Toxic - Shaky Head

[Teri C.]

I tried fishing a shaky head this weekend for a bit. Since I

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Normally, the fish will tell you how long they want you to let it sit. My T partner is always skipping a shakeyhead up under docks, they are a lot harder to skip than a senko. If I am going to skip a dock, I will usually pick up a senko on a gamakatsu skip-gap hook and fire away. I use a shakeyhead to fish open water and places where I need to get a bait to the bottom faster. Rockpiles, brushpiles, etc. If a pro is moving the boat too fast to fish plastics then the pro is either fishing a moving bait (crank, spinner, etc.) or he/she is just timing the boat moves to mess you up....it happens. If the pro is fishing plastics just like you then time your casts to coincide with the pro. That lets your bait soak as long as theirs. Unfortunately, you have to match your pro in what they are throwing because if they are chucking cranks with the TM on high, a shakeyhead is not gonna work as well. Keep your eye on what they throw, especially cranks because if they are on a certain color you can replicate it. Personally, I would throw a grub rather than a crank but that is just me and unless the pro is knocking them dead I want to give those fish a look at something different. Grub, spinerbait, chatterbait, etc.



TOXIC

 

[Pierre Voisine]

Hey Teri,



Tox is right. Fish your strenghts, a tournament is not the time to try something too different or radical. I think you are better off to fish something you are used to, especially if you don't have control of the boat. My guess is that you probably don't have 100% confidence on a shaky head right now, until you do stay away from it.



Fishing is 40% location, 20% lure selection/presentation and 40% confidence.



Good luck,

Pierre

 

[Teri C.]

Pierre, you are right! I am planning on fishing a black and blue jig with a craw trailer. If all else fails, I will move to a Texas Rig blue fleck worm.