I want you all to know that Jonathan was EXTREMELY thorough throughout the entire selection process. He asked about style of fishing, colors, eyes, placement, left handed or right handed, cork, blanks, etc…. It was obvious that he had done this many times before, and I was very confident that he’d put his heart and soul into his work, just as he had done for some of our other SJB members.

When I went to meet Jonathan to pick up the new rod my jaw nearly hit the floor. The work that this guy puts into these custom rods is amazing and his work is nothing short of an artwork masterpiece. He makes each of his AMAZING patterns, some of which look like their moving, by weaving each thread one by one. You have to see one of these in person to appreciate his work as a camera can only do it so much justice. Below are some of the pictured I took of the rod that he created for me, which was ultimately dubbed The Black Hole on account of me requesting Raiders colors.

His website can be found here: http://www.twistedcustomrods.com/

And here is an excerpt from his website:

Why Buy a Custom Rod:Many people ask me what the advantages of a custom rod are and why should they spend more money on something that doesn’t have a $15 over the counter warranty. The list of reasons as to why custom rods are better is staggering and I will outline some of the most important issues that factory rods have that the custom rod solves:

The Spine: Essentially, the way a rod blank is manufactured is by sheets of graphite, fiberglass, or graphite and fiberglass are wound around a mandrel. This is then placed in an oven where it cures the glues used to hold everything together. After the curing process, the mandrel is removed and the blank is trimmed to length. Because the material is rolled on the mandrel there is more layers on one side than the other (think about it like a paper towel roll) and this causes the blank to want to bend a certain direction. When put under load, the blank will naturally rotate to the same orientation every time; this spot is called a rods “Spine”. I mark this location and then assemble the grips and guides in accordance to the spine. Wrapping the rod on the spine helps to reduce twisting and torque on the rod while under load and is something many major rod manufactures ($200+ rods) do not take the time to do.

Guide Placement: Every singe blank, even if they are the same model from the same manufacturer, made one right after the other will bend differently. Rod companies average the bends and find the guide placement that will work for the range of flex’s that come off of the assembly line. Every rod that I am wrapping for someone has the guides placed in specific locations for that particular blank. This will give you the optimum performance available from the rod.

Grip Length: Since every person’s body type is different the length of grip will be different for every person. Also, the type of application will determine how long the grips are. A rod made for fishing 100# line for tuna if being used in a harness is going to be a lot shorter than if I’m building the rod for someone who likes to fish the rail. Same logic applies to bass fishing. A lot of people like rods with a bit of a longer butt if they happen to be a larger person, or if they want a little more casting distance or leverage for pulling fish out of cover. This rod is made for YOU and I want it to fit you and to fit the applications in which you employ the rod.

Components: This encompasses the type of grip setup you want, what type of guides, what guide inserts (alconite, SiC, Silicone Nitride II, Zirconium, etc). Most factory produced rods come with decent quality components but if you spend a lot of time on the water or you just want the best that is available, a custom rod is the only way to go.

Making it yours: This is where your style can come out. I can match your favorite sports team, your college colors, your boat colors, or just your favorite colors when wrapping the rod. Since this is being made specifically for you, this is where you get to truly make it yours. You get to pick the color of the grips, the reel seat and gimbal (if building a saltwater rod with aluminum components), the thread, and the guide colors (when available).

Application Specific Rods: The rod I build you will be built for where you fish, how you fish, what you fish for, and what you fish with. You will not find a better rod available from the factory for where you fish than what I can build you.

Nothing provokes the average bass angler to put away their crankbaits faster than constantly snagging submerged weeds or grass. Whether it is hydrilla, elodea, coontail moss, milfoil or any of the other aquatic plants that grow in the shallows, there is nothing more frustrating than retrieving cranks to find it coated in green salad. A poorly cast crankbait can even bog down in a heavy mass of weeds or grass to the point that you have to go in and get it.

So it surprises some weekend anglers to discover that many accomplished professional fishermen actually seek to make contact with weeds – INTENTIONALLY!

And no one knows more about this unique technique called “ripping” than FLW and B.A.S.S. tournament pro Bernie Schultz. Raised in Florida, this shallow water expert has successfully used ripping to further his career and put countless bass in the boat.

Ripping Defined

What exactly is ripping? Bernie explains, “Essentially, what you are trying to do with a crankbait is give it a quick pulse of speed to provoke a fish into a reaction strike. The technique works best on bass that aren’t really in a feeding mode; inactive or even lethargic fish.”

