Pork

[Buzz Wing]

Since it is Spring, and pork seems to be the fad across the country, I decided I needed a few jars. I picked up the new Uncle Josh Phantom Maxx craws, but I thought they were too tough. I couldn't even get the hook point to penetrate the slit cut in it! . So, my question is, what pork baits do you like to use? What colors?

-Buzz

[jooleyen]

I had some with no hole or slit. I took a nail and hammered it. It works well.

[MississippiBoy]

Sharpen your hooks .

Kidding! Don't shoot!

[senko]

boil em... i think someone posted on here how to do it try searching for it.

[Buzz Wing]

I heard that too, Senko, I think it will affect the smell though. I may try
'hammering it', as Joolz said...

-Buzz

[senko]

Thats why after you boil it you put them back in the juice

[Rebbasser]

Uncle Josh has always worked for me. A nail will work fine for punching it out. So will an awl. Never heard of boiling pork-what exactly is the purpose?

Colors-black or brown, but I rarely use pork. I only use it in water 50 degrees or colder, and the water in south Texas rarely gets that cold. Under 50 degrees plastic gets stiff, so pork works better.

[senko]

Reb I'm pretty sure boiling pork makes it softer, like plastics... Or was it just the legs? I'm not exactly sure...

[Sinjin Kim]

Originally Posted by senko

Reb I'm pretty sure boiling pork makes it softer, like plastics... Or was it just the legs? I'm not exactly sure...

I never mentioned anything about boiling pork. Plastics, yes. I mentioned "washing" pork trailers with dish washing soap would make them softer. I don't know how pork would react with boiling water; but my guess is that it would make it harder.

I personally like using Super Pork Frog and Senior Frog. It is very soft and doesn't dry out as fast as Uncle Josh.

Uncle Josh Josh's Phantom Craw (not the Maxx Craw) has great action and some of the colors are tipped with a little chartreuse or red/orange. Most of the bottles needed some attention. Some of the pieces weren't thoroughly cut from its pattern and the prepunched holes needed a little hammering with a thin nail and hammer. Other than that, has accounted for most of my "pork" fish lately.

[Buzz Wing]

Originally Posted by Sinjin Kim

Uncle Josh Josh's Phantom Craw (not the Maxx Craw) has great action and some of the colors are tipped with a little chartreuse or red/orange. Most of the bottles needed some attention. Some of the pieces weren't thoroughly cut from its pattern and the prepunched holes needed a little hammering with a thin nail and hammer. Other than that, has accounted for most of my "pork" fish lately.

Maybe that was part of my problem. Thanks, Sinjin!

-Buzz

[Rebbasser]

I mentioned "washing" pork trailers with dish washing soap would make them softer.

Hadn't heard that one. Makes sense, though-get rid of some of the chemicals in them. Any problem with soap residue repelling the fish? I'd guess adding a scent would take care of that.

[bamabassman]

ifn you wash em in dishwater cleaner, will the scent not get in the pork? if it does, how do you get it out? will it hurt the taste? to the fish i mean, lol. interesting though. i usually just take an awe and punch a hole in it. still pretty tuff after that too.

[keithdog]

I've never tried this before, but my wife sews and has a little tool called a seam ripper. It is shaped roughly like a pen with a pointed sharp finger at the end. I would think that would work well to open the hole on pork. I have noticed in the past when I open the hole on the pork, you have to be carefull to not make too large an opening, or the pork can come off the bait.

[JB]

I've been using unkie josh pork for ummm about 26 years. The guys that taught me to flip showed me how to put cuts in the pork and take some off half the bottom to make it more flexible.
All the hook slots are super tuff to put on the hook and even harder to take off. I just take a knife tip and enlarge the slot for the hook.
On the big thumb like portion of the pork trailer #11, i flip it over and make two cuts cross ways, then wittle the top slot area back to the middle cut.
Just makes them wave in the water a tad more.
They used to sell a tool to take the pork off the jig, anyone remember them?
I gotta admit, plastics look better and work after the water temp is over 60 here. But the pork n jig will always produce, IF you can stick with it. I fipped today with plastic trailer , felt great picking apart pockets of timber n grass..

[bamabassman]

jb i heard of "shaving" the pork too. a looong time ago. and there was a tool to do it. dang if i remember who had it though. you would shave the soft side. makes it more limber.

[JB]

all ya need is a pocket knife, and the tool is esp adapted to puncturing pork LOL

[bamabassman]

lol, jb,lol............

[Bob Smith]

The hook hole is definitely tricky to get a hook through it, but I would rather struggle a little bit than have too large a hole. As for removing the pork from the hook, I always hook it from the fat side so that the skin will on top. To remove the pork simply pull the claws or skin side over the hook point, then rotate the pork until the barb pops out of the hole. I may find some time over the next couple of days to get some demo pictures taken and posted. I still use the #11 and #11a poke frogs at night (black/red or straight red) on my spinner baits and buzzbaits. On my buzzbaits I leave the fat alone, but on the spinner baits I sometimes shave about half the fat off. I get a good many of my hits by letting the bait "fall" off rocks and stumps so the thinner pork will flutter a lot better than the thick version. The fish will tell you what they want, you just have to experiment until they do!

[Buzz Wing]

Thanks for the help, guys!

I ended up ordering three sets of the Phantom Craws again, due to their action. I guess I'll just have to poke 'em as all you stated. I also have some Uncle Josh #101 Pork Frogs in a green/teal color with dark green spots.

Thanks again,

-Buzz

[Lilmoosecountry]

You can't beat Uncle Josh as a trailer.