From John Humbert
Cordell Redfin
The Cotton Cordell Redfin was THE big fish bait for many, many years. In fact, before Wallace's fish was caught on a Corky, I believe the past 3 state record trout were caught on Redfin broken-backs.
30 years ago, it was also popular to use them with a trailer bucktail/hook - but I don't anybody that still does that anymore.
The redfin lost popularity, along with many hard baits, when soft plastics hit the scene. They experienced a resurgance when topwaters were "rediscovered" by a new generation of anglers.
The Redfin has a drawback though - it's light weight-to-size ratio can make it hard to throw sometimes, especially for the smaller sizes. This is why most anglers that still use them throw the BIG size.
Storm entered the jerkbait scene years ago with the Thunderstik and Jointed Thunderstik. The Thunderstik was much heavier for the same size, although in the water it was "weightless" (it floated too!).
For me personally, I quickly found the Thunderstik out-performed the Redfin due to being able to be cast farther, cast into the wind, etc. and therefore I was able to cover more water in less time. I was able to use it in circumstances where the Redfin just could get to the fish as well.
The Thunderstik also came with Cadium saltwater hooks which lasted longer and were far superior to the light wire freshwater hooks on the Redfin (although you could alway replace them).
The standard way to fish both of them is typical for a jerkbait - jerk and pause and variation thereof. However, I also enjoyed retrieving a big jointed Thunderstill so that it ran just under the surfact, with the jointed tail actually making a wake on the surface (on calm days). This produced several large trout in Baffin on chilly days where they would not hit a topwater.
John Humbert on Cranks and Twitches
As you can tell by this thread, there are actually a lot of folks that use shallow cranks/twitch baits - Redfins have been used for 40 years! It was THE go-to bait for big trout down south years and years ago before soft plastics came on the scene.
I know of a handful of guys - some are tournament redfish pros - that use deep, deep diving crankbaits at the jetties with success. These are really bass lures, like the DB2 and such that dive 10-25'. In one case I believe a team actually won a tournament using 20-25' diving cranks.
I've tried those deep divers a few times at the jetties, but didn't have much luck. However, the shallow long "minnow" baits are a staple in my arsenal. I especially like the Rogue (series ARA 1200, specifically the ARA1269, Halloween black and orange with gold sides) for trout in clear water over potholes. The three hooks and the fact that you can keep it shallow with hanging grass really works! Don't use the suspending or larger Rogues because they come back covered in "salad" every time.
The larger jointed ThunderStik (do they make it anymore?) and Redfins are extremely good for large trout down south or in the spring in POC/Seadrift area. I use these baits on outside shorelines where the water is deeper. The Thunderstik is heavier and casts much better than the Redfin, which has a tendency to go astray casting into the wind.
A standard twitch-twitch-pause retrieve works best, but I have had times that slowly retrieving the TS and RF so that they are just under the surface but leaving a wake can be effective. Most of my strikes come on the pause - and most often they will SLAM it and try to jerk the rod outta your hands!
Some years ago I got turned onto the large MagDarter (thank you McTrout!). I got a couple in the blue/silver and used a sharpie to put dots on them (again, thank you McTrout!). When fishing Baffin, I always have that lure with me. If I get into dinks, I will throw that bait to pull out the big mommas feeding on the dinks - it works! Accounted for some of my biggest fish in Baffin/Mansfield (once again, thanks McTrout!). It's a beast of a lure that catches beasts of big trout.
Amen on the Storm Jointed Thunderstik!
That is my favorite broken back.
Broken backs are an "old" lure class that fell out of favor with newer anglers. Some old salts still use 'em - and they still produce quite well.
The knock on the broken backs (and IMO, the reason why they fell out of favor) is that most of them have a terrible weight-to-size ratio. They are light for their size. This makes them difficult to cast and reduces the length of casts. This is most definitely true for the old standby, the Cordell Redfin.
And, of course, when you reduce the water you can cover with a cast - you reduce your overall effectiveness.
However, the Storm Thunderstik is one of exceptions that rule...it has enough weight to pound out some hunkin' long casts and not sacrifice any action. And the bait won't catch the wind and veer off course.
Steady slow retrieves may produce, but not much for me. Me and my buds find a relatively quick twitch, twitch, pause is the ticket. Probably 90% of my hits come on the pause and they will hit it HARD - sometimes wanting to jerk the rods outta yer hands!
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I don't use them much in the summer. But broken backs, and other floater/divers such as Rattlin' Rogue (1200 series, non-suspending model) and the Yo-Zuri MagDarter (marked with black dots from a Sharpie to look like a small trout) are go-to baits when the fish won't hit a topwater, but still want an active bait. Especially when fishing a soft-plastic is too slow and you want to cover some water.
That is usually when the water as a slight morning/evening chill - which happens in the Spring and Fall. When the water is warm, you can generally catch 'em on topwaters (or at least I prefer to).
Broken back and floater/divers are excellent choices in the spring (like right now) when there are lots of school trout around - but big fish are in the area. Fish a big broken back on the edges of the schoolies and you have a good chance of hanging a real heavy sow.
Saltwater Texan:
I have used the Red Fin for decades and with a little rework they are a fantastic large trout lure. To make the smaller ones cast farther simply apply 2 or 3 coats of spray clear polyurethane. I replace the hooks with a VMC treble hook, a # 4 that are 4 X strong ( at academy). This will make the smaller model cast very well with no effect on the action. One reason I prefer the Cordell Red Fin is they are very easy to customize the color on, use a pocket knife to scrape off the original finish to reveal a bone colored body that can be painted any way you want it. My favorite version is to remove the orange paint from the belly of the black back, gold side model. You then have a black back, gold side, bone belly lure. Add some black spots to the sides, The polyurethne coating, the heavier hooks, and you have a custom broken-back that's as good as any model on the market. I use these lures almost year round, until the water temps drop below 55.