Though ripping can work on drop offs, or on lake bottoms that have very little cover on them, (repeatedly ripping it off the bottom and letting it fall), no other environment is better suited than submerged vegetation.

If your favorite lake has weeds or grass of any kind, it is a candidate for this unique technique. “Anything you can get a bait over the top of, or through, is preferred – regardless of the species of grass.”

Just a Spring Time Technique?

Those anglers vaguely familiar with ripping may have heard that ripping is basically a springtime technique, effective only until the grass reaches the surface. But Bernie says, “That’s kind of a misnomer. Yes, spring is ideal for ripping – fish will sit on top of grass, or up in the water column where they are in the highest part of the grass – in pre-spawn especially. But if you are talking about hydrilla, elodea, coontail moss, or milfoil, that stuff has a growing edge to it throughout the year.”

Seeking the ‘Stranding’ Grass

“And the edge is sometimes where you need to focus. Even though there might be large areas of matted grass, the new edges will be submerged, and ‘stranding’, and that’s what you want to work is the stranding grass.”

Stranding grass is the always growing up at the edge of the fields, and while it is growing towards the surface, it is still not too thick. Schultz elaborates, “Stranding grass is loose enough to work a bait through. It can be found year around – though its peak periods are in the spring.”

“Prespawn is when the technique seems to be best. And it is effective again at post-spawn, when the fish come off the beds and go out and suspend in the tall parts of the stranding grass.”

A Good Spot
When Bernie stops the boat and says “This looks like a good spot for ripping”, anglers would be wise to pay attention to his reasons for picking that location.

“I am going to use my depth finder, and I am going to look in areas that are shallower than 10 feet. That’s generally speaking, because I have made this technique work in 18 feet of water. But what would be the ideal is where grass has grown halfway to the surface in 10 feet of water.”

Deeper Water?

That does not mean that the technique will not work in deeper water. Many clear water lakes and reservoirs may have grass beds whose edges don’t stop until the depth is 18-20 feet. Our Florida pro insists it can be done with any weed bed, “…as long as you are not throwing in matted grass or grass that is too thick to literally rip the bait through, it could be very effective.”
In deeper water, Bernie does point out, “The type of crankbait you use might change. Instead of using a lipless bait that we most often use in the southeast, you would perhaps use a deeper diving crankbait.”

The Ideal Scenario

“The most important thing,” insists Schultz, “is to have the right density of grass; stranding is the key. If the grass is stranding, it doesn’t matter what depth it is. Even so, the best scenario I can think of is a lipless crankbait fished in 6 to 8 feet of water with grass growing halfway to the surface.”

If an angler attempting to rip crankbaits through the weeds is coming back with grass snagged all over their lure, Bernie says “The bait may be running too deep or the weeds are too thick. In that case, you need to move or change lures to reduce the running depth.”

The Lipless Crankbait

But when an angler finds themselves fishing the ideal scenario for ripping crankbaits, (again, when the grass top is growing half way to the surface in 6 to 8 feet of water), lure choice is easy. “In that situation you are most often going to use a lipless crankbait. The lipless crankbait I like a lot, is the Rapala ‘Clack’n Rap’.”

The Billed Crankbait

“But there are times when I also like billed crankbaits that run at the depth designated to the top of the grass – like a Rapala DT 4 or a DT 6, (or whatever model runs at the depth the grass is at). I try to pick a crankbait that will dive just below the top of the grass so I can make contact and rip the bait through the grass.”

Triggering a Reaction Bite

Ripping is a technique that exploits the instinctive ‘predator’ characteristic of bass. As long as the fish are in the right places in the weeds, there is a good chance they can be triggered into a reaction strike regardless of their activity level.

Bernie unpacked some of the reasons ripping is effective, “Well, the fish are positioned just right. Naturally their position can be relative to the day, the season, or the type of grass they are in. (There’s no way to pin that down). But I can tell you that working a bait over the bass’ head, even if they are bedding in loose grass on the bottom, will trigger a reaction bite by ripping it through the grass.”

Contact!

“The response is similar to what happens when ‘bumping the stump’ with a crankbait. Usually when an angler bumps the stump, the bait will hang and then it pops free with an initial burst of speed; that’s when the bass nail it.”

