Help With Sammy

[KyakR]

I've read on here that LC Sammy is a favorite go to bait for many. Took mine out again today and was frustrated. I fish the Spook, torpedo etc really slow.....can't seem to get the rhythm with the Sammy except way fast. Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

[deaknh03]

its in the wrist. flicks and snaps.

[Sam]

And keep the rod tip up when you get a hookset.

 

Seems the bass have a tendency to throw the Sammy's a lot after being hooked.

 

I don't fish them very often due to the bass throwing them.

 

I would rather throw a RICO or buzzbait.

 

Just my two cents.

[BuckMaxx]

A rod with a pretty soft tip and mono line is a must. A Sammy either walks slow( jerk/pause or really fast. If I want a medium speed I generally go with a  spook,.

[KyakR]

Thanks all! Going to the lake today and will practice. I'm going to a pond today with clear calm waters.......great place to watch lure action and learn. I think I was using wrong rod and wrong line 

[dday07]

It takes alot more practice with Sammie than with Spook.i prefer Spook in more windy and deeper water but like Sammie in shallow and calmer water cause more subtle and seems to float on the surface...LOL!

[J Francho]

Really?  A Sammy is possibly the easiest walking baits to master.  The key is to throw slack in the line just after using a downward twitch.  I use a shorter rod for this, a 6-2 medium power, x-fast action rod with 10# P-Line CXX.  For cadence, the biger the bait, the slower the retrieve.  A 115 size is great for long, sweeping side to side action.  The 100 and 85 are best with a faster retrieve.

[Fishes in trees]

I'd agree with J Franco in that I think that the Sammy is the easiest topwater to walk.  I throw mine on a fairly whippy 6' bait casting rod and mono, anywhere from 12 to 20 lb.  I think I'm using 17 right now.

[JayKumar]

I never bonded with the Sammy and feel the Rapala Skitter Walk is the easiest to walk -- but my fave is still the Spook Jr.

[craww]

What model are you using? The larger one's are easier to "walk". Keep in mind due to it being tail weighted and the overall shape of the bait, its not going to walk the way a spook or x walk will. Initially like alot of other people, I was turned off by the bait; expecting a spook type action like yourself. In time I fell in love with them. Stick with it, your retrieve doesnt have to be pretty or a perfect cadence.Theres a reason everyone knocks off these baits. I'm a diehard topwater guy, and a sammy 85 in MS american shad is my favorite bait of all topwaters.

[KyakR]

What model are you using? The larger one's are easier to "walk". Keep in mind due to it being tail weighted and the overall shape of the bait, its not going to walk the way a spook or x walk will. Initially like alot of other people, I was turned off by the bait; expecting a spook type action like yourself. In time I fell in love with them. Stick with it, your retrieve doesnt have to be pretty or a perfect cadence.Theres a reason everyone knocks off these baits. I'm a diehard topwater guy, and a sammy 85 in MS american shad is my favorite bait of all topwaters.

I think you hit it....I've been trying to get it to act like a spook! Thanks I'm headed out tomorrow and will stick with it. Other suggestions here help alot too. My rod isn't whippy for sure! And J Franco, your comment about cadence......that's something I'll practice. And now I need to go to DSG to get myself a skitterwalk on the way......

[aavery2]

The sammy is one of the easiest top water baits to walk. Where people oFten have problems is not leaving enough slack in the line. You have to leave more slack than you would think. If the sammy dont get it done for you try the LC Gunfish,I have not seen anyone who could not make it walk.

[Jay Ell Gee]

If your creative screen name is any indication, should I guess that you are walking these lures from a 'yak?

I fish a native ultimate 14.5 and am finally getting comfortable standing in it. However, I really had to adjust to walking the dog from a sitting position when moving from a bass boat to a kayak.

I found that with the rod tip up, you need a LOT more slack in your line than when standing. However, if you can walk a spook, you can walk a Sammy.

Start with one twitch. Observe how far the lure glides. As its momentum is ending, twitch again. The "cadence" varies depending on the length that each type of lure "glides."

Personally, I can't walk a skitter walk to save my dang life. My all time favorite walk the dog topwater is the Little Dummy version of the Top Dog made by Texas Tackle Factory (TTF). It's so easy to walk that it's borderline laughable. Academy has them on their clearance aisle around here, I wiped out both stores in my favorite color.

My second favorite walking lure is actually a popper, the Damiki D Pop 70. It'll walk all day just like a spook. Awesome little baits. I actually have one tied on for the morning.

