Scroungers

[Fishinthefish]

After searching honestly I'd like to hear more opinions on the lure. How do you use it, when do you use it? What do you use on it? It's one of two baits I'm trying to incorporate into the new year. The other being the chatter bait. Anyway, how to you use it? What times of year etc.

[SoFloBassFiend]

Scroungers and chatterbaits are very similar. Main uses and places would be anywhere you would throw a spinnerbait but want a slower moving presentation. 

[A-Jay]

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/search/?type=all&q=scrounger

A-Jay

[BuckMaxx]

Anytime I am on a trap bite I rig one to go back over the same water with scrounger with a fluke paddletails or grub. Always worth an extra bite or two

[Mike L]

I've been throwing a scrounger more and more lately in the same areas I use a spinnerbait and doing pretty well with it. Don't know if it is the bait itself with its tight action or just the right thing at the right time in the right place. 

The most success I've had is when I use a Sluggo with it. 

 

Mike 

[A-Jay]

When fishing in an environment known to have Big Largemouth Bass, some of the most impressive fish I've taken have come on a 3/8 oz Scrounger / long bill version crawled slowly along the bottom.

Best trailers have been Zoom Super & Magnum Fluke, Zoom Mag Trick worm, 6 inch Slug-go.

I'd post pictures of a few but with all the snow we have here, it might make me cry . . . . . 

A-Jay 

 

[buzzed bait]

on the Chattahoochee river here in GA, the scrounger head with a fluke will catch stripers and black bass.  i always fish one when on the river, but oddly enough have only caught black bass on it.  i've been with buddies that catch striped bass on the same setup right beside me, but not me for some reason or other???

[primetime]

I need to use a scrounger more...I tried it a few times and never had any action so I quickly changed...I think I was working it too fast or just didn't have the right weight or bait...

I am going to actually try it with a sluggo as mentioned above or a fluke..I used it last time in a small size with a small sassy shad and it looked good but I quickly gave up after my buddy caught a few....I never really gave much thought about fishing it like a chatterbait, I was thinking Shaky head lift and drop for some reason...

Too many lures, Ned, Neko, Flick shake, mendotta, jika rigs, swing jigs, rage rigs...I like the idea of fishing it similar to a chatterbait, weedless with the guard, wobbles, goint to try it with a horizontal approach..Seems like it works well for people and I never see anyone using it...

[WRB]

A-Jay listed links to this topic, "Let's Talk Scroungers" is a good thread to review.

Tom

[imagine29028]

This little swimbait on one, caught my biggest fish of 2015. Spinning rod, 8lb braid...literally looking for bites. 

[Turkey sandwich]

55 minutes ago, imagine29028 said:

This little swimbait on one, caught my biggest fish of 2015. Spinning rod, 8lb braid...literally looking for bites. 

My eyes are kind of **** right now, but is that paddle tail upside down? Any reason, if so?

[A-Jay]

6 hours ago, Turkey sandwich said:

My eyes are kind of **** right now, but is that paddle tail upside down? Any reason, if so?

Up side down means different things sometimes ` anglers don't all use baits the same way and still get bit.  But in the photo - the tail would be facing / running down as the scrounger runs hook up.  

btw - swimbaits on scroungers don't always offer the best action.  The scrounger will sometimes actually seem to be "fighting" with the action of the swimbait depending on the make, model & brand.  Straight tail or somewhat less active trailers do well - especially thin and / or soft baits.

A-Jay

[BassNBarry]

I've always fished my swimbaits with paddle tail down and hook up. I've fished straight tail swimbaits both ways and don't see that much difference. What's most important to me is to get the bait straight on the hook; VERY straight. If I think I'm off even a little bit, I rig again.

There's one swimbait (mostly used as a trailer) I have that confuses me. When I run the hook out the top, it interferes with the dorsal fin (see pic), while the bottom of the bait is hollowed-out for the hook, but the hook is then facing down; I like my hooks up as they are more weedless. Until I figure this out, I've stopped using this bait. Any suggestions are appreciated.

[SNK]

I've used flukes with good success. Have a bag of sluggo's collecting dust that I will now throw in the tackle bag and give them a whirl on a scrounger and see what happens. 

[imagine29028]

10 hours ago, Turkey sandwich said:

My eyes are kind of **** right now, but is that paddle tail upside down? Any reason, if so?

dumb luck? Honestly dont think I gave it much thought. 

[tander]

14 minutes ago, imagine29028 said:

dumb luck? Honestly dont think I gave it much thought. 

Looks right to me, that's how I would rig it.

[Surfcaster]

I bought some scroungers after a fish tank demonstration at a fishing show a couple of years ago.  The bass in the tank went crazy for a scrounger with a beaver style bait on it.  I have tried them a few times with no success, but I probably have not given them a fair shot.  I was always swayed by my boater catching fish on something else and just had to switch.