Cordell Redfin
30 years ago, it was also popular to use them with a trailer bucktail/hook - but I don't anybody that still does that anymore.
The redfin lost popularity, along with many hard baits, when soft plastics hit the scene. They experienced a resurgance when topwaters were "rediscovered" by a new generation of anglers.
The Redfin has a drawback though - it's light weight-to-size ratio can make it hard to throw sometimes, especially for the smaller sizes. This is why most anglers that still use them throw the BIG size.
Storm entered the jerkbait scene years ago with the Thunderstik and Jointed Thunderstik. The Thunderstik was much heavier for the same size, although in the water it was "weightless" (it floated too!).
For me personally, I quickly found the Thunderstik out-performed the Redfin due to being able to be cast farther, cast into the wind, etc. and therefore I was able to cover more water in less time. I was able to use it in circumstances where the Redfin just could get to the fish as well.
The Thunderstik also came with Cadium saltwater hooks which lasted longer and were far superior to the light wire freshwater hooks on the Redfin (although you could alway replace them).
The standard way to fish both of them is typical for a jerkbait - jerk and pause and variation thereof. However, I also enjoyed retrieving a big jointed Thunderstill so that it ran just under the surfact, with the jointed tail actually making a wake on the surface (on calm days). This produced several large trout in Baffin on chilly days where they would not hit a topwater.
John Humbert on Cranks and Twitches
I know of a handful of guys - some are tournament redfish pros - that use deep, deep diving crankbaits at the jetties with success. These are really bass lures, like the DB2 and such that dive 10-25'. In one case I believe a team actually won a tournament using 20-25' diving cranks.
I've tried those deep divers a few times at the jetties, but didn't have much luck. However, the shallow long "minnow" baits are a staple in my arsenal. I especially like the Rogue (series ARA 1200, specifically the ARA1269, Halloween black and orange with gold sides) for trout in clear water over potholes. The three hooks and the fact that you can keep it shallow with hanging grass really works! Don't use the suspending or larger Rogues because they come back covered in "salad" every time.
The larger jointed ThunderStik (do they make it anymore?) and Redfins are extremely good for large trout down south or in the spring in POC/Seadrift area. I use these baits on outside shorelines where the water is deeper. The Thunderstik is heavier and casts much better than the Redfin, which has a tendency to go astray casting into the wind.
A standard twitch-twitch-pause retrieve works best, but I have had times that slowly retrieving the TS and RF so that they are just under the surface but leaving a wake can be effective. Most of my strikes come on the pause - and most often they will SLAM it and try to jerk the rod outta your hands!
Some years ago I got turned onto the large MagDarter (thank you McTrout!). I got a couple in the blue/silver and used a sharpie to put dots on them (again, thank you McTrout!). When fishing Baffin, I always have that lure with me. If I get into dinks, I will throw that bait to pull out the big mommas feeding on the dinks - it works! Accounted for some of my biggest fish in Baffin/Mansfield (once again, thanks McTrout!). It's a beast of a lure that catches beasts of big trout.
Amen on the Storm Jointed Thunderstik!
Broken backs are an "old" lure class that fell out of favor with newer anglers. Some old salts still use 'em - and they still produce quite well.
The knock on the broken backs (and IMO, the reason why they fell out of favor) is that most of them have a terrible weight-to-size ratio. They are light for their size. This makes them difficult to cast and reduces the length of casts. This is most definitely true for the old standby, the Cordell Redfin.
And, of course, when you reduce the water you can cover with a cast - you reduce your overall effectiveness.
However, the Storm Thunderstik is one of exceptions that rule...it has enough weight to pound out some hunkin' long casts and not sacrifice any action. And the bait won't catch the wind and veer off course.
Steady slow retrieves may produce, but not much for me. Me and my buds find a relatively quick twitch, twitch, pause is the ticket. Probably 90% of my hits come on the pause and they will hit it HARD - sometimes wanting to jerk the rods outta yer hands!
I don't use them much in the summer. But broken backs, and other floater/divers such as Rattlin' Rogue (1200 series, non-suspending model) and the Yo-Zuri MagDarter (marked with black dots from a Sharpie to look like a small trout) are go-to baits when the fish won't hit a topwater, but still want an active bait. Especially when fishing a soft-plastic is too slow and you want to cover some water.
That is usually when the water as a slight morning/evening chill - which happens in the Spring and Fall. When the water is warm, you can generally catch 'em on topwaters (or at least I prefer to).
Broken back and floater/divers are excellent choices in the spring (like right now) when there are lots of school trout around - but big fish are in the area. Fish a big broken back on the edges of the schoolies and you have a good chance of hanging a real heavy sow.
I have used the Red Fin for decades and with a little rework they are a fantastic large trout lure. To make the smaller ones cast farther simply apply 2 or 3 coats of spray clear polyurethane. I replace the hooks with a VMC treble hook, a # 4 that are 4 X strong ( at academy). This will make the smaller model cast very well with no effect on the action. One reason I prefer the Cordell Red Fin is they are very easy to customize the color on, use a pocket knife to scrape off the original finish to reveal a bone colored body that can be painted any way you want it. My favorite version is to remove the orange paint from the belly of the black back, gold side model. You then have a black back, gold side, bone belly lure. Add some black spots to the sides, The polyurethne coating, the heavier hooks, and you have a custom broken-back that's as good as any model on the market. I use these lures almost year round, until the water temps drop below 55.