“Likewise, when you are ripping the bait through the grass, you make contact with the grass, the bait gets balled up for just a second, and you snatch it free – that’s when you are going to get bit.”

Water Clarity

The reaction bite that occurs is primarily triggered by visual stimuli, so water clarity is a big factor in its success. Bernie explains, “The water clarity can be clear to off-color, but it can’t be real dirty.”

Naturally, fish in clear water can see for quite a distance, so “In clearer water you want to keep some distance between you and the fish, especially if you are fishing shallow. You must make a long cast, and you are going to need some specialized equipment to make that happen.”

Noodle Rods Need Not Apply

Ripping is not a technique that will work if a rod is too limber – leave your flimsy noodle rods at home. “You are going to need at least a medium-heavy action rod. In extreme situations you want a heavy action rod. But generally the medium-heavy will give you the backbone you need to ‘snatch’ the bait out of the grass.”

“A slower rod, or a softer tip rod will simply result in the grass balling up on the bait. And you really don’t want that.”

In terms of rod length, “I’d recommend a 6’10” to 7 1⁄2 foot graphite baitcasting rod,” says Bernie. “The length is largely going to depend on the size of the baits that you are trying to throw, and the distances you are trying to reach.”

High Speed Reel…

When throwing lipless crankbaits, speed is important. Bernie says, “I like a high-speed gear ratio reel – at least 6:1, though I have gone as high as a 7:1. I use Shimano’s Calais.”

…Non-Stretch Line

To ‘snatch’ a lipless crankbait free from stranding grass, requires a line with little stretch. Mono would react too much like a rubber band and frustrate the angler’s ability to tear the crankbait free.

Fluorocarbon and braid are Schultz’s lines of choice. “I almost always use fluorocarbon with a diving lipped crankbait, but I will use both fluorocarbon and braid with the lipless bait.”

Fluorocarbon

“Generally,” explains Bernie, “I am always going to try and use fluorocarbon, especially in clear water situations. I only go to the braid when the water is off colored or the grass is so thick that it is essential I have something with zero stretch.”

“On a long cast, (and in Florida we make long casts because the fish are so sensitive to boat pressure, and the water is so clear), I use Sufix 100% Fluorocarbon – no less than 17 lb test, and no more than 20 lb test. Unless you are throwing a big bait, (in which I might go up a little more), 20 lb test will cover it.”

Braid

When the water is off colored, Bernie will throw lipless crankbaits on Sufix Braid. As to which pound test is used, “That depends on the size of the bait and the kind of cover, but usually 20-40 lb test works well.”

Why so high? “Just to help snatch the bait,” says Bernie. “And after all, the diameter of 20 lb braid is not that thick.”

Deep in the Mouth…

An angler who begins to experience the rewards of ripping will eventually begin to notice that the bass are rarely skin hooked or hanging on by a thread. “With this technique,” explains Bernie, “the fish usually get the bait down deep. It really doesn’t sound like they would, but believe me, when you snatch a bait free over grass and a fish bites it, it’s usually in the back of his throat. The tendency is not to lose these fish.”

…with a Little Extra Help

Even so, that doesn’t stop our tournament pro from increasing the hook setting odds in his favor. “There are times when I might upgrade the hooks one size, or one gauge in diameter, (so at least they are a thicker or stronger hook). I don’t upgrade to the point that I might retard the action of the lure. At most I may upsize the hooks one size. And I usually do that on at least one of the two hooks. Needless to say, you don’t lose many fish.”

Bernie adds, “But I don’t go up in hook size to increase contact with the weeds, I go up in size to increase hook percentage. As long as you have a medium-heavy rod and a line with zero stretch, you are in control, not the weeds.”

Which Knot?

Whether Bernie is throwing a lipless or billed crankbait, he ties directly to the split-ring using a double improved clinch knot. “I like this knot because it bites the split-ring real tightly and it doesn’t move around. It’s the same knot I would use on a jig and a worm.”

Sound

Though Schultz readily admits that there are a variety of lipless crankbaits that will work for ripping, “In the 1⁄2 ounce range I like the smaller size “Clack’n Rap”, because it has a unique sound. It’s got a big single knocker in it, and none of the others do. It’s not packed with rattles, making it different. And big fish react to it. That’s why I like it.”

Color

Bernie believes in simplicity when it comes to selecting colors, and doesn’t believe that an angler must carry an endless variety in the boat. He lists his favorites as being “Chrome, gold, any shads or baitfish matching patterns, and red. There’s something about early spring – the bass like red a lot. And I have also made chartreuse work very well. These I have confidence in.”

