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Forum nameCalfishing.com Main Board
Topic subjectPlastics
Topic URLhttp://www.calfishing.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=2&topic_id=124
124, Plastics
Posted by , Mon Nov-06-00 08:42 PM
Just wondering what everybody's favorites are and for what species. I've been fishing the Basstrix a lot more and I'm really happy with them. They have these really wide tails so they wobble and swim at pretty slow speeds. And they are durable beyond belief, these things can take a beating. Last, is the colors. They are poured so that much of the color fades into the next one. These things look good just sitting in the box. So, anybody else have a favorite? Winter is here, mine as well pass the time talking about fishing.

Amish Ed
125, RE: Plastics
Posted by brian, Tue Nov-07-00 09:28 AM
ooooooooooo. Thought provoking. My all around favorite bait would have to be the fishtrap green sardine, other than that color, and maybe a couple others, I prefer big hammer. Big hammers have a better action, and a few colors are better than fishtrap's, but fishtrap's green sardine just can't be beat IMO. Then there's the castaic swimbait. That would be my favorite seabass bait. I guess for certain fishies I like certain baits, and for action I like the big hammers, and for colors I usually like the fish trap (at least for green sardine)... It all depends. Overall though, I'd go with fishtrap's green sardine.
-Brian
126, RE: Plastics
Posted by , Tue Nov-07-00 11:09 AM
For 4" and under baits I prefer Fishtrap. For 5" and above I prefer Big Hammer. The Green Sardine and Channel Island Chovie are my favorites for halibut and the Channel Island Chovie (Fishtrap) and Rainbow Trout (Big Hammer) are my favorites for seabass.

Worm King AAs and ABs are the only worm king baits I like.

***************************************************

You can't catch tomorrow what you kill today - please practice catch and release.
127, RE: Plastics
Posted by , Tue Nov-07-00 01:22 PM
I would concur with Brian's thinking ... or should I say Brian concurs with my thinking ;-) Just giving ya bad time bud.
The green sardine is tough to beat, I like it in 4, 5, and 5.5 inch. I don't like the 4" big hammers that much but the 5" are excellent. I also like the 5" cardiff plastics but the guy seems to have gone out of business or something and I can't get any more. They had a really good rainbow trout color but I'm out. Bummer...
When it comes to trout imitating swimbaits, I like the looks of the new castaics but I haven't used them much yet. Basstrix are good in the bigger sizes but the lighter 6" trout ones seem to roll on their sides for lack of weight. I have yet to find the "money" trout swimbait but the quest continues..
128, RE: Plastics
Posted by , Tue Nov-07-00 01:53 PM
I second that.

I picked up some 3 and 4 inch Big Hammers last year at the Fred Hall Show and I don't like them too much - the Fishtraps look much better.

I looked into getting a custom batch of the 5" Big Hammers in a green sardine color (basically their Rainbow Trout but with a yellow stripe instead of pink) but I'd have to order like 1000 to make it worth it. If there are 39 other guys out there who are interested in 25 of these baits let me know and I'll check into it again.

****************************************************

You can't catch tomorrow what you kill today - please practice catch and release.
129, RE: Plastics
Posted by brian, Tue Nov-07-00 05:08 PM
LAST EDITED ON Nov-07-00 AT 08:09 PM (PST)

Pete,
I'm down for it, only 38 more!!! Har Har.
-Brian

130, RE: Plastics
Posted by , Tue Nov-07-00 07:39 PM
I agree on the Rainbow Hammers. Thats what I got those yellows and giant gophers on a few weeks ago. Castaics I like the little 3" shads in pearl or clear with red flake for spotties hanging on pilings. Of course there's those zippers that I'm so fond of, too many colors to name. These I started using when trying to find a subsitute for Whams. THe smoke with chartruese flake was sick. I could never go wrong with that color. I still have a bunch of sardine colored ones, work great for the butts.

Hey Rob, are the Basstrix you're talking about the trout shaped ones, or the ones like the Hammers and whatnot?

Amish Ed
131, RE: Plastics
Posted by , Tue Nov-07-00 08:42 PM
I was talking about the trout type ones. I've never fished the more "standard" type ones but they looked pretty good when I've seen them. Is that what you were talking about, the regular ones?

-Rob
132, RE: Plastics
Posted by , Wed Nov-08-00 08:09 PM
Yeah, I was talking about the more "standard" models. I think they are the best swim baits around. Very under rated in my estimation, or perhaps just not known. They have this smoke with red flake that's just sick.

Amish Ed
133, zoom fluke
Posted by , Mon Nov-13-00 05:30 PM
i love the fluke
134, RE: zoom fluke
Posted by , Mon Nov-13-00 07:18 PM
Baby Bass is hot. I know a guy who fishes them almost exculsively. Sweet bait for sure.

Amish Ed
135, RE: Plastics
Posted by Matt Peters, Wed Nov-15-00 10:34 AM
Plastics,

It's funny that as soon as the saltwater roots fishermen think about plastics, they immediately think swimbaits. As for me, when I think plastics, my head gets filled with 4" and 6" worms, 8" straight tails, reapers, Yamamoto Twin Tails, Bass Assasins, 4" curtails, grubs, and plastic craws.

Therefore it is really difficult to qualify my favorite plastic. I will elaborate on my favorite in most situations. I think that in most San Diego County lakes, the 8" chocolate blue straight tail is my favorite. On the desert lakes, the Yamamoto twin tail on the back of a Proline Jig is my choice. On lake Mead, any fluke or Assasin bait is my choice, they all catch fish if you know how to fish one. I hear the Senko is a killer, and honestly, I've never even thrown one. Not yet!!!

