Has Anyone Fished The D.o.a. Airhead Jerkbait/swimbait For Bass?

[primetime]

I have always used so called "saltwater" plastics like Exude Fan Tail Shrimp, CIgar Minnows, and even crabs and shrimp to catch bass here in Florida. I find crabs work if they are bedding as it mimics a turtle, but anyway, that is not my first choice.

D.O.A. makes some really nice soft baits and I have always done well using there flukes and shads, plastic popping heads for swimbaits, and Bass love the weighted shrimp, especially big pre Spawn Females hunting for some Iodine that the Crawfish Provide.

I recently purchased a few bags of this cool looking 5.5" thich air head bait that looks like the gambler flappin shad, only the body is much thicker and hollow, and the tail is much thicker and the bait looks to be the size of a big shad, decent panfish.....The Tail Floats and bait falls great, and then stands on its head and looks awesome. I can't figure out how to fish this bait but I don't want to give up as it looks way to good and has a new action and look that is like nothing else I have seen out.

My buddy said he saw a guy flipping it in grass and working it slow on a football jig last week and was catching good numbers. Maybe it is a forrage base thing for certain lakes? has anyone tried this weightless, or as a buzz bait? shakey rig etc...

Any info would help. This seems like it has potential to be a big fish bait that most guys will never see since they skip the saltwater section. Bass love a new look, and if anyone really believes that Exude/Mister twister makes different batches of flukes and worms they are silly. Gulp, Bass assassin/saltwater assassin, trigger x, charlies, they are all doing this saltwater scent etc/phermones of fear(check the science on phermones and you wouldn't want them on your baits for sure, but the good news is you would need approx 5 gallons to impact a fish within a 3 foot radius. I love trigger X baits because they are biodegradeble and made from real fish so they are almost like cheating in a way. However, people would be surprised how well some of those saltwater lures work for Bass, especially the Mirrolures, Red Fins, big Bomber Long A's, and Hair Jigs/Bucktails are better than silicone jigs most times in my opinion....Intersted to see if you guys fish all baits as one, and recognize that only difference is hook quality and guage of components used for most part.

The Exude Fan Tail Shrimp has a mouth that holds a big rattle, and it is identical to the Berkley Havoc Slop Craw, so it is perfect for slipping through heavy cover, small profile, and has a slimy feel and good taste so Hook sets are great. I love that bait and it is truly a go to for me when I want a soft craw as a trailer or need one to swim or drag. I actually get bit on glow colors at times which I used to hate

[Catt]

D.O.A. Shrimp is deadly on bass if ya don't tell em it's a salt water bait!

[primetime]

I actually love using D.O.A. Shrimp for Bass, Especially during the winter and pre-spawn when the Lunkers crave Craws...I believe there is no such thing as a lure or bait that is only effective in either Salt or Fresh. If a lure works for Redfish or Snook, it will work for Bass. Here in Florida we are catching more Snook in freshwater than any year I can remember and I have people showing me pics of Snook in Golf Course Ponds & have had days where I have caught Redfish & Tarpon as well in 100% Freshwater, and it is more common than people realize, especially in the colder months.

Some of my favorite Bass Baits are labled as "Saltwater". I understand Yo-zuri & Saltwater Lures have Stainless & heavier components than Most Freshwater Lures. Here are a few Lures I would NEVER leave home on a Bass fishing trip & several are my top choice.

Topwater-Yo-zuri Banana Boats in reg size & Jr. in Clown,Silver,Gold. Also, the SS Minnow is my favorite wake bait without question. The action is 2x than what a Mann's wakebait or Bandit Footloose,crankster etc. Although yo-zuri is not making those lures anymore, you can still find them and I have some I could send you at a super low price as the liquidator I work for has tons of banana boats,SS minnows,Pins Minnows in Sinking,floating, suspenindg, and my secret silent lipless crank that will rip through any hydrilla, cast a Mile, and has the best Flash/falling action created....The Crystal Vibe in 7/8 & 3/8. I actually don't like the live bait series of lures however, but who knows.