Changing Color or Changing Water?

A common question many pro anglers get asked is “How long do you wait before changing out or fine tuning size or color?” When addressing the ripping technique, Bernie’s answer catches many off guard.

“If the lure that I am throwing is working through the cover the way I want it to (that is, if I’m not having too much problems getting it through the cover, and I am getting a nice crisp snatch of the lure whenever I perform the technique), I’m going to stick to that lure and cover water – more so than I am going to change lures.”

“I’ll usually start with chrome or gold. If it is early spring I’m going to have both a red and a chrome tied on. And if I am in a lake or a river where gold is a factor, (if they have golden shiners like they do in the south), then I’ll use gold.”

“Most of the time I’m using chrome and reds in the spring. That transitions into chrome, a baitfish matching color, or chartreuse later as the year progresses. But more important than changing colors, is changing water.”

“Ripping is a search tool, and you need to make it work for you. Put the trolling motor down and if it is windy, work with the wind. Fish and cast downwind. The less you disturb the grass bed the better. Especially if it is shallow.”

(Permission granted by the author/editor of Crankbait Central – CrankbaitCentral.com – a site dedicated solely to crankbaits.)
To Be Continued…..

I guess this is a true testament as to how important the weather is to fishing, and this is the true reason why I wanted to write this article. Before I begin I’d like to offer up my typical disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I am not a professional and everything that I write is based on my own experiences. Basically, I’m just a guy who enjoys fishing like the most of you and our website was in desperate need of a new article.

As most of you know the weather in the Bay Area has changed over the last few weeks. We find ourselves in the mid 70′s during the day and at night the temperature drops into the low 60′s. To us it means that Fall has come about, and that soon we will find ourselves pulling out the jackets and rain gear. To the fish, however, it means one thing: GET FOOD and GET FAT! With the Winter months approaching rapidly largemouth bass instinctively begin to hunt more often during this time of year (other than the pre-spawn). And this is for good reason, because soon it will get cold and the weather will become more sporadic and inconsistent. This is when largemouth bass seek deeper water and “the bite” slows down tremendously. I’ve read conflicting articles about fishing for largemouth in the winter. Some of which say to fish deep and others say to fish the shallows. Whatever you would like to believe there is one thing that hold true – largemouth fishing in the winter is much more difficult than fishing any other time of year. This is why fishing in The Fall is so important…

I’d say over the last three weeks I’ve gone fishing at least six times, and each time I’ve caught fish. I’ll post some photos of what I caught below but for now I’d like to focus more on some of the things I’ve noticed on the while on the water. You can pick any of our local lakes and show up either in the morning or in the late afternoon and you will see why largemouth bass are some of the best hunters on the planet. There is so much action going on – everywhere. First, I noticed an abundance of crawdads walking the shore or swimming the shoreline. In all of my years of fishing I’ve never seen anything like it. I have no idea why, but I do know that they are one of the largemouth’s favorite morsels. Just look at all of the jig trailers and such that mimic the craw sitting on your local bait shop’s wall. There are a TON of renditions of the crawdad, and almost every one that I have tried has produced big fish (especially the jig).

Enough about the craw, let’s talk about the top-water action that’s going on. At any given point during the day, particularly in the fall, you will see and hear largemouth bass hunting bait-fish. Just walk a bank and look around, you’ll see the swirls and hear the splashes. While fishing at Uvas last week with a fellow SJB member we heard a splash that sounded like someone threw a five pound boulder from a helicopter (slight author exaggeration). My buddy immediately threw a topwater bait and it was attacked by three or four smaller sized largemouth. I myself have taken notice and have had GREAT success using Roboworms that mimic shad patterns on my drop-shot setup. With that given combo – the drop-shot and a Shad-Patterned Roboworm – I can pull out fish on any given day. Mostly dinks of course, but just last Sunday I pulled out a five pound bass using that exact setup. Catching anything over three pounds on a drop-shot is awesome, but the five pounder had me running up the shoreline while it pulled line. There are also some swimbaits that look almost identical to baitfish (Basstrix, Huddleston, etc..), and I wish I had more of them but for now I’ve been doing so well with my jigs and drop-shit that I haven’t really added more tackle.

