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Posts: 332
Location: Michigan | Thinking of trying a baby Doc, has anyone used these yet? or original Doc.
Ease of use?
Rattle chamber,good or bad?
Swing action,good or bad?
What rod action is best for walk the dog surface baits?leader type?
Thanks. |
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Posts: 639
Location: S.W. WI | I havn't used the new smaller version yet, but the original is a breez to work. Has a wide glide and a nice rythmic clank from the rattle. can work fast or slow, or short or long pulls. real easy to work.
$.02
Jon |
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Location: WI | Docs are a breeze to work but like the jackpots suffer with hookup %'s. Great loccating bait though. If you want a easy to work top water that doesnt get blown out on a strike check out H20's recon http://www.h2otackle.com been hearing very good things about this one, havent had a chance to throw it yet myself but am looking forward to it a couple of the people who got to use it last year raved about it. If its half the bait Rogers other baits are its sure to be a winner. Supposed to ride lower in the water to prevent getting thrown as easily.
As for rods I prefer a 7' 6 or longer med heavy or heavy with a fast or medium fast action.
Edited by Shane Mason 4/3/2005 9:44 AM
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Posts: 332
Location: Michigan | Thanks,
Appreciate the feedback.very helpful. |
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| Docs are easy baits to work and they have a nice glide, but they do suffer from poor hooking percentage. As stated the H20 Recon and Musky Nut Weagle are much better hooking baits  |
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Posts: 332
Location: Michigan | Thanks again for the input, you make very interesting points that has me thinking.
I'm not second guessing but I would like to know more about the hooking percentage issue.
I thought all walk the dog type surface baits did not have a good hook up ratio because of thier erratic swinging action, making it hard for a Muskie to "key" in on it for a direct hit.
Recons and Weagles are much better hooking because they ride lower? how much lower? how does this prevent the lure from getting thrown as easy? |
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| The Weagle has three sets of big trebles and it is very heavy, so it rides low in the water and really moves allot of water to attract fish.
The Recon is not as heavy as the Weagle, but heavier than the Doc or Jackpot, and also rides lower in the water, and, like the Weagle, moves allot of water.
The Doc rides lower in the water than the Giant Jackpot, so that improves hooking percentage somewhat.
The best hooking topwaters I have used are Topraiders and Super Topraiders, and I like the way the back hook is shrink wrapped so it stays horizontal. So one thing I have done this Spring is shrink wrap the back hooks on all of my topwaters to hopefully increase their hooking percentages. 
Jackpots still get fish moving though, so they are worth throwing along with Undertakers, another great bait
Edited by muskyboy 4/3/2005 2:22 PM
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Location: WI | Its not because of the action, another factor I belive with the doc's and jackpots is the location of the hooks and how it rides in the water. Too far back on the hooks, when the fish hits its usually smacks it near the head and throws the bait without getting any hooks into it. When it rides lower in the water it makes it tougher to throw the bait, if the bait doesnt get tossed, better chance of the fish being hooked as it is able to get ahold of it. Another advantage of riding lower in the water is the amount of water it moves and the noise it makes, I think this makes it easier for the fish to key in on it as well. For whatever reason the guys who got to use the weagle last year and the recon say they are hooking machines. I talked to Roger from H20 tackle yesterday and he said Howie Meyer who is on his pro staff and also a well known guide in Presque Isle didnt miss a fish that hit on the recon last year, and there are countless guys who say pretty much the same thing about the Weagle. Same walk the dog action so why are they so much better at hooking fish than the others.
Edited by Shane Mason 4/3/2005 2:58 PM
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Posts: 332
Location: Michigan | Thanks guys,
I'm now considering getting both the Recon and Weagle. |
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Posts: 2091
Location: Stevens Point, WI | I've been throwing one a lot the past two seasons and my hooking percentage is not any worse than a jackpot. It's a really bouyant bait that walks the dog very easily and in relativley rough water. I like to use it more as a search bait and then chuck a slower prop bait like a Pacemaker or Topraider back at the fish. This has been very effective for me. |
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Posts: 2089
| When a fish truely wants to eat a "walk-the-dog" bait it rarely misses any of them - I have seen five fish hit a weagle only one got hooked ,about the same percentage as most ( or is it that Jonesi brings the average down? only joking!)- for whatever reason these baits will show fish when few baits will , but they often are "hit" by fish not even opening their mouth! - Doc is a great bait as are most of this stlyle |
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Posts: 333
Location: menasha wi 54952 | I ended up adding 4 coats of Envirotex to my Dock over the winter. Now it sits really low in the water. I took it out on a trial run last week. All I can say is "Sweeeet".......I will let you know how it works!!!
MR |
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