Re reading Slider Fishing

[Mobasser]

Around 1982 or 83 I ordered a small Slider worm kit along with the book Slider Fishing by Charlie Brewer. Every so often I re read most of this book, and go over the key points. This book, along with the small Slider worms is what helped me really learn about plastic worm fishing. Charlie Brewer broke down his methods in an easy to read format, for all bass fisherman to understand. Even though Mr. Brewer was an advocate of light tackle, I've applied his retrieve methods to larger Texas rigs, jigs and other plastics. It's a serious study in speed and depth control, written by an experienced fisherman- for fisherman. I still throw the slider heads, with a variety of 4" and 6" plastic worms. Thanks to Charlie Brewer, the plastic worm is and always will be my favorite bass lure. I've wondered how many others got their start on worm fishing through Charlie Brewer? Are you still fishing the Slider methods? I recently placed an order over the phone for some Slider jig heads. They are easy to talk with, fast shipping, and always include a few sample baits to check out. A good outfit, selling good products that work well, and made right here in the USA.

[jimmyjoe]

6 hours ago, Mobasser said:

I've wondered how many others got their start on worm fishing through Charlie Brewer?

   I'm one. The weedless slider head started me on what we now call "finesse" fishing. I started with 1/8 oz. and the 2" crazy tail grubs. Moving up to worms was just natural.

  Previous to Charlie Brewer, you couldn't have made me use soft plastics for any money. I just didn't believe in them at all. He changed all that. He was practical. I owe him a big thank-you.     jj

[Bluebasser86]

Slider heads are one of my secrets on a couple local lakes.

[thinkingredneck]

I just bought some and have to try them.  I learned basic worm fishing from a friend, T rig.  I had no faith either, so I just focused on nothing but worm fishing for a summer.  Now it is about all I use. 

[Spankey]

I’m one also. Started early 80’s with it. I never had the book or video to read or watch but maybe I’ll look for it some time. 

 

I still fish it quite a bit. I fish my soft plastic on the smaller and finesse side. River and smallmouth fishing.

 

A local lake I fish is on the pressured side. Or somewhat pressured and the Slider style of fishing finesse worms is productive. I fish the larger Slider Grubs also. I don’t recall catching any of my larger smallies on it though. 

 

Back years ago ago I was fishing the Delaware River up near Trenton and I hooked one of those Charlie Brewer Slider rod and reel setups that went overboard on someone. Was not in water very long because it cleaned up very very well. Totally disassembled the reel. Was fine. I tried it but I gave it away not long after that to some young kid who was fishing with a real piece of junk at the boat ramp. 

 

They put out a good product. 

[Todd2]

I was fishing the Slider heads long before I even knew the story. I bought the book and watched some of his videos a few years back.

 

Some random thoughts...he focused on fishing mid depth (not getting married to the bottom was the phrase) quite a bit in the book and in some of the earlier videos but the ones I watched when he was older he seemed to only focus on the bottom. I wonder if he changed some. 

 

Seems slow rolling a worm just above the thermocline at mid depth would land some but I've rarely had luck that unless it was along the bottom. 

2 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Slider heads are one of my secrets on a couple local lakes.

Over the Ned? Is that because the Ned is starting to be thrown by everybody? I know I'm seeing little TRD's on the ground (pun intended) at the local pond I bank fish from.

[Spankey]

I didn’t try a search but the book you guys are talking about is it still in production? Or will it be something on eBay?

[fishwizzard]

Slider heads were one of the first jigheads I used and looking up info on them lead me to the world of MWF.  Both that and Slider fishing were what got me catching bass consistently.  

 

I still use Slider heads all the time, they the best I have found for thinner plastics. 

[Mobasser]

1 minute ago, Spankey said:

I didn’t try a search but the book you guys are talking about is it still in production? Or will it be something on eBay?

Still in production. You can order this book direct from the company. Cost I think is 6.95

[Spankey]

41 minutes ago, Todd2 said:

I was fishing the Slider heads long before I even knew the story. I bought the book and watched some of his videos a few years back.

 

Some random thoughts...he focused on fishing mid depth (not getting married to the bottom was the phrase) quite a bit in the book and in some of the earlier videos but the ones I watched when he was older he seemed to only focus on the bottom. I wonder if he changed some. 

 

Seems slow rolling a worm just above the thermocline at mid depth would land some but I've rarely had luck that unless it was along the bottom. 

Over the Ned? Is that because the Ned is starting to be thrown by everybody? I know I'm seeing little TRD's on the ground (pun intended) at the local pond I bank fish from.

