Weight of Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver

[Corey T]

Can someone ballpark me on weight of a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver? I don't have a scale that can measure at home. Thanks!

[A-Jay]

6 minutes ago, Midwest Big Bass said:

Can someone ballpark me on weight of a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver? I don't have a scale that can measure at home. Thanks!

I can't give you an exact weight.

Perhaps a little heavier that a Spicy Beaver but a little lighter than a Man Bear Pig.

But If you don't mind - why do you need to know the weight ?

A-Jay

[Corey T]

21 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

I can't give you an exact weight.

Perhaps a little heavier that a Spicy Beaver but a little lighter than a Man Bear Pig.

But If you don't mind - why do you need to know the weight ?

A-Jay

 

I've only recently started learning more about about the "why" of rod set ups and am revisiting what rigs I like to use on what rod. I'm also selling some rods and reels to buy replacements. The hope is that I can get a little more diverse in what I have and can throw appropriately. My initial education was "throw a worm on this, throw a chatterbait on that, etc." but am starting to learn that the weight, hook type, rod action, etc. vary significantly from rod to rod. A medium heavy on one rod could be a heavy on another rod, and so on. 

 

I'm trying to decide how I want to handle pads in my local Iowa lakes. They get pretty heavy and I can have trouble finding pockets. At the same time, its not quite punching mats in Florida. I'm trying to figure out how light I can go while still being able to get through the outside edge of a given pad. I've read that other people will pitch up on the pad, pull the bait to the edge and let the weight push that edge down to let the bait fall. 

 

Does that make sense? Really, I am wondering how much a beaver style bait with an EWG and 1/2 ounce weight would be in total. Open to suggestions though!

[PhishLI]

I'm not sure if they're even close in bulk, but the RI Kinky Beaver weighs 12 grams.

[nascar2428]

Search the thread{ Bait Weights. I got bored one Night}, plenty of info there. According to that thread an RI beaver is 10.4 grams. Hope this helps.

[A-Jay]

2 hours ago, Midwest Big Bass said:

 

I've only recently started learning more about about the "why" of rod set ups and am revisiting what rigs I like to use on what rod. I'm also selling some rods and reels to buy replacements. The hope is that I can get a little more diverse in what I have and can throw appropriately. My initial education was "throw a worm on this, throw a chatterbait on that, etc." but am starting to learn that the weight, hook type, rod action, etc. vary significantly from rod to rod. A medium heavy on one rod could be a heavy on another rod, and so on. 

 

I'm trying to decide how I want to handle pads in my local Iowa lakes. They get pretty heavy and I can have trouble finding pockets. At the same time, its not quite punching mats in Florida. I'm trying to figure out how light I can go while still being able to get through the outside edge of a given pad. I've read that other people will pitch up on the pad, pull the bait to the edge and let the weight push that edge down to let the bait fall. 

 

Does that make sense? Really, I am wondering how much a beaver style bait with an EWG and 1/2 ounce weight would be in total. Open to suggestions though!

Thank you very much for the detailed response. 

With that, I'll add this.

When presenting a bait into cover, there are several factors to consider when selecting the bait as well as the tackle needed to do it.

There's a lot to it but I'm going to try and give you my abridged version.

First the bait. 

Penetrating through cover, in your case pads, the 'weight' used is really all you need to concern yourself with - the weight of the actual plastic (a Beaver) need not be calculated. And there is no 'set' rules on what weight to use.  Initially you need it to be heavy enough to get to the fish - then it's all about fall rate.  More weight - faster fall - less weight slower fall. Routinely a heavier tungsten weight will require less in the way of angler manipulation to get through the cover - rule of gross tonnage applies here. 

The type of bait you select can play a role there as well.

Multiple appendages that flap may slow a fall some but may also hang up more upon entry.

The rod & line you select must be able to present the bait effectively and then have sufficient horse power to sink whatever hook you've chosen into your new PB.  AND Then be able to keep said PB pinned while being able to get that fat bass up & out of the pads.

Sounds like a tall order, and you'll know right away when you're gear is not up to the task.

Hope some of that helps a little.

