Dark Sleeper does it again

[Mojo Bass]

Today was a cold but sunny day and I had the itch to get out and try and chase some bronze beauties….. my cold water/weather  confidence bait is the dark sleeper I just know smallies love it and can’t resist it crawling by them…..

 

anyone else like the dark sleeper for cold water/weather?

 

 

[GRiver]

Nice catch

[The Bassman]

Dark Sleeper was a go to for me last winter. Substituted well as a ned rig when there was wind that would belly my line with the lighter baits. Was very effective.

[roadwarrior]

Very effective lure, but you need to keep it off the bottom.

[PBBrandon]

Dark Sleepers and Sleeper Craws are awesome lures. Gonna always have one tied on this winter

[TnRiver46]

Still never tried one but I’d like to. Not sure where I could use it without losing it 

[newapti5]

15 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

Very effective lure, but you need to keep it off the bottom.

 

Very true. It does not work very well on shallow waters

[Choporoz]

8 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Still never tried one but I’d like to. Not sure where I could use it without losing it 

I don't lose many, but they do catch wood pretty well.  Fortunately, they unsnag relatively easily 

[Darth-Baiter]

keep it off Bottom?  didnt the OP mention "crawling" it past the fish.  and he is holding a pic of an actual fish.   I would deduce it works okay on the bottom as well.

[Bluebasser86]

On 11/24/2023 at 9:22 AM, roadwarrior said:

Very effective lure, but you need to keep it off the bottom.

It's the opposite for me. I catch most of my fish hopping it on the bottom like a jig. If I swim it, never seems to get bit. 

[FishTax]

I like the Berkley version, it is a little bit more weedless as it has a little floro guard on it. I almost ordered some on that pure fishing sale but talked myself out of it. I've had success working it just like a jig, both in laydowns and on flats at various times in the year. 

[newapti5]

3 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

It's the opposite for me. I catch most of my fish hopping it on the bottom like a jig. If I swim it, never seems to get bit. 

 

I guess it depends on what bottom we are discussing here. For a rocky bottom and shallow water like Susquehanna's, it'd get snagged much more easily than a jig.

[scbassin]

I fish the Dark Sleeper & will do so with the Sleeper Craw also during our Winter time ( I fish year round) but I doubt if the water temp gets as cold. the coldest I have fished with it at 44 degrees & was skunked.. In Jan & Feb it gets into mid 40's. I like to swim the Dark Sleeper & don't get hung to often ( have not lost one yet). The rig I use is a Dobyns Champion XP DC 734 C F/H with a Shimano Bantam CU-B38 spooled with 14 lb Gamma High Performance Copolymer. When using on the bottom my rig is a Dobyns Champion Extreme HP DX 745 C F/H with a Shimano 22 Bantam XG left spooled with 17 lb Gamma High Performance Copolymer. Every time out I fish it both ways until the fish tell me which one to use. 

[Smokinal]

On 11/28/2023 at 10:50 AM, Bluebasser86 said:

It's the opposite for me. I catch most of my fish hopping it on the bottom like a jig. If I swim it, never seems to get bit. 

X2

[Bluebasser86]

On 11/28/2023 at 1:28 PM, newapti5 said:

 

I guess it depends on what bottom we are discussing here. For a rocky bottom and shallow water like Susquehanna's, it'd get snagged much more easily than a jig.

Is there current maybe? I almost exclusively fish it less than 5' deep and a lot of time around rocks, but it's in lakes with no current. I could see where some current would really wedge one under a rock on the bottom though. 

[newapti5]

11 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Is there current maybe? I almost exclusively fish it less than 5' deep and a lot of time around rocks, but it's in lakes with no current. I could see where some current would really wedge one under a rock on the bottom though. 

 

I agree. Currents will definitely make everything doubly easier to get snagged. I've only tried the 1/2oz one - it got snagged so terribly I had to wind it back very quickly without touching the bottom. I gave it up after that trip. I did get a 1/4oz one, but haven't got the change to try it yet.