall and keep it on top of weeds after killing it. They used to sell the Magic Shads rigged in a pack of one bait and they came with a ballhead exposed jighead that i believe was 1/16 or 1/8, much smaller shank than you would expect and I always try to use an exposed hook if possible but in Florida I rarely get that chance but the hook acts like a keel...J WIll Jig Heads, or just pick the jighead that you use on your favorite swim jig, I also add a skirt for flare and contrast in stained water to swimbaits on hooks, sometimes you get bigger bites but really it is a pretty simple technique that works really well. It's Kind of like Punching...Some days a punch skirt just won't get bit, but a straight plastic will and vise versa...I prefer a weighted swimbait alone more than on a swim jig..I prefer craw and grub trailers on swim jigs and the Lake Fork Minnow is a big soft bait, but it puts off a ton of thump...Hope that helps. That is a great bait, I need to use it more but I usually just grab a boot tailed swimbait based on size and color and so far this year I am on the smaller baits but LFT is good stuff....Good luck. I a sure other's have some tricks....

I didn't know that, That is a great looking bait...Thanks for posting that picture...I wonder what happened to the bait company, I guess they probably were swallowed up by larger companies but it is no doubt a Craw Bug and I love that color you posted. I feel bad for small companies who design a bait and then have it copied, but it seems as if that is the norm these days. I would buy some but I have way too many plastics as it is, but anyone looking for a good craw bait I would by those for sure, That style craw is my favorite clear water split shot craw bait to use, but it is deadly no matter how you fish them....Bass Seem to love them if you let them soak, the hollow inside cavity allows you to insert a rattle or scent, extra weight, but it also provides buoyancy so they are great baits.. Thanks again for the info....Did not know that.... I would agree that "realistic" is tough to define in terms of fishing...Is it shape, color, action, speed....I find almost any craw soft bait will work, the one's you mention are all really good, I tend to use the Chigger Craw as I have always loved Power bait but the Larew Craw worms slip through cover really well, and the Paca craws have great legs for action...So many on the market that are great, black and blue Zoom Critter craw in both sizes is a great trailer and stand along bait especially when you want muted action.. I still have a bunch of the old salt craws that I have not used in a while, I picked up some flat bottom flipping craws when I had a BPS gift card that I really like, but the salt craw is nice because it is thin....Good call.

Banjo minnow..First segmented swimbait ever created and first to be Nose Hooked...They worked great, because they are a soft jointed swimbait and if they were never on TV, they would be a top seller today on TW if under zoom etc...they still are a top selling fishing item especially the kit overall in the world on Wordwide tackle websites....They fixed up the funky colors, I would fish them If I saw them on the shelf somewhere, they were legit, there would be no Lake Fork Magic swimmer etc. if not for the Banjo Minnow...

I use weighted Mustad EWG hooks at times, but any of the tube hooks in the right size shoud work well...Sometimes using a toothpick or piece of heavy line to keep hook in place helps...Trokars are probably the sharpest, but I buy what is on sale and I like using a 5/0 for most tubes I flip...But I swim many on the Mustad EWG with a weight, any swimbait hook should work if right size to match the tube.

I love fishing the Lobster on top as well...It kicks up water and so do the Zoom Speed craws, Gambler Burner craws...Lots of companies have copied that design but the Zoom Super Speed craw comes in some cool colors and is almost the same action as the rage craws...I always swim the back if pitching, and often they get bit on the way back, or if you kill it it looks better on the drop then the frog or toad.... They also cast a mile.