A-Jay

 

 

[scbassin]

MBB I think you are over thinking things. Read what AJ had to say several times & go try that, it works. The best way to figure things out is time on the water, maybe you will make a slight change to something that works better for you. Now you are getting the idea. I have been fishing for 70 years + & Bass fishing for 50 years + & there is days on the water where I say I'll be a monkeys uncle. That is something new.

[OnthePotomac]

21 hours ago, Midwest Big Bass said:

Can someone ballpark me on weight of a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver? I don't have a scale that can measure at home. Thanks!

The 3.5" weighs 6 grams or .21oz

The 4.25" weighs 11 grams or .388oz

[A-Jay]

What does the hook weigh ?

Don't forget to add in that stopper used to peg the weight. 

And does a palamor knot weigh more or less than a snell ? 

?

A-Jay 

[OnthePotomac]

On 2/20/2020 at 11:37 AM, A-Jay said:

What does the hook weigh ?

Don't forget to add in that stopper used to peg the weight. 

And does a palamor knot weigh more or less than a snell ? 

?

A-Jay 

You know us Army guys A-Jay we are not as detailed as the Coast Guard 

[A-Jay]

3 minutes ago, OnthePotomac said:

You know us Army guys A-Jay we are not as detailed as the Coast Guard 

I don't believe that for A Second ~

May be MOS dependent.

A-Jay

 

[OnthePotomac]

2 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

I don't believe that for A Second ~

May be MOS dependent.

A-Jay

 

Well I was field artillery and they don't come any sharper than that.  Known as the king of battle and infantry as the queen of battle and we always put them where queen wanted them LOL

[Corey T]

On 2/20/2020 at 10:37 AM, A-Jay said:

What does the hook weigh ?

Don't forget to add in that stopper used to peg the weight. 

And does a palamor knot weigh more or less than a snell ? 

?

A-Jay 

I get it but I honestly don’t know so I am going to take things literally until I know better. This just throws me off because this would imply that I can flip a beaver under trees/light brush with a 1/4-5/8 oz rated medium if I have a 3/8 tungsten. That just doesn’t sound right to me. Is that okay to do? 
 

I don’t mean over analyze or pester with silly questions. I just honestly want to know how to properly rig. 

[PhishLI]

25 minutes ago, Midwest Big Bass said:

I get it but I honestly don’t know so I am going to take things literally until I know better. This just throws me off because this would imply that I can flip a beaver under trees/light brush with a 1/4-5/8 oz rated medium if I have a 3/8 tungsten. That just doesn’t sound right to me. Is that okay to do? 

You're asking way too much of a medium rod with that rating throwing that total weight where you'd want to throw it. You might get away with until you don't.

[A-Jay]

32 minutes ago, Midwest Big Bass said:

I get it but I honestly don’t know so I am going to take things literally until I know better. This just throws me off because this would imply that I can flip a beaver under trees/light brush with a 1/4-5/8 oz rated medium if I have a 3/8 tungsten. That just doesn’t sound right to me. Is that okay to do? 
 

I don’t mean over analyze or pester with silly questions. I just honestly want to know how to properly rig. 

It's all good.

There are several factors that come into play, besides a bait's weight, when it comes to selecting a suitable rig for a particular presentation. 

While individually, one may or may not be more or less important than another, collectively, when we get it 'right',

they come together to help us catch fish successfully.

An important note is - "Right" can be & often is, different for each angler.

Beyond simply looking at a particular rods line & lure rating, it will help quite a bit to know the following:

the power & action of the blank, the test & type of line used, what type of bait and where it's going to be fished; deep, shallow, in between, open water, light, medium or heavy cover. 

 Like most everything, some experience helps here.

Many rod manufactures have designed & sell their blanks with technique specific labels.

And while IMO these are more of a guide and not set in stone, they can offer inexperienced bassheads a place to start.

Going to need to know 'what' each technique is in advance, but this can be helpful along the way. 

Hope that helps.

