Shell Cracker

[dam0007]

There's a body of water up here I have numerous tourneys at. Typically top water and jigs work well, I was thinking about trying this bait as none of the guys fish it. What line is recommended and what type of retrieve. Thanks

[Hi Salenity]

Are you talking about the Lunker Punker?

[dam0007]

Are you talking about the Lunker Punker?

http://www.***.com/Black_Dog_Small_Shell_Cracker_G2_/descpage-BDSM.html

[Hi Salenity]

Ok, I use 20# FC and steady retrieve

[Long Mike]

I have had success with the Cotton Candy Shell Cracker in clear water, rigged flat with a 1/8 oz keel weighted hook. (Rage Rig)  I toss it out and let it fall on slack line.  It spirals as it falls, like a dying fish.  The bass can't resist it.

[Hi Salenity]

He's talking about the Black Dog not the Rage

[dam0007]

I'm just thinking maybe a wake bait of some sorts, to alternate with spooks and poppers

[Mr_Scrogg]

Slow roll wake, pause, twitch, rinse repeat. Lube her up with Megastrike.

I use Pline CXX in the 20lb range for all swimbaits.

[Catt]

He's talking about the Black Dog not the Rage

Brand name has nothing to do with technique, I've used Big Bite's WarMouth with great results.

[Hi Salenity]

Brand name has nothing to do with technique, I've used Big Bite's WarMouth with great results.

LOL

[Hi Salenity]

This is the Black Dog Shell Cracker.

[Bluebasser86]

You might also check out the MS Slammer if you haven't already. The Mini or 7" are both great wake baits that can not only catch a kicker fish, but can fill a limit in the right conditions. Never fails to amaze me how many 15" (and even smaller), fish will smack my 7" Slammer. 

 

20lb copolymer is what I toss most of my swimbaits on. 

[dam0007]

You might also check out the MS Slammer if you haven't already. The Mini or 7" are both great wake baits that can not only catch a kicker fish, but can fill a limit in the right conditions. Never fails to amaze me how many 15" (and even smaller), fish will smack my 7" Slammer. 

 

20lb copolymer is what I toss most of my swimbaits on. 

Thanks gonna check that out! No one, I mean NO ONE throws big stuff up here. If these work for me on this particular body of water I'll be a pig in $#!^. Last tourney I tanked and guy won with 5/5 11lbs... smfh

[dam0007]

You might also check out the MS Slammer if you haven't already. The Mini or 7" are both great wake baits that can not only catch a kicker fish, but can fill a limit in the right conditions. Never fails to amaze me how many 15" (and even smaller), fish will smack my 7" Slammer. 

 

20lb copolymer is what I toss most of my swimbaits on. 

$80!!!!????? Holy expletive!

[Mr_Scrogg]

$80? For what?

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Brand name has nothing to do with technique, I've used Big Bite's WarMouth with great results.

 

Methinks you are doing it wrong.

[IAY]

You are just entering the world of swimbait fishing if you are surprised by a 80 dollar one my friend

[dam0007]

You are just entering the world of swimbait fishing if you are surprised by a 80 dollar one my friend

A big F YOU directed at the bait monkey!!!! Lmao omg I saw the roman made baits. That's way out my price range. I have a bunch of $30 range plugs for surf fishing so I can't complain up to that price point. But $80 I can't see myself spending that. I just really want different top water options.

[dam0007]

$80? For what?

for a lure he mentioned

[Mr_Scrogg]

MS Slammers are ~$30-40.

[Jrob78]

for a lure he mentioned

The $80 Slammer is 14" long and weighs 8 oz.  You want the 7" or the Mini.

[primetime]

I actually paid $22 for an Ima Flit floating jerkbait once the same day I purchased a Flash Minnow as they were supposed to be Ready to fish and only dive 6"=1' with short trebles etc...I love fishing over submerged weeds with floating jerkbaits and I always test my lures in a pond near my house after modifying etc...

 

I still can see the Ima FLit in this awesome looking translucent color glowing and glistening across the pond in an area impossible to get to....That one hurt and I never would have attemped a cast across a pond with a lure like that but I had my new ballistic and I heard and saw a huge Bass Busting on some Shiners, and she was one of the fish over 7lbs, so I figured I had one cast or she was back hiding under 30 feet of cover......Loosened spool, put on long cast, made sure my backhand swing was safe from snags, and man does that Ima Flit cast like a champ.....landed a good 20 feet above the water and shore up in a tree. Those "Loaded Bearings" are actually for real and I was able to get a Red Fin in the same area after losing the lure, and worst of all, I ended up losing my favorite go to lure...Bomber Long a Gold Prism orange, all paint was gone, but that lure just had the it factor and flat out got bit...

 

Come to think of it...If I was in a tournament in Ct, I am fishing topwater or subsurface with a Bomber Long A in 15A size baby bass, chart or silver, firetiger, or the Chartruse silver and if day is bright and not windy, water is clear, fish the smaller 14a size in lighter color silver, or just go natural colors or anything with orange belly...let it spend alot of the day drifting on top and gently diving a few inches each twitch as I bet a few giants crush it while it is sitting while barely moving it....

 

If not a bomber, go with the Bableys Bang O lure, Yo-zuri crystal minnow if need some wild action, but if stained I throw the red fin all day and wake it and use big 7" or go to medium size if slapping it or missing...Bass are sick of seeing the same lures and I am convinced that a long a, red fin, xcalibuer ghost minnow, Rapala J11-13, Storm Twitch stick and bang o lures are the best all year except when you want the suspenders like rogue, spoonbills etc.

 

I also love the spook one knocker in wind, and yo-zuri prism walkingn lure if clear water, or sebile stick shad or team daiwa DC minnow....Hope that helps, all great lures I would neve leave home with. I actually have over 100 bombers in a box and that is just the floaters, and counting floating rogues, rapala, rebel etc..I carry 75% floating jerkbaits in summer and fall, and then jigs, chatterbaits, and plastics......and suspending sebile flatt shad which runs over Florida Toho Weeds like a champ.

[Montanaro]

As for the G2 shellcracker...I use heavy fluoro and I experiment with waking it very slowly on top and cranking it down and putting rod tip in water and smacking into brush and logs. It won't get hung up. The twitching retrieves doesn't work that we'll with g2 imo...I suggest you keep it moving.

[IAY]

for a lure he mentioned

If you keep going down this path...It will eventually lead you there...Dark stuff indeed...xD

[WRB]

The wooden Black Dog shell cracker is $55 and excellent bluegill swimbait. The G2 shell cracker is plastic, smaller and $20.

Today's hot wake bait or surface is ABL Dirty Donkey, similar to the wooden original Lunker Punker, $57.

Tom

PS, always buy 2 or more!