gripnrip

I'm here. Been here. LOL I'll be heading to Grand Saturday to take the boat out for the first time this year. I have a tournament there on 3-4. I will also be contributing on the Oklahoma lake report thread. I live in the Tulsa area and usually stay in the NE part of the state.

Ott was using one through the nose and one through the belly. He matches them up the best he can.

Sounds like a no brainer to me. If I was getting the bigger bite throwing the plastics, that's what I'd be throwing. But if you want to catch and not worry about size start doing what he is doing.

I have been putting the setting on 3 and a half to 4. It goes much higher. And with a non heated garage pouring at around 45 degrees could be a culprit as well. I always let the lead melt for a good 30 minutes with the mold on the pot while it is melting. The other thing could be is that even though the mold is hot the hooks may not be hot enough when I pour. So I will turn the heat on the pot way up to see if that helps. I will tinker a bit to see what works and pass on my findings. I appreciate everyones feedback. I think I've found something to help pass my time! I work graveyard, so basically on my days off I keep the schedule. So when I'm not working overtime the night gets long just setting on the dang sofa! lol

The Midwest rig or "Ned Rig" and the football shaky head with a screw lock.

I haven't tired the S crank yet. I have a handful of the Knucks. They haven't produce like I've liked them to. Like MassBassin said, I use SK 1.5's about 80% of the time when it comes to a square bill. I don't look into price to much if they catch fish but I haven't found one yet that produces like them. I read an article about how the 1.5 has some differences in the bait vs. 2.5's and 3.5's There is a weight forward that gives the bait a distinct wobble action and allows it to hunt. The S crank has this claim of hunting which is why I'll give them a try.

I have laid the mold on the pot to heat it up quite a bit. Only thing I can think of is maybe the hook isn't heated up enough when I put it in. I always make sure the stuff lines up. If it doesn't you know pretty quick because there are gaps. I'll use your method of pouring a few empty slots to heat up what slots I'm going to use. Of course it probably doesn't help my shop isn't heated. I could see my breath last night in there. lol

Don't be skeered to get on that hotfoot! lol

I bet when you clear it the color will pop.

Hey everyone. I just started pouring some. So I am pretty green. I have 5 molds. Two of the molds are giving me fits. One is a Do-it Trokar screw lock football shaky head mold. The other is the Do-it Midwestern or "Ned Rig" mold. After pouring the hook will move around inside the lead. I was wondering if I'm doing something wrong or it just happens sometimes? My pot is the Lee's bottom fead. The other 3 molds are a weedless football head jig and a weedless brush jig. The other is a poison tail swing head mold. All Do-it.

The bluegill looks great!

A heavier jig will skip better 3/8, 7/16, or a 1/2.

They kind of did. They use a 2 piece body like the old originals. The original molds they use back in the day, degraded over time. The baits started to not match up on centerline. This was when they started having the erratic action "hunting" Blank manufacturers made a mold after an original wart. They are called knock out blanks or KO blanks for short.

Lol. I have a hot tub and my parents have a pool. Always testing!

What makes the old ones IMO sought after is the hunting action and the sound. The old ones have lead rattles. The new ones do not. Anyone knows if you are catching them on a rattling bait and they stop hitting it to switch up to a silent. Then a lot of times they'll fire back up again due to a change. There are articles on about bass getting conditioned and or pressured. Change it up and you'll get more bites. The old emits a different sound and vibration from the new. So to me that is what is the allure. Something you can't get anymore. And something the bass rarely see.

Man! Slick thinking on the spinnerbait storage part! I just used a spinnerbait wallet. It was better than a big box but you're idea is awesome.

In Oklahoma the best time to throw them is now. I don't throw it much after the water reaches around 58 degrees. I feel there are better presentations. As far as throwing in the fall, I don't do that much either. A spook style bait is a big fish catcher for that time of year. I don't know where you live so I'd say the colder the water the better.

Interesting. I must have missed the Luck E Strike version. I have thrown the Spro "Rock Crawler" that McClelland helped design. Which he has been quoted as saying the Crawler hunts like the old warts do. I haven't had much success due to throwing the warts more.

The new baits are just fine. The lead in old baits give the rattle a distinct sound. I caught fish last year on old. I know it may come as a shock to some but I caught more fish with the new. But it may have been I found a color that killed it last year that was not an offered paint scheme on the old. I could get some painted but why? They both perform well. Just upgrade the hooks on whichever bait you go with.

Siebert or Boss. I make my own football jigs now. I get my skirts from fishingskirts.com

Oh d**n. In 10" as well. WOE look out summer points Texas rigged!

True. There is a distinct difference in Glass vs. Plastic. And I never would have known had I not purchased the Glass.

No secret but my go to confidence bait that only a few people know about is an 1/8 shaky with a 4" magnum finesse Zoom worm. The other I'll use is a 6" inch magnum BPS finesse. I think it is called the fineke.

I rarely use anything less than a 1/2 oz. If I do I go to another presentation. Now when I fish team tournaments with my son that is another story. I usually put him with a 1/4 oz to see if he can get a bite when I can't with the heavier. If he's slaying them then I will choose another presentation all together.

Glass is the way to go. Just be careful with them. Any drop can cause a cracked lens. I know from experience. So I bought a 580P as well to wear daily. Repair on the glass will run $100.