# Rooster tails?



## big bass1 (Jun 29, 2011)

How good do Rooster tails work for pan fish?

Thanks for your help


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## Dr. Strangelove (Jun 29, 2011)

I don't know about Rooster tails, I use Panther Martins, but the pan fish tear them up.  Rooster tails should work just as well.


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## Dustin Pate (Jun 29, 2011)

Oh yeah! A small rooster tail has been the demise of many a bluegill.


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## ErikD (Jun 29, 2011)

Rooster tails and spinners are great, but those micro crankbaits are my favorite.


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## DeepweR (Jun 29, 2011)

ask brownceluse! he is the rooster tail bandit!


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## big bass1 (Jun 29, 2011)

What about grubs i heard white or lighter color grubs do better on sunny days and on cloudy days darker colors do better


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## little rascal (Jun 30, 2011)

*the one thing that*

should be in any outdoors survival kit, should be a small roostertail!


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## Huti (Jun 30, 2011)

If I were to chose one lure it would be the roostertail, small ones in white work great for pan fish, the don't twist as much as panther Martin lures,  a white 1/4 oz will catch trout just about anywhere, the hooch is made for rooster tails also use a big one like one ounce for the Browns, 

Alway retrieve the roostertail as slow as you can while keeping the blades moving, the lure shaft must be strait or they won't work


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## evans_usmc69 (Jun 30, 2011)

Gotta love a rooster tail and any type of other small inline spinner. I have caught a ton of trout on them and a few years ago decided to go up one of the rivers to try and catch some trout because the bass weren't biting real good on the main lake. On the 2nd cast with an 1/8th ounce grey ghost spinner, caught a 2lb smallie! It blew my mind but I never got a trout to bite it but I caught about 10 smallmouth ranging from 6" up to the 2lber. Now, if I'm not catching them good on the main lake, I sneak up to the river to play  I've also caught a ton of pan fish on spinners when they are not biting the crickets.


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## grunt0331 (Jun 30, 2011)

The bream and crappie in the pond on my hunting club can't help but bite a white Rooster tail.  I've even caught some 1.5-2lb bass on them on a 1/16 ounce.


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## ASH556 (Jun 30, 2011)

The Rooster Tail is the magical bait that will catch anything.  I've caught several species of bream, crappie, bass, and trout all on just a white 1/16 oz version.


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## GeorgiaPineHunter (Jun 30, 2011)

My microlight rarely has anything other than a 1/8 oz black roostertail tied on. I use it on ponds, rivers, creeks, lakes. Anywhere I can see fish I'll throw that sucker and catch anything from catfish to bass. It's one of the greatest lures in my tacklebox IMO.


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## fishfryer (Jun 30, 2011)

Will roostertails catch fish? Heck yeah,most anything that swims in Georgia. I use to do a lot of ultralight fishing and roostertails are great for that. One of the previous posters likes Panthermartins,I do too,but they are expensive. I caught the biggest cracker I ever caught on a white 1/8 oz.,roostertail,it was 2 1/4 lbs.. Creek and river fish can't seem to be able to resist them. The 1/8 oz. size is good all around for me,it casts good on 6 or 8 lb. line. Use 1/16 oz. if you really want to catch finicky eaters, or you you use 2-4lb. line. I've caught bass,crappie,all varities of bream,even channel cats on them. Jackfish like red ones a lot.


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## AU fly (Jun 30, 2011)

I'd have to say one of the most versitile lures out there.  Everyone has their own preference in brand. Rooster tail, Panther Martin, Mepps, etc. all work well in my opinion.  To answer your original question...yes they will catch panfish. Good luck.


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## big bass1 (Jun 30, 2011)

I always thought that they might would work. I mostly just bass fish not saying rooster tails will not work for bass fishing because it will im sure. I always used worms, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and jigs just stuff like that for bass fishing. I think when I am bass fishing I am going to start taking a couple of rooster tails with me

Thanks for your help


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## StriperAddict (Jun 30, 2011)

Small RT's are great for pan fish.  I'd recommend "Swirlybirds" by Bill Vanderford for bass and bigger fish. 






