I know a lot of you use a spoon a foot or so above your jig as an attractor. I'm going to give this a try for the first time and I was wondering if you leave the hook on the spoon or take it off? I figured I would leave the hook on since fish like to hit anything shiny. What are your opinions?
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i have tryed both and have never caught one on the kastmaster all i have ever done is tangle my jig in the trebble hook and most of the time i watch the fish hit it on my underwater camera then i pull it out put the hook back on and then they aren't interested. hope that helps
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I fished the UL pump house today with that exact rig and I caught 8 of my 10 fish on the kastmaster and the other 2 on the ice fly. I often catch 2 fish at a time as well. It really depends, but I would say leave it on there. You can even tie your line to the hook, if you have the skills to tie it without ripping your fingers up. Good Luck.
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I use a Swedish pimple and take the treble hook off and replace it with the single hook that comes in the. That seems to lessen the tangles a bit but i definitely keep a hook on. It doesn't usually matter where I'm fishing or what I'm fishing for, if I'm into the fish and catching them every 4th or 5th one will have taken the pimple. I had probably 4 or 5 doubles the other day at Pineview, with a fish on both the pimple and the jig.
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maybe i need to switch to a single hook that would make more sense and less tangles thanks
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I know it might sound goofy, but i put a small ice fly on the end of my pimples, seems to do "ok" with it. I usually use a teardrop of some sort
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Personally I think a needlefish is better for an attractor. It doesnt weigh as much and they come in about any color you can think of. Been using them for years and love them.
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Good info! Thanks to all of you.
How's the ice at the pumphouse?
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Pumphouse ice was 2.5-4" of safe good ice, but in the heat of the day (usually not hot at all) it has a layer of slush or water on it that hardens in the night. Should be safe for a little while, but be careful as the ice is swiss cheese with all of the holes.
You can take the hook off and use it above about 6"- 1' and then an ice fly above and something below or just use it with an ice fly above it 1' and use it with the treble below it as it comes in the package....i think both work fine and I caught a good # on this rig yesterday there as well, although I dont think the fish are picky there either.
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I know it has already been said, but switch to the single hook. You can get sidewash hooks to put on kast masters as well.
Last year I was lazy and didn't switch the treble out literally one time. Well I go a freaking hog on at DC, and as I pulled the line up out of the hole the treble hook set into the ice. I couldn't get the thing out so I watched that huge old fish a foot below the rim of the ice freak out and break off!!!
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Are you tying the pimple directly on your line or using a swivel?
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Directly on the line. I was going to try a swivel the other day (for some reason it had just barely occurred to me to use a swivel) but I didn't have any that were small enough. I'm goign to pick some up before the next time out and see if it helps any with tangles
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Good luck, let me know which way you like better after trying the swivel.[
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I do use a swivel, mainly so I can quickly change attractor colors if I want to. Saves me time re-tying.
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Took this photo today about 9am at Echo.
I leave the hook on....it works.
I have never considered replacing it with a single hook....makes sense though....there are times when the trebble hook can snag the bottom of the ice hole on its way up.
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Nice fish.
I started trying some spoons, but realized they were too heavy, and I was missing the little bites. Took them off, dropped a finky with no other weight, and started getting on them. I've seen some that rig all with kastmasters, minus the hook, and just slay 'em, Consistently.
I tried a small castmaster with a hook. Ice fly on a leader tied to a swivel. Swivel hooks the hook, then a strip of rubber band over the tip to hold the swivel in place. I tipped the treble, and the fly below. Most of my hits were on the lower, smaller fly. But biggest fish was on the castmaster.
But as mentioned - did tend to hookup on the bottom of the ice on the way in. Bent up some hooks pretty good too. But when you've got a fish swimming sideways to your upward pull - it'll happen. Could also with a double drop rigging. Might try swapping the hook, and leave a single. Good idea.
I'm trying both ways next time out. With and without. We'll see.
I've always used a Swedish pimple with no hooks on it. I just attach the extra o ring that comes with the pimple, then attach my leader to the o ring with a small ice fly or jig on the end of that. I've been to 5 reservoirs this winter and have not had any trouble catching fish. I've personally never used hooks on the attractor, and never had problems tangling.
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