What's Your Favorite Punch Bait And Why - Plus Details

Started by Smallie_Stalker, November 15, 2021, 12:29:51 PM

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Smallie_Stalker

The title says it all. What is your favorite punch bait and why is it your favorite? Any other details you'd be willing to share would be helpful like do you use pre-made punch rigs with skirts? What hook? What knot?

I don't get a chance to punch very often but when I do I'm usually using 1 or 2 baits. Most of the time I want a compact presentation so I use a 3.5" Mister Twister Poc-It Craw and I pinch off the legs on the sides. If I want a bigger look I go with the 4.25" X Zone Lures Adrenaline Craw.

I have used pre-made punch rigs with the skirts in the past but I stopped because I like having as few things as possible that might catch on something or pick up greenery on the way down.

I like a straight shank hook sized to fit the bait and I tie it on with a snell not.

65 lb. braid on a high-speed reel and a weight just heavy enough to get me through the mat without having to shake it if possible.

So that's my favorite. What's yours?



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zippyduck

The Fat Mama from Lockett lures is my new favorite. Stream lined with just enough kick to it. The action doesn't interfere with getting through the thick stuff but has enough vibration to let them know something is knocking on their door.

Found this one while using the free box I won from them in our contests.
3rd place 2017 UB IBASS 377.75"
AOY 2018 IBASS Cool Casters  369.00"
AOY 2019 IBASS Cool Casters  362.50"

RangerAndBass

Gambler Why Not. In Florida or Ontario. Tied on 65ld braid, snell know and Trokar Flipping hook.
I like that it's narrow and doesn't get hung up on the mat, though has 2 nice, inline crawl.
There's other baits I like too, such as Reaction Innovations Man-Bear-Pig. Narrow but lots of appendages and long, so big profile. Sweet Beaver also.
I love punching and do it when ever I can and I have had luck with these, so why change.

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Oldfart9999

While I don't have much in the way need for punch baits, don't have the mats around my area that you in the south have, I do have favorites for heavy grass.
1. 3/4 ounce jigs
2. 3/8-1/2 ounce Texas rigged tubes, creatures baits, stickbaits, and worms.
3. Dropshot soft plastics with a 3/8 ounce weight.
I find dropshot has the easiest time getting through.
Rodney 
Old Fishermen never die, their rods just go limp.

Nutoy

It all depends on what I'm punching.

Heavy thick wood less than 6' deep, a pegged 1/2 oz tungsten with a straight tailed soft plastic like a Sweet Beaver or a Zoom Super Hog.
Over 6' deep I'll up the weight to a 3/4 oz.

4/0 Straight shank hook with palomar knot. A snell knot will get hung up in wood if you do not connect on the hook set. 

Rod is usually a 7'-6" XH Fast.

Line is 65 lb braid.

Grass: Depends on the grass.

Hydrilla: I love using a punch rig in Hydrilla.

Siebert Outdoors has some awesome punch rigs that are wire tied so you don't have to worry about fighting to keep the skirt on.
Trailer is usually a Brush Hog or Super Hog in matching color.
Weight depends on depth and what it takes to get through it if it's matted.
In thick, matted Hydrilla in 10' or less, I'll start with a 3/4 oz and move up in weight if needed to punch through it without shaking.
Over 10' deep and I usually move up to a 1 oz.
In a super thick matt, I'll up to a 1 1/4-1 1/2 oz if needed.

More scattered grass like Milfoil, I'll go with the above mentioned baits, but downsize the weights to 1/2-3/4 oz.

Some days the fish want a smaller profile bait and I'll go to a pegged weight and a straight tailed soft plastic.

Hook is usually a 5/0 straight shank with a snell knot.

Rod length is 10' or less, 7'-6" in XXH Fast.
Over 10' is a 7'-11" in XXH Fast.

Line for grass punching is 65 lb braid in the thick stuff, and 50 lb braid in the more scattered stuff.

Eric-Maine

I like punching Hyacinth/Pennywart using a 1 1/2 to 2 1/4 weight, Gambler Burner Craw  65lb power pro. Got away from the Snell knot.  The lever action tears up a bait every time you pull it up back through the thick stuff. In milfoil and hydrilla it probably would be fine and the fish pinning feature a plus. Haven't seen much in the way of either on Okeechobee in years. Use a palomar instead.

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zippyduck

Anyone else use a double Palomar? I have had zero knot breaks with it.
3rd place 2017 UB IBASS 377.75"
AOY 2018 IBASS Cool Casters  369.00"
AOY 2019 IBASS Cool Casters  362.50"

FlatsNBay

Ask any pro behind the scenes and they will tell you that a punching bite is all about a reaction and almost any compact soft plastic bait will work. I look for a compact bait with a thick body so that it can withstand multiple fish and will keep the hook point buried in the body. My bait of choice is a Bass Pro Swimmin Elite Chunk which is a beaver/crawfish imitation with a thicker body. I match the color to the water clarity. Black and Blue or Hematoma for dark waters and green pumpkin for clear water. I rig with a 3/0 Mustad Grip Pin flipping hook because it has the best keeper. The Yum Bad Mamma used to be my favorite but they recently discontinued it.

