|
|
Posts: 157
| How do you guys do on your hook up percentage? This weekend I went 0 for 3 with 2 of those about ripping the rod out of my hand and the othe being a boatside nip. I did get hooks in the second one, but it was short lived.
I feel good about making decisions on light colored vs dark based on the conditions. But when do you decide to throw "wild colors?" |
|
| |
|
| I would upsize your hooks one size and cut the top hook off the back. Has worked for me in increasing my hookup rates. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 785
| They normally do a great job of hooking and holding fish. Like similar to blades for me. As mentioned though that top hook is near useless and I believe will lower the hookup percentage. Get a pair of bolt cutters and cut it off all your Dawgs. No matter what you do a few will still come off.
Everyone has there own ideas on this I suppose but I like bright colors on cloudy dark days as well as in the evenings of sunny days. In the bright sun if the water keeps a stained look to it I may continue to go with bright but normally I'll switch it up to a natural pattern. I use all kinds of colors but have become partial to the half natural half bright patterns like the lemon tail or orange tail walleye for example. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1416
Location: oconomowoc, wi | needle sharp hooks! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 833
| This might be extreme, but it works for me:
Upgrade hooks to 8/0 3551 Mustads. "T" each hook. Sharpen until sticky sharp. Also, replace split rings to a more reliable product.
I like Mags and Pounders, but I sure wish they'd put better hardware on the baits... |
|
| |
|
Posts: 4053
Location: Land of the Musky | You really need to set the hook hard. We just changed our SuperD lures to a new slightly softer plastisol too. This will help in hook setting as well as make the tails wiggle a little more aggressively. So far we have only received positive feedback on the new change. Currently on our generation 4 SuperD. Already working on some new ideas for generation V SuperD  |
|
| |
|
Location: Eau Claire,WI | I like "wild" colors on dark days or when the fish will not look at anything else. I have found the newer dawgs have good split rings and hooks,I do add one to the nose and no longer replace the ones for the hooks. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1169
Location: New Hope MN | I like reading what James is doing with his baits. I just picked up a few superD's and 1 mega D.
Haven't casted the Mega yet. It will be awhile before I do  |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1169
Location: New Hope MN | Sorry for hijacking this thread, but James you should seriously consider selling boat stickers of your dominatrix logo. How about a free sample
Attachments
----------------
 obj728geo788pg5p9.png (111KB - 188 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 1906
Location: Oconto Falls, WI | gundog870 - 6/4/2013 12:01 PM
How do you guys do on your hook up percentage? This weekend I went 0 for 3 with 2 of those about ripping the rod out of my hand and the othe being a boatside nip. I did get hooks in the second one, but it was short lived.
I feel good about making decisions on light colored vs dark based on the conditions. But when do you decide to throw "wild colors?"
Those very hard strikes are more than likely do to the fish body hitting it. Not hitting the body of the lure, but hitting the lure with it's body. This usually happens right after you rip the dawg, and there a moment pof slack line. The fish will flash up on it (think of smallies on baits where they flash up on a bait but don't hit) but have no intent of eating. Inadvertantly the hooks catch the body. Thus the poor hook-ups as you usually rip the bait out of them when setting. I caught a fair amount of fish on dawgs that were snagged, and every one of them was like hooking into a freight train when I felt the hit.
Weird deal as since switching over to the Hardheads I don't get those hits anymore, and thus don't snag hardly anymore fish. Once in a great while I will still get one on a Joe that body hits it. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 4053
Location: Land of the Musky | Guest - 6/4/2013 9:57 PM
You need to set the hook very hard and use a stiff rod XH or XXH
James- The original poster asked about Bulldawgs not your product- why do you feel the need to push your product on every single Bulldawg post?????