The swirlybird is like a roostertail only it's blade spins all the time, on the retreive and on the fall, giving it better flexability than a one direction RT.  I caught a wintertime Striper with the 3/8 ounce.


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## joe k (Jun 30, 2011)

I often have problems getting the blade to spin with the roostertail. Slow retrieves dont work well for me. I have to burn the Roostertail to make it work. Mepps on the other hand, work very well with a slow retrieve.


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## Twenty five ought six (Jun 30, 2011)

joe k said:


> I often have problems getting the blade to spin with the roostertail. Slow retrieves dont work well for me. I have to burn the Roostertail to make it work. Mepps on the other hand, work very well with a slow retrieve.



Different blades, but a Rooster tail will work at a slower speed it you "pop" it when you start, just like a popping lure.  That starts the blade spinning, and once it starts to spin, it will keep on.

I've found that all the spinners seem to work better with the lighter thinner lines.


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## hiawassee1 (Jun 30, 2011)

agree with 25, once you get it started slow your roll and it will work just fine.  Caught 5 bass, several perch, and bream on rooster tails this weekend while camping on the Hiawassee River.


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## Corey J (Jun 30, 2011)

the rooster tail is golden when it comes to reelin spots in at Allatoona!!

CJ


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## mtr3333 (Jun 30, 2011)

Twenty five ought six said:


> Different blades, but a Rooster tail will work at a slower speed it you "pop" it when you start, just like a popping lure. That starts the blade spinning, and once it starts to spin, it will keep on.
> 
> I've found that all the spinners seem to work better with the lighter thinner lines.


 
You can also flatten the blade for super slow. And in fast current more cup in the center gives a tighter spin. You can catch anything on Rooster Tails.


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## brianj (Jun 30, 2011)

"the rooster tail is golden when it comes to reelin spots in at Allatoona!!"

CJ 

----------------------------------------------------------------
How do you fish the rooster tail when targeting spots?  Fast across the top or slow down deep?


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## GAGE (Jun 30, 2011)

Rooster tails work,  but a little beetle spin is my go to bait.


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## Flaustin1 (Jun 30, 2011)

Ive caught everything from cats to catfish to stripers on roostertails.


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## Fletch_W (Jun 30, 2011)

I generally pinch the barbs down because you'll spend more time unhooking than fishing. I've never lost a bream on a pinched down barb, so don't worry about losing fish. You'll be doing yourself a big favor, I assure you. And like everyone else said, spinners are my go-to artificial for panfish, and anything will eat them. I caught a 5 pound catfish on a teeny spinner one time.


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## Dixiesimpleman32 (Jul 1, 2011)

been using roostertail the last 25 years maybe longer.No telling how many bream bass i have caught hundreds.Caught a few cats,grinnels and alot jacks to.should be one in all survival kits .a white 1/8 is my favorite.


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## olcowman (Jul 1, 2011)

Great thread! With all the 'junk' I got crammed in them giant tackle bags I lug around... this reminded me that somewhere in there is a little silver snuff can full of mepps and rooster tail in-line spinners. The artificials that I grew up with and that rarely let me down... I'm gonna dig them out in the morning.


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## blink (Jul 2, 2011)

i like the panther martin with the fly treble. i keep one in gold and one in silver. for me, its either those or the bitsy minnow that are going to catch my trout, or panfish. caught a few good bass on them too. i also like a small gold blue fox vibrax.


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## Alan in GA (Jul 2, 2011)

*looks like a good spinner!*



StriperAddict said:


> Small RT's are great for pan fish.  I'd recommend "Swirlybirds" by Bill Vanderford for bass and bigger fish.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I'd like to try one of these! I used to use a lot of Panther Martins on Sweetwater Creek many years ago before they made the 'factory ruins' a park. I always used the PM with the dressed treble hook, not the bare trebles. I'm sure the Rooster Tail is good, too. In fact, I have [from years ago] a couple of Rooster Tails in 'spinner bait' style that don't twist line. Do they still make those?


