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.

The KaRu vibrashock is by far my favorite. The only one I've tried where the blade actually hits the head of the bait so hard it chips the paint. Makes a noticeable sound and I think it actually helps the fish find the bait to give you better hook up ratios. I don't normally miss to many fish on them.

I usually just throw and retrieve. I fish them similar to a spinnerbait, but I find that in high bright sunny conditions a spinnerbait might have to much flash and vibration or if its extremely weedy. I usually just use a swimbait, small grub or some type of swimming craw as a trailer.

A ton of good colors on the market, but these happen to be my favorite and I prefer to match them with a 4" ring worm. Big bite baits and lucky strike both make good ringworms that color match pretty well. With the black/blue I like to use a big bite baits swimming craw. I think it looks more like a blue gill with the larger profile. Clean water Dirty water Spring time

Never been there in the spring, but forget about smallmouth. Chances are the water will be high, muddy and fast. Focus on the backwater areas, greymore comes to mind as one that might be good. I usually go up there in the fall so the patterns are significantly different during that time. The lower end of the pool will probably have cleaner water and less level fluctuations than mid or upper pool and probably your best bet for big bags, check bussey lake, but also the most competition. During most months of the year tournaments out of 10 will be won by competitors locking up to pool 9, but I literally have no experience there at all. I recommend throwing a Vibrashock by KaRu Lures. Amazing spring time bait. I prefer green pumpkin/blue sapphire(not on the website yet, but email can get it) or black/blue during the spring with some type of crawdad trailer. The crawdad IMO gives the bait a bigger profile and looks more like a bluegill. Swimjigs this time of year can also be really good, I like a black/blue here as well, but also really like normal shad patterns.

you can probably do it, but most likely people will make fun of you. Just come in with a winning bag at the end of the day and put their foot in their mouth. There's a few rules that you will have to follow to make it legal, but the only one you'll really have to add is an aerated livewell. Most pontoons I've been on don't have them, but can be made pretty easily with a cooler. Another option if you don't have a fishing boat is to look up different clubs. Some clubs you fish by yourself, otherwise you might fish as a team with someone that has a boat or compete from the back of somebody elses boat against other people in the back of the boat.

I'm sure the jigs are fine, I just have a hard time purchasing from these guys. I've watched most of their videos because they get posted on several sites and Bo James(the owner) claims that he has invented just about every change that has ever been made to a jig in the fishing industry and his arrogance just really turns me off. If I decide I want a jig this style, I'll find another brand. Just my opinion.

Nice to see an awesome product back on the market! Vibrashock has been a great bait for me!

I have these 2 and really like them. Very simple to use and can store multiple weights and even add them up for you so you know exactly what you've got at the end of the day. http://www.rapala.com/RTDS-15/RTDS-15,default,pd.html?start=1&cgid=rapala-toolsAndAccessories-scales http://www.rapala.com/RCTDS50/RCTDS50,default,pd.html?start=8&cgid=rapala-toolsAndAccessories-scales

KaRu Lures midnight madness vibraspin. The vibration is unreal on these and works very all the time, but really excels at night.

KaRu lures went under for awhile, but has been repurchased. Should be able to get any info you need from the facebook page. There has been quiet a bit of activity there lately.