I have a bunch of bombers that really don't get much use. This year, I figured I'll use them a little more.

1. Any suggestions on the effectiveness of Jointed vs. straighback (in both 6" and 7");

2. How about modified bombers - is anyone adding 10cc of water or BBs like a redfin or putting an eel skin over them ?

Thanks

I've personally had great success with the A-Salt and Long A(both straight back). I've caught far more fish on A-Salt bombers than any other plug.

I also have some jointed but have seen many post here who have had fish seperate them at the joint which has made me nervous about using them. I'd rather reel in my whole plug attached to a fish than half of a bomber.

I used to use jointed all the time and caught many stripers and blues
I was replacing the hooks and noticed that it was joined with a wire bent over to a circle and was opened up I stopped using the jointed plugs unless they were thru wired.

Bomber ASalts have been the "bomb".

Yellow/white has been an unbelievable fluke producer for me.I've caught my three largest plug bass on the blurple version.

the long A "wonderbread" color is great in the spring when the herring are around.

A Salts cast the best of all the Bombers

its shape , two trebles & concentrated weight are why.... its a tight wiggle though and at times fish don`t want that but when they do yahooooo!

I've noticed the joints getting worse, i think there making them cheaper and charging more:nailem: I've gone well with both, they say the jointed one don't run as deep but at slow speeds the back half hangs so I use the one peace for slow at nite.personaly I'd have to see that for my self, if your reeling that slow you need some coffee,or more or less high test:bl:

Neither.. use redfins...
Although a certain fishing partner of mine has taken some moose on a small brokenback bomber....

Mambo Minnows and Bombers worked extremely well for me last year....especially the Mambos. The Black ones were pissah and so were the Olive Colored...did OK w/ Yellow over White too.

Bombers are good and remain quite popular.
I used to smoke the fish in Gansett dead sticking the B-17 Baby Striper pattern but I have not been able to get that size in a while.
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Overall, the Black Purple A-Salt and the Yellow/Pearl A-Salt are very popular in Rhody.
http://65.36.235.132/merchant2/graphics/00000001/AXYBS_lg.jpg
http://65.36.235.132/merchant2/graphics/00000001/AO1_lg.jpg
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The Schoolbus, All Black & Blue/Silver are quite popular in Jersey and NY. The custom Bombers are also very popular. The Blue/Silver is good around here when there are herring around.

They are the best swimmers in the under-$7 price range but that is not exactly elite company. I've noticed no manufacturing changes as off late. The increased failings are most likley because people are using heavy braid with the drag socked down around 20#-30# - I would not sugest subjecting a stock Bomber to more than 10# of drag.

The stock hooks will bend after even a modest fish of 15 pounds or so. The lips have been known to come off in a current. I've heard of the joints failing but I've only gotten one or two back out of hundreds. If you have any damaged Bombers lying around, Pradco (the parent company) will replace them. Swap out the hooks for VMC and back off the drag and they are capable of handling a pretty good fish.

I sell a lot of patterns - SRI Bomber Page (http://65.36.235.132/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=SRIOTS&Category_Code=BOM)

A Salts cast the best of all the Bombers

its shape , two trebles & concentrated weight are why.... its a tight wiggle though and at times fish don`t want that but when they do yahooooo!

Hmmmm I notice for ME the Long A Magnums cast the best...

After seeing those pics, i realized i use A-salts, not long A's - too damn confusing with the names - they're just bombers to me. I also switch out the hooks - single vmc siwash on the back and the 4x treble up front. We do pretty well trolling them on braid in the shallows when the fish first show up.

A straight 7" bomber is my ultimate confidence plug with the jointed 7" used in certain conditions. For the price you cannot go wrong. I own hundreds of bombers and they always have multiple spots in my bag.

What rig and what line you tossing those on?

you own hundreds of bombers.... :eek:

shakin my head.... i wanna know you! :happy:

:grins: too funny....:walk:

Yeah I got a little carried away when buying them........
I use a 9' triflex lami with a 704 and 20lb big game most of the time.
Ahab with 65lb whiplash the rest

straightbacks

the a-salt rocks. i like to fish them in heavy current, just like a darter, with sweeps of the rod.

Frank Long A #16 in Blurple or Chickenscratch remove stock hooks replace tail and front treble with 1/0 VMC leave middle treble off. Chickenscratch is a great Weakfish killer too.

[QUOTE= I also switch out the hooks - single vmc siwash on the back and the 4x treble up front. We do pretty well trolling them on braid in the shallows when the fish first show up.[/QUOTE]

do you dress the siwash with bucktail/feathers or just leave it plain?
I actually only have one bomber-a jointed that I don't use that much, I love mambos...but the hook bent a little on a freakin' 8 pound schoolie, so I need to change the hooks next year since I am planning on catching a cow...LOL

Bomber and Bassmaster =/

Hundreds of pounds per season?

Bomber and Bassmaster =/
pb on the outgoing with an A-Salt in b/g
BM&Bombers equal fun! I especially like throwing ceramic tiles at fish.:rotf3: :rotf2:

tiles were still showing near the wall on last trip out couple weeks ago :hihi:
kitchen demo....:rotf2:

tiles were still showing near the wall on last trip out couple weeks ago :hihi:
kitchen demo....:rotf2:
nOPE IT was A Bm BathROOM demo!!!!!

