Menace grub help

[SWVABass]

I need some rigging help. I fished these the other day, had multiple bite bit could not get a hook up. I'm fishing them on a med heavy fast action rod, 10 lbs floro. I used both 2/0 and 4/0 hooks. I did notice the tails were tore up pretty bad compared to the bait so sure I was getting tail it.

my question is what size hook works best for these baits? I'm fishing t rigged on an ewg hook. Thanks for the help and any pointers!

[jr231]

Sounds like you're getting nipped by dinks or bluegill to Me..

T rigged on ewg is recommended from the manufacturer.  

[Cgolf]

I fished them on a slider spider classic head which has a 3/0 light wire hook and had no issues. Would agree with the PP, and you could try some gel scent on the nose of the bait to the hookpoint to see if you could get the fish to target the head of the bait instead of the tail.

[roadwarrior]

3/0 EWG Offset Worm Hook, T-rigged with a 1/4 oz bullet weight unpegged.

Or as a trailer for swim jigs:  

 

[Bluebasser86]

One of my favorites and they usually have a great hook up ratio because of the compact size. A 3/0 EWG with a 1/4oz weight is how I fish them.

[Steveo-1969]

I fish them t-rigged on a 3/0 Owner Twistlock Light hook and a 3/16 ounce bullet weight, M/F baitcaster with 10# fluoro.  No problems hooking up.

[SWVABass]

Ok thanks guys.I figured the tail grabbers were small or something else. I did have two solid bites one I had a horrible hook set but the other I thought I crossed his eyes but Line went slack after a short fight. Grub came back and it was like the bait hadn't moved on the hook. Thanks for the input, I'll work on my hook sets and get some 3/0 hooks.

[buzzed bait]

when i was in florida for vacation i was fishing some of the small ponds there and would get some blow ups on the frog, but that was about it.  i tried a rage menace on a owner weighted twistlock hook and started nailing the fish.  it was pretty easy to fish it too whether in open water or in the weedlines.

[primetime]

You can use that bait as a topwater, swimbait, trailer. punch bait....have the option of seperating the tail which changes the fall rate and action from a glide like a baitfish to a craw...

One of the best baits on the market imo....I use them on jigs, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, split shot rigs, shaky heads, swimbaits jigheads...2/0-3/0 EWG I believe is the size, up to 1/2 ounce depending on what I am using them 4 but some days they will catch more fish on the surface than a frog, or sideways fished like a curly tail grub...

It is probably one of my favorite soft baits overall, I keep one rigged with a light weight and one rigged as a swim jig trailer/Jig Trailer period. I use that as my trailer 90% of the time now.  I like the small profile on top since it kicks up alot of water and you hook most strikes....Probably panfish hitting it, Bass usually hit them to kill.

[Ratherbfishing]

If it is in a rapid "tap tap tap" fashion, it's probably little bluegill that are peckin' at the tail.  The only advice I have is to resist setting the hook on those "feels" and you'll loose fewer baits.  You might miss a few bass but probably not many.  Bass will take the whole bait in their mouth rather than just grab at the tail (losing a meal is losing a meal, after all).  Hence, the "feel" will be different.

[fishwizzard]

The Menace grub has been my top producer this year.  After trying A bunch of different rigging methods I found one that works incredibly well. I'm at work but I'll add a picture when I get home. In short,  I rig them on a straight shank 3/0 Owner cutting point hook with the tip just below the top surface.  I fish them weightless most of the time, but if I need a weight I use a 1/8 steel sinker.   I want the greater size sinker to act as sort of a guard for the front of the grub.  The straight shank hook, while giving almost 100% hook up ratio, really kills the durability of the grub.   The larger weight protects the nose of the grub if you have to work it through weeds or other cover.  

 I fish it with a bunch of different actions, from burning it just subsurface to a slow lift and drag. In my opinion the menace has the almost perfect balance of weight, action, and durability.  I use either a M/XF spinning rod or a L/MF casting rod and get almost perfect hookups with both. 

The Menace has a bunch of other uses as the other guys have already stated, even when the nose gets too torn up to t-rig anymore, you could just nip a quarter inch off and use it as a trailer.  

I started the spring with a firm plan to fish senkos until I became proficient with them, but outing after outing the weightless Menace Frub out preformed them by a shocking margin to the point where it's become my go to plastic bait. 

EDIT:

Here is a picture of how I have it rigged:

EWG hooks were much harder to set the hook on.  The Owner screwlock lightwires were better, but the Stright Shank is almost 100%.  My only wish is if they had a more robust keeper, I might try to add a bit of heat shrink tubing at some point or something like that.  I tried parasite clips but they never seem to sit correctly and both mess up the action and grab a ton of weeds/muck.

