Conference wahoo::fishing

    You should have bought the kit of em from B.P. Shops. $6 for one?!
    
    Regardless...they are KILLER.
                                            NIGHTCRAWLER~~~~~~~~~

"Walkin the dog" is easier to demonstrate than it is to explain.

Basically, using your rod tip held close to the water, twitch and reel, 
twitch and reel.  You twitch the rod enough make the spook dart in one 
direction, reel up the slack, and then twitch again, making the spook dart 
in the opposite direction.  The final effect is a zig-zag across the water.  
It takes a little practice.

BTW...the Zara Spook is one of the few top-water plugs that can entice bass 
up from depths of 20-30 feet.  Also, the spook can be effective even while 
the surface is not calm.

Good luck with da spook!  Next to the Crazt Crawler, it's my favorite top 
water plug.

-HSJ- 

    While down at Okeechobee fishing with pro angler Steve Daniel (4th
    place `85 Classic and should qualify for this year's Classic),
    `walking the dog' was one the techniques that I had him show me.  As
    Joe said, it's sort of zigzaging the lure accross the water and it's
    much easier demonstrated than explained.  I'd describe it as a steady
    slow retrieve while twitching or jerking the rod tip.  It's supposed to
    be a great method to 'spook up' lunker smallmouth.  Haven't really
    tried it too much yet...  Don Mac

    What are the best color ZARA SPOOKS to buy?  I was thinking of picking
    up a few,
    
    Les
    

    That would seem to make sense, since the idea of the lure seems
    to be to create some motion (comotion?) on the surface and bring
    the bass up from below. The less they can actually see of the lure,
    the more likely they may be to mistake it for a living thing (dinner!)
    I would assume that the next best after that would be black, then
    something that resembles a small fish...
    
    I recently read a good article in the summer issue of In Fisherman
    on light and the effect it has on fish, esp bass. It did mention
    which colors were most visible to bass - a good thing to know. I
    will try to get the info in a note soon.
    
    P.S. I fished Winnipesaukee all last week, and there was absolutely
    NO topwater action - NOTHING. Only grubs and gitzits seemed to work
    for anyone. I finally had some success with grubs, but only after
    trying everthing else in the box first, including six new Rapalas
    I bought from Bass Pro on sale... and you shoulda seen the one that
    got away... yow!
    
    Ed

    
    
              The one that resembles a perch is great for BIG bass,
              also large pike and muskie kill them too.

              
              The thing to do is throw Zara out and let the rings subside.
              Start jerking the rod and reeling the slack at the same time
              and sometimes I will let it sit every few zigzags because
              once in a while there will be something eyeing it out
              and when you start it again they bang it.
    
    
    
                                             The Keg    

A couple more comments on the Spook...and topwater fishing in general.

The chrome colored spook is an excellent choice for clear water.  Despite 
what one may think, chrome (not to be mistaken with silver!) actual reFRACTS
light rather than reFLECTing it which makes it somewhat less obtrusive in 
clear water.  

Also, the Keg mentioned stopping the spook periodically and just let it sit 
while the ripples die away.  This can be deadly at times for ANY topwater 
plug.  I've had many a good bass inhale a topwater plug while it was just 
sitting there, sometimes for as long as 2-3 minutes (while I untangled a 
"professional overrun").

However, one thing to remember is that if you're fishing a topwater 
bait at night, make sure your retrieve is steady, and NOT intermittant or 
sporadic.  At night, a bass' visibility is reduced and they depend upon 
their sense of sound and motion.  If the retrieve is steady, they can home 
in on the bait very easily.  If your retrieve is erratic, they may end up 
misjudging where the bait is by striking either in front of or behind the bait.

Because of the more erratic action of the Spook when "walkin' the dog," I 
don't use it after dark.  My preference is for a straight-line retrieve type 
of bait (i.e. Crazy Crawler, Jitterbug, etc).  I would be interested in 
knowing of others who have had success with the Spook after dark.