When you get a chance, read some more articles about fishing in the Fall. You’ll find plenty of information out there, but like I said in the forums – THE BITE IS ON IN SJ! GET OUT THERE!

Some of what has been working for me:

1. Drop-Shot with Shad Colored Roboworm
2. Crankbait
3. Jigs
4. Wacky-Rigged Senkos

Here are some photos of some of the fish I caught in the last three weeks at Uvas and Coyote:

Having said that, I wanted to take a moment to highlight my own experiences out at Coyote, and explain to everyone why I love/hate this place. And then I also want to share some stories I’ve had out there, some of which were captured on film…

Disclaimer:  As most of you may already know, I’m not a professional angler by any means, and most of what I know I’ve learned from friends that fish a lot more than I do. So if I say the wrong thing, or if you completely disagree with what I’m about to write please take it up with management.

[singlepic id=19 w=320 h=240 float=right] You would think this place was specifically designed for largemouth bass due to the abundance of shad, rocky points, vegetation, submerged trees, planting of trout (not in 2009), etc… It’s also one of the only reservoirs in Santa Clara County that hosts the infamous Florida-Strain, which always makes for some good fishing.

When I initially started San Jose Bass we decided to host our first “gathering” at Coyote. It was when the water level had dwindled so low that they didn’t allow any boats on the water. It was absolutely wonderful, and it pretty much even the playing field for everyone. In the end there were about 15 anglers out there that decided to join us, and to this day it still stands out as one of the best “gatherings” we’ve ever had. That day I caught my new Personal Best of 6.5 lbs. on a shaky head while fishing a rocky point.

That was also the day that I became “hooked”, and after that I knew that I needed to visit Coyote on a regular basis, but I had no idea how difficult the fishing would be at times. Which is why I want to let all of you know one thing – This place has one of the toughest bites in the Bay Area. Now, let me repeat that – THIS PLACE HAS ONE OF THE TOUGHEST BITES IN THE BAY AREA. Ok, I’m off my soapbox for now, but don’t ever say I didn’t warn you. For example, this past Wednesday I spent 11 hours fishing this place and I only caught 1 fish – a 3 lb. largemouth that was nestled in between 30 carp near some early-staged weed bed. My fishing partner Kevin, who I consider to be one heck of a fisherman, wasn’t able to bring in a single fish. If I’m doing the math correctly, that’s 22 hours of fishing and just one fish to show for it.

On the other hand, I’ve personally witnessed Kevin catch a double digit-bass on a shaky head, and historically there have been several tournaments (Bass-N-Tubes.com) with bags that held more than one double-digit bass. The big ones are definitely in there, but they can be extremely elusive at times.

As for what works out at Coyote – you can pretty much catch fish on swimbaits, jigs, senkos, crankbaits, and everything else in-between. There are also plenty of carp, crappie, and bluegill for the little ones. They used to plant trout on a regular basis, but this year due to some environmental lawsuit the County opted not to.

[singlepic id=18 w=320 h=240 float=right]A couple of more interesting tidbits about Coyote reservoir is the wildlife and the fact that it’s one of the only reservoirs in Santa Clara County that allows for overnight camping. You need to take your boat off the water before sunset, but you’re able to fish from the shore all night. They also have a pretty nice Ranger station that displays a wild boar, bobcat, mountain lions, and various local reptiles (rattlers, etc…). Just this past week Kevin and I saw a pretty nice sized wild boar on the western shore and about a year ago my brother and I saw an adolescent mountain lion cruising the eastern bank.

Anglers wishing to make a visit to Coyote Reservoir should also keep the following in mind:

1. Your boat will be subjected to the standard County mussel inspection.
2. On the weekends this place gets pretty busy with personal watercraft, wakeboarding/ski boats, and other fishing vessels.

If you decide to make your way up to Coyote Reservoir be sure to stop by Coyote Bait and Tackle on the way up. They have EVERYTHING you need and more…

For information on park facilities, call the Visitor Center at (408) 842-7800.

My knowledge about catching linesiders is somewhat limited. I mostly learned how to catch stripers by talking briefly with Steve LaRussa at Coyote Bait & Tackle, reading quite a few articles on the web, and getting out as much as possible during the striper season.  At first, I quickly grew frustrated. It felt as though I was ‘blind’ casting my way through the Delta while hunting for these fish. What I really needed was some direction from someone who knew what they were doing. I decided to search for a guide who knew how stripers migrated through the delta. A professional who could take me out to show me what it takes to find and  land big fish. I didn’t want to take the trolling route, I wanted to go with someone who knew how to plug for these things.

