It kind of caught me by surprise when the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) declared the "Catch and Release Only" on the Susquehanna River starting in January. The "C&R Only" will cover the entire "Big Bass" waters... 98 miles of the Susquehanna River and 30+ miles of the Juniata River. I was definitely sidetracked from my "Let's Talk About..." series by this development. I am sure I will be discussing this as the year progresses.
Okay... Back on Track!
Predator Craw
This soft plastic by Winco's Custom Lures has been a hot item on the Juniata and Susquehanna Rivers this summer under the shallow water conditions we faced.
Check out the action of the claws on this bait!
When added to either a Flutter Head Jig with the Hitchhiker Coil Keeper, the Predator Claw is a deadly bait.
Fish it as you do most jigs which you, the angler, impart the movement. The claws will slowly rise off the bottom and stand as you see in the picture above. Let the jig sit and allow the current to move those claws. What smallie can resist that!?
Bubba Craw
Here is a much larger imitation craw that works well on bot the Largemouth and Smallmouth. I know that Al has great success working this bait in local lakes near his home.
Warm Water Smallies Delight
The first Winco's Custom Lure soft plastic that I was introduced to was the Warm Water Smallies Delight (WWSD). I had received a few of the WWSD's with flutter heads from Al two years ago. My first (ever) cast with one was against a large bridge pylon that holds up the Pennsylvania Turnpike on the Susquehanna River. No sooner had I cast the bait and it began to drop, a big ole' bass struck it hard, ran, and broke me off... I was immediately convinced that, paired with the flutter head jig, this bait was a sure winner.
I used this lure throughout the late summer months again again when fishing with Pete Hanford in a tributary off the river and just below Sunbury, Pa. in the fall.
We had entered this creek in hopes that the baitfish had entered the creek and the smallmouth had followed. We weren't disappointed when I nailed this nice 19" on the WWSD!
So what happens when AL gets a hold of two very popular live baits? Well, they morph into the
Helgraleech
This soft plastic bait can be rigged in numerous ways. It has fantastic tail action. Al has short videos on his website that you can view. After viewing, you can determine which presentation best meets your fishing needs.
The Finesse Craw
This jig can be paired up with many of Al's plastics to create a very tantalizing offering. See below:
The Flutter Head Jig
This reduced snag style river jig has been one of my favorite that Al has developed. There are many weighted hooks on the market, but Al has gone one step further by flattening the weight to give that flutter (Side-to-side) falling action. It's exactly what the smallmouth crave!
Dad
to be continued...
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