Hey man I know I’ve invented nothing. But I’ve been finesse fishing soft plastics forever on the river. Long before the terms split shotting, drop shotting, light T-rigging and stuff like that became popular by name. To me that Ned Rig is nothing but grub fishing. But it is a great product. Buoyancy is great. But I guess what I’m trying to say is some of us that are a bit older and started bass fishing seriously in the late 70’s and early 80’s have fished this way for years. And even older guys before that. But it’s all good. It’s all good stuff. 

8 minutes ago, Mobasser said:

Still in production. You can order this book direct from the company. Cost I think is 6.95

Will do. Sure is cheap enough. Thanks. 

 

I’m sure that even though I think I know about Slider fishing I’m willing to bet there is a lot more to know. 

 

Would like to know now about the different shapes on those jig heads. Why the one is thin, flat and oval shaped. I have never used or tried itvover the years. 

[Team9nine]

Here's a couple of the 36 bass caught this afternoon in 90+ degree heat on sliders...they still work, and the book is required reading in my opinion.

 

 

[Tennessee Boy]

Here is the link to the company’s  web site.  Still a family run business in Lawrenceburg Tennessee.

 

https://sliderfishing.com/

 

 

[OkobojiEagle]

Eventually you come around to realize the the slider techniques are totally separate of the tackle...

 

oe

[Mobasser]

24 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

Here's a couple of the 36 bass caught this afternoon in 90+ degree heat on sliders...they still work, and the book is required reading in my opinion.

 

 

Nice fish! My grandson and I fish an 8acre quarry lake each Saturday morning. The 1/8 oz spider slider head with a Zoom finesse worm or a Brewers worm has caught many bass for us. We've caught most with the " pull and drop" method, and a few with a super slow steady reeling style too.

[MIbassyaker]

I was surprised at how good the Slider Fishin' book was when I got a copy a few years ago, although I shouldn't have been. It is actually an excellent resource on finesse fishing in general, cleverly disguised as a how-to manual for the specific slider rigs. The reality is, fishing any variety of small plastic body on a jighead of some kind benefits from understanding the techniques spelled out in the book, as well as Brewer's overall philosophy.

 

[Fishes in trees]

I first read about Slider Fishing in Fishing Facts magazine - mid to late 70's.   Slider heads were hard to come by but eventually enough folks asked about them and the local tackle store started carrying them.  A professor pal of mine bought the book, basically because he had more disposable income than me at that time.  I read it after he got done.

 

I consider it just a basic fishing textbook, I've acquired a copy and refer to it from time to time.  Whenever I don't know what else to do, "polishing the rocks" is my go to technique.   You don't necessarily have to use finesse gear to polish the rocks - the Biffle Bug is a perfect example of a power version of that.

[Bluebasser86]

On 7/12/2019 at 7:25 AM, Todd2 said:

Over the Ned? Is that because the Ned is starting to be thrown by everybody? I know I'm seeing little TRD's on the ground (pun intended) at the local pond I bank fish from.

It's a different presentation than a Ned rig on a little different tackle when I'm fishing one. 

[Fishes in trees]

While many of Charlie Brewer's principles are applicable to many bodies of water, it is important to understand where this slider system was conceived and perfected - the deep, rocky, mostly clear waters of large Tenesse & Kentucky reservoirs.   The point of the flat jig head was to make it easier to "glide" and keep the bait at a certain depth once you had counted it down.  I recall one fishing facts article where he described how to take pliers and mash out the flat jig head even more, making it glide different and somewhat easier to hold at a specific depth.  Basically what he was doing was slow rolling thermoclines.   I haven't had much success doing that but then again, I haven't fished the places where he was doing that successfully either.   I don't get down to Table Rock often enough to expand my deep clear water fishing game much beyond the basics.

[Mobasser]

32 minutes ago, Fishes in trees said:

While many of Charlie Brewer's principles are applicable to many bodies of water, it is important to understand where this slider system was conceived and perfected - the deep, rocky, mostly clear waters of large Tenesse & Kentucky reservoirs.   The point of the flat jig head was to make it easier to "glide" and keep the bait at a certain depth once you had counted it down.  I recall one fishing facts article where he described how to take pliers and mash out the flat jig head even more, making it glide different and somewhat easier to hold at a specific depth.  Basically what he was doing was slow rolling thermoclines.   I haven't had much success doing that but then again, I haven't fished the places where he was doing that successfully either.   I don't get down to Table Rock often enough to expand my deep clear water fishing game much beyond the basics.

I agree. We've caught many more fish with the slow lift/ drop style retrieve.