Late report.

[PREDATOR]

Saturday I took a friend and his dad out fishing in the cold rainy windy weather, and had a ball.

The fishing suffered a bit, but when you fish with maniac reapers in the 3.5" variety weather has no power over you.

Most fish were 2 lbs or there about, with the biggest being this 4lb 2 oz'er.
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Skinny but long. I didnt mind. I was glad to get her on such a crappy day.

Gotta love that maniac stuff. When the fishing gets tough due to weather or heavy fishing pressure they just perform.
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[leaky]

All I can say is what the "heck" are you doing bud????[mad] Those reapers are my lure.[mad] I didn't say you could use em!!!!! Well, ---------------ok, good on ya. Do you think the weather conditions had anything to do with turning em on? If I wasn't leaving tomorrow for a couple of weeks I'd be out there or lake xyz, LOL. I'll be checking back with ya when I return to see if you have anymore secrets.
By the way, I've taken to splitting the tail to add a little more action. That would be my suggestion to maniac - design a tail with action (thinner/longer?). The Tigers like em too. What color did you use?
Leaky

[PREDATOR]

Are you splitting the tail on reapers or on the flat tail craws?

I wouldnt have ever thought to split the tail on a reaper.

I am using a screw up color.

Maniac was trying to make a custom color for some one and couldnt quite get the color right.

He had a lot of scrap lures that came out of the color matching process and so he gave me a few.

I went back and bought them all from him when they worked so well.
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[maniac]

Thanks Leaky, I will keep those tips in mind when I design a new reaper mold. Thanks for the report Predator, You are a fishing machine!
James
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[Old_Coot]

[size 2][font "Comic Sans MS"][black]Predator,[/black][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][/black][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black]I love it when guys like you get out there and scratch up a some decent fish when others (like me too often) won't go unless the "formula" is just right.[/black][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][/black][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black]Keep fishing … keep posting. I love those bass pics you have to share.[/black][/font][/size]
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[leaky]

The smaller 2 1/2 in? reaper. Describe the color for interest/kicks.
leaky

[garbageman]

How are you rigging the reaper? I haven't had that much success with the reaper, but then again I am using it with a jig head.
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[maniac]

Hey Leaky, send me a P.M include your address and I will send you some of the 2-1/2" reapers. I still have a bunch of the 2-1/2", but only a few of the 3-1/2". If you want I can make more, and without salt, less salt, thinner etc. I had some bad glitter that was the cause of the color mess up. I dont buy glitter from that supplier anymore.
James
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[maniac]

I think that Predator is rigging them texas. I have been rigging them weedless with a split shot, and having good success.
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[garbageman]

thanks. I'll try them that way.
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[Hellsangler69]

Nice fish Mike . I gave ole Lake X a try sunday afternoon fighting the wind and finally boated my first smallie on a crappie jig while fishing for perch , after they would not leave my 3" tube jigs alone . I did hook up on some nice bows on Maniac sticks but boat control was a major problem in the wind . I need to try the reapers .
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[PREDATOR]

Garbageman, sorry it took so long to get back, I get busy trying to work 4 days a week and fish 4 days a week as well.

Anyways, I think, and this is my own opinion.
Its not so much the rigging style as it is the rigging pieces.

I think the critical element of a reaper is a slow fall.
I rig them texas most of the time, but at jordanelle or pineview I just use a jig head.
Either way, 100% of the time when texas rigged I use 1/16 oz bullets. Never any more. Not even in a 30 mph wind.
On the jig heads, never more than a 3/16 oz, and thats if you are fishing deep, say in 25 ft of water.

The main thing is you want that reaper to be able to glide. Too heavy and you just sink them like a rock.

Like I say 1/16 oz is about as good as it gets. I fish them with 8 lb line on baitcasting gear. (yes I know, you cant fish a bait caster with 8 lb line, and you certainly cant fish 1/16 oz heads on little plastic lures either. Whatever.)

But thats the same with just about any plastic baits in my book. You go as light as you possibly can given the conditions.

Old coot, if you liked that one, you should see some of the other largemouth I have been lucky enough to get this season.
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Theres one for you. That one was taken on 1/16 oz and 8 lb line as well.
Theres a couple more, one real nice one, but you will have to beg to see those.
Theres a short but extremley fat one under the glass at sportsmans, check that one out next time you are down there.

Leaky, The screwed up color was kind of a clear brown with a green pumpkin (some more brown and some more green) Purple and gold.
Get some of those 2.5 inchers from him, hes got a ton. He screwed up a lot of plastic trying to get that color right.[laugh]
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[leaky]

Mike.
That is one fat pig. Do you have a weight estimate. Was that this year or which? I would give up one of my useless testicles just to have sat by you and watch you land it.
Maniac and I have allready been in touch. That color sounds interesting. Maybe the mistake can be the new thing? I guess I rig mine similar to Maniac, about a 1/32 oz. split shot (maybe 1/16) and weedless. I do a very slow retrieve off the bottom which inhances the glid I guess. I'm still interested in inhancing the tail portion action. What do you think?
Leaky

[garbageman]

Thanks Mike. If the weather holds, I'll try them again this weekend.
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[utwalleye]

Nice fish ,, Mike, are the other ones bigger ??
please, please, do show them. later chuck
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