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Smallie_Stalker

Thanks guys. I'm learning a lot already from all this great info.

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fishballer06

I'm with FnB on this. Almost anything works for punching because it's such a reaction bite.

That said, I like a Rage Bug or a D Bomb for this application.
3rd place 2019 iBass - Cool Casters
2nd place 2019 iBass - Team Tournament

BASSCATLILDAVE

I punch a good bit here on the Mobile Delta. Since the fish are not giants here I use 30LB braid and a Gene Lerew salt craw or a beaver.  3/4 to 1 ounce is usually enough weight.

rb-nc

No grass here so no punching. Do know a bunch of guys from FLA and almost all of them love the Gambler BB Cricket

Deadeye

I've used a variety of Baits and caught fish with just about all of them.

Flipping I use certain things depending on the Profile they are into that day, but since this thread is about Punching, I'll just stick to that.

I'll use 3/4 if can but more often then not, at least lately since I've been fishing heavier Hydrilla, I'll use a 1 or 1 1/2 oz weight. I do not go higher than 1 1/2 oz after seeing several Pros or Ex-Pros talking about how a 2.0 oz weight works against you more than it helps because of it's size and can actually pry open the Bass's Mouth causing you to miss the fish. I've seen some guys reporting that they also had noticed missing several fish while using 2.0 oz weights and since going down to 1.5 oz their Connect n Catch rates have gone up.

If you can not get through with a 1.5 then sky launch it a bit and most likely you will.

I prefer Trokar but will use Lazer Sharpe if I need to and run out of Trokar. I have used both the Trokar Monster and their Regular Flipping Hooks, and don not see much difference, I will be trying their other one the TK-133 with the unique bend on the hook, as it seems to really pin the fish on tight.

I always do a Snell Knott with 65 lb Power Pro. I have caught several fish using a Palomar but do feel the hinge action does seem to work slightly better.

Rod will be a XH 7'9" I custom made. It was an 8 ft model, but I cut it down slightly to fit my Rod Box better and the Tip is still giving enough that it does the job just fine.

Baits.
I've used several but for Punching in really thick grass I've learned to use something with a slim profile that will slide through easy, yet present it's self as a tasty treat. Since I use the Rage Menace for Swimjigs and Spinnerbaits and Chatterbaits, I've tried using them to cut down on necessary baits to carry and they seem to be working just fine.  Shaw Grisby using them for that and I've seen him catch a bunch of Bass on them including a 12+, so I know they work.


In the end all you need to do is find a rigging that you have confidence in and go with it. Fish don't really care, all they know is something just hit their "space" and they hit it.

Smallie_Stalker

Quote from: Deadeye on November 21, 2021, 08:16:03 AM
I've used a variety of Baits and caught fish with just about all of them.

Flipping I use certain things depending on the Profile they are into that day, but since this thread is about Punching, I'll just stick to that.

I'll use 3/4 if can but more often then not, at least lately since I've been fishing heavier Hydrilla, I'll use a 1 or 1 1/2 oz weight. I do not go higher than 1 1/2 oz after seeing several Pros or Ex-Pros talking about how a 2.0 oz weight works against you more than it helps because of it's size and can actually pry open the Bass's Mouth causing you to miss the fish. I've seen some guys reporting that they also had noticed missing several fish while using 2.0 oz weights and since going down to 1.5 oz their Connect n Catch rates have gone up.

If you can not get through with a 1.5 then sky launch it a bit and most likely you will.

I prefer Trokar but will use Lazer Sharpe if I need to and run out of Trokar. I have used both the Trokar Monster and their Regular Flipping Hooks, and don not see much difference, I will be trying their other one the TK-133 with the unique bend on the hook, as it seems to really pin the fish on tight.

I always do a Snell Knott with 65 lb Power Pro. I have caught several fish using a Palomar but do feel the hinge action does seem to work slightly better.

Rod will be a XH 7'9" I custom made. It was an 8 ft model, but I cut it down slightly to fit my Rod Box better and the Tip is still giving enough that it does the job just fine.

Baits.
I've used several but for Punching in really thick grass I've learned to use something with a slim profile that will slide through easy, yet present it's self as a tasty treat. Since I use the Rage Menace for Swimjigs and Spinnerbaits and Chatterbaits, I've tried using them to cut down on necessary baits to carry and they seem to be working just fine.  Shaw Grisby using them for that and I've seen him catch a bunch of Bass on them including a 12+, so I know they work.


In the end all you need to do is find a rigging that you have confidence in and go with it. Fish don't really care, all they know is something just hit their "space" and they hit it.
Excellent stuff Fred! Thank you for sharing.

Where I live and fish I'd probably never need to go to a 2 oz. weight but I learned something right there so I really appreciate you taking the time to post. 

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