I finally bought a 9" to see what all the talk is about. good action on the lure, but runs a little shallow. Any advice on tecbniques you have fihing these lures, and when you get most of your hits? Do you change the hooks on it, if so what size do you use? Any advice would help.

Definitely change the hooks to 2/0 gamakatsu round bends. Check the trout plug article, and other than that toss it around on windy afternoons, concentrate on main lake points and don't be afraid to go as heavy as 30lb line.
-Brian

I'll let Carrot Top tell you a little story about his Slammer running to shallow.
The best way to work these lures is to retrieve them slow and on top. I retrieve them just fast enough to get it to kick and then steady from there, even dead-sticking it every so often. I've had a few fish hit it while it was just sitting there. It took me a long time to realize that just because the water temp was only 50 degrees that the bass would still come up and hit it.

About replacing the hooks. I think most people, including myself replace them with Gamakatsu 2/0 round bend trebles.

one question I have, heard it from a few rippers on this board that their best Slammers squeaked like crazy while doing the slow crawl- mine is quiet, is the Slammer with the noise the variable that might make one bait the bomb over the rest?

Chris,
I know my slammer has a good squeak and I know it catches fish but I don't know if the squeak is what makes it catch fish. It caught fish before it really had a squeak and continued to after it got the squeak. I'm sure it helps to have a noisy plug and at the very least it might just call in some fish to come have a look but I don't think it would be the one factor that would cause a 15lber to bite the plug rather than following it. Can't hurt to have a squeaky plug, like I said it might draw a little extra interest. What you can do is chip the paint off of the insides of the screw eyes in the joint so that they're metal on metal instead of paint on paint. After awhile the paint will rub away like on mine, but if you're in a hurry you can give that a shot.
-Brian

Thanks Phil... Notch: I was in the same position you are now about a year ago. Had just bought a Slammer after hearing about them on here for awhile and after trying it a few times it seemed near impossible to get the thing to go sub-surface so I asked about it on here and Mike Shaw and Rob both told me not to worry about it that the most bouyant ones were usually the best and to just work it right on the surface. Rob even offered to trade mine for one of his :7 About a week after getting this advice I was at San Pablo and just waking it on the surface had a 17.3 pound bass inhale the lure. As far as I know it is still the largest bass caught on the Slammer.

I agree on the 2/0 hooks too, I had the stock ones on when i caught the big one but there are 2/0 gammies on there now.

On a side note I bought another slammer and this one I have trouble keeping on the surface... so go figure.
Erik P.

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Pretending to be a swimbait fisherman since 2001.

I've noticed that the treble hooks wear the paint down pretty fast.. Anyone know what's the best way to prolong the life of the paint job / wood on these plugs (nail polish, clear coat spray...)? Thanks!

I have been fishing a small pond that is not stocked with trout, but I know holds some big bass. Anyone have luck on the M.S in a situation like this?

Notch, see this post about small water and big bass:

http://www.calfishing.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=3&topic_id=7772&mesg_id=7772&page=


Big Hammer Swimbaits-Fishco/Hammerhead Jigheads
www.swimbait.com
Pro-Cure Scents
www.pro-cure.com

does anybody know if these baits available at ed's bait & tackle in temecula? or are they only orderable? there stocking skinner tomorrow so im planning on fishing the evening striper rampage, hopefully on the slammer.


off the topic i fished skinner twice this week. i went solo just to do some shore fishin. the first time i tossed a swimbait off ramp 2 for awhile with no results. once the sun came up i noticed 4 nice largemouths hangin in shallow water near the dock with their eyes fixed on the shore. i tossed a swimbait once with a short follow but no real interest. i watched the rocks they were so interested in and saw a small bluegill racing from rock to rock. the water was super clear and they were ignoring everything i threw. so i got skunked the first day and contemplated bringing live bluegill a day later, instead i considered the fines for using gamefish for bait and introducing a new species to a lake and so on. so i spent the next day collecting crawdads in local streams which was suprisingly harder than it used to be. so the next day i headed for the lake with 20 puny little half dead (and one perfect size softshell)crawdads. i pitched that one first on 4 lb test with an instant hook up. a 3-4 lb
cutie showed up on the other end and just as i reach for the lip, bink goes the line #@$%. thats what i get for staying away from freshwater for to long, and always trying to underline everything. so i swithched to 10 lb like a wuss but with two more problems: 1. i had only small baits left and most were already dead, 2. a bitchy little ranger roled up tryna play cop. she kicked me off the dock which i dont see the problem with fishing off since the ramp is closed, checked my license, day permit, asked me what i was fishing for and with, told me i couldnt use live bait but i told her they used to sell them at the camp store (that shut her up), so she walked to the end of the dock and yelled at some random boaters and left. well anyway, i missed one more fish and got kicked off the dock again and almost out of the lake and left...skunked...again. oh well, hopefully tomorrow will show some redemtion. sorry for the blabber.

no they are not in eds bait in tackle.

those rangers are insane every time i go there i get harassed.
they need to cool down.

where do you live?

Fallbrook. ya i ended up buying the smaller optimum at ed's and nailed an 8 lb striper with it an hour later. and then got harassed by the rangers.

was the optimum a sinking or suspending? where did you catch the 8lber?

it was sinking, i didnt know they made a suspender. have you tried it? i caught it off the point near ramp 2.

my friend saw you at skinner with the 8lber

was he throwin an a.c.?

ya thats him