What rig and what line you tossing those on?


10ft Tsunami, 30Lb braid.

I didn't take my black 7" bomber off the clip all fall. It wasn't just my go to plug it was my only plug. I don't know why I carried a whole bag full of custom wood.:conf:

I found if you down size the hook one size on the a-salts you get a better swiming plug. yet still not as nice as a redfin.

I stopped using jointed 7" bombers when I had one come apart in a fish. Fortunately the front section caught in the bass's mouth and I landed her. The fish was in the high 20's, but all the fish were that night. That plug is now a wall hanger to make me remember. I was using 20 # mono on an abu 6500 and a 9' glass rod so I don't really think it was user error. I think the fish just REALLY liked the plug that night.

do you dress the siwash with bucktail/feathers or just leave it plain?
I actually only have one bomber-a jointed that I don't use that much, I love mambos...but the hook bent a little on a freakin' 8 pound schoolie, so I need to change the hooks next year since I am planning on catching a cow...LOL


I just leave em plain. I always think about tying up some siwash's with a bit up of bucktail - but that's a winter project that I always seem to run out of winter for.

In order to get the single hook to ride pointing down, you have to either double the split rings, or ditch the splits altogether and use an open eye and crimp it down on the rear eye of the plug.

I also do the same thing with the mambo's.

straight
black
redhead
clown
dead stick or rip it..stop/float...rip it....they never seem to hit when moving,,always on the float/at rest.

Gang:

It seems like the majority of you who responed to this post prefer the straightback bombers over the jointed versions. Of course, I have way more jointed ones than straightbacks. Oh well !

Bombers have always taken a back seat to redfins for me and never made it to my starting line-up of plugs, but this year I plan to use them a little more often. I love to modify my plugs, so I'm sure that I can find some way to either improve them or screw them up altogether.

Thanks for the feedback. Very helpful

Frank

I"m in the minority in saying I like the jointed back, especially the all black one w/red eyes - killer for me...always in the bag...

Ice

i won't leave home without a yellow/white and blurple a-salt in my bag and at least one more of each in the car.

i won't leave home without a yellow/white and blurple a-salt in my bag and at least one more of each in the car.

I thought I convinced you last year that you can't leave behind the Chartreuse. Other than on Sluggos didn't your biggest fish come on a Chartreuse bombers.

They work OK, no better then any other minow plug, but they are a very "cheap" plug. They don't really cast very well and the plastic smells. In a wind they really get blown off course. They also come with cheap rings and hooks and no thru wire. I guess if you like that kind of stuff that is fine. You can buy minnow plugs like that in bulk for like less then 1.99 a piece and paint them yourself with better hooks. Ditto for the mambo.

Redfins are better esp after you load them. The finish comes off redfins quick but they are easy to load. BUT (IMO) if you want a lipped minnow plug that casts well oout of the box with no tweeking, try a mega-bait JB150, it will out cast (2:1) and has twice the action of the above with a better bite in the water with decent hooks. I carry 3 in my bag all the time.

They work OK, no better then any other minow plug, but they are a very "cheap" plug. They don't really cast very well and the plastic smells. In a wind they really get blown off course. They also come with cheap rings and hooks and no thru wire. I guess if you like that kind of stuff that is fine. You can buy minnow plugs like that in bulk for like less then 1.99 a piece and paint them yourself with better hooks. Ditto for the mambo.

Redfins are better esp after you load them. The finish comes off redfins quick but they are easy to load. BUT (IMO) if you want a lipped minnow plug that casts well oout of the box with no tweeking, try a mega-bait JB150, it will out cast (2:1) and has twice the action of the above with a better bite in the water with decent hooks. I carry 3 in my bag all the time.

Have you used the A-Salt version?

BUT (IMO) if you want a lipped minnow plug that casts well oout of the box with no tweeking, try a mega-bait JB150, it will out cast (2:1) and has twice the action of the above with a better bite in the water with decent hooks. I carry 3 in my bag all the time.

I agree 100%. The JB-150's are great plugs for around $10.00. Built much better than the plugs a few dollars less (Bombers, Mambo's, etc.). Thru-wired, stock VMC hooks, etc. However, there are better color variations in the Bombers & Mambo's than the JB-150's.

Oh ya the JB-150 magabait,I forgot about those I did well on those one year near a hearing run.I'am going to throw those agian.

I thought I convinced you last year that you can't leave behind the Chartreuse. Other than on Sluggos didn't your biggest fish come on a Chartreuse bombers.

Nope, blurple. Chartruse is great in the rocks when there is artifical light around though.

I have and sometimes its seems any color, size, straight or brokeback :hee: , will work if the fish are there and feeding.

Other times cycling through a variety of styles/types,colors, and methods...... nary a bump but toss out a live eel and bamawhama.

On more than one dark night I`ve alternated between all white and black and killed them on both.

Seems fish do not acknowledge our theories as well as we do sometimes.

But its nice to fish isn`t it and think about it all ?

:love:

Nope, blurple. Chartruse is great in the rocks when there is artifical light around though.

Check your log again.:bshake: