Bass Fishing Forum - Westernbass.com

I bought a cracker earlier this year at the sportsman's expo and could not wait to throw it. I started using it in the delta about a month ago. It looks great and is a blast to throw, but I have yet to get any action on it. I usually will chuck it around points in low light conditions and parallel tule islands. I wake it and also twitch it back and forth for nada. Is there a technique or zone that I am overlooking? I know this bait has serious potential, but my confidence is sinking fast............

dont give up. Its a great bait, Think like a Blue Gill....where would
you chill to avoid being eaten.....twitch twitch.

Tarpon120 wrote:I bought a cracker earlier this year at the sportsman's expo and could not wait to throw it. I started using it in the delta about a month ago. It looks great and is a blast to throw, but I have yet to get any action on it. I usually will chuck it around points in low light conditions and parallel tule islands. I wake it and also twitch it back and forth for nada. Is there a technique or zone that I am overlooking? I know this bait has serious potential, but my confidence is sinking fast............

Agree. Yesterday (Sat) was the most "action" I have had on the Shellcracker. I had several come up and bump it but no takers. I think the bait is bigger than the fish hitting it LOL. I love the action and expect a blowup any second, but it hasn't happened yet. All my "hits" came on slow/steady retrieve. Nothing on the twitch.

Look for where the bluegill spawn. Remember TWITCH TWITCH is the key.
Try keeping the bait almost in place when twitching it

This is a great bait for clear water conditions at least it has been for me, a good portion of the baits profile is under the water so the bait shows well. I cast it out and let it sit for about 20 seconds or so and then walk it like a spook for a few feet and them let it sit again for 20 seconds or so. I do this until the bait gets out of the desired strike zone. This is an all day bait that requires alot of patience so don't give up on it. Hope this helps,
Mike Moreno

Cast it near a big bass...duh!

Seriously though, it is a great bait. I've yet to stick a "real" fish with it, but even catchin smaller fish (~2 lbs) is a blast. Pretty much any fish that is going to commit to the bait will freakin' annihilate it, one of those good heart stopping strikes!!

Like Preston said, twitch in place, do everything to keep that bait where it is, spend some time popping it around just to get a handle on the movement characteristics, you can easily get it to do 180's and very erratic sideways darts and twitches!

Waking is another good presentation, but usually that is going to catch the smaller more active fish, and only crank fast enough for the back to be just out of the water, don't swim it under the surface or you will lose alot of the action.

Hope this helps and don't lose faith, you'll stick a big one soon enough!

BassManDan

Thanks for the input guys. From reading your replies, it sounds like I'm overworking the bait. Next time I'll switch to decaf and give it a go.

An awesome lure to hang on your wall as a conversation piece! LOL Not sure which one looks better on my wall....the Shellcracker or the Lunker Plunker? Haven't been able to catch a fish on either one yet. I'll keep trying though.

Grape Ape wrote:An awesome lure to hang on your wall as a conversation piece! LOL Not sure which one looks better on my wall....the Shellcracker or the Lunker Plunker? Haven't been able to catch a fish on either one yet. I'll keep trying though.

Stay with it and it will happen!

Actually Iafrate's post is right on.

One of my best Shellcracker days was on Clearlake last July on the first day of the Rally......I started fishing a Tule bank and it was like bombs going off. I easily caught 15 fish in about an hour - the 2 pounders hit it as hard if not harder than the bigger fish.

The cracker will always be tied on a rod when I am at CL.

I can reassure you guys these baits work. I am headed to the delta tomorow because the shellcracker bite is good. Get out there throw it and you will catch them. Remember you need to TWITCH it and TWITCH it more then pause and wait for that big girl to explode on it.

Thanks and good luck
Preston Henson

Don't be afraid to let it soak. I've had multiple fish just explode on it as I've been untangling those "professional" overruns. If you know there are fish (bluegill or bass) in the area. DEAD STICK as long as your patience allows.

vonspreck

Here is a tip for the cracker. Do not throw it onto the rocks! I just picked one up on the way to the lake Wednesday and smashed it on the rocks that night! Be careful casting it at night. I bent the hinges and put a giant chip in the paint. I straightened the hinge back out and it swims fine but the chip needs to be repainted.

Is there any technique that will allow for a soft landing? It bugs me that it looks like a flippin bomb went off when it hits the water. LOL I told my wife, maybe I misunderstood the proper use. Instead of catching fish, maybe I am supposed to knock em in the head, then net em.

Thumb the spool just before it hits the water to slow it down a bit. It's still going to land with a good size splash, it's the nature of swimbaits. The fish don't care.

A few things.

1- Some people say they like that big splash. They say it will draw the fish's attention and make them look what just hit the water. The way I look at it, is when a big heavy bait hits the water the fish think a bird just dropped it out of the sky! Think about it!!