-HSj-

    I've caught fish (smallmouth, largemouth, pike, and have even had
    sunfish).. attack the Spook. I have had success with all colors
    but prefer the green/black and chartreuse spooks. It takes but one
    fish on these to get your "confidence" in fishing it. I like to
    cast it, let the ripple fade for about 10 seconds, then just jerk
    it once to again create a ripple to allow the Bass to "find it.
    The commence "walking the dog".
         My success level at night has been good as as well, but I have
    more confidence in fishing "sputter" type topwaters, ie; sputterbug
    by Arbogast, jitterbugs, etc.
         Believe it or not, certain colors will work when others do
    not. Definitly an unusual topwater bait. Has anyone tried the
    "countdown spook"?? It is new and is weighted so it will drop to
    a desired depth!
                                            NIGHTCRAWLER~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                                     

Just to add to Nightcrawler's comment...

the other night I was out on my little pond (next to my house) and was 
casting a Zara Spook Puppy (smaller version) and a 4" SHINER hit it!!

Talk about a bait fish taking the bait!!

hsj

    	Also, don't believe all you read and hear about top water not
    working in the wind.  Last Sunday, the waves were running about
    10-12" with a strong wind.  Moss and weeds were within a foot of
    the surface.  Caught most of my fish on BUZZ baits with a couple
    on spooks.  Caught one nice 22", 6 3/4# Bass.  However, she would
    not have made a good mounter since she had tooth marks clear up
    to the dorsal fin.  (Wish I could have hooked THAT PIKE!!!!)  Oh
    well, NEXT TIME!!!!!!!!

    My best spook is the river minnow.   It is one of the clear types
    with yellow back and yellow vertical stripes.  With big read areas
    around the eyes and front.  I have had it for 10 years.  Just started
    to find the design in stores again.  Works great at quabin res,
    A tiny torp in the same design also works well for smallies!
    
    Bassin Bob

    Thanks for all the help. (I gotta say though, the first reply came
    off line from a highly recommended source.)  IN any even, I tried
    your ideas and TA-DAA they work.  Major problem I was having was
    the lure itself.  A friend of mine loaned me his spook and using
    your techniques I had no problem with his but mine still runs at
    wierd angles.  So, I picked up another one and everything's cool.
    The funeral ceremony for the first one will be at noon tomorrow!
    
    
    						Thanks again
    
    						The old ALFer

    
    RE: 13
    
    
    Try to readjust to angle of the nose piece  where you tie on.  This works
    well for repella and rebel lures. try it before the funeral.
    
    The Harbor Master.

     If adjusting the nose doesn't work, check the hook hangers to insure
    that they're straight. Most guys ignore 'em and mess with the nose
    too much.
     Another tip on "Walkin' the Puppy" - you can use the mended line
    technique fly fishermen us, i.e. if you have a slight belly of slack
    in your line as the lure sits on the surface, roll your rod tip
    in the opposite direction. If the belly is to the right and you
    "roll" left, the lure will twitch to the right; then "walk on"!

    The Spook is one of the few plugs that transitions to saltwater
    well right out of the box! At times it can be deadly for blues and
    school sized stripers. It seems to work especially well in the Fall-
    I guess the shape resembles a finger mullet, and "walking the dog"
    is essentially like using a pencil popper (a VERY effective plug).
    
    Bagel

    
     Well I just got turned on to the Spook by the legend of the lakes
    and I'm usually a worm fisherman but decided to give it a try. So
    off we went to lake winapasakee (sp) for the weekend, not only did
    I master the spook I also out fished the lengend for the weekend!!
    
    Hey legend thanks for the tip!!
    
    Martial
    

    Well folks I have made a great error in the previous note!! This
    morning I received a mail message from THE LEGEND OF THE LAKES 
    blasting me for not using capital letters while calling him the
    LEGEND. So MR. WATERS I hope you will forgive me for that mistake
    and I will never write legend of the lakes without capitalizing
    it!!!
    
    I think he is more upset that I kicked his butt in fishing more
    than anything else.
    
    THE LEGEND KILLER
    
    MARTIAL BASS-O-MATIC VACHON
     

Hey, Martial...

You could have gotten NOTHING at all and STILL would have OUTFISHED the
legend (note: lowercase!).

HSJ

        One observation on "walkin" a Zara spook. I have more rods than
        Arnie Palmer has clubs, and only my stiffest rods can really make
        the Zara walk the dog.
        
