Interesting observation.... - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

piemma · 05-09-2008, 06:05 AM

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 · 05-09-2008, 06:59 AM

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 · 05-09-2008, 09:58 AM

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 · 05-09-2008, 10:54 AM

"Mini me" spook

eastendlu · 05-09-2008, 10:56 AM

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

Skitterpop · 05-09-2008, 12:20 PM

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.

Flaptail · 05-09-2008, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

Same thing but those were 7 inch Rebels and they were used in very shallow water at night with a slow steady retrieve. Now we have floating needlefish but this is different in the way I was basically dead floating it with an occasional twitch. The hits came on the dead float after the twitch.

Tonight more testing!

Frankiesurf · 05-09-2008, 01:35 PM

The same thing happened to me but it was with a cheapo lure I got at a flea market in Florida. I was minding my own business when the bluefish came along. I was catching them up at a pretty good clip when they went anto a shallow spot. One of them grabbed it and must have bounced it off the bottom. When I got him in I noticed the lip had broken off. Not all of it but most of it. I figured, what the hell, they will eat anything as long as it is moving so I continued to cast with it. I noticed that when reeled slow it had a slight wiggle and swam just below the surface. When I reeled in quick it worked kind of like a popper especially when I gave it a quick jerk or twitch. I kept catching them until they left and later after dark I was into Bass with it.
I have since lost it to a toothy Blue but it produced while it lasted. Although I don't think I could just break off a lip and have it work like that even though I had thought of it a few times it was not attempted.

Pete_G · 05-09-2008, 06:27 PM

Quote:

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 · 05-09-2008, 09:23 PM

Quote:

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 · 05-09-2008, 10:01 PM

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 · 05-10-2008, 04:38 PM

I absolutely agree on the chrome Gag's Popper...they slay...some of the older fellows will remember the Zebco (I think it was Zebco) "Dolly Pop" and the Gag's is just about an exact replica of that old time standard...there was an unconfirmed rumor that Gag's actually bought the Dolly Pop molds.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

BasicPatrick · 05-10-2008, 04:32 PM

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

Quote:

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!