There are few places a 4" worm won't catch a bass. It's has got to be the most effective for numbers plastic out there.



Best Fishes,

Matt Peters
136, RE: Plastics
Posted by brian, Wed Nov-15-00 12:22 PM
Matt,
Yeah, depending on what kind of fishing I'm talking about, the word "plastics" has two different meanings. If this post were on the freshwater board, I'd answer, SENKO!!!! You really oughtta try em sometime. Go for the 5" watermelon/red flake for starters, or watermelon seed. Fish it weightless, and let it sit for longer than you normally would. I'm sure you've heard from people how to fish em, so I won't go too in depth. They are killer baits though, you can do virtually anything with em, carolina, texas, dropshot, weightless, jerkbait, topwater (that's right, especially on top of frog mats)... etc. etc. You WILL let us know when you get your first senko fish of course. It's a momentous occasion.
-Brian
137, RE: Plastics
Posted by , Wed Nov-15-00 01:39 PM
You know I own some Senkos, and I've been in the boat while guys have thrown 'em. Sometimes I'm a little stubborn to the new craze. Like down shotting...it's taken me a few years and some butt kicking to get me into it. I got smoked this time last year at Oroville, and it was public info that drop shot was the key...me, hell I tried to dart head and shake'em up. Stupid!

Yeah, I'd like to throw a Senko at Mead on a 7ft spinning Rod, in the middle of the cuts and coves, on 6lb Pline, weightless, or maybe a tiny nail weight, and dead stick the thing thru the brush....I think that would kill 'em. Especially in September or October.
138, RE: Plastics
Posted by brian, Wed Nov-15-00 02:26 PM
LAST EDITED ON Nov-15-00 AT 05:27 PM (PST)

Matt,
I don't know if this of any value, cause we only did it on this sheltered pond with little pressure, etc., but last year during pre-spawn and also during summer we did real good at first using weightless powercraws and shaking them across the surface, when we found out about senkos, we started using them. They worked just as good or better. Somethin to think about, maybe those slim babies will have another use... It killed on those spots that aren't quite mats yet, you know, like sparse cheez, not quite developed yet, but will be a full on mat in a few weeks... I know a certain tournament in February where I reckon me and #2 will give this a try...
-Brian

139, RE: Plastics
Posted by Matt Peters, Thu Nov-16-00 10:34 AM
Brian,

I don't know what tourney in Feb you are talking about, but whatever. I think weightless plastics are deadly anytime anywhere. If the wind blows you can be in trouble trying to fish them. Sight fish with a weightless worm or craw or gitzit...and you'll nail 'em. Let that bait take two minutes to settle down on the bed, and most likely that fish (one of them!) will inhale that bait.

I'd like to get more into weightless plastics on spinning equiptment....swimming baits you know....not swimbaits. Ha

Best Fishes,

Matt Peters
140, RE: Plastics
Posted by , Thu Nov-16-00 11:04 AM
Brian
If there's weeds on Margarita on Feb 3, I'll eat my shorts!!!
141, RE: Plastics
Posted by brian, Thu Nov-16-00 12:23 PM
Rob,
There's no grass or anything? Don't think a lack of weeds will keep the senkos out of the water... I'll be throwin em regardless (at least in prefish, we'll see about the tourney days...).
-Brian
PS: Matt- That comment was more aimed toward Rob cause it'll be my first WON Bass tournament, and Rob will be there for his WONdering division.
142, RE: Plastics
Posted by , Thu Nov-16-00 01:50 PM
Yeah the weeds don't usually start to grow until March or so. February everything is very dead and the water is usually very very murky. Jig and blade bite should be good and I would think you could catch them on senkos too but have never tried it.
143, RE: Plastics
Posted by , Thu Nov-16-00 09:36 PM
Senkos for me have been productive C-rigged for Spotties in Newport. Haven't used them for the plaid versions, but will be trying them weightless and weedless in the kelp this spring. BTW Matt, they can be used on baitcasters. They are a very heavy bait.

Amish Ed
P.S. Rob, did you get my email? Either way, it'd be good to know.
144, RE: Plastics
Posted by Matt Peters, Fri Nov-17-00 06:13 AM
Amish Ed,

I totally know Senkos can be fished on a baitcaster, along with a lot of the other fluke baits. I think in certain situations, using really light line and doing the deadstick thing, a spinning rod is a better choice.

When I'm working shallow fish and putting some jerks into my fluke, you better believe I'm throwing it on a high speed reel and a casting rod.

Best Fishes,

Matt Peters
145, RE: Plastics
Posted by , Sun Nov-19-00 09:24 AM
For inshore salt water, I gotta go with the WHAM baits. Actually WHAM went out of business, but they were just a distributor and you can still get their baits from other sources. For those that don't know, they'e basically a 5" fish shaped, curl tail grub. Calicos, halibut, barracuda, and bay bass love them. And the best part - they don't fall apart after one fish like the fish traps do.

Tight lines,
Adam
146, RE: Plastics
Posted by , Fri Dec-08-00 07:25 AM
For me it's Big Hammers, especially now that we're into colder winter water. I find they swim better at slow speeds than other brands, a neccesity for this time of year. I also like to switch to more reds, browns and oranges at this time. These are to match the crustacean and bottomfish/brownbait forage I believe calicos and sandies focus on at this time. I generally fish 4 and 5 inch sizes.