Gangly

Now that you know where the brush is, maybe you can jig it with some success.

12.8 Jeez!!! do you think the rooster tail hook was too small or that the fish was so strong it just ripped the hook out of its own mouth?

One of these day's Ill hook into a 10 lb'er, thats my goal

Chuck7

Hooks are too small..

Th elure works great..Out of 6 local fun tournaments I won 5 ..The fellows I beat were very good fishermen { Club members}and were ticked off when I tied it on...It works great..BUT this year it 's been lacking..or maybe I haven't given it a fair shake..When I moved to Florida I had only used effectively 3 lures..

Mepps Spinners..black fury..Mepps Comet
Rooster tails
Rapalas..


I thought no fish is stupid enough to bite a rubber worm..I lost count of the 5 and 6 pound bass I boated using Rooster Tails..and many 2s and 3s..

Why it works
A. It's something new..
B. From my study ..ALL bass do not want a big lunch..many want an easy digestable prey especially in the cooler months.
C. Looks like a gizzard shad and the hooks are almost concealed.

Problem..
A. the entire lure twist..so expect kinks eventually..I was lucky today and didn't notice any magor kinks,
B. The treble hooks are too small..and not the sharpest..
C. MOST folks do not know how to effectively fish this lure..If you cast and retrieve the willow blade won't even turn..LOL
----A. You cast LONNNNNGG...and it will sail..farther than any bait I got..I mostly let it go to the bottom.
----B. Make a good sweeping motion until you feel the willow leaf turn..rod tip will vibrate..
----C. Reel JUST fast enough to keep the blade turning..Idealy..a couple inches from the bottom..
A hit is a BENT rod ...digging ..from expereince bring rod straight up to try and get hooks into the roof of the mouth...
----D. The rest is up to the angler..I catch about 80 % ..I keep a tight line and net ALL fish..

Remedy to the problem..I plan to snip off the treble hook..and either replace with a Gamazaka treble or one 1/0 short shank hook.

When I first came to Florida we were poor and I brought my bass home..These all fell victim to the Rooster Tail..

m.t.hands

yeeeeoooww, sorry misses big left the scene

try the excalibur or gama version of a flashtail hook, you cant walk by them W/O getting stuck

Chuck7

I just got my Bass Pro book today in the mail..
They seem to be 2 for 5.00

Instead..I may take one of your smallest split rings...and attack a bigger red treble on it..and snip off 2 off the hooks..not sure..one thing for sure this is the 4 the monster bass I've lost on this lure..5 and 6 pounders not to bad..but when they are 10 and above..I haven't landed one yet..

The drop shot hooks are also short..I was thinking about putting one of them on..something still short enough to be hidden by the hackle..

Chuck7

M.t. after looking through my hooks..you are correct,..

Are you talking about these dressed trebles?

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/st...CH_GO&x=12&y=6

Chuck7

OK...I took these red trebles off another lure..
How do these babies look.These trebles are twice the size.




Here's a before and after picture..you can see why in the original lure that it's easy for a BIG bass to get off..

ksfowler

Man a 10-12lb bass, in these part that would be close to the state record. I would leave all three hooks on the treble.

Oneshot7

I would stick with an original color and go with the excalibur version of the dressed hook chuck, its a triple grip (thats what we called them) and they are crazy sharp, the excalibur TX3 i believe. The red wouldnt give me the confidence that I had with the lure before. I would try to keep everything the same except the hook size.

marlin30/30_drabe

up here the state record is 11lbs 3oz

Chuck7

I hear ya folks,
I wasn't planning on taking off any hooks on the treble hook ..although I mentioned it

Oneshot7...the red is a concern and I 'm strictly a confidence man as well..Prior to yesterday the Rooster Tail has done nothing.this year..a total strike out...HOWEVER..I had caught a few 100 bass on this lure years before..so I know it works..and yesterday prived that to me..When I first came to Florida...and was a poor college student I fished like this ...and lost count of all the hawgs i caught..

I'd cast long ..let the Rooster tail go to the bottom and slowly retrieve...meanwhile I had a Texas rigged black and blue curly tail laying across my lap bumping the bottom behind me..We needed to eat and I always brought home fish...Also the Rooster Tail caught me many channel catfish , crappie , gar, and Striped bass..

The full moon is this Thursday...I plan to fish the red hooked Rooster Tail exclusively this morning....and Wed..do the same with the exception of black hooks.

With school...and the up coming hunting season approaching I don't plan to put anymore money into fishing...not a dime.

Fish Hook is only opened Fri, Sat, Sun and Mon.so today I will be fishing at Saddle Creek from 6:00 AM till 10 ish..

God bless,
C7

PS ..I checked out the hook size of the excaliber..they are the same sized as the original Rooster Tail's hooks. #6 so that won't help me..
Also..cutting the treble hooks off the Rooster Tails is no picnic..it's the hardest metal I've ever ran into..