Big Rubber for Bigger Bass.....

[DarkSkies]

Thought some of ya's might like to have a discussion about using bigger rubber for bigger bass.

(I'm specifically talking about 9' shads here and the newest addition to the lineup, the 9" "Wave Worm" profiles that resemble the lizard fish), but feel free to talk about any bigger rubber you've used to score, and what conditions you felt were best for that offering.....

For me, this only makes sense when the forage match that profile you're throwing (IE bigger bunker).

You will get less action, and at times it may not seem worth it...you may have to throw that big slab of rubber for an hour or so to get the bigger fish you're looking for. Most guys give up way before this.

The rewards are there, if you are willing to work for them. The best way to present a bigger rubber profile, IMO, is with a conventional, so it requires you be proficient at casting them. repeatedly..this is where many guys in the NJ area lose interest as well...for our surfcasting brothers to the N and S of us, it's no big deal to cast a conventonal all night...it just seems a little less popular for folks here in NJ...

I thought if any of ya's had any experience or good stories about casting larger rubber, and what works and what doesn't, ya's might want to weigh in here....

I'll weigh back in when I get a chance...thanks..

[DarkSkies]

RyanF has been experimenting with different shads. He generously sent me some to try. I regret that I didn't get back to him in detail, so I finally posted up here for all to maybe learn and discuss their experiences as well....


BTW, thanks very much Ryan!

Did you ever fish the shads I sent up? Waited all season and was never told they suck, they are too heavy, or anything! Had ideas for a new and improved head this winter but I caught the rod building bug......
RyanF

Very sorry I never got back to you on those bro....
We had a few nights of bigger bass on bigger shads in the back bay areas.

I had fished your shads, the ones you so generously sent to me, earlier in the season and really liked the way they swam and dug into the current.

At the time bluefish were still around, and the bigger bass didn't arrive till late in the season (end of Oct while they are usually around in the beginning) I had one of your shads chopped in half by a big bluefish one night.

Your shads got put back with the rest of the gear at my house because I didn't want to see such nice shads get chopped in half.

The night the bigger bass arrived I only had one 9" storm shad with me. I fished it with my conventional in the current...not a lot of action on that bigger rubber but I did catch 4 fish to 25# that night....went back the next night and scored some fish as well. That was because the bunker came in and they were hot on bunker profile presentations.

[DarkSkies]

The bunker didn't really stay with any consistency, one night here, gone for a week to other back bay areas, and then one night, if you were lucky to be around on the right time and tides, you would see them again.

IMO that's when the bigger shads worked best for me, when the bigger bait is around. Soon after that, some areas I fish were invaded by lizard fish, and some of us hammered the bass using that newer, longer "Wave worm" type 9" rubber, the one with the rat tail...

The wave worm type rubber was so effective for us that I stopped using all shads, big and small.

As the lizard fish cleared out, I went back to using smaller 5" shads because it seemed the bulk of the fish were then smaller, 12# and below...and IMO I like to use the biggest shads when the fish are 15# and bigger.....









**********
A 20# bass, when it's in your area and bunker are around,...will hit that 9" shad with enough force to rip the rod out of your hands,...

It really is pretty exciting to find bigger fish with the big shads...as mentioned, you may have less action as the schoolies often won't touch a profile that big...so you have to have patience and determination,.....but at the right time, they are deadly.








***********
I did bring them into the rotation again, just recently when the bunker had been around in the ocean...That involves planning, as (you know) where I fish you have to keep heavier presentations moving quickly to avoid snags...need just the right time and tides for that, preferably new or full moon tides....

The bunker have not really been a consistent part of the (inshore) bass diiet as of late. It (had) been crabs, and is now sand eels, herring, squid, and macks. so the rubber I'm now using is geared to those profiles....








** I'll post up some pics of Ryan's shads when I get a chance...

[DarkSkies]

John is a wealth of info and catches more fish, and consistently, than many others out there....if any of you new guys want to learn a thing or 2, I suggest looking for all his videos on youtube...he's also one of the nicest guys you would ever want to meet....

[storminsteve]

I like those wiggle or wacky or wave worms, whatever you call them. They had them at all the shows last year for around $1 each. great in the river.

[DarkSkies]

^^ Yes Steve, they were, at times they were the most productive piece of rubber I was throwing.


Some pics of what I was using:

Wacky worms or wave worms rigged without weight, on regular j-hook and worm-style hook.





Ryan's shad with a ledhead, about 9". Note you can use bigger heads depending on the current. This one was snipped with a scissors and glued to the head for longer lasting action when assaulted by bass.



Some other rubber profiles that worked for me...one on top I got free at the Hi-Mar Flea market...I think the guy just started distributing them in 2011...
Middle one is a 9" Sluggo, weighted with nails.
Bottom one is a white shad,,,,good in dirtier water...along with chartreuse...

[ledhead36]

There are nights at the Hook when you would crush them with those.

[gjb1969]

the baits u call wave worms are called tiki-shadick i knew they would work i got more if u need some rich how did the other lures do i think i gave u a pack of houdini shad the one u can fish three ways let me know

[Monty]

I like fishing the 14" Hogys on the right of this pic:

[jigfreak]

^ Nice pics, love them hogys. Tonignt it was all rubber, hogys sluggos and 5"bass assassins.

[surfstix1963]

9" shad drifted in rips at night be prepared for sore shoulders.

[DarkSkies]

^^Surfstix sorry I didn't see this sooner. You have forgotten more about fishing than many guys will ever learn...
I look forward to the day when you are able to fish again.



Along with bucktails, Big rubber is the premier presentation (other than bait) for colder water or water that is dirty or cloudy.
Sent in by Rip-Plugger, thanks!