Punker Question

[MIKE TREMONT]

Finally got me one with my subscription to the Anglers Guide(next day service, thx !)

My question to all of you that catch fish with this bait, how important do you think the feathers are? I don't add feathers to any of my other top waters and do alright without them. The feathers on the bait came off pretty quick, and would like to know if anyone thinks it's worth the hassle of retying new feathers on?

I understand that the owner has great customer relations and that it will be taken care of, but if it works just fine without them, why bother with it?

Thanks.

[RipnRog]

Finally got me one with my subscription to the Anglers Guide(next day service, thx !)

My question to all of you that catch fish with this bait, how important do you think the feathers are? I don't add feathers to any of my other top waters and do alright without them. The feathers on the bait came off pretty quick, and would like to know if anyone thinks it's worth the hassle of retying new feathers on?

I understand that the owner has great customer relations and that it will be taken care of, but if it works just fine without them, why bother with it?

Thanks.

Mike I added a hook with even more feathers to slow down the glide action on one of my punkers. I like the feathers for this reason.

[mark poulson]

I always use a feather on a walking bait if it doesn't affect the action. One more realistic detail.
And it doesn't affect the action of the Punker.
If a feather does affect the action, I shorten it until it doesn't, or 'till its even with the hook bends. If it still doesn't walk right, I take the feather off.

[biteme]

Black Dog sent me two new hooks with feathers. Great service!

[mac (Doyle McEwen)]

Don't get me wrong, How is a feather on a bait a realistic detail..I have never seen any type of fish with feathers, including flying fish..

mac

[JustinD]

Feathers without a doubt. Just toss the bait out and watch as the feathers on the hooks move gently like the tail of a fish.

[BigBassWorks]

Don't get me wrong, How is a feather on a bait a realistic detail..I have never seen any type of fish with feathers, including flying fish..

mac

is this a joke ?

Feathers move through the water like a fish....

the more feather the more fluff..the more life like.

Look at big striper flies...big feathers....

[BIG DADDY BLUE RANGER]

after the feathers on my Jr. wore out,, I took all 3 stock hooks off and replaced them w two larger super line hooks (just like I do w super spooks)........ catches em just fine fer me with or without feathers

[mac (Doyle McEwen)]

Yeah, it was a snide comment..Just trying to raise some feathers..

mac

[BigBassWorks]

Yeah, it was a snide comment..Just trying to raise some feathers..

mac

I figured as much, your far to wise n wity.

good one...

[JustinD]

Jim.....I know you can catch big fish without the feathers, no doubt. But why limit yourself when there is always that possibility that the feathers might offer just that little bit of incentive to entice a bite. Many times I have thrown (actually pitched) small topwater baits such as barley legal vixens or Ivino Splash-It 2 into pockets and let them sit with just the tail feather hook fluttering in the current. Big Big Big bites and blow-ups. Not sure if it was the time in the strike zone or the feather but decided that having the feather just couldn't hurt.

[kopper_bass]

Mike,
I always find it funny when people "swear" that they get just as many bites with this bait, or without this trailer, or with this color, etc. How the heck can anyone know? It's impossible to confirm !

Surely, as you mentioned, you can still get bit without a trailer - thats all that can be said, it does still work. the plunker action alone draws great strikes; with or without a trailer.

I can say that there are many, many, times that i have seen where a topwater bait just sits there and the fish are staring right at that dangling hook with the feather and it just moves ever so slightly and they strike! Thats what it appears to be doing (the fish) - concentrating on the feather and it just cant stand that slow moving feather swaying in the current, like a fish tail. That doesnt seem to happen as much when you throw a bait without the feather. it does happen that fish still hit a bait sitting still, but i dont see fish sitting under a still bait without a feather, just staring at it; waiting to stike and then do. they usually swim away.

Would they hit it without the feather? Nobody knows, but here is the key.

I have never seen where the feather detracts from the bite, so why not add it?

Play the percentages and cover all the bases for opportunity!

Good Luck,

Kopper_Bass

[mark poulson]

Glad to hear Jeremy took care of you with the feathers. He's always been a stand up guy who backs his products.

I don't thinik it matters in a wide open striper boil, but when I'm walking a stickbait and pause it, then walk it again, it seems to trigger largemouths who are looking up at the bait.
My partner was throwing the same bait with no feather, and didn't get bit, until he switch to a feather.
Of course, that was just one day. It could be the opposite the next.

[MIKE TREMONT]

Thanks for all the replies.

Now what do think if I tie on some custom red feathers I got from my Grand Fathers stuff from back in the 60's?

[RipnRog]

Thanks for all the replies.

Now what do think if I tie on some custom red feathers I got from my Grand Fathers stuff from back in the 60's?

not a bad idea but I believe that white is more visable......

[MIKE TREMONT]

Mine came with some olive colored feathers, which I thought was pretty cool. I still can't figure out how they broke off. All the base of the feathers are still there where they are wrapped, but the other 90% vanished. Just my luck the first bite I get was a rat biting the tail off!

[JustinD]

Just an observation but last year around this time I was tossin' a bone vixen, white feather, with moderate success. Some stripers wore the thing out in a few casts and all I had left was an older hook with a red feather. I couldn't believe the difference in the bites I started to get. Granted all things change (enviro) and it could have been attributed to warmer surface water, later shadows, ect. but it was a noticable difference.

[kopper_bass]

Mike,
I surely have red/white combo feathers, and i think they work just fine, just like a white/chartruese feather. But i recently identified something with my super spook that i think i learned on a basswest tv episode with Ish Monroe. having an all red feather on the back may be a mistake.

I had a spook tied on with 3 hooks, all the same except the bottom hook i had a red one on, No feathers. i was getting lots of bites but the fish were not really eating it and more or less slapping it and not hooking up.

So, i went to take that last hook off and put on a white feather. Great- even more action, a few hookups, but still missing a lot of fish. Then, as a last resort, i went and put the red hook back on, but this time I left the white feather on at the back, and put the red hook on at the front. (middle hook was just a plain hook).

Well, all i can say is that the fish just started inhaling the bait and i got 99% hookups. what i seem to remember from Ish's show was that having that red hook up front gives the fish a blood/gill target and having the feather on the back adds the attractionto attack.

The combination is really starting to work well for me, so now i am beliver in it. i know the red hook isnt all the same as the feather, but i think the principle still holds up.

Give it a try!
Kopper_Bass

[Jason C.]

My dad and I went out on a guide trip with Randy Pringle one time. He said you are going to use 1 red hook always put it in the front. Because with like refraction in the water as well as reflection it makes the bait look longer if you have it in the back. And the fish will see that red flash behind the bait and attack that, causing less hook ups and more slaps at the bait. It is ok to do both front and back because there is still the flash in front of the bait for the fish to aim for. So that red hook in front and white tail in the back seems like an awsome idea!

[MIKE TREMONT]

All good points.

Anyone know who has some chicken feathers for sale. I remember ready years ago that chicken feathers were the best way to go. I have a number of different feathers I got from the fly shop, but they seem a little to fragile for a bait this size.

[mark poulson]

Try Petaluma!