2- I personally found that a Curado 300 helps me controll the touch down to a certain extent. Sometimes if I do it just right I can make it hit the water silently.

3- Try to do a Side Arm cast. You might not get the same distance but your bait stays ALOT lower to the water again helping you in controlling splash the bait makes at touch down!

I hope this helps!

Tight Lines,
Jason Conser

Last week it was frogs down south for the boys and I - Today it was on Vixens further north.

Same pattern still on both -- They are sucking it down rather than crashing it agressively most of the time.

Gona' try the Cracker or Punker here really soon. Water temp today was 72 -73 on that location.

~~ Still have not located small BG's or Crapie like last year for us in the tullies.

whazup wrote:Is there any technique that will allow for a soft landing? It bugs me that it looks like a flippin bomb went off when it hits the water. LOL I told my wife, maybe I misunderstood the proper use. Instead of catching fish, maybe I am supposed to knock em in the head, then net em.

Whaz, that Shellcracker, is just like any other big, heavy swimbait, whether it be a topwater or subsurface bait, short of flippen' it with a broom stick, it's comin' down with a KERSLASH! Perfectly normal and all part of the trigger factor with these giant baits. Keep chuckin it my friend!

whazup wrote:Is there any technique that will allow for a soft landing? It bugs me that it looks like a flippin bomb went off when it hits the water. LOL I told my wife, maybe I misunderstood the proper use. Instead of catching fish, maybe I am supposed to knock em in the head, then net em.

I wouldn't be too worried about the splash. Last year at Clear Lake, I cast up into about 3-4 feet of water (with a giant splash of course!). I waited for the bait to bob back to the surface like always so I could let it sit, but it never happened. A 4-5 pounder sucked it in upon impact.

Oh, and the best way to fish it is to deadsick it.

Scott Trummer

So, As I posted earlier I took my new shellcracker and threw it up on some rocks like a jackass. lol

It's chipped pretty good, down to the wood. I don't want to ruin it throwing it the way it is now. What can I use to seal it so that water doesn't soak in? Also, should I even bother trying to repaint it or should I just leave it chipped and put some kind of sealer on it?

Tin Can wrote:So, As I posted earlier I took my new shellcracker and threw it up on some rocks like a jackass. lol

It's chipped pretty good, down to the wood. I don't want to ruin it throwing it the way it is now. What can I use to seal it so that water doesn't soak in? Also, should I even bother trying to repaint it or should I just leave it chipped and put some kind of sealer on it?

dude, just go fish it.

it will get wrecked on fish, structure, transport. its just a lure.

If you throw it the way it is now you will deffinately get some water absorbtion in there and the paint with crack and ship off. I would recogmend sending it to Jeremy and have him re-paint and re-gloss it, maybe even have him super gloss it so it lasts longer. OR do it your self if you want throw some color over it so you dont have this wood grain sticking out and get some 2-part epoxy and put a healthy coating on it and try to make it as even as possible.

I hope this helps save you save it and make it last longer!

Tight Lines,
Jason Conser

Iafrate94505 wrote:

Tin Can wrote:So, As I posted earlier I took my new shellcracker and threw it up on some rocks like a jackass. lol

It's chipped pretty good, down to the wood. I don't want to ruin it throwing it the way it is now. What can I use to seal it so that water doesn't soak in? Also, should I even bother trying to repaint it or should I just leave it chipped and put some kind of sealer on it?

dude, just go fish it.

it will get wrecked on fish, structure, transport. its just a lure.

Just a lure that cost me 50 bucks! I don't know about you but I don't just by 50 freaking dollar baits every day. You're a gear whore with a disposable income, I am not.

Jason C. wrote:If you throw it the way it is now you will deffinately get some water absorbtion in there and the paint with crack and ship off. I would recogmend sending it to Jeremy and have him re-paint and re-gloss it, maybe even have him super gloss it so it lasts longer. OR do it your self if you want throw some color over it so you dont have this wood grain sticking out and get some 2-part epoxy and put a healthy coating on it and try to make it as even as possible.

I hope this helps save you save it and make it last longer!

Tight Lines,
Jason Conser

Thanks Jason. I think I'll just epoxy it myself, I want to fish it ASAP.

Jason C. wrote: I would recogmend sending it to Jeremy and have him re-paint and re-gloss it, maybe even have him super gloss it so it lasts longer.

I have never gotten this part of fishing ~~ and it dumbfounds me to no end... Why should someone send back a bait that "you" overcasted and smashed up on the rocks ?

If the buyer of said Cracker could/would of bought Insurance for his lure I can see that .... But just like a new Vheicle -- It comes with a Manufactures WARENTY against defects.