[bowhunter63]

Try it on a weighted keel hook or on a Rage blade for a trailer.

[SWVABass]

Just a lil update, I fished it again yesterday. Changes made I fished it with a 1/4 oz Ecopro weight bead, on 20 lb mono, 3/0 hook. Worked perfectly, I never missed a bite and never lost a fish. I fished the neon black, which I changed from falcon craw. It was a great learning day for me and gained tons of confidence with the bait and that color. Helped me to finish around 6th in my club tourney as a non boater, thanks guys for the input here.

[JG233]

My fav bait to fish!

[deaknh03]

Here's a trick taught to me by a fellow BR member. Using a jackall wacky jig head, rig the menace and put a drop of Loctite to secure the bait to the head. Hop it, drag it, whatever, keep it on the bottom and you will catch fish.

[Cgolf]

Has anyone tried any loctite around the area where the hook goes through to strengthen it? The only disappointment with the bait was the body tore up pretty quickly when T rigged, I had thought the flappers with fail first or get yanked of buy hungry panfish.

[jr231]

If the material was hard and durable it wouldn't have as good as action. I haven't tried gluing them , but I'm ok with trading 60 cents for 2-3 fish. 

[fishwizzard]

They do tear up quickly, especially if you use straight shank hooks.  I just save the torn ones to trim 1|2" off of and use as trailers.  

[Cgolf]

23 minutes ago, Bunnielab said:

They do tear up quickly, especially if you use straight shank hooks.  I just save the torn ones to trim 1|2" off of and use as trailers.  

Mine were tearing up where the hook point comes out, one did rip on the first fish, but got a bunch more, the next few I wasn't as lucky, I wish they had torn at the head. I think if they were used on a swim jig I wouldn't see the issue, texas rigging can be hard on baits.

[fishwizzard]

Huh, I have never caught bigger then a ~2lb fish on one, but they tend to just run up the line on the strike, which seems to ruin the nose first.  I tried the parasite clips but have never got them rigged to my satisfaction.  I am going to look at screw-in nosecones, but even as is, they are only $5 per pack and I am happy with how many fish I get out of them, I just like to travel light and dont want to carry a ton at one time.  

One of the strengths of them is how versatile they are which helps with with that.  A single lure I can fish half a dozen different ways on the same rod is just great.  

[SWVABass]

I haven't been disappointed with their durability, I guess that's cause I fish a lot of senkos, and roboworm products. I didn't glue them either. I found that if I was getting bit by panfish, I was fishing to shallow. It was one of the changes I made from when I asked for help, to the successful day I had 4 days later.

[Molay1292]

I fish them on a 1/4 shakey head that I pour with an aggressive screw lock.  Works fantastic in the rocks and rip rap.  I was using the Mustad Ultra point screw lock shakey heads but the keeper was not aggressive enough and kept pulling a small plug of plastic from the middle of the bait. 

[primetime]

I would love it if Rage made a Menace Worm kind of like the Zoom Ultravibe Speed worm only with that Menace Tail on the back....I like the Rage Cut'R worm, but I could go for a 4.5-5" Menace Worm.....

Strike King...Please read this. You need a paddle tail/Burner worm in the lineup...This would sell. 4-5" Menace Worm would be the perfect Compliment to my favorite grub and I love swimming soft baits...I am glad Havoc has the Devil Spear but it just does not work as well for me....

[Bluebasser86]

14 hours ago, primetime said:

I would love it if Rage made a Menace Worm kind of like the Zoom Ultravibe Speed worm only with that Menace Tail on the back....I like the Rage Cut'R worm, but I could go for a 4.5-5" Menace Worm.....

Strike King...Please read this. You need a paddle tail/Burner worm in the lineup...This would sell. 4-5" Menace Worm would be the perfect Compliment to my favorite grub and I love swimming soft baits...I am glad Havoc has the Devil Spear but it just does not work as well for me....

I'd like to see a Magnum Menace. Something like a thick 5" or 6" body with bigger flappers. I bet it would be an awesome flipping and punching bait.

[fishwizzard]

Hah, I want a finesse Menace, maybe 2-2.5", assuming that the flappers sill work that small.  

But who knows what factor or combo of factors make the lure so good and who knows what change will kill the mojo.  Right now the weightless action is so great that I cant really complain and I think the size is a good compromise between big enough to attract large fish but small enough for numbers.