Just pay attention and make sure to change the Sammy's direction just as it's losing its forward momentum.

Most importantly, go catch a ton of bass and be safe out there while you do it, and then post a report with plenty of pictures!

[KyakR]

If your creative screen name is any indication, should I guess that you are walking these lures from a 'yak?

I fish a native ultimate 14.5 and am finally getting comfortable standing in it. However, I really had to adjust to walking the dog from a sitting position when moving from a bass boat to a kayak.

I found that with the rod tip up, you need a LOT more slack in your line than when standing. However, if you can walk a spook, you can walk a Sammy.

Start with one twitch. Observe how far the lure glides. As its momentum is ending, twitch again. The "cadence" varies depending on the length that each type of lure "glides."

Personally, I can't walk a skitter walk to save my dang life. My all time favorite walk the dog topwater is the Little Dummy version of the Top Dog made by Texas Tackle Factory (TTF). It's so easy to walk that it's borderline laughable. Academy has them on their clearance aisle around here, I wiped out both stores in my favorite color.

My second favorite walking lure is actually a popper, the Damiki D Pop 70. It'll walk all day just like a spook. Awesome little baits. I actually have one tied on for the morning.

Just pay attention and make sure to change the Sammy's direction just as it's losing its forward momentum.

Most importantly, go catch a ton of bass and be safe out there while you do it, and then post a report with plenty of pictures!

Wow. Didn't even consider how sitting low in a 'yak changes the deal! I'm gonna slow down with that Sammy. You're in Louisiana. I *** you. All the cool places to fish and to paddle in.

Hey I want to really thank all you guys for this advice and opinion. Being self-taught, there's so much I don't know. And I'm working on the ton of fish!

[CTGalloway21]

its all in the hips, its all in the hips.   wait, that is happy Gilmore, not fishing

[roadwarrior]

I had a kyak for a couple of years, but it didn't work for me.

Until it was brought up on this thread I had forgotton how

difficult it was to work some lures. My biggest issue was

constantly being pushed out of position.

 

Back on topic...

I too think the Sammy is the easiest lure to walk. I still carry

spooks, but rarely use anything but the Sammy, PopMax and

Cavitron.

[J Francho]

From a kayak, in a seated position,  you can work a spook with a "tip up" presentation.  The movement is the same - short upward twitches, immediately followed by throwing slack in the line.  Then, a slight reel retrieve, and repeat.  A short, fast to x-fast (tippy) rod still works best for this.

[Bass Junkie]

I've thrown both the Sammy 85 and 100, and I love them. The 85 can be very difficult to walk, you need to spend some time with the bait to get used to it's personality. The 100 is significantly easier to walk, but as mentioned previously, it walks different from a spook. The Heddon Spook, Super Spook, and other variations of the model are weighted to sit almost flat on the water, achieving maybe a 30* angle in the water at rest. This allows them to walk very easily from the initial twitched due to the low amount of effort needed to glide the bait across the surface of the water. The Sammy series, on the other hand, feature a weighted tail design that causes the bait to sit at a much steeper angle in the water, almost vertical. This requires more initial power in the first twitches to achieve the gliding action. It also causes the bait to have a slightly different walk profile than the Spook. I throw both the Spook and the Sammy, as well as a couple of other models from various manufacturers, but the Sammy is my personal preference. I throw them on a 6'6" MH Fast action casting rod (It's listed as a fast action, but it has a very nice taper and I'd rate it slightly slower) and monofilament line in the 10lb -12lb diameter range. 

[KyakR]

From a kayak, in a seated position,  you can work a spook with a "tip up" presentation.  The movement is the same - short upward twitches, immediately followed by throwing slack in the line.  Then, a slight reel retrieve, and repeat.  A short, fast to x-fast (tippy) rod still works best for this

 

I had a kyak for a couple of years, but it didn't work for me.

Until it was brought up on this thread I had forgotton how

difficult it was to work some lures. My biggest issue was

constantly being pushed out of position.

 

Back on topic...

I too think the Sammy is the easiest lure to walk. I still carry

spooks, but rarely use anything but the Sammy, PopMax and

Cavitron.

 

Wow. All this really helped! Went out yesterday to my favorite pond to practice, anchored. I get pushed out of position easily too. Love windless days. It's why I have trolling motor. I also changed my rod. Tried tip-up, and caught my first bass on that Sammy! After my mishap with treble hooks I now have a hemostat and easily released her....caught another also about 2 lb. Then a pickerel, good size. I'm stoked