Upside down?

AtticaFish

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Got a gift certificate to NetCraft for x-mas and got a bag of these 3.5" swim baits. Dominator Swim Minnow Jr. in SS Shad color. I think they are made by (for?) NetCraft specifically or at least bagged that way. Heck of a job with the color so thought i would show it to those who pour their own. Dorsal side has a blue pepper mix, body is solid chart. and then has what looks like a clear belly with white pearl powder and pepper added. The belly is pretty translucent and the pearl powder really shines in the sun and even lets some of the chart. show when looking from the bottom.

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Anyway, to my question........ why do these have a hook slit on the bottom side of the bait or am i looking at these wrong? I have gotten plastics in the past that have this type of slit and usually rig them so the hook was sitting in the recessed area to help keep it weedless. It either takes a specific jig/hook or simply a un-weighted hook. Does this have a different purpose on these baits because it is clearly on what they wanted to be the belly color of the bait. My original plan was to rig them on a simple jig head with oversize hook (casting for walleye) but wondering if there is a specific weighted hook these were intended for?

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JUNGLEJIM1

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Probably made for an EWG hook but a bigger jig head should work as well. I'd try rigging one up with an assortment of hooks and jig heads to see which works the best.
 

Bucko

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What Jim said. Probably do you can use a 2/0 or 3/0 and still have room for the hook to come through. Doesn't look to be a big bait. 4 inch? So that'd be my guess. Cool color too!
 

hookup

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I use the slit on the bottom to run the shank of a TTi xPoint 2/0 worm hook (or gammie or matzuo, or mustad) & fish them exposed. Get's the hook into the center of the swim bait & easily runs the top of the hook through the head & the business end exposed about 2/3 of the way back.

Fish it weightless like a super fluke.

Deadly with smallies.

Shh!
 

Ron Don

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Boy hook slots are pose to be on the bottom. I know most mold makers let you choose whether you want a hook slot in the mold or not for what type of rigging you prefer. A lot of ppl will rig those weightless like mentioned or with a swim jig.

That color is sweet. Fancy machine injected bait!
 

hookup

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If you're using an EWG hook & t-pose the point, yes, weedless-ish. But fluke'n's top water, and on mid Atlantic rivers, you're really not getting to many weed beds. Now when the water's up during the summer month, you get a sheat-load of grass that grows on the bottom & gets broke up by high water - then nothing's weedless.

Most swear by a 5/0 EWG when fluke'n, but my hookup ratio is very low using this technique. I get a better hit to hookup ratio when the hook's exposed on a top water soft plastic like Attica showed.
 
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