Welcome, Joe...

Joshuall said there is tons of knowledge in this newsgroup. That may be
true, but let's not just accept his claim without question.

Last time I checked there were about 180 regular posters on this newsgroup.
With the average anglers' weight at 200 pounds, that comes out to eighteen
tons of ROFB anglers. How much of that is knowledge?

Well, some of the folks here, like Joshuall, are 100% full of BS. Others
only about half. A few are down as low as 10% or so, and I don't think
anyone falls below that. For simplicity's sake, let's assume the average
ROFB angler is about 25% BS. Then factor in some for muscle (15%), bone
(15%) fat (25%), brains and innards (10%), and everything that's left over
let's put in the knowledge column.

Lessee.... um... carry the 2.... Ok, that leaves 10% as knowledge. 10% of
eighteen tons is 1.8 tons. So Joshuall is almost right... he said tons, and
it's probably more like one ton and some change. Close enough.

On the question of crankbaits and hooks.... it just happens that way some
days, Joe. Other days, every fish that strikes will impale itself and you'll
need pliers to remove every hook.

Make sure your hooks are sharp and upgrade if in doubt. I like the Mustad
Triple Grip hook. It has a wide gap, and as on the Secret Weapon
spinnerbait, the hook point is exactly in line with the line tie, which
delivers more force to your hook-set and results in a surer hook-up. The
shape of the hook bend also prevents the fish from escaping, even if the
hole opens a little (which is common during a fight).

Keep steady, firm pressure on the fish; many times just changing rod angles
(from left to right, for example) or letting up just a little to reach for
the net allows a fish enough free play to thrash around tear the hook loose.

Joe Hoooobenrooch

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"Joshuall" wrote in message
. ..
Joe,

The simple answer is yes. It helps if you have a fast tip rod. Some guys
use fiberglass rods for crankbaiting. I've purchased one and to be real
honest with you I'm not sure there's much difference. The trick is not to
jerk it away from them or to tear it out of their mouths. I think the theory
behind the fast tip is that it is a little more forgiving on the hook end of
the line. Thus less likely to pull the bait out of the mouth while still
providing an extra bit of hook setting effort to compliment the smack you
feel at the hit. I don't set the hook on a crankbait for instance the same
way I do on soft plastics where I really rare back and let er go. A short
snap of the rod is usually good enough IMHO. I almost always fish cranks
with the tip down to help facilitate that quick little snap when I set the
hook.

Like other lures, fish hit crankbaits differently depending on their
mood. When not agressive often bass with get up behind the bait, open thier
mouths and the vaccumm sp? produced will just suck it into the mouth and
you'll barely know it. So sometimes when you are retreiving and you don't
feel that wobble test the line for weight and then set the hook.

Good luck, this newsgroup is one of the best online as far as I've
concerned and I've bass fished for nearly 35 years now. Lots of great guys
with tons of knowledge . . . except for that guy . . . what's his name ...
Joe hooobenrooch or something like that from Secret Weapon spinnerbaits. Has
a partner named Bob who's a real trouble maker too g But other than that
you'll enjoy this bunch.

mike v.
p.s. here's a little tourney trick I learned years ago and when you see it
in the water you'll appreciate it's attracting ability. Buy a small pack of
tiny little plastic grubs (white or yellow). Like the kind used for
panfish, as small as you can get. stick it on the rear hook of the rear
treble hook. Drop it in the water and when you pull your bait that hook
naturally flares back and it looks like a small minnow is chasing your
crank. Drives em nuts. Remember to keep it very small or it will screw up
the action on your bait. Also rig it curl down. tight lines good fishin.
--
God Bless America

Josh The Bad Bear