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  1. #1
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    Blade bait question

    I'm not sure where to post this question but here goes. I live in south central Oklahoma so no ice fishing here but when the water gets colder I use a 1/4 to 3/8 oz. blade bait for large mouth and white bass vertical jigging dropping it to bottom and jerking it about 6 inches. I use a 6 1/2 ft spinning MH rod and braid to a swivel then about 12-16 inches of 20 lb. mono to a snap which is attached to the blade. My problem is at times the front hook gets tangled with the mono. sometimes I can fish 2 hours without it happening and then it seems to tangle almost immediately. I thought you ice fisherman might use the same method and could help me out with some input.
    If this is not the place to post this question where should I post it? Thanks

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    #2


    This little trick cuts down on tangles to the point it almost eliminates them. Fish don't seem to care about the wire either.
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    #3
    Thanks for the tip.

  4. Member
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    #4
    Thanks. Sent you a pm with questions about wire size and crimp sleeves.

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    #5
    I use real thin wire then double the size sleeve or spring. The tension once sleeve or spring is slid down holds everything fast. Here is how I use braid line for main line swivel then mono leader about 5-6 ft. For those of you that love blade baits. Try the Sebile Vibrato. Doesn't look like much but it catches fish better than any blade I have ever used.

    Iperry- I detest catfish myself. They have played ell with me in the past. Especially on my night fishing escapades. Only allowed two poles here in Ohio. Seems like the catfish can always manage to tangle the two together. Regardless of how far apart they were set.
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    #6
    I use real thin wire then double the size sleeve or spring. The tension once sleeve or spring is slid down holds everything fast. Here is how I use braid line for main line swivel then mono leader about 5-6 ft. For those of you that love blade baits. Try the Sebile Vibrato. Doesn't look like much but it catches fish better than any blade I have ever used.

    Iperry- I detest catfish myself. They have played ell with me in the past. Especially on my night fishing escapades. Only allowed two poles here in Ohio. Seems like the catfish can always manage to tangle the two together. Regardless of how far apart they were set.
    I use .026 or .031 wire
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  7. Member
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    #7
    Do all species seem to like the Vibrato? We have mostly largemouth and sandbass. ( and catfish) I ordered some. If they don't work I will make someone a very good deal on them. I wish we had Walleye-my favorite fish to eat.

  8. Member eyra_kid's Avatar
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    #8
    Quote Originally Posted by lperry View Post
    Do all species seem to like the Vibrato? We have mostly largemouth and sandbass. ( and catfish) I ordered some. If they don't work I will make someone a very good deal on them. I wish we had Walleye-my favorite fish to eat.
    I prefer Vibratos to traditional blade baits. Seem to start and vibrate easier. Those hooks do like to catch the line though. I do the same as you: braided line with a stiffer mono leader.

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    #9
    Yes the vibrato is a multi -species lure. Crappie , walleye, yellow perch , catfish , northern pike , white bass are the ones I have caught so far. Have only been using since last winter. As good in open water as through the ice. When I first used had to avoid tendency of overworking. Up here where the lakes freeze we have two periods of shad die off. Right after or during ice out and in the fall prior to freeze up. Shad being super temperature change sensitive die by the thousands. As they are dying their erratic swimming attract predator fish. The vibrato REALLY shines as a bait during these times. It is good all year around but peak during the periods mentioned.
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    #10
    When you are fishing open water what is your preference for a rod for blades? Length,power etc. Right now I am primarily using an Abu Garcia 6 1/2 MH spinning rod.

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    #11
    I use lighter rods as I fish primarily for panfish. Light to ultralight for me. 7- 7-1/2 foot long. Less backbone for hookset for sure. But most of my fishing is in less than 20 foot of water. I assume the sandbass you are talking about are stripers. There are some hard fighting fish. I can see the need for a heavier action rod for them.

    I am amazed at what a quality ice rig can handle. Once fought a 40-50 lb flathead on a 36 inch rod ultralight. Can't say caught because he would not fit through my 7 inch hole. First five minutes of fight I swore I was snagged. He just sit there. Pond owner was fishing with me when this happened. He was hooked on a waxworm with a # 12 hook pinmin. I managed to wear him out and was able to retrieve my lure from his mouth. Ice was extremely clear that day and was easy to approximate size of it. Looked like a submarine when we first seen dark form. Pond owner was more excited than I was. Since we were fishing in 14' of water but was fishing only 8-9 foot down. When he kept sitting still I asked the owner if put anything in there for structure. He kept saying no but I was having trouble believing him. When the fatcat decided something was wrong and started to move. Won't forget the battle until my dying day.
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    #12
    Sandbass and stripers are not the same although look a lot alike. A large sandbass is 3-3 1/2 lb. I fish for Stripers on Lake Texoma which is on the Oklahoma -Texas border but I use much heavier tackle. It can be really good at times. My biggest is 19+ and several over 15. When they are hitting topwater it is really something. Now they are hitting swimbaits .
    Last year we got into some flathead catfish and one afternoon we caught 7 that went from 15 to about 25-30 lb all on a blade. Only reason we stayed with them that was all we could catch. That was not on Texoma-it was the small lake where we caught the sandbass this week.
    I have ordered some wire to make that metal leader you showed me and also some Sebile vibrato baits. I'm anxious to try them out.
    Last edited by lperry; 11-22-2019 at 05:34 PM. Reason: change wording

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    #13
    Hays47. I fabricated a metal leader for fishing a blade today. I made it out of a piece of mig welder wire, I think .35. It was kinda crude but it seemed to work fine. I caught a 5.1 lb. bass and several sandbass and catfish and 2 smaller bass. It seemed to almost eliminate the line tangling with the hooks. Thanks for the tip. Anxious to get the stainless wire and crimp sleeves to try to make some like you had pictured.