Interesting observation....

[luds]

I've had some good fish on water logged bombers. Didn't seem like the plug was swimming right but kept getting fish. Finally noticed the crack in the body.

The reverse has been true for the most part.

[piemma]

Flap, the same thing happend to me a few years ago. I was killing big fish (up to 36#) on a 6" black broken back Gags. I bounced it off a rock one night at Watch Hill and broke the lip off. I kept using it and sure enought a few casts later I got a fish in the low 20s.

I used that plug with no lip and caught a ton of fish on it. At the time, I fished only at night so I'm really not sure what the action was but the "big girls" loved it. This was a Sept timeframe so I figured it imitated the Mullet that run around Watch Hill in Sept.

[Mr. Sandman]

If you look at a lot of lures overseas, you will find lots of the "jerk baits" are lip-less. ( As well as the big muskie lures in the US too) When I picked up a salmo fatso about 3 or 4 years ago, it looked awesome for SB but had no lip. I fished it and it swam but I thought it had very weak action....But I got a 32#er on it anyway that night and was a believer. Also, lots of the Jap. tuna casting jerk-baits also have no lips. I picked up 5 or 6 over the winter to try for bass in the surf this season. IMO bass will eat damn near anything if they are hungry.

The good news is it casts better without the lip. I did a quickie experiment in a field to see how far a lure casts normally, then with a weight in the tail end, also with and without a lip, the lip will take about 10-15% or more (depending on the lip) off your distance.

[DJ Muller]

Flap-
Cool stuff!
For several years while fishing the Vineyard in May the Rebel Jumping Minnow (lip-less) was the only thing that would take bass when retrieved in an irractic jerking or twitching motion. A local was using it and banging fish on everycast while everyone else had zippo. I asked him and he showed me the lure at first I thoight it was just a regular Rebel...until I saw it had no lip.
It worked like a charm.

Cool stuff!

[cow tamer]

"Mini me" spook

[eastendlu]

My observation is that even Flap can catch bass with a broken plug.

[Skitterpop]

Nice Steve

What was that story of removing Rebel lips or after they had broken off and fishing it that way? If I remeber right it was an old Cape Cod beach trick.

[Pete_G]

Originally Posted by DJ Muller

Flap-
Cool stuff!
For several years while fishing the Vineyard in May the Rebel Jumping Minnow (lip-less) was the only thing that would take bass when retrieved in an irractic jerking or twitching motion. A local was using it and banging fish on everycast while everyone else had zippo. I asked him and he showed me the lure at first I thoight it was just a regular Rebel...until I saw it had no lip.
It worked like a charm.

Cool stuff!

I've seen the "Jumper" outfish eels at high noon off Block Island. It's one deadly little lure and definitely proves the "elephants eat peanuts" theory true more often then not. Needless to say, you better change the hooks before you fish it...

It's funny how certain lures just have the magic. The Jumpin Minnow is one of them. Universally deadly on almost any species. Any color as long as it's bone.

[DJ Muller]

Originally Posted by Pete_G

I've seen the "Jumper" outfish eels at high noon off Block Island. It's one deadly little lure and definitely proves the "elephants eat peanuts" theory true more often then not. Needless to say, you better change the hooks before you fish it...

It's funny how certain lures just have the magic. The Jumpin Minnow is one of them. Universally deadly on almost any species. Any color as long as it's bone.

If you think about the surface thing, it is very realistic. How many times have you ever seen pogies, mullet or spearing greyhounding across the surface causing all kinds of commotion?
I should throw mine back into the bag and kick them back into use.
You're definitely right about how certain lures are magic at times.

Funny too about the hooks, that is soooo true, they came with garbage hooks!

[Skitterpop]

Another day time killer is a Gag`s 3.5 " (I think) chrome popper with feathers and mylar tail or the smaller salty Skitterpop in mullet. Those Rebels jumpers are nice in the 4.5" / .5 oz model.

Makes total sense to me when the prevalent baitfish are all 3 to 5 inches.


Steve`s deadsticking is different. Maybe its the sound when he twitches it without lip? Then profile without lip?

Steve how are you stocked for the older 5.5" / .5 oz Rebel floaters? Or the the 5.5" sinker at 5/8ths oz?

I have killed them on the 4.5" saltwater Rebel in rainbow and brown trout. or the 5.5" models

[BasicPatrick]

Rebel Jumpin Minnow = Good Lure
Original size (a 1/4 oz and a bit bigger than currently on the market) that had the Mark Sosin sig on it was even better!!!

Up in Portland Maine Dana who owns The Tackle Shop orders a lot at a time so that Rebel makes a special run of the original size and damn they are good...I still got a few left and cry when I loose one

Originally Posted by DJ Muller

Flap-
Cool stuff!
For several years while fishing the Vineyard in May the Rebel Jumping Minnow (lip-less) was the only thing that would take bass when retrieved in an irractic jerking or twitching motion. A local was using it and banging fish on everycast while everyone else had zippo. I asked him and he showed me the lure at first I thoight it was just a regular Rebel...until I saw it had no lip.
It worked like a charm.

Cool stuff!