Texas trout baits and DOAs

Post by **Ken K** » November 16th, 2003, 7:41 pm

I caught my first trout on a DOA this weekend!
They are one of Capt. Rozier's (Pensacola) go to baits. He rigs them differently though. He claims to get much longer life from the bait and more hook ups by rigging them with one of those corkscrew things screwed in the head to hold a 3/0 Kahle hook.

Another bait we used for flounder was the Norton Sand Eel, this is a Texas company.

I went by the Academy Sports to check out their gear and they had about the best selection of soft plastics that I can recall seeing. A very large percentage were either the Norton baits or Texas Trout Killer baits.

The also had the new Bass Assassin eels, none of the colors they had in stock appealed to me so I passed on buying any but they look like they would work well.

Littoral · Post by **Littoral** » November 17th, 2003, 9:31 am

I like the Kahle idea but I've never used one of the cork screw things. Could somebody explain that to me?
Also, where's Academy Sports?

Post by **Ken K** » November 17th, 2003, 7:31 pm

Academy Sports (in Pensacola) is on the east side of Davis Hwy., less than a mile north of I-10.

Post by **CSMarine** » November 18th, 2003, 8:34 am

Kinda looks like a "Drop shot rig" the way the hook sets.

Post by **Ken K** » November 18th, 2003, 10:42 am

A good tip I read somewhere for a hook keeper on this type of rig is to take a regular hole punch (like you would use to make holes in paper to fit a ring binder) and make some small discs out of a plastic coffee can or margarine bowl lid. Impale the little disc on the hook after you put the hook through the corkscrew thingy.

Post by **Cranfield** » November 18th, 2003, 4:40 pm

That "corkscrew thingy" looks like, what we would call a "hair rig".

A mono loop coming from the hook, to the bait, or lure, without the corkscrew.
Works well on bottom feeding inhalers.
But, I,m not sure what the advantage would be on a lure that was being retrieved.
I suppose it could enhance the lure presentation.

Post by **Atticus** » November 23rd, 2003, 5:01 pm

One thing I have thought of while fishing with DOAs is that scripms swim backwards and this thing gets retrieved to me head-first

I think someone makes a plastic scripm which is retrieved to the angler in a tail-first mannerâ€¦ I donâ€™t have a link or anything

BTW- With that rig, do you â€˜setâ€™ the hook or do you do a circle-hook â€˜take lineâ€™ routine?

Post by **Ken K** » November 23rd, 2003, 7:30 pm

I have re-rigged DOAs to be retrieved tail first, just take out the existing hook and run it back through from tail to head (pull the hook out so the eye comes through the body instead of the barb and it will not tear it up). I don't know that they catch any better but they dang sure will cast better rigged this way.

When I was fishing the Kahle hook rigged DOAs I mostly just stood there with my thumb up my butt wondering what that "tapping" on the end of my line was.

Post by **GeorgeP** » November 24th, 2003, 10:05 pm

The first place I ever saw the corkscrew rig was on the Banjo Minnow adds. In fact, that was the main point of what gave the Banjo its' action.