        "Best" color? No such thing. Depends on the lake, the day, the
        season... my two favorites are bass finish 5/8 oz (looks like bass to
        me, anyway) and white with a red head 3/8 oz.
        
        One quick war story. I was fishing Winnipesaukee for smallmouth,
        from the front of our friend's house in Meredith. I had picked up
        a couple of 2 pounders on a bass finish Zara, so I moved down the
        shore a bit. My first cast in the new spot was a high lobbing
        cast. BEFORE THE PLUG HIT THE WATER, I'd say it was still 8" to a
        foot above the water, a 2 pounder came straight out of the water
        and grabbed it. Adrenaline high. Still gives me a rush.
        
        Art

    	I have been using a Zara Spook for about five years and I didn't
    see this hint mentioned under this topic.  When "walking-the-dog" and a
    fish hits the Spook I don't stop walking it at all.  I just totally
    ignore the splashing until I know the fish is on the hook.  Its really 
    hard to program yourself to not to set the hook as soon as the fish hits 
    it but if you keep walking the bass will strike again usually immediately
    after the first strike.  They will continuously slam the lure until
    they partially set the hook themselves.  Once you know the Spook is in
    his mouth (can't see the spook on the surface) slam the hook home
    before the biggun gets the chance to jump out and spit it out.
    	This difficulty of this increases when using a clear Zara Spook. 
    With all the splashing its hard to tell if it is still floating or
    under the water so I just keep walkin' until I feel him on there.
    	I've had bass hit the spook five times concurrently before they
    finally got hooked on it but in the case of a big bass it only usually
    only takes one strike.
    
    Steve

>    	I've had bass hit the spook five times concurrently before they
>    finally got hooked on it but in the case of a big bass it only usually
>    only takes one strike.
 
 Amazing! A bass with 5 mouths!

 The Doctah

    re: -1
    	Thats alright, a bass doesn't have a dictionary anyways.
    Steve
    

    That was a good point.  I try and do the same while using all
    topwaters.  It's *real* hard not to set the hook when you hear and/or
    see that splash!  I try to keep a tight line and make myself wait
    until I feel the fish take it under.
    
    donmac

This is good advice while fishing topwater for any fish.  A few weeks back I
was popping for blues on Sweet Dream II and had a fish hit the plug 3 or 4 times.
Well, I got impatient and tried to set the hook, only to have the plug fly at
me at <some exagerrated speed (it was fast)> and stick one point in my leg, 
past the barb.  It's not fun pushing a hook back out, clipping the barb and
removing, I must say.  Actually, the tetanus shot hurt more the next few days.

Tim

    Tim got the point (yuk, yuk, had to say it) the hard way. He could
    not believe it as I had one blue hit my popper 6-7 time before hooking
    up. You have to just keep working the plug just as if nothing was
    chasing it, when you feel the weight of the fish he is on. I have
    taken a number of people out for blues and they are make the same
    mistake trying to set the hook or dropping the plug back to the
    fish. Just keep doing what your doing and let the fish do the rest.
    
    Capt. Codfish

I agree that it's difficult to exercise patience and wait a moment before 
setting the hook on a topwater bait.  That's why more fish are hooked after 
dark than during daylight hours on topwaters...you don't react to what you 
see but rather, to what you hear.  Because sound travels slower than light, 
that extra moment of delay in setting the hook usually gives a bass time to
get the bait into its mouth. 

One little tip I picked up for fishing topwater baits during daylight hours 
is to watch the bait from the corner of your eyes rather than look directly 
at it.  It takes a moment longer for what you see to register in your head 
as a striking fish.

Also, because I tend to fish topwater baits whenever conditions are right 
(day or night), I've gotten into the habit of actually dropping my rod tip 
when a bass strikes and then snap setting the hook with the slack in the 
line.  Obviously, you need to use heavier line (I use 12-15# minimum) to 
prevent the line from breaking.  The time it takes to drop the rod tip and 
then haul back, take up the slack and set the hook usually ends up being 
just the right amount of time.  It works for me with few misses.

-HSJ- (who'd_rather_fish_my_crazy_crawler_than_anything_else!!) 