After researching on the web, I came across Bobby Barrack’s website. It is stated on his homepage that he does guided striper trips. I then took a look at his photo gallery. His clients have caught some hogs…big, [singlepic=15,320,240,,left]big stripers. Some of the photos show his clients holding their fish like a sack of potatoes. After looking at those photos, I assumed that this is probably the guy I needed to talk to.

Bobby Barrack is a Bay Area born fisherman. He decided to move near the California Delta because he spent so much time out on the river anyways. I asked him how long he has been guiding and his response was, “Oh, only 12 years.” That’s longer than I have been an avid fisherman! I also asked him what draws him to striper fishing and he stated that it is because he has been doing it since the 80’s.  It felt good to fish with Bobby on the Delta for the linesiders because you can see that his passion for largemouth bass fishing spills into his techniques for catching the Big Mo’s. If you were to ask a trolling fisherman to plug all day for these freight trains, he would probably laugh in your face. Some people cannot grasp investing an entire day into plugging for stripers and that is because they are not ‘bass fisherman’.

I decided to split the cost of the trip with my stubborn father to learn that plugging for stripers can be fun. My Dad loves striper fishing as much as I do. Except, he likes to baitfish and troll for them. Getting him to[singlepic=12,320,240,,right] use a bait caster is hard enough so selling him Bobby’s services was going to be tougher. Once I showed my Dad Bobby’s photo gallery, he quickly decided that it might not be a bad idea.

The plan was to meet at Russo’s Marina at the butt crack of dawn, the best time to catch these fish on topwater lures. Due to my fathers desire to take long morning showers, we were late by about 15 minutes. Who knows, that fifteen minutes may have cost us a 30 pounder. Maybe two. If you were to ask me any question about striper plugging, I would reply with this statement, “BE ON THE WATER RIGHT BEFORE THE SUN STARTS TO LIGHT UP THE SKY IF YOU WANT TO CATCH A BIG STRIPER ON A TOPWATER LURE”.

When we arrived, I was very excited to see that we would be navigating the Delta on a 21 ft Ranger dubbed, “El Sappo”. Before this trip, I had never been on a bass boat of this size. Deck room, lots and lots of deck room.

Through out the entire day, we fished an area of the Delta that I was already familiar with. I previously had only fished for largemouth bass in this area, so fishing for stripers here was all new to me.  The most important thing I learned about fishing for stripers was to move a lot when searching for these fish. We would give every spot a good 10-30 minutes of plugging, and then move. Even though we bounced around, Bobby definitely proved to me that you are able to recycle a spot. If they were there earlier in the day, hit your baits, then left. They may return.

[singlepic=16,320,240,,left]All in all, the trip produced a 13 pounder, a few around 10 and a bunch in between shaker size to 5 pounds. I missed a big one, which straightened the eye of the hook holder on my Lunker Punker Jr due to a heavy drag setting, and my Dad missed another big one because he set into the fish too early. Those fish were definitely in the 10 plus pound zone. Who knows, maybe bigger. There was also a time when a fish followed Bobby’s bait that was “BIG!!” Unfortunately, we couldn’t get her to commit to our baits.  Bobby also explained that sometimes the big fish grab the bait with a ”slurp” and when you hear that sound, you know she is big. Sure enough, another striper missed my bait later in the day which made this sound.

I learned a lot fishing with Bobby Barrack. The most important things were to be patient when searching for stripers that are willing to commit to topwater baits, do not be scared to fish water as shallow as 3 feet, find some moving water, and move if you aren’t catching anything. When you see those linesiders busting bait on the top, cast those lures out towards them and hang on!

I do plan on doing a trip with Bobby in the future. Maybe I’d book a trip in September when you can still catch some largemouth on frogs and stripers on Lunker Punkers. Thanks Bobby for convincing my Dad that plugging for stripers is awesome.

If you are interested on booking a trip with Bobby, check out his website, http://www.bobbybarrack.com. You can also call him at (925) 684-9904. Be sure to tell him that Mario and Marce Sr. sent you.

Bobby’s Gear:

Lunker Punker Jr.

