For bass fishing guys..

[floridagrimp]

I am not a bass fisherman now...I did grow up fishing for large and smallmouth and spotted bass. I want to recomend a bait that for me, in several different geographic areas, this lure was THE best lure (Zara Spook close 2nd) I ever threw. I can remember catching 50 plus bass (and many really big fish)  in the spring on this lure many days..usually for a 3-4 week period. Don't know if it was pre, post or during spawn..I do know it literally drew crowd at a boat dock once as I caught about 25 (or more) bass walking up and down the dock (it wasn't a dock that held motor boats, just rowboat rentals and I am no great crankbait fisherman) so these weren't tournament "pets" that had been released. I could name dozens of other locations in shallow water this bait absolutely shanked them...it is an amazing lure for a short time in the spring..

the bait?? Storm Thinfin Shad. It was, I believe, approx. 3",  a floater/diver with PURPLE SCALES. I believe Storm has been bought by Rapala or someone....don't know if it's still available.

About now is prime time for this bait in the South.

Disclaimer: People can and do lose money buying lures...shop carefully!

[floridagrimp]

It's alive!!!  lol, they don't make purple scale anymore!!

http://www.cabelas.com/crankbaits-storm-original-thin-fin-1.shtml?WT.tsrc=CSE&WT.mc_id=GoogleProductAds&WT.z_mc_id1=02724327&rid=40&channel=GoogleBaseUSA&mr:trackingCode=A9C362CB-958E-DF11-A0C8-002219318F67&mr:referralID=NA&mr:adType=pla&mr:ad=24543393431&mr:keyword=&mr:match=&mr:filter=43692022031&gclid=CIfYgq35trUCFQoGnQodTDUAAg

[BassDetective]

I had one of those as a kid..... great bait   

[matt]

my all time best spring time is a husky jerk  and x rap
http://www.rapala.com/Rapala/Lures/rapala-lures,default,sc.html?start=24&sz=12
http://www.rapala.com/Rapala/Lures/rapala-lures,default,sc.html?start=48&sz=12
3.5 on a drop shot and or shacky head

[ctom]

That same Threadfin bait has been known to fell some walleyes in this area too.

[Jerry V]

Back "in the day"... prolly late '70s, I remember my father cleaning out a small bait shop/general store of all ThinFins in stock up there in your neck of the woods ctom.  I thought he was crazy, but I soon learned he knew what he was doing 'cause we had one of the best Walleye/Northern Pike fishing that week that I remember having.  I'll never forget that.

The 'Ol Man stowed a few of them away for as long as he could stand it, but eventually they were gone.  They were pretty scarce and getting scarcer back then, at least around these parts.  I can certainly imagine that they would make a very nice Bass bait too.

The memories...

[Lamar]

   The best bass bait I ever used was the one that worked that day. I've never came in after a tournament and saw just one bait that took all the top five places. Every day is a new day in bass fishing. Done this for 30 years and still learning.

[MonteSS]

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=storm+thinfin&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313&_nkw=storm+thinfin+purple&_sacat=0

...Bill

[floridagrimp]

specific times, specific!! early spring, as noted in my original post.

[Jerry V]

Yes... early, or relatively early as you're talking South to North.  We used to rip them or yo-yo them kinda like you might a lipless crank.  The strikes would almost always come when the bait was falling, and I specifically remember that purple one being the color to fight over.

[gstott]

 

my all time best spring time is a husky jerk  and x rap

I like those, but my favorite early season bass baits would have to be the Megabass Vision 110, or if they're really off that day, a Jackall Squirrel 76 or 79 depending on how deep they are.  They're amazing spring baits that get really good again in the fall right before ice up.  I love jerkbaits in cold water.

Still 2 and half to 3 months away for me though.  We had a heat wave today though, it got to 35 and the sun was actually out.  If only it wasn't Valentine's Day, I would have escaped to a local trout stream.  Oh well, I'll just keep making baits for now.

[WALLEYE WACKER]

Floridagrimp I know a store by me that still has some storm thin fin I look and see if they have the purple one. Storm also has uv colored baits wonder if anyone has used it? They also have a deep rattlin Thin Fin that is 2"3/16 6'-12'. You guys in the south might want too try 18s floater by Rapala. I do really well with it when the weeds are just come up half way from the bottom to the surface. another trick is too use a match and run along the center of the bill than use your  fingers to put more of cup too the bill it will give the bait a wider roll from side to side. mike

[ctom]

"specific times, specific!!"

In the late fall each year the shad stack in front of the dam rollers all along the Mississippi River up here. They tend to get sucked thru the dam and are all over the place below it in the plunge pool and downstream where walleyes, sauger, northern, catfish, even crappies lay in wait for the easy meal. That's when specific came into play with these baits.

We'd rig up three ways with 4 ounces of weight on the dropper and tie the bait to a foot long leadr off the center ring and troll them across the currrent below the dams at first indication that the shad were stacking above. They were an unreal bait simply because they looked as close to a shad as a shad looked. And when that bite was done, the shad having been cycled thru and down river, it was over for that bait.

Memories is right....the gulls would be so thick at this time that you couldn't leave an open pop out on the boat seat or in a holder without it getting crapped in and it you didn't wear a cap or hat you got your hair whitewashed.

[floridagrimp]

sounds good...as i said, don't fish for bass much anymore (everyone else does down here, till it gets too hot)   once you start catchng trout, redfish and flounder (and snook, mackeral, amberjack, grouper, snapper, dolphin, triggerfish et al)...it's hard to go back to freshwater.

bet the crankbait maker on the forum could make a mean copy of that purple scale thinfin!!!