How to: AP specials and Devil Eyes

[sfef84]

AP: Thanks for the awesome tutorial on how to correctly rig the AP Special. I like Bass Assassin lures but because the plastic is so soft, I always had dips and lumps on one side of the body.

That being said, how the heck do you work them (AP spec and Brown Devil Eyes) in a water column of 3-5 ft? Cast, let sink.... twich.....let sink.... retrieve... repeat?

I have a hard time fishing with plastics that don't have a ballast system (paddle tail) to keep them swimming straight and stable. When I twitch the single tail plastics, they seem to just loop around even if rigged to AP's specs.

Do I twitch with a fast retrieve to keep it stable?

I have been fishing G-bay for about a year and am way more successful with topwaters than plastics, brining me to my second point:

I don't have any sweet spots like N Kenny Shell Island () and I think that my success ratio with topwaters is because it is a "searching" bait that calls fish, more than a red/chart plastic mold darting around the water column. Could this be the case?

[Hogie70]

You will figure it out... Your retrieve will change constantly LOL... Sometimes they want it fast with a occasional twitch... Sometimes they want it just twitching on the bottom at a snails pace... Sometimes they want somewhere in between... Good luck... I use the Devil Eyes with no leader or swivel... I tie straight to trhe leadhead... It works for me...

[corndog]

What kind of knot you tying on your plastics?

[lurefisher]

Picture the lead head sitting on the bottom and you just want to bounce it of the bottom a few times with out moving it {Reeling it}.Then slide across the bottom slow and bounce a couple more times .Just like Hogie say's the speed of your retrieve has a lot to do with catching in winter slow it down i mean Slow. Corndog has a good point also you need a loop knot to the lead head and a swivel above that to keep line twist out of the picture hopes this helps.

[sfef84]

I have been trying with those norton quick connects with a loop knot (braid). I like the quick connects because I don't waste time tying a knot every time I want to change bait... now I have a problem with changing baits too fast!

Lurefisher: I will gave that method a try. Thank you

[corndog]

I suggest tying a loop knot instead of using the quick connect. The fish can feel any extra weight and spit the hook on you. Plus you dont have to spend money on the the quick connects.Only reason I am saying this is because I have been getting advise advise from some old schoolers on cacthing redish and they say the extrr weight can make a difference. Also once you learn the loop knot you will never go back to any thing else. There are a few substitute knots but all will accomplish the same thing. man Im drunk and need to quite typing!!!!

[aqua pimp]

Retreives change constantly as mentioned by lurefisher and Hogie70. Winter time generaly calls for a super slow retreive but with that said I have seen times where they have wanted it fast on a cold day. The main thing to do is experiment until you find whats is working. When I step out of the boat I will usually start off working a bait slow making single hops with an Assassin. After about 10 or 15 cast I may speed it up or slow it down, or I may add breif pauses. Keep playing with it, try single hops of the bait, double hops, triple hops at various speeds. Normally I start off with a 1/8 ounce lead head, if I have tried many different retreive and have not hooked up or gotten any bites I may try a lighter lead head such as a 1/16 ounce lead head. A lighter lead head will keep the bait up in the strick zone a little bit longer. It does not seem like much but a little bit of weight difference can make a huge difference in presentation. As I guide I can use a few things to my advantage. One: I can have each member of my party have a differnt size bait, lighter/heavier weight, style of bait, color, and different retreive. Two: I can cover alot more water and different water depths quicker. On shorelines I can have one guy cover skinny water, one guy 3' range, and maybe one out deeper until we find fish or figure out what is working best.
The single tail baits have a more eratic action and will dart back and forth when worked a little faster. This is what I like about them, makes the bait looked more injured and make it look like an easy meal and target that will get singled out faster. The paddle tails work great too and I love throwing them aswell but all of my confidence are in the single tailed baits.
I think your success ratio is greater on topwaters because you have a high level of confidence in a topwater. If you have a high confidence level in a bait you are gonna tend to stick with it alot more and not tend to throw the red/char plastic mold. Take for instance my plum Assassins, I have so much confidence in that bait I know if presented right they will eat it. I have told many customers and a few people on this board that have fished with me that if they don't eat this bait thay ain't eat'n .
One day when your out on the water and you are getting blowups on topwaters force yourself to tie on a plastic. I know this is hard to do but do it. The reason for this is there are fish in the area that are feeding. Its better to learn a new bait in areas where you are a 100% certain there are fish feeding than in an area you are not sure of. You will get the hits and your confidence level will grow.
As far as knots go I prefer the loop knot too. A great knot that allows the bait more action.

Hope this helps some

AQUA PIMP

[sfef84]

Thanks AP!

The past couple of trips I have forced myself to switch to the AP spec after a couple of blowups on the topwater. I figured I have to learn the tricks of the single tail trade and the best time is when the bite is on.

I agree with the weight change idea. The single tailed baits dart like a MOFO, even with a 1/8oz weight. Its almost so fast it would have to hit the fish in the head to get any attention.

That is why I like using topwaters because it calls the fish all while staying in the same area when sitting still.

I will probably go back to just tying the ol' loop knot instead of quick connects. Now that I have more than one rod/reel, I can leave a leadhead on #1, and my topwater flavor of the month on rod #2 and a corky on #3

[lurefisher]

Retreives change constantly as mentioned by lurefisher and Hogie70. Winter time generaly calls for a super slow retreive but with that said I have seen times where they have wanted it fast on a cold day. The main thing to do is experiment until you find whats is working. When I step out of the boat I will usually start off working a bait slow making single hops with an Assassin. After about 10 or 15 cast I may speed it up or slow it down, or I may add breif pauses. Keep playing with it, try single hops of the bait, double hops, triple hops at various speeds. Normally I start off with a 1/8 ounce lead head, if I have tried many different retreive and have not hooked up or gotten any bites I may try a lighter lead head such as a 1/16 ounce lead head. A lighter lead head will keep the bait up in the strick zone a little bit longer. It does not seem like much but a little bit of weight difference can make a huge difference in presentation. As I guide I can use a few things to my advantage. One: I can have each member of my party have a differnt size bait, lighter/heavier weight, style of bait, color, and different retreive. Two: I can cover alot more water and different water depths quicker. On shorelines I can have one guy cover skinny water, one guy 3' range, and maybe one out deeper until we find fish or figure out what is working best.
The single tail baits have a more eratic action and will dart back and forth when worked a little faster. This is what I like about them, makes the bait looked more injured and make it look like an easy meal and target that will get singled out faster. The paddle tails work great too and I love throwing them aswell but all of my confidence are in the single tailed baits.
I think your success ratio is greater on topwaters because you have a high level of confidence in a topwater. If you have a high confidence level in a bait you are gonna tend to stick with it alot more and not tend to throw the red/char plastic mold. Take for instance my plum Assassins, I have so much confidence in that bait I know if presented right they will eat it. I have told many customers and a few people on this board that have fished with me that if they don't eat this bait thay ain't eat'n .
One day when your out on the water and you are getting blowups on topwaters force yourself to tie on a plastic. I know this is hard to do but do it. The reason for this is there are fish in the area that are feeding. Its better to learn a new bait in areas where you are a 100% certain there are fish feeding than in an area you are not sure of. You will get the hits and your confidence level will grow.
As far as knots go I prefer the loop knot too. A great knot that allows the bait more action.

Hope this helps some

AQUA PIMP

right on ! PIMP you said it!