    	And the problem becomes even more exasperating when fishing
    moss-mice and rubber frogs on TOP of Millfoil and Moss.  I don't
    care to even THINK of the number of flying frogs and mice I have
    ducked in the last couple of years.  It IS tough on the nervous
    system, though, to wait till you FEEL the fish before setting the
    hook when you watch about an 18 inch diameter section of moss disappear
    where your bait used to be.  Then, when you set the hook under those
    conditions, "YOU SET THE HOOK!!", since your bait is usually buried
    somewhere in the fish's mouth with an extra pound of Moss.  (This
    explains WHY you DUCK when you jerk and DON'T feel the fish.)  The
    worst problem with Hog-Froggin (as I call it) is when the fish explodes
    on the bait and just knocks Moss, water, and bait about a foot into
    the air and YOU STILL SET THE HOOK!!!!  One word of advice, "DUCK!!!
    QUICK!!!!"  :-)

    What really happened with the bluefish:  I DID feel the weight. 
    Apparently, the fish was not hooked well, for after it bent my pole
    over, it let go.  You can imagine my surprise at seeing the hook buried
    in my leg.  BTW, the trick about pushing the point through and removing
    the barb works well.  Just be sure to have SHARP, non-RUSTY hooks (hear
    that Bruce?) and a good set of wire cutters.  I broke a crimping tool
    trying to pull the point through...
    
    Re: .26 (I think)  Of course you had to say it, Bruce.  Someone did.
    
    Tim
    
    PS:  All tough it is not relevant to this topic, don't ever bother
    going bottom fishing with the Sea King II (Bourne Marina).  I did catch
    a sea bass minus its tail, the wound was completely healed.  It sure did
    swim funny!!

    This weekend I was watching Jimmy Houston Outdoors and the In-Fisherman
    and both shows featured Zara Spooks as one of the lures.  Coincidently
    they were both sequences filmed in Venisula (sp?) where they were
    fishing for Peacock Bass.  These nasty bass hit those spooks like no
    tomorrow.  In fact they showed on the In-Fisherman Show how chunks of
    the side was missing and in fact one of the trebles on the front set
    was missing.  Their advice was to carry a couple of these babies down
    there.  They used walk the dog techniques and the intersting sequence
    was the one In Fisherman showed of what this lure looks like underwater
    while being walked.  It really looked more like some animal swimming
    the surface than a frog or fish, inf fact the first impression was that
    it had the fluid movements of a snake gliding the surface.
    
    the Bassassin

I caught Jimmy Houston.  He loves those peacock bass.  The dog sure did get them
to hit.  What station and what time is the In Fisherman show on?

Tim

    its on TNN (the nashville network) its on around 2pm on sat and then
    around noon on sunday - following it on sunday is bassmasters,
    hankparker and bill dance
    
    donmac

    Anyone have any luck with the G Finish?
    
    Bassasssin

    nope...
    
    
    
    of course the one I have is a kind of purpley color. What self
    respecting bass would bite a color like that?
    
    Ed
    

I have a Zara and a Tiny Tarpeda in G-finish; haven't had much luck with
them. However, on the same days, same water, red & white and bass finish
Zara and bass finish tarpeda (I guess the box said "torpedo") caught
fish.

G-finish is sure pretty, but its fish-raising ability hasn't impressed
me yet.

Do you REALLY need anything more than black and red&white for surface
lures? If I had to be limited to just two colors for every lure I own,
those are the two I'd pick.

Art

    	Let me see, basic top water colors.  DARK AND LIGHT!!!!  'Bout sums
    it up for me.  One in either white or chrome and one black.  However,
    punkinseed rather impressed me one day last summer.  However, the next
    day I didn't catch a thing on it.  So, is color important????  NOPE. 
    The next day they weren't going topwater.  Black pig-n-jig worked GREAT
    when the Zara failed me.  My impression of color, "One light color and
    one dark color, color of your choice!"

    The reason I asked about the G Finish is that on the Jimmy Houston Show
    last week he came out and said the G Finish Shiner is his favorite
    Spook and used that through his entire show.  Was wondering if anyone
    else has had the luck he professed in the show.
    