Jason C. wrote: OR do it your self if you want throw some color over it so you dont have this wood grain sticking out and get some 2-part epoxy and put a healthy coating on it and try to make it as even as possible.

This would be your route to go TinCan ... or hang it up on your wall (good side showing out )


Heck -- If the line breaks and lure is lost forever -- Who is gona be held responsible for compensation ??

Dan,

I wasnt tellin him to send it and and get it repainted as a freebie. I think thats how you took it. What I meant by it was have him send it in get it repainted and pay for it. It wouldnt cost that much depending on how pig the chip is. It would be kind of like sending it in to get it custom painted

10-4 Jason

DeltaDan wrote:
I have never gotten this part of fishing ~~ and it dumbfounds me to no end... Why should someone send back a bait that "you" overcasted and smashed up on the rocks ?

Do ya think, just maybe, Jason was suggesting to send it to Jeremey, to simply have him work his magic and then receive a bill back for said serivices, along with the finished product? It dumbfounds me ya didn't think of this, especially since I've shown ya all the baits that I have done exactly that.

Jason C. wrote:Dan,

I wasnt tellin him to send it and and get it repainted as a freebie. I think thats how you took it. What I meant by it was have him send it in get it repainted and pay for it. It wouldnt cost that much depending on how pig the chip is. It would be kind of like sending it in to get it custom painted

That's exactly how I took it. I wasn't looking for any freebies. It's totally my own fault.

I have never gotten this part of fishing ~~ and it dumbfounds me to no end... Why should someone send back a bait that "you" overcasted and smashed up on the rocks ?

If the buyer of said Cracker could/would of bought Insurance for his lure I can see that .... But just like a new Vheicle -- It comes with a Manufactures WARENTY against defects.

Dan its just good customer service. Its like the same thing if you break a rod in a rod locker. You pay a little money and get a new 1.
I dont know how the warranty is for black dog baits but I would email them or call and find out.
Jeremy and grant are cool dudes and they wont screw you over!

DeltaDan wrote:

Heck -- If the line breaks and lure is lost forever -- Who is gona be held responsible for compensation ??

It floats. I will just cruise on over and pick it up.

I have mine hanging on my rear view mirror of my truck. It looks real cool when the sun hits it just right! LOL

You need to email Jermy about fixing it plus why its there get one of those custom paint jobs on it. Trust me its worth the extra bucks. I have shellcrackers that I have cracked and all I did was re seal it. trust me a crack after its been sealed wont effect the fish eating it at all.

The quickest coolest fix is to take a red sharpie or paint pen and fill the chip so it looks like a bloody sore. Take a black sharpie or paint pen and outline the chips inside edge and topcoat with epoxy or super glue. That will make it look unique and prevent water intrusion. I understand customers want an expensive bait to last but with all wooden baits some care and maintenence is required for longevity. Let the bait dry out for at least a day and and make sure hook scars and dings are sealed. Depends on how hard you fish the bait or your rock crashing frequency. Have fun feedin bucketmouth yer cracker. Tight lines!
Jeremy

The paint doesn't matter. Seal it back up with epoxy and keep fishing.

Drill a hole through the lip and dropshot it. LOL Just kidding.

spend $10.00 to over night it to Jeremy on UPS and have him touch it up for $20.00 then another $10.00 on ups red back to your door... simple solution.

You never cease to amaze me slippy..........................

Slippy wrote:spend $10.00 to over night it to Jeremy on UPS and have him touch it up for $20.00 then another $10.00 on ups red back to your door... simple solution.

Or pay 10 more bucks and get a brand new one and have it in my hand today.

lunker punker wrote:You never cease to amaze me slippy..........................

im pretty special........... but you already know that LP!

Jeremy, what epoxy do you recomend , and where can I get some?

Trackerbass wrote:Jeremy, what epoxy do you recomend , and where can I get some?

Home Depot.... 5 minute epoxy

Slippy we need to have a talk................. The easiest and most available is the devcon at walmart. The five minute yellows easy and the 30 minute is the one to use. Costs only 2 bucks. Make sure it is well stirred and measured perfectly or it will not harden properly.

lunker punker wrote:Slippy we need to have a talk................. The easiest and most available is the devcon at walmart. The five minute yellows easy and the 30 minute is the one to use. Costs only 2 bucks. Make sure it is well stirred and measured perfectly or it will not harden properly.

LP the discoloring of the yellow is a sign that the bluegill (cracker) is injured due to a bird biting it.......hense easy pray for a bass.

lunker punker wrote:Slippy we need to have a talk................. The easiest and most available is the devcon at walmart. The five minute yellows easy and the 30 minute is the one to use. Costs only 2 bucks. Make sure it is well stirred and measured perfectly or it will not harden properly.

I agree the 5 minute yellows....take the time and use 30 min.