Please help with suggestions. I love the action the scrounger head
gives to my fluke and grubs while smallmouth fishing the rivers in my
home state. Unfortunately, I’m having some serious issues with fish
coming unbuttoned before I can get them into the boat. I fished with a
guide recently and on this trip the smallmouth action was red hot. I
was nearly 100% successful in bringing my Texas and wacky rigged senko
fish onboard. The scrounger rigged fluke was slaying them good but for
some reason it seemed that 40% or more of the fish mysteriously just
popped off before I could get my hands on them. I’m sure it’s my hook
setting technique. Very late in the day I tried more of a sweep
hookset but that didn’t help very much.

Can you offer any of suggestion please?

There are a few things to consider here; the size scrounger, the size bait used on a scrounger and of course the hookset when you get bit.

As for the hookset, it’s my opinion that when you are fishing the smaller scroungers for smallmouth you should let the bait do the work and set the hook for you, the hook is super-sharp. Think of it much like a crankbait or using a circle hook on a whacky rigged senko.  As you are retrieving the bait, it gets hit, just apply a steady pressure, maybe just a tap to be certain the hook point went through.

As for fish coming un-buttoned, this can sometimes happen with the smaller scroungers when used with somewhat bulky baits in relation to the hook size. For instance, a 3/16oz scrounger has a 1/0 hook, not a very big hook although, I personally throw the 3/16oz with a 4″ bait. With this said, just imagine that the bait has no place to go when a fish hits, except forward leaving only a certain amount of hook to go through the fish’s mouth and hold-n to that fish. A great example of this can be found here: ( http://thescrounger.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/rigged-fluke.jpg ) the fluke jr. pictured is rigged on a 3/16oz scrounger. You may find it helpful to rig a bait so the bait is slightly angled downward like this photo. ( http://thescrounger.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/rigged-beaver.jpg ) Doing so often provides a better action and also allows more hook for your fish sticking pleasure. Hope this helps.

As I recall the original Scroungers came in the blister pack with a
snap attached to the eyelet. The new ones don’t have this. Should I
use one or not?

Answer:

Yes, it’s my opinion that any version of a scrounger type bait should come with a snap. If it does not, you should consider using one. Using a snap assures that the bait has freedom of movement and can wobble or oscillate as intended.

A company called Moaner Hooks has just appeared on the internet bass scene with information about an alternative line of hooks and a new jig head they are offering. They boast Tour Grade performance without the price and their prices are great.

Moaners come in two weights, in three sizes and both use screw locks for the bait attachment.   They offer swim bait style hooks that look great, their hooks fish great and the prices are hard to beat! Their new style standup jig also uses a screw lock and is just as good. It’s got a stiff hook, it’s sharp and it just adds to their awesome lineup with the same affordable price.

While you are there, subscribers to the Moaner Newsletter will be privilege to special offers and product related news. Some early subscribers even have a chance to get some Moaner product before the rest so look for it if your interested. If you use hooks to fish for bass, these hooks are worth the look.

Moaner Hooks

White 6′ rubber curl tails with a 1/2 oz or 3/4 oz scrounger. They
were deadly when they first came out with this scrounger and they
still are today. I troll with them on the Napa River in California ,
and it’s my number one choice for targeting Striped Bass. Try bouncing
them off the bottom close to the shore line in 5 to 10 ft. of water.

Thanks for taking the time to share your goto scrounger bait with everyone.

There is actually an episode of Hook-n-Look filmed on one of the great lakes using the small craw on a jighead and it was on fire. During the show, they were targeting bedding smallmouth and this bait produced like a piece of candy. The baby craw caught them swimming, it caught them sitting and it seemed that this offering couldn’t be fished wrong. Add this to a scrounger and the odds are in your favor for sure!

If you haven’t seen the Baby Rage Craw yet, you should visit RageTail.com for more information about its uses and designed applications. Checkout the RageTalk forums if you have any questions about their line of baits, friendly bunch they are. As for purchasing some baby craws for yourself, they are available online just about anywhere and most stores across the country are carrying them this season.

Another great aspect of the Smokin’ Rooster is to rig it vertically like you might do with a beaver style bait. Remove one arm, rig it vertical and you now have a completely different profile with the same bait packed full of that the same great action and believe me, fish have never seen that before!

If you haven’t seen the Smokin Rooster yet, you should visit RageTail.com for more information about its uses and designed applications. Checkout the RageTalk forums if you have any questions about their line of baits, friendly bunch they are. As for purchasing some smokin roosters for yourself, they are available online just about anywhere and most stores across the country are carrying them this season.

Tight lines everyone!

Picture yourself holding this same check, what a dream come true, scroungers can make it a reality. Greg Hackney has thrown scroungers with a 3” soft-plastic shad to help seal his win in the 2009 FLW Forrest Wood Cup, and he took home $500,000.

Skeete Reese uses them and was quoted as saying, “I fished offshore at Jordan (Lake in Wetumpka , Ala)  and caught 90% of the fish I weighed-in 1st day using a Scrounger Head with a soft plastic jerkbait trailer.” These are two high profile pros and they know scroungers work.

The Scroungers create an almost a unreal vibration and provide outstanding action.  Paired with your favorite soft plastic or jig trailer you have one of the best kept secrets of late.  A Minda spear worm, a  Strike King Rage Tail Craw,  Creature Baits,  even with Skirts it’s NO PROBLEM getting a different action using scroungers.

These are so versatile and easy to use, there is just not a bad way to fish them. Almost anything works with a scrounger.  Throw them out, count them down to your desired depth, reel them, twitch them, burn them, slow reel them, jerk them, you just can’t go wrong.

The Berkley power minnow is also available in smaller sizes which allow you to scale back and create a great finesse combination with the 1/8oz. scroungers.

This is great all-around scrounger combination for LM & SM Bass and even Walleye. With quite a few colors to choose from and a variety of fluke sizes, it’s not hard to put together a winning combination for any species from panfish like crappie to big game fish like Northern Pike.

You can order these solid-bodied swimbaits by visiting Bass Storm Lures.