    

    	I tend to go with Jerry McKinnis and Orlando Wilson about color. 
    Buy WHATEVER color turns YOUR CRANK.  Especially with topwater baits. 
    There you are more looking at a profile and the action to TRIGGER a
    strike than the color.  Unless you are fishing the lure in a VERY SLOW
    popping with LONG PAUSE mode, they really don't have the time to home
    in on the color of the bait.  They are seeing a profile and a flash. 
    So, I tend to just carry one chrome with ???, one white, and one dark
    color.  Sometimes the fish tend to want a high contrast to the surface
    type bait and others low contrast.  Worms and other SLOW baits, I start
    thinking a little more about color.  Still, I only carry about 4 or 5
    different colors to cover the spectrum.

    re -.1
    
    Yeah, I always wondered why so many baits had fancy coloring on the
    top, when the fish mostly see the only drab underside...
    
    Ed
    

    re -.1
    
    Ed,
    
    	How many baits can you sell a fisherman if you offer ONE color???? 
    NOW, how many FISHERMEN can you catch if you paint them frog, white,
    green, purple, . . . . . . .  :-0  :-)
    

    I have been practicing the walk the dog technique the last couple of
    days and have a couple questions.
    
    Do you have to do this with the tip down.  I find I can walk the dog
    better with the tip at about 45 degrees.  If you do walk it low how do
    you set the hook.  It must take a massive upswing to set it?
    
    Do you use a moderate retrieve speed or really blast this baby across?
    
    Brian

    re. -.1
    
    	YES!!!!! to all of the above.  :-)
    
    	How to fish it???  FAST, SLOW, MEDIUM, STOPPED, SPEEDBOAT, . . .
    YES!!!!  I tend to find that I can work the bait better with a STIFF
    rod.  a flexible tipped rod has too much give for me (PERSONALLY) to
    get the action from the bait that I like.  I can't throw the slack in
    the line quick enough to get the side-to-side action with a spongy rod. 
    (Probably need more practice.)  :-)  As for rod position, whatever
    turns your crank and doesn't kill someone else in the boat.

    I second the bit about the flexible rod. I can't get good action with a
    spook unless I sort of "snap" the rod with the tug on the line coming
    at the very peak of the snap. Otherwise, the rod (med action 7') seems
    to soften the pull on the line too much and the spook kind of just
    drags listlessly through the water like a little log.
    
    I have a new 6' heavy action rod that I can't wait to try out - I
    expect that walking the dog will come a lot easier.
    
    Ed
    

    Well this Sunday, I went to try out a very small pond that I have been
    eyeing for awhile.  When I got to the waters edge I realized how much
    floating junk there was, grass, weeds, lily pads etc etc.  It was so
    thick it was hard to wade.  So I got out a spinnerbait and tried
    several casts.  I could see Bass run up to the spinner but nothing in
    fact alot of them hit the bare line as it settled into the water.  I
    switched to a torpedo and again alot of close look sees but no
    interest.  Then I hauled out the spook.  First cast and retrieve,  this
    huge v surfaced from under overhanging shrubs headed straight for my
    spook and wham hit that side so hard it pushed it up out of the water. 
    Like a fool I hauled back for an instant set and pulled it away from
    the bass.  In the excitement of a surface hit, I forgot to wait.  So I
    pitched it out again zilch tried that spot for awhile and a couple others
    nothing.   Then in a new location whamo another smaller surge and then
    the spook went down.  I hauled in this largemouth that was smaller than
    the spook!!!  In fact the treble was bigger than his whole mouth!  This
    is not discouraging in fact the opposite.  I figuired it this way.  Any
    lure that can excite a strike from a bass half its size can only be
    deadly on real lunkers.  So I am going back this Sunday for the big
    one.  This note was just to say....I caught my first bass on a spook a
    small step today but a big hawg tommorrow.
    
    Let me re-emphasize that a surface hit on spook beats the hell out of
    any other catch I have made.
    
    Brian
                      

    Brian,
    
    Sounds a lot like my first spook success! A little baby!
    
    What color did you use?
    
    Ed

    Ed
    
    It was the bass colored spook.
    
    brian