Sweet Beaver style baits?

[T-rig]

Has anyone tried these? Are they as good as they look?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sweet-Beaver-style-baits-4-grn-pnkn-wtrmelon-50-pak_W0QQitemZ110210345644QQihZ001QQcategoryZ31691QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p1638.m118

[Jimzee]

Beavers work period. I use them alone sometimes for flipping into heavy cover and I have also used them with success as a jig trailer. I have even used the smaller version (3") for smallies on river float trips. Pretty versatile bait. I bought a bunch like that from an eBay guy 2 years ago. I still have two huge bags (50) in roadkill color and copper color. I like the ones you have posted better because of the claws looking more realistic. Mine just have the little flaps.

Nice new avatar pic BTW! That's a fatty!

[Crestliner2008]

I plan on trying some of these out come spring on large reservoir, for small mouth. I saw an In'Fishermen segment on TV where they were being used in place of tube for early season smallies. Looked pretty interesting. I'll let you know how I make out later this season.

[flippin]

best flipping bait there is i always use it on braided line

[T-rig]

best flipping bait there is i always use it on braided line

Are you talking about the original or the look alike?

[RoLo]

About a year ago the Sweet Beaver got a lot of press in here.

I personally prefer the Gambler Ugly Otter whose silhouette seems to have more character.

To me the sweet beaver looks like a big sunflower seed with a tail

In any case, I don't slit the tail or lobbed feet, because the lure seems to produce more vibration when they're left intact.

I fish them unweighted on braided line but use a heavy-wire 5/0 hook for ballast.

Roger

[Rob G.]

Those look identicle to the Gander Mountain, Black Magic brand.  I prefer those over the originals personally.  They are still soft, but hold up better than the originals.  They are an awesome bait that can be rigged lots of ways.  Just use your imagination.  I am always skeptical of buying prior to handling soft baits.  Sometimes you get what you pay for (or less), other times sweet deals can be had.  Crap shoot!

[grimlin]

About a year ago the Sweet Beaver got a lot of press in here.

I personally prefer the Gambler Ugly Otter whose silhouette seems to have more character.

To me the sweet beaver looks like a big sunflower seed with a tail

In any case, I don't slit the tail or lobbed feet, because the lure seems to produce more vibration when they're left intact.

I fish them unweighted on braided line but use a heavy-wire 5/0 hook for ballast.

Roger

The fish here like it completely opposite.I slit the tail on a weighted t-rig 3/8 oz bullet weight with a 3/0 hook.

I perferr *** though.

[T-rig]

Thanks guys for the answers. I know the original sweet beavers work great and I have caught many fish with them. What I'd like to know is if anyone has used that particular knock off in the link?

[T-rig]

I fish them unweighted on braided line but use a heavy-wire 5/0 hook for ballast.

Roger , how do you rig a 4.2 beaver on a 5/0 hook? I find that 4/0 is almost too big, or are you using the double wide beaver 5.2 ?

[RoLo]

Roger , how do you rig a 4.2 beaver on a 5/0 hook? I find that 4/0 is almost too big, or are you using the double wide beaver 5.2 ?

my mistake T-Rig, I should've been more specific. That's how I rig the Gambler Ugly Otter (I've since retired the sweet beaver).

With the Ugly Otter I use a Super Line Gamakatsu 5/0 hook:

> Faster fall rate than a lighter hook, but slower and more seductive than a weighted otter

> A smaller hook weighs less, but the center-of-gravity is slightly more forward so it tends to nose-dive (I prefer a horizontal-most descent).

> The 5/0 hook seems to improve the hookup ratio (rigid wire, large gap)

> The heavier wire is less apt to slice through the otter than fine-wire

In addition to the heavy 5/0 hook, I occasionally add a 1/16 oz bullet sinker and peg it "ahead" of the hook (Carolina style).

It's usually more productive though when fished unweighted, which admittedly requires more patience than I have.

Roger

[.dsaavedra.]

Thanks guys for the answers. I know the original sweet beavers work great and I have caught many fish with them. What I'd like to know is if anyone has used that particular knock off in the link?

imo youre making too big a deal of things. most knock off's work just as well on the fish. if you've had great success with the original sweet beavers, then the knockoffs will work just as good. the only thing to consider in knockoffs is how durable they are. if it looks like the original, the fish wont be able to tell the difference, only you can. seems to me the only difference is the jagged claw shape.

dont over-complicate things

[flippin]

ive caught fish with the knockoff but not as good as the original

[Bass XL]

the sweet beaver is a bass slaying machine when dragging it on a texas rig by weeds.

[T-rig]

imo youre making too big a deal of things. most knock off's work just as well on the fish. if you've had great success with the original sweet beavers, then the knockoffs will work just as good. the only thing to consider in knockoffs is how durable they are. if it looks like the original, the fish wont be able to tell the difference, only you can. seems to me the only difference is the jagged claw shape.

dont over-complicate things

I'm not making too big a deal and not over complicating anything.

There are too many factors to consider when buying soft baits, especially knock offs. Texture, fall rate, durabilty...................  

I have bought knock offs that were harder then my head. ;D

I want to know what I'm buying for my money.

[David P]

T-Rig is the master of all baits. I was SHOCKED to see him even post a question about a single bait, I thought I was dreaming!

I don't fish beavers much, but the ones you posted from ebay look an awful lot like the ones from ***, go check his out if you're in the market for knock offs.

I just picked up some 5.2 Beavers, what size hook should I use, 5/0 ?

[roadwarrior]

imo youre making too big a deal of things. most knock off's work just as well on the fish. if you've had great success with the original sweet beavers, then the knockoffs will work just as good. the only thing to consider in knockoffs is how durable they are. if it looks like the original, the fish wont be able to tell the difference, only you can. seems to me the only difference is the jagged claw shap

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but not everyone would agree.   :

[flechero]

If service is worth anything to you, Brent will actually be less expensive to buy from.  

[5bass]

Brent's baits are actually softer than the original Beavers.

[ww2farmer]

Brent's baits are actually softer than the original Beavers.

I found the orginal Beavers to be a little on the firmer side of soft as well. I like the Yum knockoffs, the Wooly Bug, not to be confused with the Wooly Hawg craw (also a great bait) or the wooly Hawg Tail. Yum makes  IMHO the best commercial mass market "knock offs" of both the Beaver (Wooly bug) Senko (Dinger)and Paca Craw (Craw papi). I also have used the orginal Reaction Innovation Beavers, and the Berkley Beast knock off. The problem I have with the orginals is availabilty, no one local stocks a big selection of them, and when the beaver bite is on I can go through dozens of them so since the Yum and Berkely ones are more plentyfull around here thats what I use.

[.dsaavedra.]

There are too many factors to consider when buying soft baits, especially knock offs. Texture, fall rate, durabilty...................

yes you have a point, but IMO those things matter more to the fisherman than the fish (except durability....that is a must). the only thing i could see actually affecting the fish biting would be the fall rate. and even that is a sensative thing. the way i see it, if a fish spots a lure he knows if he wants it or not. i dont think they will analyze the fall rate and make a descision based (uless it is to an extreme). most baits fall at around the same rate, and most baits catch fish. the texture and softness, well the fish has to have it in his mouth to figure those two out, and by then you should already have set the hook on that bad boy! ;D

anyway, like roadwarrior said, we are all entitled to our opinions, and that is mine

have fun fishing whatever you get

(ps. like someone said, that ebay one looks exactly like ***, you should buy from brent ;D)