ohioyaker
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Post by ohioyaker on Nov 23, 2007 17:58:56 GMT -5
I know some of you like the Lucky Craft brand a lot. I have yet to use any lure over $10 for ANY of the many species I chase..most expensive I use are the Rapala Xrap XR-12 ($9) for Hybrid Stripers along the Ohio river: Dave 7 1/2 lbs.: Me 10.4 lbs.: My question is do you really think these high end lures out produce normal lures like Rapala, Storm, ect. ? Reason I ask is I just put in an order for $245 from a favorite on-line shop that carrys the LC..I stocked up on some of my favorite River2Sea lures too, but did get about $120 worth of LC's to add to my tackle selection for next season. What are some of your favorite high end lures for smallies? Scott
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shwookie
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Post by shwookie on Nov 23, 2007 18:40:17 GMT -5
LC pointers and sammy are my favorites. I really like the RC line of cranks as well.
As far as out producing..... I've seen it first hand, then the next trip not. I have almost $200 worth of LC stuff, including a few I have lost. To me its worth the money since When they work, nothing can stop them, even when the person right beside you is throwing the same thing, only in a different brand. I will say the pointers seem to be the most notably better than some of the counterparts, the quality and fit of finish are not found on X-raps, which I have several of. I think since they work the way they are supposed to, they can make you look like a better fisherman than you really are. They don't always outproduce, but sometimes it simply could be a color issue and since LC's are costlier, its a bit harder to have a wider range of colors. I have 5 x-raps covering the whole color range, yet only have 2 colors of LC's in pointers.
So what all did you get and what colors? Ghost minnow and American Shad are my favorite.
Edit:
As far as cranks go, I buy LC's ,mainly for the quality of hooks and finish. I'm not sold that I will catch more fish on a LC crank vs. a Bomber. Also its super easy to lose cranks, pointers, not so much. I'll risk a $5 crank on every cast, a $17 crank is a commitment to the poor house in certain spots.
Topwater, I just have more faith in my sammy than any other topwater I have used. Several times I have been fishing and told my partner I was gonna start catching them now, and did. Strictly a confidence thing though. Maybe the action is better, but I don't really notice much of a difference.
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ohioyaker
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Post by ohioyaker on Nov 23, 2007 19:52:20 GMT -5
Thanks for the reply Brock, I got: LC Sammy 100 in Ghost minnow, MS American Shad, MS Black , MS MJ Herring and Shell White. The MS Shad & MS MJ Herring will be the chit on the Ohio river.
LC G-splash 65 in MS American Shad and MS MJ Herring.
LC Live Pointer 80MR in MS American Shad and MS MJ Herring.
I will be throwing them on local flows, but mostly for the larger rivers like the Scioto & Ohio river.
I really am sold on the Rapala Xrap XR8, XR10 and the larger XR12...I have almost every color..some are just not the color for me or what I fish for. I'm also a very big fan of the Husky Jerk and I own everything from the HJ6 to the mega HJ14.
I have always been a crankbait fan and if you ask anyone I fish with they will confirm my catch-ability with them...I have floated a stretch with 3 other anglers and landed over 25 smallies in short time, while they struggled to catch . If we get a friendly competition going on the water...i'll be throwing them for sure because I can catch quantity and quality on them...if I'm only on a big fish hunt, then I throw other lures that wont normally produce those smaller fish under 14"...depends on the mood I'm in for that day...sometimes I just want to catch a LOT and size doesn't matter....other times I want only the bigger fish.
I landed over 300 smallies in my first season from a yak this year....which is not good considering there were many years I landed over 600+ by wading each year. I have put over 1000 smallies on the bank in one season, but those were years I fished strictly for smallies only, now there are just too many species I love to chase, my only problem is deciding which one to chase that day. My problem is I want to fish for them all..but freaking WORK gets in the way..lol.
My list goes like this in order of Favorites: Smallmouth bass Carp Flathead Catfish Hybrid Stripers Channel Catfish White Bass Skipjack Herring Big Drum
Scott
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shwookie
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Post by shwookie on Nov 24, 2007 8:26:53 GMT -5
I haven't heard to many positives about the live LC stuff, but thats just second hand knowledge, so feel free to ignore it, or prove me wrong, lol.
I strictly used cranks for a while, but then got hooked on case plastic stuff and put the hard stuff down, then as the water cooled went back. At the begining of the season, an xrap 8 in clown was my go to lure, I like rapalas, I own way to many, but prefer the LC stuff. The appeal of cranks is you can cover a lot more water then with my prefered SSS in pearl white. they also make great depth finders from a yak.
I love the fact that Carp is second on your list, mine would be different, but I haven't even caught some of the species you have listed, heh.
