Noob to hardbaits...

[I.rar]

i recently found a rapala UL lure set that was gifted to me last year. an origonal floater , fatrap , rattlin rapala , and countdown. all in size 3. ive only fished with either worms or live bait. but ive came across a deal and i am snagging quite a few other rapalas for under a buck a piece just because im getting them so cheap.  

so onto my questions.

what is the preferred outfit to fish these? i only own spinning.

im also assuming id be best using a floro leader 18-24" tied with a uni to uni knot to my main line. which is 6lb on my UL and 10lb on my others. both mono.

my only choice on the ones i can pick up are the origonal floater , the jointed floater , and i think a dive-to in size 3 and 5. with only 2-3 colors to pick from. anyone i should go with over the other?

tips/suggestions?

thanks alot in advance.

[.dsaavedra.]

your setup sounds alright for crankbaits.

generally, people look for a medium action on the rod and monofilament line.

medium action means that the rod flexes easier and further down when stress is aplied.

to put it in perspective, a fast action means only about the top 1/4 of the rod flexes, medium action means about 1/2 the rod will flex, and a slow/parabolic action means nearly the entire rod flexes.

i'm pretty sure there is a sticky about rod actions and powers in the rods and reels section of the forum.

but your setup sounds like it should be alright for fishing crankbaits. as long as the rod isnt very stiff, you should be good.

[I.rar]

my UL rod is a two piece 5'. not too sure on the action.

my others are 6'6" two piece medium and a 7' one piece medium.

should i just try to get as many of each as i can , or just go for one specific?

is setting the hook any different from setting the hook with a worm?

[.dsaavedra.]

you can use the UL to cast hardbaits that are too light to cast on your bigger setups, but i'd use one of the bigger combos for most of the hardbait fishing.

most people usually have a whole array of different styles of hardbaits, not just one style.

find out what works where you fish, and get a few of them. try new styles to see what works.

rapala is a good start though rapala DT's are my favorite and most productive hardbait.

hooksets for hardbaits are generally "sweep sets". this is where you swing the rod to the side instead of snapping it up like you would for a worm.

the reason for this is because a snap set can pull the bait away from the, or tear big holes in their mouth and allow the bait to fall out very easily.

i dont really set the hook much with hardbaits, the fish tend to hook themselves, but i do pull back on the rod when a fish hits.

[I.rar]

thanks for the reply.

the biggest i think they have is a size 7.

ill snag a couple of each if i can.

should i use a leader with em?

[mase088]

^^listen to him, and also you don't need a flouro leader if your main line is mono, its just another knot to break. As far as what cranks to get, if you are fishing from a boat you can get away with deeper cranks and not hit bottom as much, unless you want to to bang the bait of rocks, logs, ect. If you are fishing from shore I would go with a shallower crankbait that dives about 4-6 ft. That way if you fish with grassy bottoms, you won't collect so much grass on your retrieve.

[I.rar]

great point.

i always fish from shore. so i guess that limits me to the jointed and the floaters since their depth is 2-6 feet.

thanks again!

[.dsaavedra.]

great point.

i always fish from shore. so i guess that limits me to the jointed and the floaters since their depth is 2-6 feet.

thanks again!

non-sense!

rapala has an array of lures to fit your needs, so do other manufacturers!

just go to www.***.com and browse through their selection of crankbaits. they organize their crankbaits by shallow, medium, and deep runners.

www.basspro.com also has a wide selection of hardbaits.

here is a list i'm making off the top of my head of crankbaits that would be good for you:

any kind of topwater

rapala DT 03 FAT

rapala DT 03 Flat

rapala DT 04

rapala DT 06

rapala orignal floater

rapala jointed

rapala shallow shad rap

rapala husky jerk

bagley bulgin B

bomber square A

bomber 2A

bandit footloose

bandit 100

and there are so many more. just browse around the internet!

as for leader, i really dont think its necessary. especially if you are fishing with mono. some people who fish with braid like to add a mono or fluoro leader, but i never do. i really dont think its necessary with crankbaits because the lure is constantly moving, and its more of a reaction strike bait than a finesse bait. the fish just see or hear the crankbait and smack it, unlike with worms where they can sit there and look at it before they take it.

[Raul]

The only time I think you would need a leader would be if where you fish there are teethy toothy critters like pike or pickerel, other than that you don 't need a leader.

[I.rar]

i know there is alot more i can choose from that would suit my needs than i can think of. but im just trying to go with the ones that i can get at this price.

just picked up a f7 floater black over gold , and a j5 black over gold jointed.  

i was thinking , how common is it to gut hook a fish with a lure? just seems to me that it would be a pita to take care of and have the fish make it. maybe im wrong though.

[FD.]

J-11, Black over gold is a great golden shiner imitation and produces a lot of fish around grass for me.

[.dsaavedra.]

its not very common to gut hook a bass on a hard bait. i think i've had it happen to me once. usually they get hooked in the lip or somewhere inside the mouth. they have to be super aggressive to swallow the crankbait deep enough to get gut hooked.

how are you getting rapalas for a dollar a piece?

[Quinn]

how are you getting rapalas for a dollar a piece?

Yea, x2

[I.rar]

its not very common to gut hook a bass on a hard bait. i think i've had it happen to me once. usually they get hooked in the lip or somewhere inside the mouth. they have to be super aggressive to swallow the crankbait deep enough to get gut hooked.

how are you getting rapalas for a dollar a piece?

not sure if i should discuss that or not.   :-X

but i will say , that if i come across enough of them , i may sell them on the cheap here.