Guest, I am not taking over the thread. Just answering Qs about swimbaits and of course I will throw in info about mine if its helpful to the discussion. The term "Bulldawg" has become synonymous with swimbatis if you did not know. Kind of like how Xerox became known as "make a copy". I have also thrown in good info about all of my competitors swimbaits in threads talking about my SuperD lures. Go read them. Lots of great info here to read. Now, why not register and login? Your posts might actually be respected more. |
|
| |
|
Location: SE Wisconsin | I'll second Travis' input. I'll also add a brand comparitive peice to "chew" on between a Dawgs and Super D's because it may give you some perspective to consider in response to your question. With that I'll throw in that I have a rather large collection of MI Bulldawgs of all sizes and colors and have been throwing them for years, but in the last three weeks I finally gave the TI Super D's a try and have been throwing them exclusively over the last few weeks with success and fond appreciation for their value. The rubber on the Super D's is softer than the newer MI Dawgs, and while I can appreciate the toughness of the MI rubber holding up to more of a beating, when it comes to a musky sinking its teeth into the bait I think the softer rubber definitely helps for a couple reasons: 1) Fish sink their teeth in and are reluctant to let go to the flesh-like texture of the softer rubber. 2) When they sink their teeth in, you can tear them through the softer rubber when you rear into a hookset and really drive those hooks home. I think the tougher rubber is a little harder to do that with. I've set the hook and fought fish a little ways to the boat before it lets go - was it ever really hooked? |
|
| |
|
Posts: 157
| CiscoKid - 6/5/2013 12:07 PM
gundog870 - 6/4/2013 12:01 PM
How do you guys do on your hook up percentage? This weekend I went 0 for 3 with 2 of those about ripping the rod out of my hand and the othe being a boatside nip. I did get hooks in the second one, but it was short lived.
I feel good about making decisions on light colored vs dark based on the conditions. But when do you decide to throw "wild colors?"
Those very hard strikes are more than likely do to the fish body hitting it. Not hitting the body of the lure, but hitting the lure with it's body. This usually happens right after you rip the dawg, and there a moment pof slack line. The fish will flash up on it (think of smallies on baits where they flash up on a bait but don't hit ) but have no intent of eating. Inadvertantly the hooks catch the body. Thus the poor hook-ups as you usually rip the bait out of them when setting. I caught a fair amount of fish on dawgs that were snagged, and every one of them was like hooking into a freight train when I felt the hit.
Weird deal as since switching over to the Hardheads I don't get those hits anymore, and thus don't snag hardly anymore fish. Once in a great while I will still get one on a Joe that body hits it.
I am definitely buying what your selling. This is a good point. I can believe that on the second hit that I clearly missed.
The first one though, had tears and I know I got some hooks in here. The water boiled and she was gone. A real heartbreaker. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 785
| It's pretty easy to tell if the fish grabbed it, just look for the chew marks on the bait, most often fish T-bone dawgs or try to, usually the teeth marks are near the head or mid body of the bait. With respect to the other manufacturers out there I've personally had much better success with the actual musky innovations bulldawg. Gets a better side to side and tail flap. Your knocking on the door, snip that top hook if you haven't already and stick it out. Your already getting them to hit it so it won't be long till you'll be netting some good fish on them. |
|
| |
|
Location: SE Wisconsin | I don't throw a single rubber pull bait like a Dawg or Super D without snipping the top hook. I just assume they'll let go quicker when they feel that. Plus, with the flexibility of Dawgs, I worry about the bottom hook(s) and the top hook being stuck at the same time and working against eachother during the fight. I don't want anything coming loose... |
|
| |
|
Posts: 157
| All my hooks got snipped last night. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1141
Location: NorthCentral WI | A friend of mine got his personal best 48.5" on a mag dawg hooked only on the top hook. Soft rubber is not going to slide much in the fish's mouth either way. Personally, I would never cut it off; just don't forget to sharpen that one too. |
|
| |
|
| he caught it by the single hook because the single was not cut,otherwise the fish would be caught by the treble.top hook is junk ,it kill fish and it cause restriction for a good hook set.but you can do what you want,and btw these top hooks are extremely sharp right out of the box,they are conic and if you try to sharpen them you will not help your cause |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1906
Location: Oconto Falls, WI | bladeno20 - 6/7/2013 5:25 PM
he caught it by the single hook because the single was not cut,otherwise the fish would be caught by the treble.top hook is junk ,it kill fish and it cause restriction for a good hook set.but you can do what you want,and btw these top hooks are extremely sharp right out of the box,they are conic and if you try to sharpen them you will not help your cause
I completely disagree with this statement. I had many a fish SAVED by the top hook in ragards to their life. How? Since fish headhunt most rubber baits I had lots of fish have the top hook keep the bait from getting too far into their throat/gullet. I am confident some of them would have been goners if that top hook wouldn't have caught the roof of their mouth.
My rule with rubber baits with top hooks, like the Joe since I don't throw dawgs anymore, is if I cannot get that hook sharp then it gets snipped. If I get it sharp it stays. I have caught plenty of fish hooked on only the top hook on Big Joes. That top hook really is personal preference as I know many guides that cut it simply as it gives them confidence.
|
|
| |