• ROD: Falcon Cara T7- Bobby’s Perfect Frog Rod/CC-8-2710XHT/ 7’ 10”
• REEL: Shimano 200DHSV
• LINE: 65# Spiderwire Stealth

Lucky Craft 127 Rip Bait

• ROD: Falcon Cara T7/CC-5-17MH/ 7’
• REEL: ABU Garcia Revo 7:1
• LINE: Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon, 15# test

Pencil Popper

• ROD: Falcon Cara T7/Swimbait/CCB-8-173SW
• REEL: ABU Garcia Revo 7:1
• LINE: 65# Spiderwire Stealth

This bait looks amazing on the top of the water. The Lunker Punker looks more like a real fish skimming across the surface of the water than to it’s comparisons by ten fold. I once witnessed seeing an Osprey eagle attempt to capture this bait off of the surface thinking it was a tasty trout. It’s action is unlike no other walk-the-dog top water bait that I have seen. It seems to add some spice to it’s walk by rolling on it’s sides when you yank down on your rod, then up righting itself once it stops it’s zig or zag. This action is what greatly contributes to the amount of disturbance that this lure can create while cruising across the top of the water. Rattles are not needed in this bait for it to capture the attention of any feeding fish that may be in the area. Fished fast or slow, this bait is a deadly weapon when pursuing the top water bite for hungry Blackie’s or aggressive Linsiders.

You may be curious about what rod to use when throwing the 4 ounce Lunker Punker or the smaller 3.5 ounce Lunker Punker Jr. I throw the 3.5 ounce Lunker Punker Jr. on a Kistler flipping stick(KFS76) which has a medium to fast tip and a semi-stout body. This rod works great with this bait and it only cost me $99.00! I have heard from others that the Dobyn’s 735c will also work when hucking the Junior around at your local waters. I was throwing the Junior on a Dobyn’s 736c when I bent out one of the hook holders while fighting a 10 pound striper. This lead me to begin using a lighter rod. Although, I would like to note that if the only heavy rod you have is a broom stick, use a 5 foot 20lb mono leader at the end of your braid to help cusion the stiffness of the rod.

I am sure that one of the Okuma Big Bait rod’s will also work for you as well. My buddy, Jerry “Jerbs” Smyth, throws the Lunker Punker Senior on his 7’6” Okuma Big Bait heavy rod and seems to not have any trouble making his bait walk properly across the top of the water.

When using this bait for the Linesiders, I have Spider Wire’s 65 pound braid tied to my high speed Curado 201 reel. I buy this line at Wal-Mart, it’s only $14.99 there. You did not hear the from me…Using a high speed reel is necessary to have just in case the biggies start swimming towards you after they are hooked. You always want a bend in your rod or the fish just might unbutton.

I have also followed the advice that I have read on other websites by replacing the split rings and hooks to insure that my fish do not bend out any of the hardware attached to the lure while hustling them in. I found me some 1/0 Owner 2x hooks and some 70lb split rings to replace the factory hardware. Although, I have read that you may want to put on the 4x hooks if you are using braid that is as strong as what I am using. You know what? Just loosen up the drag a little bit if you can’t find that size.

I mentioned above that I bent out one of the hook holders while fighting a fish. Thankfully, the other hooks were stuck firmly into the fish’s mouth and I was able to net it. I was hoping that Black Dog Bait Co. may be able to help me out with a replacement due to the high cost of the lure. I made two attempts to contact them via the contact form on their website to report the issue and received no response. I hope that this is not true for others out there who may have experienced any other problems with this bait. I assume that they may be too busy to address the issue. Luckily, Mel Cotton’s Sporting Goods replaced the bait at no cost. Thanks Glenn!

(Authors Note added 11/13/2008: Grant at Black Dog Baits stated that he attempted to contact me and I believe the email must have been lost. After getting a replacement from Mel’s, I bent the hook holder out again on another big fish the following week. I contacted Grant and he stated that they would repair the bait at no cost. All I had to do was sent it back to them.

Following this second incident, I brought back my drag quite a bit. I believe that my drag may have been too tight while using the 65lb braid. Be sure your drag is loose if you are using 4x hooks and 65 pound braid.)

I have yet to hook a Largemouth on the bait although I will definitely be throwing this bait at a local lake for the the Largies next year. The Lunker Punker from Black Dog Bait Company is a good investment to make if you like watching fish crush top water lures. This bait will never be left home when I am heading out for a trip and hopefully, this will be the bait I catch some personal bests on in the future.

The author with a California Delta Striped Bass caught on a Lunker Punker Jr.