Lures for spring time... Suggestions?

[NattyBoh74]

Looking for suggestions on what to use lure wise for this spring. Either trolling or casting lures. Thanks

[CHOC]

If you're fishing for striped bass (rockfish), it's hard to beat the jerkbaits offered by Yozuri and Rapala. For the next few weeks, you can find fish on the flats anywhere from 4' all the way to 16'. I was out the other day and saw a ton of fish hanging right under a ledge in 16' of water. The ledge dropped from 6 to 16' almost immediately. Anything that dives between 4-8' should work especially if it vibrates a lot.

[DanMarino]

I dig the Lucky Craft Pointer 78.

[J.A. Veil]

I spent some time this morning rigging up for trolling in the Severn for stripers. Two of the rods have 3/4-oz jigheads with 4" paddletails. One has a 1-oz bucktail with a 5" paddletail. The other has a Storm Shad of about 1-oz. The Storm shad is a natural bait color, but the other lures are combinations of white and chartreuse. The rods are 6'6" M or MH with 3000 series reels spooled with either 20-lb or 10-lb braid.

If those are not working. I have Rapala XRaps and RatLTraps that will be tried (I tend to avoid swimming hard plastic plugs), but want to experiment a bit.

[curtisakatoyo]

Rapala XRaps are perfect right now for either trolling or casting.

Troll around 2.5-3mph and youll get plenty of action.

https://www.fishusa.com/product/Rapala-XRap-SXR14-Lures

I have the best luck with the Silver color.

[NattyBoh74]

How's the water temp? Do I need my suit on?

[ronaultmtd]

I like the bigger XRaps in early spring...the XR12 and XR 14s...and pull a double rigged swimbaits

[NattyBoh74]

I like the bigger XRaps in early spring...the XR12 and XR 14s...and pull a double rigged swimbaits

Someone told me about tandem swimbaits... I've never rigged them up, what terminal tackle do you use, line etc

I guess you just reel the xraps in or troll them? Or do you jerk them?

[ronaultmtd]

There are as many ways to rig a double swimbaits as you can imagine...three way swivel... a double surgeons knot, etc. I usually stagger the swimbaits and use the lighter jighead with widegap hooks on the first and a heavier jighead on the second...as far as XRaps, trolling works as does casting the lure to structure...I always yo-yo my XRap...and I only troll two rods...keeps down the tangles when you hook up...my XR14 is a menhaden color with barbless single in line hooks, the XR12s are all different colors..ghost is one of my favorites as is olive green...the XR10s round out my tackle box and are the ones I use all summer long...and catch the mid twenty sized fish...I have been converted by my buddy Manny to Zman soft plastics due to their incredible durability...and their action is pretty good, too...wished they made a bright chartreuse color like Bass Assassins, but...

[NattyBoh74]

There are as many ways to rig a double swimbaits as you can imagine...three way swivel... a double surgeons knot, etc. I usually stagger the swimbaits and use the lighter jighead with widegap hooks on the first and a heavier jighead on the second...as far as XRaps, trolling works as does casting the lure to structure...I always yo-yo my XRap...and I only troll two rods...keeps down the tangles when you hook up...my XR14 is a menhaden color with barbless single in line hooks, the XR12s are all different colors..ghost is one of my favorites as is olive green...the XR10s round out my tackle box and are the ones I use all summer long...and catch the mid twenty sized fish...I have been converted by my buddy Manny to Zman soft plastics due to their incredible durability...and their action is pretty good, too...wished they made a bright chartreuse color like Bass Assassins, but...

Thanks. Can you help me out on the single hook conversions on these hardbody lures... How do you determine the single hook size and split ring size? Can I measure the treble and then just get a hook thats the same length? Here is an image of what Im asking/talking about...IMG_20190324_094201.jpg

so in that case, can I find a hook that is about 1-1/4" long? Then just find a split ring of the same size used on the treble or buy something the same size?

I saw some hooks are 90deg out in terms of the eyelet on the single hook, someone suggested heating it up and twisting it around. that would seem to weaken the hook some, no?

[ronaultmtd]

Lures for spring time... Suggestions?

There is a sizing guide and you buy the in-line single replacement hooks...they already have the eye bent 90 degrees so it is ready to replace the treble with the point of the hook correctly positioned...google the guide..I order mine on-line from Bass Pro Shop and they are the Owner brand...VMC also makes them...I use mostly 1/0 and 2/0 size on the XR 10 Rapalas...and I have bags of various sizes of split rings I picked up at tackle shops...a good pair of split ring pliers helps but is not essentialIMG_0413.jpg

[NattyBoh74]

Thanks. This is the chart I keep seeing online:

REPLACEMENT HOOK SIZE CHART*
Treble .......................Single Replacement
#10......................................... #6
#8........................................... #4
#6........................................... #2
#4........................................... #1
#2........................................... 2/0
#1........................................... 3/0
1/0.......................................... 4/0
2/0.......................................... 5/0
3/0.......................................... 6/0
4/0.......................................... 7/0
5/0.......................................... 8/0

With that being said, you use a smaller hook than is recommended... Is that just because of what you have on hand?

[Mark]

The chart is a good reference tool.

Or you can select an inline hook with a gap that is as wide as the original trebles.

Before:

P1000197.jpg

After:

P1000198.jpg

[NattyBoh74]

Thanks I found a print to scale VMC inline hook chart that I used to match up the treble hooks on top of.

[CHOC]

How's the water temp? Do I need my suit on?

Just don’t fall in!

If you have a dry suit, by all means wear it until the water is warm enough to swim in.