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Posts: 18
| Hey Guys,
I know that Joe Bucher's company has changed hands, and that supposedly inventory should be making it's way back to the masses again sometime in the future, but for now does anybody know of anyplace that still might have a few topraiders laying around on the shelf? I've looked at the usual places (called or gone online) - Rollie and Helen's, Thornes, Pastika's, Smokey's. I know I'm being overly optimistic, but I thought someone might have seen or heard of a supply somewhere.
OR, if not, does anyone have experience with some of the other similar "propeller" type baits that they feel are just as good as the topraider in producing fish?
Any and all comments much appreciated!
Mike |
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Posts: 246
Location: Jamestown, Pa. | I have a small handful of them available for custom only. Try Gander if you want some in standard color. If the store near you don't have any, email me and I will put you in contact with one that can. |
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Posts: 380
Location: In the slop! | If you can't find any topraiders, you might try a thunderhead (made by slammer topwater co.) These were dynamite on LOTW this summer. |
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Posts: 303
Location: Valentine, NE USA | I was looking around on eBay last night and saw someone there selling a few.
Brian |
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Posts: 1243
Location: Musky Tackle Online, MN | Since I wasn't able to find any Top Raiders this summer, I bought a Pacemaker. I was very happy with it. Very similar to the Top Raider and actually a little louder. My results were also very similar to what I've had with the Top Raider. |
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Posts: 91
Location: Oshawa, Ontario | Try American Harwood Lures. Their topwater has just been upgraded to include two counter rotating blades on the back end. If the muskies are not interested in this top water presentation, try sub surface!! |
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Posts: 1536
Location: God's Country......USA..... Western Wisconsin | I believe tha I have a couple of Super Topraiders available if you would like to purchase them. I think that I have 2 new ones available. E mail me if you are interested. |
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Posts: 18
| Thanks Stan and Muskyone - you've both got email.
Thanks sledge51 and AWH - both the thunderhead and pacemaker look like good substitutes, and I feel a little better knowing that you guys have confidence in them. One difference though appears to be the way the back treble sticks straight out behind the Topraider - nice to be able to remove the front treble and drag it thru the slop without hanging up as much. The equivalent hook on the Thunderhead and Pacemaker (from the pictures) seems to hang. Either way, I'll probably give one or the other (or both if wallet can stand it) a try.
Brian - Thanks for the tip on eBay. I had actually looked there today before I posted and didn't see any topraiders - must have been snatched up.
Thanks onelastcast - I'll search on American Harwood Lures to see if I can find a website - if not, do you know where they are sold?
Thanks again guys for your input.
Mike |
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Posts: 64
Location: Genoa City, WI | American Hardwood Lures:
http://my.inil.com/~hardwood/
Phil Drury makes them and they are a solid bait! I've got the big Lac Seul and I love tossing it.
Rob |
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Posts: 285
| Hey Now FF,
Top Raiders are excellent baits, esp when run very slow. Closest tail-prop bait I have is Gutsch's Tallywhacker. I have a couple other favorite topwaters, both from the same company, Mouldy's, and both have a different gurgle than the Top Raider.
Topper Stopper: best numbers of strikes, including an incredible evening on LOTW when it got hit HARD over & over & over (GregM was it 12 strikes in 3 hours??). I also saw a friend get hit 10 times in one day (3 landed). Both of us happened to be using black w/ chertreuse blades, but I also like the black/silver. Seems that the Topper Stopper is not a high percentage bait, but it's definitely an action lure.
Hawg Wobbler: This one is old-time. It runs real slow, but a faster retrieve speed can be attained by un-screwing the tail portion one full revolution. Helpful tip: something funny about the paint on Hawg Wobblers, I coat them when they are new with clearcoat, envirotex or clear nail polish. Keep them away from all sorft-plastic baits, they seem to turn the paint into a nasty sticky mess. At the risk of sounding like the marketing department for Mouldy's, no muskty fisherman should go out without a Hawg Wobbler. The man who sold a cottage to my partner had a tackle box full of black Hawg Wobblers, and never threw any other lure.
Top water is the most exciting way to catch a musky. I netted 3 this season on topwaters, but got to really enjoy many of the other strikes I had, even when I didn't hook up.
Sorry, no advice on getting Top Raiders, I looked hard after the LOTW outing, which saw a majority of us using Top Raiders by week's end. I managed to find 2 supers and 1 single in the coveted blackbird color, but I gotta keep the 2 I have left (one was for my partner).
Good luck,
Papa Joe |
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Posts: 380
Location: In the slop! | You can shrink wrap the back hook on most lures of this style. I like that mod and do it to all of mine. |
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Posts: 18
| Thanks for the info and advice, Rob and Papa Joe.
Great tip, Sledge! I hadn't thought of that but it sounds like it would work great.
Mike |
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Posts: 1243
Location: Musky Tackle Online, MN | Mike,
The rear treble on the Pacemaker does hang down, as you said. But it also sticks out past the end of the bait a little further than most. I think the shrink tubing on the Top Raider and the hook hanger on the Pacemaker sticking out further have the same net results. They increase the hooking percentage on your short strikers. But as Sledge said, you can do the shrink tubing yourself on any bait to get this effect.
AWH |
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