Ideas for Short Strikers

[TheGreatOne]

Hey guys I've been tournament bass fishing for about 20 years and I have a pretty good deal on how to get a lot of bites in the fall months when bass are focused on shad and baitfish but my lure of utmost confidence has a slight flaw and that is where I was looking for ideas to help in this dilemma. In the fall months I absolutely wreak havoc on the bass population while simply tossing a 1/4oz Mepps Aglia No.3 everywhere I go and it is my GO-TO bait hands down during this season. Problem is I get a lot of fish that swipe at the bait, don't totally commit, or wind up coming unbuttoned during battle and it is a serious issue that needs attention. I want to somehow add another treble to the existing one on the bait but don't know exactly how to go about doing so. I am totally happy with the way my aglia draws strikes and I don't want to change anything that will make the bait do anything that it isn't already doing... Any suggestions on what I can do to aid my bait so as to miss or lose fewer fish.... Thanks guys

[Deleted account]

10 hours ago, TheGreatOne said:

Hey guys I've been tournament bass fishing for about 20 years and I have a pretty good deal on how to get a lot of bites in the fall months when bass are focused on shad and baitfish but my lure of utmost confidence has a slight flaw and that is where I was looking for ideas to help in this dilemma. In the fall months I absolutely wreak havoc on the bass population while simply tossing a 1/4oz Mepps Aglia No.3 everywhere I go and it is my GO-TO bait hands down during this season. Problem is I get a lot of fish that swipe at the bait, don't totally commit, or wind up coming unbuttoned during battle and it is a serious issue that needs attention. I want to somehow add another treble to the existing one on the bait but don't know exactly how to go about doing so. I am totally happy with the way my aglia draws strikes and I don't want to change anything that will make the bait do anything that it isn't already doing... Any suggestions on what I can do to aid my bait so as to miss or lose fewer fish.... Thanks guys

 

I know the answer to this one, but I need to see a properly filled out SF86 first.

[papajoe222]

I don't know about adding a trailer to a Mepps, but I have painted a few blades light grey and had fish inhale them when they would only nip at the stock one.  If you're not against making a major modification, you could cut off the stock treble and add a split ring and a treble with a longer shank. The added split ring will add a little length by itself and that may be all it will take for solid hook-ups.

[smalljaw67]

I don't know what kind of rod you're using but I'd look for a rod with a little more moderate taper or perhaps a lower power, hard to say when I don't know what you're using. The size 3 uses a #4 treble hook so that isn't an issue but you may want to cut off the hook it comes with, and add a #2 split ring with a size 4 Daiichi death trap or Gamakatsu round bend. The split ring will add a little extra length to the lure and the black nickel hook should penetrate better than the stock hook.

[TheGreatOne]

On 5/26/2017 at 9:52 AM, reason said:

 

I know the answer to this one, but I need to see a properly filled out SF86 first.

What?

Thanks for the replies about cutting off the stock hooks guys... that makes way better sense, I will definitely try this