No-action soft plastics get action BIG TIME!

[Spoonminnow]

Recently I've been casting a 3/4" minnow on a 1/32 oz jighead with good results. Not sure of the company but it has a rear fin and molded eyes and scales. I came up with the idea that curl tail grubs can be shaped so that if you cut the tail straight back to form a straight 'tail', the action is more of a dart & glide vs a vibrating body responding to a curly tail.

Yesterday I caught over 50 panfish - some in pads-vertical jigging using a 15' crappie rod - and others casting near rock walls and docks. It also caught a few bass and pickerel. Using a 4# test flc leader helped the action and feel and I only lost one bait to a pick. The white perch and crappie ranged in size from 9"-11"; perch and sunnies were on the small size.

Lake turnover should start soon and I think this modification will work as the water drops below 60 degrees vs using th 4" Bass Pro Spring grubs I've been using to catch large crappie.

Other than this lure, I pour what I would call a 'needle fish' - thicker at the head and tapered to a point down it's entire length. It's my highest percentage bait and as finesse as you can get. I like using under a bobber and with a dropshot.

Frank

[jaxsprat]

Picture please------ would sure like to see that setup-Thanks if u need help posting pict post here for mods help

[slabsrus]

That is a great idea. I have been trimming soft plastics for years just to take away some of the action. Now I just purchase the Berkley Gulp minnows. They are pretty much an actionless bait that catches lots of fish. I still do trim a lot of baits when they are not wanting to hit the Gulp minnow for some reason I am able to dig into my soft plastic bass baits and create just about any size, shape and color bait that I need to intice a bite out of finicky fish. It is always a great feeling when you create a bait right on the spot, and it works. Great job.

[deathb4disco]

Charlie Brewer was promoting "no action" plastics back in the 1960's. It still works.

[bassbull]

Hello everyone. I guess I'm one of the guys that loves to fish no action lures ( Berkley Gulp alive one inch minnow) also. The way I fish is vertical about all the time now a days. Just fish dock poles to snags and everything in between. Have tried with little success in casting for gills and crappies and always go back to dropping a jig next to some kind of structure. Will have to give that cutting down of twister tail lures to sliver type baits and give them a try. Very good idea STEVE

[Crestliner08]

Bobby's Baby Shad. I high percentage plastic.

[bowhunter012463]

I'm not very smart when it comes to no action baits. Why do the fish like it so much? I can see it if the water is so cold that they don't want to use much energy to feed. Please PM me with your thoughts. I don't always see everyones post on here.

[NIMROD]

I feel like even dead baits or no action baits , ones that have no action or wiggle really is not completely true. I verticle jig with tube baits which have little or no action of their own but, try this. Hold a jig out on a 12' jig pole with 10' of line and try to hold it perfectly still, it ain't happening!

[Spoonminnow]

ones that have no action or wiggle really is not completely true.

IMO imparted angler action is apart from inherent lure action, the combination which affects a lure's speed and vibration (total action), up & down vertically or swimming horizontally. Curl tails have zero action at rest and as far as I've seen, won't catch fish without a much faster speed than finesse baits that have bodies and tails that respond to a whisper of motion such as those pictured, tubes and hair jigs.
The ones on the top right are hand poured.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that lures with less action type tails get responded to with less lure speed and you are correct - every lure has some action when suspended off bottom - some more than others.

Respectfully
Frank

[Spoonminnow]

Finicky suspended fish seem to go after finesse baits with subtle tail action better at times when not chasing in schools.