Smallies Smallies on UL River white bass river LM ( they seem to fight a ton better then flatwater ones) Channel cats Whatever I can hook....
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ohioyaker
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Post by ohioyaker on Nov 24, 2007 15:58:49 GMT -5
Yea, most anglers dont much care for CARP as a gamefish...but trust me the only thing that fights harder from Ohio's rivers than a carp is a Flathead catfish. I did not stock them, the United States Fish and Game did...I just take advantage of the monsters no one else wishes to fish for. Also I should say I very rarely ever fish lakes or Res.....I'm a true blue River/stream angler. And YES river fish certainly fight much harder than their lazy slackwater cousins..lol.
I'll let you know how I get on with the Live Pointers.
Scott
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Post by ecoangler on Nov 24, 2007 17:37:23 GMT -5
I haven't spent $10 on lure yet. Except at a collectors show!
I'll spend the $ to turn out my own wood/foam version in the shop.
As for the angling list. Smallmouth Bass Spotted Bass LM Bass Rock Bass/Sunfish/Crappie Carp Channel Cat Brown Trout Muskie
Rick
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shwookie
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Post by shwookie on Nov 24, 2007 19:13:26 GMT -5
Thats awesome man, I'd like to give it a shot sometime.
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ohioyaker
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Post by ohioyaker on Nov 24, 2007 22:45:28 GMT -5
Good list Rick, Glad to see someone thats not ashamed to admit to liking carp angling. Brock, Next season I'll take ya to one of my favorite spots to catch Mirror carp, you'll be completely shocked at its locatoon...Andyman knows right where it is .....Mirror Carp you ask? Ones like these: Dave with a 26.01 lber. My Son Tyler: Me: This is a Common Carp: My PB from Winter: Also I'm not a bowfisherman and catch all my fish on rod and reel and release 99% of the fish I catch (1% being BAIT and a few S-eyes that live in my Smallmouth bass spots..geez.) Scott
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danl
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Post by danl on Nov 25, 2007 8:47:43 GMT -5
'Yaker, Those are some real hang-bellies! I spent most of my teen years chasing carp, any variety, in West-Central Ohio. Battling those bruisers taught me to backreel, which comes in handy fighting smallies. As far as the high-end lures.....I like the Pointers...78 mostly..in one of the shad patterns. The Sammy is OK, but I don't use it much. If they could make it stop going vertical when you quit working it, I'd use it more. The Husky Jerks and X-raps and Rogues are OK for slashing, darting retrieves, but the majority of my jerkbait fishing is actually just like working a tube. I try to work the bait to the middle of the water column and then let it sit/float....as horizontally as possible... with the current, imparting only a twitch or 2 every few feet. The LCs "sit" better than anything else I've found.
Dan'l
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shwookie
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Post by shwookie on Nov 25, 2007 9:04:04 GMT -5
Awesome. You know where to find me.
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Post by kokofisher on Nov 25, 2007 21:17:04 GMT -5
I haven't tried any of the LC's or other high end stuff. If I get the usual Cabela's gift card for Xmas I might have to get some.
Those are impressive Carp Scott. It would be a blast trying to land one on a fly rod. I caught a small one once on the Kokosing with a 5 wt and it put up quite a fight.
Mike
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ohioyaker
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Post by ohioyaker on Nov 25, 2007 23:27:58 GMT -5
Thanks Mike, I know plenty of fly anglers out there that are getting heavy into carp fishing . Just chat with the guys up at madriver outfitters.
I belong to CAG (Carp Anglers Group) and there are plenty that do nothing but fly fish for them..have seen carp to 30 lbs. caught on a fly rod.
I know this is a smallie forum, so I wont chat too much about "off" species...if anyone ever wants to talk carp, shoot me a PM or e-mail anytime.
Scott
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Post by Eugene on Dec 4, 2007 8:24:26 GMT -5
Regarding high-end lures, when there are bass to be had on the surface, I think it's hard to beat the Team Daiwa Pencil for excitement.
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Post by Kyle Kochheiser on Dec 20, 2007 13:57:33 GMT -5
I don't have any high end baits for smallies. Though, I got a few expensive lures for muskies.
My angling preference list:
Muskies River Smallies Crappie Saugeye Walleye Channel Catfish Largemouth Bass
CG
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Post by ecoangler on Jan 2, 2008 19:12:21 GMT -5
Scott,
Nice carp! Looks like fished cakes in the making! I used to belong to CARPS and did the tourney thing for a season or two way back in the day.
Then I found them to be a blast on my flyrod, steelhead noodle rod and light tackle.
I also have bowfished for carp & gar.
As for the "High End" tackle. If it finds its way to me near to free its fine. However, I do just as well with many of the modest, middle class plugs (under $8) or restored 'old' favorites.
I've been working at making my own.
Rick
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