Secret to the f18's?

[baetis]

I've done some night fishing the last few weeks and have come up empty handed. I've thrown every crank bait imaginable. Every retrieve possible. I'm seeing tons of bait and fish busting on the bait, but I can't connect.

I read a lot of people having success with the f18's. Any secret to the color/retrieve that I'm missing?

Thanks.

[FASTEDDIE29]

Never used em never will!!! Caught 50 Eyes this past May on Bombers and Smithwicks. Everyone is on that F-18 gig. I choose not to follow the cult!!!

[GetANet]

I'm with Eddie, don't even have one in my box and caught plenty of fish. I fish mostly bombers and cotton cordell red fins. Bought all my baits at walmart for 2.50 each! My secret wepon is a jointed smokey joe red fin, caught most of my bigger fish on them. As far as color, ah personally not a huge deal with me at night more about the action of the bait, I use firetiger ,black/silver, green/silver black back silver orange belly. It's more about the retrieve- very slow, when you think your slow, slow down more and your at the right retrieve speed. Depending on the aggressiveness of the fish sometimes a steady retrieve, sometimes a pause or jerk , sometimes a little faster but usually turtle slow LOL! Change it up with lures and retrieves till you find one that works and then it might work all night might only for a fish or two, let them tell you what they want and then listen!!!!

[jimmythegreek]

The secret is to know when to use them. If you have bait busting and fish crashing you are better off w poppers or dog walkers. The long stick baits excel early in the season and they must be fished a certain way. They are not all equal. On a long cast if you reel fast u can take a F18 down to 10 feet, WAY too deep. They work good early in the spawn and late in the spawn, when they r hot and heavy I never use them. I have over 40 fish on my firetiger f18 this spring, that was until a monster muskie chewed it up and put it out of commision

[Skunk City]

Slow and steady retrieve for me, just enough to get it to wobble a bit.

[birddog]

I have had great success with the f-18, they need to be fished slow and on the surface, What I like best about them are the hooks, many times when the fish come up to swipe at them they hook themselves. I have been using the same one for 3 years now. I just change up the hooks when they grt too bent up. Knucklehead poppers also have been successsful for me.Friday nite I even caught(snagged some herring on the f-18