Blade Baits

[Siebert Outdoors]

What’s your favorite blade bait for winter?  This is going to be a newer bait for me.  One I’m looking at is Molix Trago Vib.  
 

 

[RichF]

I started messing around with Blades 2 years ago for cold water smallies.  I picked up some Cabelas Mean Eyes since they seemed to be the cheapest/most decent looking ones I could find ($3.49). They actually work really well. They’re now a buck more:(

 

I recent picked up a ton of Spro Carbon Blades on close out and used them a bit over Thanksgiving. They have a much wider wobble than the Mean Eyes. They’re good but no way in heck I’d ever pay full retail (50-60% off and we’ll talk).

 

The only other 2 I’ve tried were the BPS Laser and Rapala V rap. BPS was fine. The Rapala was different. Very slow fall compared to traditional styles. 

[Choporoz]

I've tried a bunch.  I have only bought from Cincy Fisher the last few years.   Very generic chrome and lead, but with good hooks and hardware. (And it doesn't matter much to me, but the Cincy Fisher chrome doesn't peel....at least not before I lose them)

  Feels good to support the littler guys out there, but in this case, price and quality are on par or better than the big volume guys.

[Pat Brown]

I got some of the Damiki Vault to try this winter when I see the right kinda stuff happening.  There's a member here who has posted videos catching the snot out of bass in the winter in Alabama on this very bait including some big ones!

 

I'll let you know how it goes 😉

[Choporoz]

Don't need to wait for winter.  I'm catching them now on blade baits in 54* water.  Not the winter 'long pause on the bottom and hop back', but falling through balls of shad and swimming back below the bait

[TOXIC]

I have used the Damiki with good success but I also fished them side by side with some SteelShad and the SteelShad out fished them that day.  

[5by3]

Vibe-e is all I use. No reason to change. 

[Siebert Outdoors]

Thank you all.  What size is your favorite?

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Damiki Vault 1/2oz is my favorite, but a 3/8th is a good option to have when they want a slower fall.   I'll use that 1/2oz in dirt shallow water on warm fronts so the weight to depth thing doesn't matter as much to me on these.  

 

Not a blade bait, but a Damiki Axe Blade is another epic winter time sleeper bait.   If your willing to learn blade baits, I'd highly recommend keeping an Axe Blade on the deck as well.     When those shad ball up tight and get deep in the winter, find em with your 2D, and look for that spaghetti on top......in that situation I tried both of these baits, and caught 10-1 on the Axe Blade.     Same situation I offered an A Rig, 110jr+1, and Stunna+1....none produced like the Axe Blade.   

[buzzinfrog]

6th sense Slice is a good one. And unlike the Molix and Damiki it actually comes with good hardware.

[Dwight Hottle]

I prefer 3/4 oz but will use 1/2 oz on occasion. The heavier blade cast further, gets to the bottom quicker & enables a size bigger hook change when needed. It’s also a larger profile in some cases & causes more disturbance when it hits bottom. 

[Siebert Outdoors]

Thank you all.  I really appreciate the info. Time to order some.

[MickD]

Barlowe's blade bait blanks with a single hook on the tail work as well as any I've found.  Single hook gets the fish, not so often a line tangle or the bottom trash.  

[Phelptwan]

I'll throw another vote for Damiki Vaults.  I've been using them for a while now with good luck.

[papajoe222]

On 12/4/2023 at 3:03 PM, Choporoz said:

I've tried a bunch.  I have only bought from Cincy Fisher the last few years.   Very generic chrome and lead, but with good hooks and hardware.

Thanks for posting

Just what I've been looking for.  I've been purchasing from a seller on that auction site, but the baits have no hardware or hooks and by the time I add that cost,  I may as well just spend a little more and get the whole package.

[txchaser]

+1 on having a tail spinner handy

 

@AlabamaSpothunteryou tried the 6th sense tail spin? 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

@txchaser    I haven't tried that one yet but it looks great.   Tried the Deracoup and Molix one last winter, but it's the back clever "frog hook" trailer design on the Axe Blade that I really like.  

Caught so many fish last winter because of that back little mini frog hook setup, never seen another tail spinner have this design.   

[The Bassman]

I've been using smaller Johnson Thinfishers for several seasons now. Got the idea from @Team9nine on one of his older blog posts. The tiny 3/16 is deadly in ponds. The lures come with tiny trebles that I swap out for slightly larger ones, or lately inline singles. As @MickD pointed out they are more manageable and hook up just fine.

[NorthernBasser]

Like some others have said, the Damiki Vault is probably my favorite. 

 

I did buy a new one towards the end of the year that I like. The Acme V-Rod. It has a smaller profile than the Vault (and most others). My most used size in all my blade baits is 1/2oz.

 

Here's the V-Rod compared to the Vault.

 

[Siebert Outdoors]

Thank you guys!  I just bought some and will be testing them out once I get a chance.