Buzbait88

Ill throw one all day everyday, but conditions are a bit different where I am at, because I fish a river. The water is usually muddy and the fish are usually shallow, but there is times when the sun is high and its hot and they don't eat it. On lakes it seems like spring is obviously prime time, but throughout the summer these types of baits can be deadly fished along grass or thrown into schools of feeding fish. Muddy water I prefer black/red, black/blue. IMO the dark colors contrast the muddy water and make it easier to find. In clear water I'll throw white colors. http://karuluresusa.com/vibrashock.html if you look on that page, my favorites are fogy green, blue shimmer and blue shimmer cotton candy for clean water. This is one of the best search baits IMO, but like I said before, I'll throw it all day long. I've won several tournaments and this was the only bait on my deck

That's a chunk!! I've yet to break the 6lb mark here. Those vibrashocks are pretty awesome. I've caught lots of nice fish on them.

I haven't done any crazy tests, but from my experience suffix promix seems to have the least amount of stretch that I've tried. I fish braid most of the time and I can't stand flouro. I've used the reel butter and everything else and flouro still kinks and breaks on the spool! Can't stand the junk.

Rage craw flaps like crazy! I've had good luck with the paca craw, but usually the baby paca craw. Maybe the bigger one doesn't work as well...I have no idea. I like the big bite baits swimming craw and the rage craw for swim jigs. 5" grubs, twin tail grubs and 5.5" big bite baits cane thumpers can be really good trailers.

Grass mostly for me as well.

You are correct to certain point. MOST split ring designs don't make contact with the head, but there are some that do. My favorite is the KaRu Vibrashock and the blade makes contact with the head better than any other on the market and that's because it uses a football head. The football head with a proper size split ring will allow the blade to contact the head.http://karuluresusa.com/vibrashock.html you can see in this picture where the paint has started to chip from the blade contact.

mono backing, use a uni-uni knot to attach it.

I haven't had any problems with the rapala ones and are weights are usually pretty close to the tournament scales at the end of the day.

http://www.karuluresusa.com/vibrashock.html my favorite! Bladed jigs are my favorite technique to throw and is really my go to whenever fishing gets tough.

These are hard to beat IMO. http://www.karuluresusa.com/vibrashock

The bladed jig has changed the way I fish for sure! I catch so many fish on them in the dirty waters of the Mississippi river its incredible. I can go out almost any day and catch a few fish on them. If nothing else it gives me confidence to fish slower in areas once I start catching a few. I've caught my biggest fish to date on it and usually my biggest fish each year comes on one. My favorite way to fish is to just parallel grass lines and shallow rock. Usually I reel just barely fast enough to make the blade work. Its also really deadly around stumps in current. I've caught a ton of fish throwing them in clear lakes around lily pads, just not something I fish very often. I prefer black and red colors for dirty water and more natural looking for cleaner water. A 4" big bite baits disco worm is my favorite trailer to use most of the time, but in the spring, I really like a rage craw. These are and my favorite colors: black/cherry, black/blue, Mississippi river magic and Blue shimmer cotton candy!

All of the reels are pflueger patriarchs bladed jig 6'8" MH 40lb suffix 832 6.4:1 spinnerbait 6'10" all start spinnerbait rod 17lb suffix promix 6.4:1 Swim jig 7'2" MH 65lb braid 7.1:1 keep in mind that I fish heavy grass and murky water most of the time so I can get away with heavy braided line.

The promix is pretty good stuff. I really like it, very subtle and casts really well. Seems to hold up well, but if you're looking for abrasion resistance the tritanium plus is the ticket.

I'll have to look into it. I haven't see anything so far and I was just on the rapala site purchasing some baits last night.

I had really good luck with the flat sided spro MD last year. Great crankbait IMO. Not sure if you can get it silent or not, but otherwise might want to check out the arashi series from storm. I think they offer a flat and a silent version.