Crankbaits-Jerkbaits-Swimbaits- Bomber Long A-Floating and Suspening. Cordell Red-Fin in large size. Mirror Lure 17mr Mirrodine twitchbait with chartruese. D.o.A-Flukes in clear/Black back with gold flake-5-7", xrap 9 Subwalk, Sebile Stick Shadds in sinking,suspending,floating....Also Team Daiwa makes some awesome Subsurface lures.

lastly...If you throw Rattle traps, then you need to Throw some Flatt Shads in Sinking, and in Suspending with the glitter filled cavities in amber and silver. You can find them for under $5 each online.

also, Snook, Reds, Stripers and Trout love Live Target Crawfish cranks and traps, and the old River Runts made by Heddon, rebel craw cranks are great as well....

If you have never tried these, I am certain you will find the above lures and baits to be fantastic, and work great on pressured lakes many times.

[Catt]

Now dude ya know ya can't do that, it gonna confuse the fish!

For big winter reds try a Rat-L-Traps!

[I.rar]

Caught some good peas down here on doa terror eyez worked fast near the Surface.

[primetime]

Funny, I actually have never tried a lipless crank for Reds or Snook. I used to throw them for Stripers up North all the time from the surf. Although, the one's that say "SALTWATER" on them are hard to find, and are expensive. Surely, the other 982 brands of lipless cranks can't work. Does it say for Redfish on the box? Otherwise I will politely tell you that you must be a novice and are simply silly......

I once told someone where I work part-time that he should by the yellow Samurai Braid while it was on sale for $29.99 since it would be back to $59after the sale. He told me Yellow was no good. I then explained how the die comes off all braid after a few trips, and it is best to color your line with Sharpies to match the water color, so only color the last few feet, and get the much better line instead of settling for an inferior product.......

I was told...A-I hope you are joking, and B- not sure what Braid you are using, I have never had the color come off of my line. I then asked him if he only uses green because fish can't see it and he answered yes....I then simply asked why he was purchasing green pumpkin and watermelon seed plastics? I wanted to tell him the reason his line never loses color is because he probably get's it all tangled in a few hours and has none left but I have to be professional.....

Some people are so closed minded, where I will try anything you tell me even if I think it may be a joke....For instance, try Freezing your plastics in the Hot Summer and make sure you set as soon as you see your line move......You need bright floating braid, longer leader, but Hold on....

[Catt]

I live in southwest Louisiana & fish from Grand Isle to Brownsville. Saltwater Traps are every where & are not that high.

I also catch a lot of Reds on Johnson Sprite Spoons!

We also have a lot of brackish water, so catching bass & reds together is the norm.

The marshes have fresh water shrimp which is why DOA lures work.

[The Commodore]

I have use Airheads a lot lately.  They are very versatile imo.  The bass mainly hit it on the fall but if you cut the tail it make a swimming action that they like too.  DOA and VMC make a special EWG hook with a very long neck specifically for the airheads.  I highly recommend getting them because the regular necks on traditional EWGs are too short for the body and will rip the bait after the first strike.

 

 

[SirSnookalot]

Most serious fisherman I know that live in Florida fish DOA including myself.  Mark Nichols quite often speaks at the Palm Beach fishing club.  I swear by 5.5" CAL (cheap ass lure) jerk shad.  I did try the airhead and didn't care for it, both with wide gap hook as well as on a jig head.  The terror eyez work pretty good for bass as well as snook.  Usually my online order gets delivered in about 5 days.

[ced]

Tried them for redfish and hated them.

 

There is really nothing besides the taller profile that gives me any reason to use them over any other of my soft plastics.

 

My main issue with them is their weight and wind resistance result in poor casting distance.

[dam0007]

I use Slug-Gos, Spooks, Poppers in both fresh and salt. I cant see how other baits would be ineffective...