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## egomaniac247 (Jul 2, 2011)

A rooster tail with brown/black hair and a brass colored blade is lethal.

If I'm having a bad day and just want to feel SOMETHING hit my lure, a rooster tail would be the lure I put on.

It's good for bluegill but small bass (2lbs & under) must have it genetically programmed in their head to attack them.  

Chain pickerel are the same way, especially in black water.


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## TimInGwinnett (Jul 5, 2011)

White Rooster Tails (1/4 or 3/8 oz) work great for spots on Lanier.  I have had the most luck in May and then again in the fall when there is some wind blowing.  They also work very well for schooling fish in the summer.

I had one trip in Mid-May this year that the RT outperformed everything - I had been throwing a finesse worm, grub, small C/B, fluke, FHS, etc with only 4 or 5 fish in about 3 hours.  The wind was okay at 6-8 mph so I picked up the old RT and proceeded to catch a couple spots on every wind-blown point I fished.  It was a fun afternoon - the spots would just hammer that thing!


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## Burger74 (Jul 5, 2011)

I have way too many of them in my box... lol I love them, they catch everything from pan fish to white fish...


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## ELIWAITS (Jul 21, 2011)

rooster tails are the best


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## GAMHUNTER35 (Jul 21, 2011)

r/t just twist up my line to much. i use a small swivel in front of it


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## pine nut (Jul 21, 2011)

Bream love 'em!  I would suggest a single hook not treble, as it takes too long to get the hook out.  If fishing a coffee colored water, Black out produces the other colors by a large margin.  I have caught a few on chartreuse but while fishing for crappie in the spring and probably not a good test of things.  In late srring and summer and early fall I'm flyroding!


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## Dutch (Jul 21, 2011)

1/16 Firetiger with brass/gold blade will wear them out at Juliette...that and a 1/16 beetle spin in black/yellow stripes


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## Foreststalker (Jul 21, 2011)

I am a total freshwater fish newbie.  I think I would like to try these lures.   Do I just tie it on the end of the line?  How do you rig your line for this lure?  Anyone have a video or web page that helps?  thanks


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## NCHillbilly (Jul 21, 2011)

Foreststalker said:


> I am a total freshwater fish newbie.  I think I would like to try these lures.   Do I just tie it on the end of the line?  How do you rig your line for this lure?  Anyone have a video or web page that helps?  thanks



Tie it straight on. Use an ultralight or light action spinning rig with 4-6 lb. line for panfish-sized spinners. Cast it out, let it sink a bit, give it a jerk to get the blade spinning, and reel it in just fast enough to keep it spinning. You can feel when the blade is spinning or not. Inline spinners are one of the most versatile lures out there for catching almost any kind of gamefish. A 1/16 oz roostertail in black and yellow with a gold blade is big medicine for big bream. Bigger roostertails or Mepps with dressed trebles or the Mepps Comet with the plastic minnow work great for bass. #1 or # 2 plain-treble, gold-bladed Mepps Aglia or Blue Fox Super Vibrax, or a #4 black-and-yellow gold bladed Panther Martin are great for trout.


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## Foreststalker (Jul 21, 2011)

Thanks that is very helpful!


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## Reel Big-uns (Jul 21, 2011)

If you fish in any creaks that have Red-fin Pike or Jack Fish (Chain Pickerel) Then Red is extremely deadly. fish around the edges of a sandy wash or where a small stream enters a large body of water. No matter what type fish you catch, needle nose pliers are not an optional item, they are a must have when fishing this type lure.


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## Foreststalker (Jul 22, 2011)

Trust me I know the NEED for the needle nose pliers from fishing in salt water.  I will check the tackle box to be double sure they are there.    Thanks REELme!


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