Since I know I have asked this question, I weighed all the big baits in my box aftr that frustrating experience. As you can see I suffer from the gotta have syndrome. All weights are rough, and done on kitchen scale.

11" MS Slammer weighed in at 4 3/4 oz.
9" Castaic trout(plastice head/ribber body) 5 oz.
11" Basstrix 8 1/2 oz.
7.5" optima swimbait 5+ oz.
6" optima swimbait 4 oz.
9" osprey talon 6 oz.

My castic bait has 2 bass casting weights attached to the hooks splitring, so your is pribably lighter. I did this to help is track better it also gets it down a little tooo. Do any of you other guys do this also or something similar?

I bought a MS Slammer yesterday and have a few things to say. First it is supprisingly light for a 12" bait. My bait was new in the bag. It had 2 different size split rings on the bait and one had some rust on it. Secondly it was not painted all the way up into the female part on the v where it is jointed. I sealed the area with nail polish. Rob is right "the hooks suck". You guys said the other day the the boyant ones are better, well this puppy is boyant. I don't think I could really get it down if I wanted to. Its like a giant top water plug. I'm guessing all the 12" are big time floaters. It has a neat little tail slapping sound as it is retreved, kind of like a big slow buzzbait. What should I coat the bait with to save the finish? I has a neat finish. The front line tie is not in straight. I also recall something on the package aboutdo not attach a swivel to the split ring, mine did not have a split ring to tie to, i had to but some. I mope mike shaw reads this board.

The 12" Castaic Softbait trout supposidly weighs 8oz.
The 12" Generic trout supposidly weighs in around 3 oz.
One of the tricks some guys are doing to the Casiaic is removing the body and drilling a hole in the back of the head and putting in lead shot to make the bait sink and then reassembling. I spoke with one guy and they said they were not adding a second hook to their baits, to me that is the first thing i'd do.

Hey robbor, just to be clear, I don't know where you got the idea that I said that the hooks "suck" on the Slammer. In my big plug article I note that the Mustad hooks are decent but should either be sharpened or replaced with gammies. On the 12" plug and on my 12" generic trout I have been using the stock Mustads because you can't get a gammie hook that is big enough for these baits. I just sharpen them with a metal file. No biggie.

As far as the lure not being painted in the female part of the hinge, they are all like that, they always have been. The entire lure is sealed and primered before painting. That inside hinge piece just doesn't get the final paint and overcoat. It won't cause you any problems.

I don't know whats up with your rusted split ring. Mike sure as hell doesn't ship them off that way. Where did you buy yours?

As for the bouyancy, you bet they are bouyant, that's how they have been forever. I think people mistakenly think that the lure is somehow supposed to be like the Castaic soft trout or something. The Slammer was made long before the Castaic softbait was ever invented, it's a topwater and shallow running bait. Ask Carrot Top about that one :-)

I hope your plug treats you right. It sounds like you're doing the right thing and trying out most of the big plug options out there. Everyone has their favorite and I'm sure you will find yours whether it's the Slammer or the Castaic or the Osprey or whatever.

I got a hold of Mike Shaw the day I posted that other message, and he seemed very nice and offered to replace the lure. He did state that the lure is totally sealed before painting, so that is not an issue. I had to do a double take the next day at the hooks, and I was mistaken, they were not bad. I had one point on the rear treble that was not very sharp, but otherwise they were ok. On my second day out with the plug I tuned it, and it seems to be running OK so I'm not going to bother sending it back. I just wonder why these and most big lures don't com with a split ring to tie to. I don't see another MS slammer in my future but I have been eyeing those Generic trout lures and the 12" Castaic trout.

If you guys need big bronze trebles and can't find Gamakatsus big enough, what about the 3/0, 4/0 and 5/0 VMC bronze Musky treble hooks. They're almost as sharp as Gammies and should work well ...

Just a thought ...