Old School Floating Jerkbait : Bomber Long A - Still Productive ?

[ChrisD46]

Anyone still using a Bomber Long A  B14A / B15A Floating Jerkbait ? ...This lure still gets historically good reviews for a lure that has been around since 1980's and cost under $6.00 ea. With spring temps beginning to rise through the 60's (post spawn in the South)  switching from a suspending jerkbait to a floater / shallow diver jerkbait could be the winning ticket ! ... I would like to hear from those who have or still fish this floating / shallow diver jerkbait - what are your favorite colors and tactics ?

[iceintheveins]

Still catches bass of all sorts for sure.

[WRB]

Used the CHO 7" model and still an excellent jerk bait.

Tom

[Blues19]

I think some of those older baits are not used much anymore, so the bass around now havent seen them.  If they have caught fish before, there is a good chance they will catch fish again, especially since these old lures may be new to Bass now

[SirSnookalot]

Do people think fish are having a pow pow deciding that a 50 year old lure is all of a sudden unappealing to them? If a lure worked decades ago it's going to be just as productive today.  I'll be happy to take all of those old lures off your hands.

[smalljaw67]

While I don't use the Bomber, I still have a lot of success with floating jerkbaits all summer. Once we get into late May here the water gets too worm for a suspending bait, unless to go to a shallow model like a flash minnow or something like the x-rap that is right at hoe when being worked aggressively. I actually won money with a Smithwick ARB 1200 series Rogue, that is the shallow diving version and can be worked really aggressive or it can be worked slow and then it becomes a topwater bait. I have had success last season with the Bagley Bang-O-Lure in both sizes as well, the only thing you need is clear water, I have tried using these baits in dirty water for years and you need at least 2' of visibility for them to work well but 3' of more is optimum.

[fish365]

The 15A in "Bone" really shines late fall to mid-winter in TVA highland reservoirs.Keep the retrieve slow enough to have it make a v-wake on top.  Have caught a ton of fish on them all the way down to 42-43 degrees as the weather gets colder. keep a weightless senko/dinger rig up on another rod as a lot of smallmouth will hammer this from straight under and not hook up. throw the senko/dinger back to where they missed and let it slow fall.Pick up a lot of the misses this way.Bluff walls are great, but when first few cold fronts of late fall early winter come in, look for points that wind is blowing into. The v-wake action against the chop makes it get smoked by the fish. 

[river-rat]

Absolutely. I still use the Bomber Long A along with a Rogue and a Cordell Redfin.

[ChrisD46]

For those who use / have used the Bomber Long A floating jerkbait please provide a few favorite color choices that would cover various conditions .

[frogflogger]

I like gold foil in clear to slightly stained water

rainbow trout in darker stained water or on cloudy day

[primetime]

bomber Long A..Favorite Florida shallow floating jerkbait in 15a and 14a and I often add a tail feather and change out trebles for 2 x3 silver short one size larger and shorter rings, and use a spro snap instead of ring...Also sand sides a bit and also load a few for windy days and weeds growing up to the surface so it only dives maybe 4" but still does the deadly Bombe Roll, and I add some silicone for bouancy, and use a single hook on back dressed with flash and maribou and 90% of strikes come  after the 2nd twitch, when the bait is rolling for 4-5 seconds and I just tap the line for movement...Big Fish hit hardbaits postspawn and if you get the cadence down, you can have a great day.

 

In spring, Gold Prism, Gold tiger, and gold orange is popular as long as the bottom has some yellow, sides have some silver or gold flake, but I like the gold orange and the Royal purple, or the older chartruese orange flash....I like a tail teaser in a bluegill pattern, gold/brown and amber, or red/blk...

n

I always throw on 6' med action baitcaster with 40-50lb braid for buoyancy and I color last 6 feet of line to match water and more importantly, I paint the top bright uv pink so I can see it after it is working a mile away in waves, as you need to steer it to avoid snags, see swirls, and also see if a fish is under it due to increeased wake..If I get fish slapping it early, only getting last treble, I usually will add some chart or switch to the silver prism blue, clown, baby bass and I literally have a box of all long a'sa & the smaller 14a is often ok, the 13 is sometimes good as well but needs to be heavy so it wont roll if fish are feeding on fry...Little jerkbaits are always in chart shad, firetiger, shad patterns, baby bass, perch, or purple.....red under chin, and practice in the pool to get the feel for 2-3 of them as you get to the point when you can feel a strike coming after a few hours of nothing just by seeing the red top rise faster and wake more and then the blow up is usualy a good fish and in Fl usually 4-7lbs 2-3 times a day if lucky and plenty of good fish as well.

 

If the Bomber is not erratic enough as I modify them to kill action at times, tail weight to do turns, and literally control it like my rod is a remote control, but I am not the best and not close compared to guys who showed me this technique...

