Berkley Gulp Sinking Minnow and Manns Hard Nose Frog

[Buck Magnet]

If it wasn't for these two lures, the past week of fishing for me would have been horrible. I have never really been a fan of fishing with soft plastic baits, but my buddy told me to try the Berkley Gulp worms as he was having some luck with them. I picked up the Silver Flake sinking minnows instead and they have performed amazingly. I used them at the farm pond and was pulling out bass after bass out. I then went to a local trout stream and fished a deep hole below a dam, which really showed me how great these lures work. I pulled out several very nice smallmouth, a nice largemouth, and even landed two 17" brook trout. I had another fish on that I never saw, but it felt bigger than any other fish I have caught with the exception of a 40" muskie that I landed. It made short work of my 6lb Berkley Fireline and it is still swimming in that hole today.

The Manns Hard Nose frogs were more of an impulse purchase and I really didn't plan on having much luck with them, but they have been killer for me. I have been pulling more smallmouth out on these than any live bait or other lures that I have tried, and Sunday even while fishing another trout stream I landed a bunch of smallmouth on it and even had a strike from what was either a decent northern pike or a small muskie that had swam down into the stream from the lake. I have some pictures on my camera that I will put up later. I am planning on going fishing again today so hopefully I will get some more pics to post this evening.

I just wanted to let anybody who is looking at trying some new lures out a little info on these two baits as they have been performing great for me.

[il coyote]

I bought some Mann's plastics earlier in the year. I don't know exactly what they're called, but theyare very similar to the Zoom Fluke. I am a huge fan of the fluke rigged weightless on 8lb. line in a spinning reel, but I think the hardnose may be a bit better as far as durability.

With that weightless setup the lure falls REAL slow, and can get torn up pretty easily. But man does it work for bass.

[virginiashadow]

Hey Buck...I used to smallmouth fish with Berkley worms all the time in the Rappahanock River in Virginia. I used to Texas rig my soft plastics as that would help my baits stay free from getting hooked while they moved through the quick river waters.

I fish soft plastics 99 percent of the time. I love the finesse game when I am fishing. I liken it to bowhunting. One technique that used to really work for me was, throw the soft plastic at a 45 degree angle up stream, right above a rock or grass bed. Buzz the line right past the object, then just let it sink naturally. Just keep a little tension on the line and let it sit for 6-8 seconds. Sometimes, you just feel the line moving and just give a quick jerk to the side, not up, and the you will nail a good one! Good luck.

[Buck Magnet]

Thanks guys,

I got a chance to hit up the streams today and I fished almost entirely with the Manns Hardnose Frog with amazing success. I pulled out 3 Northern Pike between 22-24", a few largemouth, and a mess of smallmouth with the biggest in the 20" range. I did throw some banjo minnows and picked up a small smallmouth, a Zoom Fluke and missed missed a big smallie with that. The frogs have just been money for me. I have some more pictures, but I havn't downloaded any image editing software since my computer crashed, as soon as I do I will post some pics.