Megabass Dark Sleeper

[jimanchower]

How's the bite-to-land ratio for you guys? I fished this bait for the first time yesterday, when I just had about 10 minutes before I had to pack it in and remembered that I had it with me and wanted to try it out. Got bit, went to set the hook, lost the fish. I was fishing it on a medium/fast rod, braid to mono leader. Could be user error for sure, but I was a little surprised that I lost the fish.

 

For what it's worth I thought the bait was actually pretty weedless, at least in terms of grass. I did try to throw it up next to a dock and got hung up on the wood immediately. 

[Team9nine]

3 minutes ago, jimanchower said:

How's the bite-to-land ratio for you guys? I fished this bait for the first time yesterday, when I just had about 10 minutes before I had to pack it in and remembered that I had it with me and wanted to try it out. Got bit, went to set the hook, lost the fish. I was fishing it on a medium/fast rod, braid to mono leader. Could be user error for sure, but I was a little surprised that I lost the fish.

 

For what it's worth I thought the bait was actually pretty weedless, at least in terms of grass. I did try to throw it up next to a dock and got hung up on the wood immediately. 

 

Very high hookup ratio for me. So many times they have the entire bait just completely in their mouth. I was really impressed by that the first time I threw it, and it has been the case more times than not.

[NorthernBasser]

8 hours ago, ajschn06 said:

It’s just that it’s $6 for ONE rubber bait

To be fair, it's a plastic bait and a weight and hook.

 

 

 

 

11 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Megabass_Dark_Sleeper_Swimbaits/descpage-MBDSLP.html

 

Any comments?

I do very well with smallies. As some have said, much better fishing a hard/rock bottom. They don't play well with wood, that's for sure. 

[NorthernBasser]

20 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

 

Very high hookup ratio for me. So many times they have the entire bait just completely in their mouth.

I agree with the high hookup ratio. Tho 90% of mine are hooked perfectly in the top lip. Maybe I'm just not catching them as big as yours. ?

 

[Team9nine]

2 minutes ago, NorthernBasser said:

I agree with the high hookup ratio. Tho 90% of mine are hooked perfectly in the top lip. Maybe I'm just not catching them as big as yours. ?

 

 

Lol - It’s probably only because I throw the smallest size more than the others ?

[Columbia Craw]

I didn’t truly appreciate the DS until I saw them in person.  I knew immediately of a specific situation where it would shine and shine it did.  The only recommendation I could make is buy heavier than you might think. I had 1/2 ounce models only and wish I had the 3/4 version.  The bass choked it.  I fished them to 18 feet deep.  A Dirty Jigs football jig and SK trailer will run the same price.  I like this bait even though it’s made of “rubber.”

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

Durability for me has been excellent. Even if a fin starts to tear mend-it fixes it right up. Quality a bit suspect. First one had very dull hook that I had to sharpen. Then 2 others I have wont run true they pull to my right during retrieve. They catch fish top to bottom and during the fall/decent. I slow fish bottom at 20fow mostly a steady retrieve not bounce or hop and produces quite well. I have all sizes use 1/2 the most.

[CountryboyinDC]

I thought this bait would be just what the doctor ordered for early spring river smallmouth.  I had tried the Storm version pre-rigged goby, and it didn't have enough weight (I think I bought the heaviest one they had at Gander, 3/8 oz?) to get down where I wanted to fish them in some deep pools.  So I got one of the 3/4 oz Dark Sleepers with high hopes.  So far, I have no fish with it.  There may be another use for it; obviously people are catching them with it.  It did just what I wanted it to, just couldn't catch fish with it.

[Spankey]

20 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Megabass_Dark_Sleeper_Swimbaits/descpage-MBDSLP.html

 

Any comments?

I wouldn’t mind having (2) 1/4 oz. versions to try on river Smallies. And I’ll probably give it a shot somewhere along the line but I don’t see them much differently than a boot tail grub. 
 

I would probably be a lot hotter for it if I fished where there were gobies. Sort of some resemblance.  

[jgordon]

I picked up a few since I wanted to try headhunters but nothing available in colors.  THen I think someone on here recommended them from the forums.  I have a few colors to try out this year and they are in stock at my local Cabelas under crappie section section of all places. 

[Dirtyeggroll]

I was fishing with a buddy last spring when he swung on a fish and snapped it off. I cast a dark sleeper out to the same rock pile and caught a fish with his jig in its mouth.

[roadwarrior]

Too cool

[Spankey]

5 minutes ago, Dirtyeggroll said:

I was fishing with a buddy last spring when he swung on a fish and snapped it off. I cast a dark sleeper out to the same rock pile and caught a fish with his jig in its mouth.

Real nice. 

[ironbjorn]

10 minutes ago, Dirtyeggroll said:

I was fishing with a buddy last spring when he swung on a fish and snapped it off. I cast a dark sleeper out to the same rock pile and caught a fish with his jig in its mouth.

Who got to keep the jig? ??

[Chonch12]

I had some success with them last year. They are "slightly" weedless but not fully even though the hook is hidden in the fin. More of a FYI than anything. 

[Plottman1974]

I bought 2 dark sleepers a few weeks ago.  I have not fished with them but an eye fell out of one and I have never even tied it on.  

 

I also bought a pack of 6 cheapo dark sleeper clones from Amazon.  I haven't fished with them either but they look darn near as good as the dark sleepers.  If I didn't know, I would think they were the same from a distance....If you closely inspect them, you can see the dark sleeper's color is air brushed.  

 

I hope to fish with the dark sleepers tomorrow.  

[mheichelbech]

Are they good for any kind of shallow water fishing?  They seem like just what they are advertised to be a deep water bottom or near bottom bait. 
 

Just curious if they’d be any better than a boot tail swimbait up shallow.

[Luke Barnes]

I had one and about 10 minutes of slow rolling it along the bottom I hooked up. It came through the vegetation i was fishing pretty well. Then i casted into the wind and got a birds nest, picked it out, missed a kink in the fluoro and sent the dark sleeper to sleep with the fishes in the middle of the pond. Bought another because im pretty confident in it and a good while back I posted about using swimbaits like jigs and these were mentioned. Alot. So I'll use the one I have now until I lose it and buy another! 

[PhishLI]

20 hours ago, mheichelbech said:

Are they good for any kind of shallow water fishing?  They seem like just what they are advertised to be a deep water bottom or near bottom bait. 

All I have here is shallow water. They get smashed.

[Revival]

I bought couple for a friend and he caught 7 his first time using it.  They were choking it.  I used the 1 oz size for the first time later that day and it got slammed.  One of the hardest hits I ever felt.  They definitely work.

[Dumbbassanglr]

I tried it and also lost a few fish on it. Later I noticed the hook tip wasn’t sharp and it was brand new so I think like someone else mentioned maybe not the best hook quality. I’m not ready to give up on it because obviously it gets bit I just need to keep a better eye on the hook, even right out of the package.