Posts Tagged drop shot
Berkley Chigger Craw Product Review
Posted by Leo Cancilla in Lures, Product Review on December 17, 2009
Product Type: Crawfish – Soft Plastic
Tested Size(s): 3” and 4”
Tested Colors/Patterns: Black/Blue, Green Pumpkin, Green Pumpkin Party
MSRP: $3.49
First Impression: This craw has good profile with large claws. The Chigger Craw has the scent Berkley is known for.
| FishPittsburgh Scorecard – Berkley Chigger Craw | |
|---|---|
| Durability |   |
| Multiple fish can be caught on the same chigger craw, but watch those warm summer days because the claws seem to tear easier then. | |
| Fish Appeal | |
| The advantage to this craw bait is that it can be used on multiple methods: jig trailer, texas rig, Carolina rig, shaky head, and drop shot. The fish love this lure. | |
| Special Traits | |
| Unlike some craws the Berkley Chigger Craw has a ton of scent. Not just any scent, it is the Berkley Powerbait Scent that seems to drive fish crazy. | |
| Price | |
| The count size to the price is very reasonable. Add in the fact that you will more than likely catch multiple fish on each lure and it is a definite buy. | |
| Diversity | |
| I have caught fish on these lures on just about every body of water, every structure type, and every technique that I have tried with them. This lure is a winner. | |
| Overall |  |
|---|---|
| Great overall Bait. See My Recommendations below | |
Mike Iaconelli shows you how he uses the Berkley Chigger Craw as jig trailer…Watch
| Pros | Cons |
| Berkley Scent | Claws Tear Easily |
| Size Availability | |
| Color Selection | |
| Used in Multiple Techniques | |
| Good Action |
RECOMMENDATIONS: The first this I recommend is buying some of these great lures. Go with the colors that you are most confident in. You will find that these lures really work well in multiple situations. Personally, I have two methods that I really like. First, I love texas rigging these lures and flipping them into tight cover. No matter what stage of the spawn the bass are in and the time of year, I always managed to catch a couple pegging a ¼oz. bullet weight with a 3/0 hook and a size 4 chigger craw. I will recommend varying the size of your hook for different cover. My other favorite technique to use with the chigger craw is using it as a jig trailer. I have caught more bass on bass jigs with chigger craws as trailers that I have with regular jig trailers. They add bulk to the jig and don’t forget about the powerbait scent that is in them. Other techniques to try with the chigger craws include: using them on a shaky head jig, drop shot, and Carolina rig. The 3” version is especially good for the shaky head jig and drop shot method. Although the 4” bait is a little small and sinks it can still be effective on a Carolina rig. Don’t be afraid to try some of the different colors that Berkley makes. Go to www.berkley-fishing.com to find more tips and see which professional fishermen endorse this product.
ABOUT THE CRITIC : You must know that I am very critical of my lures. I only have about 3 lures that I use that would receive a perfect 50 and I personally modify those lures once I have them. I consider any lure over 40 great and any lure over 30 good. Anything less than 30 and you probably won’t see it in my tackle box.
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2nd District Event Lake Erie
Posted by Leo Cancilla in Cancilla's Fishing Blog on July 13, 2009
Well, I am sad to say that my second district event in the TBF didn’t go quite as well as the first one. Yesterday, district 6 held an event at Lake Erie and since the weather was going to be calm the main lake was on limits. That was good news for most guys, but for me it spelled disaster. With very little experience on the main lake and no time to practice for the tournament I was hoping that the weather would force us to stay in the bay. I have a lot of experience fishing in the bay because I have always just fished out of my 16′ carolina skiff.
My father (Ron Cancilla) fished Mr. Bass West for the TBF Friday and Saturday and won as a rider. He convinced me to run west to the spot that he was able to catch 19+ lbs of smallmouth. He described it the best that he could to me. However, there is no true way to know if I ever found that exact spot. My rider caught the first keeper of the day at 7:30 on a drop shot rig. It was a nice 3lber. About 30 minutes later I was able to land my first smallmouth of the day. It was a 4.66lb smallmouth. At this point we were thinking that we were on the right spot and we just had to keep working for more strikes. That is when things started going south. We each caught a dink smallmouth and a bunch of sheephead. I unfortunately lost 2 more smallmouth that probably would have shot me up the standings. One that I actually got to see that was around 3lbs. The other just gave a couple quick head shakes and was off. I caught my keeper dragging a tube on the bottom. The keeper that I say and lost was on a drop shot.
By running to the spot that I didn’t know exactly where it was I knew I was taking a gamble. However, without a chance to practice for the tournament I decided that was my best chance to win. Perhaps if I had gone to the two spots that I know in the east and worked them I would have gotten a limit, but I feel that the results may have been the same. I know that I want to spend more time on Lake Erie because the smallies are giants. Congratulations to the winners and I look forward to event 3 at Conneaut.
Drop Shot Rig
Posted by Jon Parker in Tip of the Week on June 11, 2009
Here is another great video from Al Linder. The video explains when, where, and how to fish a drop shot rig.
Fish Pittsburgh Photos
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