A-Jay

[Fishes in trees]

Your notion of a proper rig and somebody else notion of a proper rig might differ.  I think that you're on the right track though, what with trying to get a notion of the total weight of any given bait.  Electronic postal scales are around $25 at Walmart.   Spend another $15 for a waterproof/dustproof box to keep it in.  Take the battery out after every use or it will corrode over time sitting in the box.  I think that it is worth it to bust it out when you need it, but stow it correctly once you're done.  Finding out what any given bait/hook/weight combo really weighs takes less than a minute.  For me bobber stops would be a constant and not worth including in the weight.    My scale is going on 8 or 10 years old now.  It wouldn't have lasted as long as it has if I had just left it out setting on my work bench or work table or shelf.

 

Don't forget to take what line you're using into account.  For instance, a 5/16 oz pitching jig with a Chompers trailer throws & drops different using 17 lb Abrazx than it does using some braid/fluorocarbon leader combo.  Not a lot different, but significantly different if you're into nuances.

[PhishLI]

MBB,

 

 This is what I fish in often. If a fish pulls me into this with a medium it'll probably end badly.  Early in the season when the pads have just popped up I can squeak by with a stout MHF rod, specifically the 13 OB2 7'3" MHF, rated to one ounce and 30lb braid. But when the cabbage fills in I up the rod to HF and 40-50 lb braid. I've never been broken off with the heavier line, but I was once with the 30. That won't happen again. Most beaver types and a 3/8 oz weight will put you near or over 3/4 oz, then add in a superline hook that's able to cope with this typs of terrain plus a fish. You'll need some beef. You don't need to spend a fortune here. I'm usually fishing this stuff at it's heaviest with a Tatula XT 7'3" HF rated to 1 1/2 oz. I frog it with an el cheapo Lew's Carbon Fire 7'3" HF rated to 1 oz. I've even thrown heavier baits than frogs in the heart of this mess with the Lew's, caught fish, and haven't been able to kill it. It's actually quite good for this stuff and beyond. Anyway, I wouldn't consider a medium power rod anywhere near brush piles or pad fields. While it's good practice to consider splitting a rods lure rating when choosing a bait's total weight, it's not a hard fast rule. It depends on the rod.

 

[Corey T]

32 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

MBB,

 

 This is what I fish in often. If a fish pulls me into this with a medium it'll probably end badly.  Early in the season when the pads have just popped up I can squeak by with a stout MHF rod, specifically the 13 OB2 7'3" MHF, rated to one ounce and 30lb braid. But when the cabbage fills in I up the rod to HF and 40-50 lb braid. I've never been broken off with the heavier line, but I was once with the 30. That won't happen again. Most beaver types and a 3/8 oz weight will put you near or over 3/4 oz, then add in a superline hook that's able to cope with this typs of terrain plus a fish. You'll need some beef. You don't need to spend a fortune here. I'm usually fishing this stuff at it's heaviest with a Tatula XT 7'3" HF rated to 1 1/2 oz. I frog it with an el cheapo Lew's Carbon Fire 7'3" HF rated to 1 oz. I've even thrown heavier baits than frogs in the heart of this mess with the Lew's, caught fish, and haven't been able to kill it. It's actually quite good for this stuff and beyond. Anyway, I wouldn't consider a medium power rod anywhere near brush piles or pad fields. While it's good practice to consider splitting a rods lure rating when choosing a bait's total weight, it's not a hard fast rule. It depends on the rod.

 

completely unrelated but how in the world do you even know where to flip in all of that mess?

 

thanks for the context though. It helps. 

[PhishLI]

5 hours ago, Midwest Big Bass said:

completely unrelated but how in the world do you even know where to flip in all of that mess?

 

thanks for the context though. It helps. 

Lots of targets. Lots of juicy holes. It's not frustrating when they're biting. It can be when they're not, but then I just bite down on my mouthpiece and plow forward. 

 

[waymont]

On 2/20/2020 at 10:37 AM, A-Jay said:

What does the hook weigh ?

Don't forget to add in that stopper used to peg the weight. 

And does a palamor knot weigh more or less than a snell ?

The amount of people on BR crying about the weight of a jig plus a trailer is pretty high.

lets start weighing our knots too. ?