 

Nothing beats a Red Fin in blue silver or Firetiger for slow rolling, swimming, or using the pull and pause....Bang o Lure good in clear water and quiet as is the Rapala F-9-11 j-11, and old xcaliber ghost minnow is slim and great for a spinning reel......If I could pick a few more, I always have foating rattling rogues for sound, old chart and gold Rebels and silver black for vibrations and I add bb's or one bb in a few lures that are quiet..The long a makes noise, and its the roll and rise of the bomber that works...If they are getting all trebles then you found the color, size, cadence, and it is going to be a good day most likely...

 

If I had more money, I would throw the Ima Flirt 120, and Flash minnow as well as the crystal minnow and 3d is great when fish are active or stained water.....don't sleep on the matzuo jerkbaits or even the Storm thunderstick....

 

I believe the key is knowing how to get your bait to turn, and also see from far away and get them heavy and less likely to snag....Tail feathers increase buoyancy, sanding, silicone, braid or silicone coating on snap and line, or heavy mono....Jerkbaits are my thing and I feel I could fish the same 4-5 patterns and 2 sizes all year in floaters, suspending, and slow fall all year and if a fish misses I actually follow up with a small bandit footloose before going to a Trick worm or Lil Dipper.

 

good luck.....If you find that you like any of the Japanese brands that are not so expensive at times let me know as I am dying to try the Duo, Deps, Evergreen, Imakatsu and the Daiwa is ok but seems to be stiff and just not rise right.

[Dwight Hottle]

Very productive especially over weeds 1 to 3 feet from the surface. It's advantage is it can be worked shallow.

[ChrisD46]

Thanks for the new replies !

[Dwight Hottle]

bomber Long A..Favorite Florida shallow floating jerkbait in 15a and 14a and I often add a tail feather and change out trebles for 2 x3 silver short one size larger and shorter rings, and use a spro snap instead of ring...Also sand sides a bit and also load a few for windy days and weeds growing up to the surface so it only dives maybe 4" but still does the deadly Bombe Roll, and I add some silicone for bouancy, and use a single hook on back dressed with flash and maribou and 90% of strikes come  after the 2nd twitch, when the bait is rolling for 4-5 seconds and I just tap the line for movement...Big Fish hit hardbaits postspawn and if you get the cadence down, you can have a great day.

 

In spring, Gold Prism, Gold tiger, and gold orange is popular as long as the bottom has some yellow, sides have some silver or gold flake, but I like the gold orange and the Royal purple, or the older chartruese orange flash....I like a tail teaser in a bluegill pattern, gold/brown and amber, or red/blk...

n

I always throw on 6' med action baitcaster with 40-50lb braid for buoyancy and I color last 6 feet of line to match water and more importantly, I paint the top bright uv pink so I can see it after it is working a mile away in waves, as you need to steer it to avoid snags, see swirls, and also see if a fish is under it due to increeased wake..If I get fish slapping it early, only getting last treble, I usually will add some chart or switch to the silver prism blue, clown, baby bass and I literally have a box of all long a'sa & the smaller 14a is often ok, the 13 is sometimes good as well but needs to be heavy so it wont roll if fish are feeding on fry...Little jerkbaits are always in chart shad, firetiger, shad patterns, baby bass, perch, or purple.....red under chin, and practice in the pool to get the feel for 2-3 of them as you get to the point when you can feel a strike coming after a few hours of nothing just by seeing the red top rise faster and wake more and then the blow up is usualy a good fish and in Fl usually 4-7lbs 2-3 times a day if lucky and plenty of good fish as well.

 

If the Bomber is not erratic enough as I modify them to kill action at times, tail weight to do turns, and literally control it like my rod is a remote control, but I am not the best and not close compared to guys who showed me this technique...

 

Nothing beats a Red Fin in blue silver or Firetiger for slow rolling, swimming, or using the pull and pause....Bang o Lure good in clear water and quiet as is the Rapala F-9-11 j-11, and old xcaliber ghost minnow is slim and great for a spinning reel......If I could pick a few more, I always have foating rattling rogues for sound, old chart and gold Rebels and silver black for vibrations and I add bb's or one bb in a few lures that are quiet..The long a makes noise, and its the roll and rise of the bomber that works...If they are getting all trebles then you found the color, size, cadence, and it is going to be a good day most likely...

 

If I had more money, I would throw the Ima Flirt 120, and Flash minnow as well as the crystal minnow and 3d is great when fish are active or stained water.....don't sleep on the matzuo jerkbaits or even the Storm thunderstick....

 

I believe the key is knowing how to get your bait to turn, and also see from far away and get them heavy and less likely to snag....Tail feathers increase buoyancy, sanding, silicone, braid or silicone coating on snap and line, or heavy mono....Jerkbaits are my thing and I feel I could fish the same 4-5 patterns and 2 sizes all year in floaters, suspending, and slow fall all year and if a fish misses I actually follow up with a small bandit footloose before going to a Trick worm or Lil Dipper.

 

good luck.....If you find that you like any of the Japanese brands that are not so expensive at times let me know as I am dying to try the Duo, Deps, Evergreen, Imakatsu and the Daiwa is ok but seems to be stiff and just not rise right.

 

 

Nice post primetime. You know your baits!

[Jdn]

I will not go bass fishing with my silver flash with black back long a. It always pay off for me every time. Its awesome ee