Year of the Crank Bait Review: O.S.P.'s HPF Crank So far, we’ve taken a look at
two baits from this manufacturer, the oversized Rudra jerkbait and the Blitz
crankbait. Their product has scored at opposite ends of the spectrum with us.
Today, we take a look at their take on the flat sided crank. Introducing the
O.S.P. HPF crankbait.
Presenting TackleTour's Deep Diving Crankbait Shootout! Our Year of the Crank coverage would certainly not be complete without some type of shootout between actual crankbaits.
Of course, it’s difficult to objectively evaluate the number one factor of a
bait’s attractiveness to a bass without actually interviewing the fish
themselves.
PRODUCTTPREVIEW : Meet
the shrunken down Spro BBZ-1 Jr. At ICAST 2008, Bill Siemental showed us the then prototype "mini-me" versions the 8" BBZ-1 swimbait. These new, six inch sized versions had been anticipated since the full size version debuted many years ago.
In The Mood ... For Jigs, 2009 Jig Roundup Perhaps the
only thing that outnumbers the variety of jigs available today is the number of
manufacturers pouring, tying, or banding them. How is any bass fisherman
expected keep track? Well, how about through what is becoming an annual affair
here at TackleTour? Presenting our 2009 Jig Roundup!
Bass Jam '09 Preview : What's Cookin' with Rago Baits Well, you know what happens when we get some exciting new product and are given free reigns to talk about it... that’s right, we share it with you. Here’s a sneak peak at what Jerry Rago has in store to debut for Bass Jam ’09.
An "easy" choice to fish, the Roboworm EZ Shad
Roboworm is a company well known for their catalog of Western Style, soft plastic finesse worms so when they announced their plans to enter the swimbait market earlier this year, there was little doubt what type of swimbait they would manufacture. Introducing the Roboworm EZ Shad Swimbait.
Year of the Crank Bait Review: Rapala's Clackin' Rap The Rapala Clackin’ Rap is
a rather unique lipless crank that, instead using a series of brass rattles, has
one very large knocker in the middle of the bait that creates a very distinct
sound. Measuring a very common three and one eighth inch length, this bait
weighs a hefty seven eighths of an ounce!
Wake Up Shallow Water Bass With ima Japan's Shaker
The ima Shaker is a two and three quarter long, flat sided, plastic crank
featuring a circuit board diving bill and Owner ST-36 hooks. This bait feels
like wood, but is stacked right from the get go with current day, top end
components.
It's Not Just About Rods For Upstart Damiki Damiki made a big splash with us at ICAST
2007 with the introduction of their exciting lineup of bass rods. What’s gotten
lost in the mix since that time is this new company from Korea is not just about
rods.
Mythical Creatures, Legendary Baits : The Return of Nezumma
Having only been introduced to the big bait scene between four to five years ago, there are a lot of baits that escaped my initial trawl because they were no longer in the market. During the course of my discussion with Terry that day, one such bait by 22nd Century came up: The Nezumma Rat.
Raising the Bar Once Again : Mattlures Hard Bait Bass Series
During ICAST 2008, Matt Servant announced his
intentions to enter the hard bait market by showing us a prototype bait that
promised to be the most realistic baby bass imitator yet. Now, almost a full year later, his hard bass series is finally ready for consumption by the general bassing population...
Still Not Sold on Big Baits? How About a Hybrid? : Deps Highsider One of the few manufacturers in Japan
to get a good foothold in this big bait arms race has been Deps. Last year, we looked at their oversized shad imitator, the Realizer. Today, we look at the Realizer's longer, sleeker sibling, the Highsider.
Sometimes, You Just Have To Go Small : TyLure's Kicker Shad
The TyLure Kicker Shad is an interesting little
bait. First off, as with all TyLure products, each bait is hand made and hand
painted by Tyler Ream himself. Measuring in at five inches, the Kicker Shad is
part of his new series of baits that features a hook keeper system that holds
the hook as close...
Shimano Lucanus Jigs: Deadly and Just Plain Fun to Fish
Two seasons after the Shimano Lucanus jigging
system was first introduced we explore how the entire system has performed for
us in comparison to traditional techniques. We also take a closer look at the
actual jigs themselves and see just how they stack up over the long term.
Year of the Crank Bait Review: Rapala's DT Flat 9 The Year of the Crank has been a great opportunity to get back to basics here at TackleTour. Afterall, is there any more basic a technique in bass fishing? Through all this ebb and flow, one of these companies, Rapala, has been a personal favorite of mine...
PRODUCTTPREVIEW : The Punch Skirt by Paycheck Baits Those familiar with the California Delta already know of this technique, but how many know how to do it effectively? What is this technique? It’s called “punching,” and Bub
knows when the heat is up on the Delta, the bass seek cover. He shows us his new
lures from Paycheck Baits designed for this application.
Concealed weapons courtesy
of the CL8 Bait 9” Swimbait
Rather than make
just another
“me-too” bait
Clayton Bryant
decided to draw on
his personal passion
for swimbait fishing
and big bait design
to create something
different. Armed
with an array of
hidden hooks the CL8
Bait is looking to
make a mark in the
premium big bait
market.
Can O.S.P.'s Blitz Sack the Competition?
O.S.P. produces a shallow running crank that, in some circles, has been considered a great "secret" weapon for many years. We've been fishing this crank for over a year and a half now and are ready to bring to you, our review of O.S.P.'s Blitz.
Junk Food for a Quality Limit: JSJ's Snack Sized Trout
With the growing popularity of the West Coast phenomenon known as swimbaits, more and more tournament anglers are adding big baits to their repertoire. One such product, by JSJ Baits, was designed with the tournament angler in mind. Introducing our official review of the JSJ Snack Size Trout.
Unfinished Business:
Our Soft Bodied Swimbait Tackle Drop
This article is not
intended to be a
comprehensive list
of the available
product in this
style - considering
the number of this
type of product out
there and the speed
by which they are
reaching market,
that'd be a never
ending trip to the
tackle store.
Rather, this article
provides a modest
cross section of
some of the more
popular solutions
available right now.
A.C. Plugs
Modernizes the AC Minnow
Few swimbait companies
have such a storied
history as that of AC
Plugs, and the company
that was among the most
influential in the
beginning of the big
bait craze brings back
their popular AC Minnow
with new performance
enhancements.
Falcon Lure’s Big Eyez Paddletail Swims True
Falcon Lures has built up a reputation for quality hooks and
jigheads and they now join the crowded swimbait market with the Big
Eyez swimbait which is designed to offer superior swimming action
over other boot tail style swimbaits.
The Evolution of a Big, Hard Bodied Bait: 3:16 Lure Company's Real Deal
Enter 3:16 Lure Company who, since the introduction of their very
popular Mission Fish about eight years ago, has been busy pushing
the envelope on what can be done with big bait designs. 3:16's
latest and greatest success? Their new, 8" topwater hardbait titled
"The Real Deal"
PRODUCTTPREVIEW : Nate's Baits
News flash: Big, realistic, handmade baits are no longer a West Coast phenomenon. Nate's Baits out of Milwaukee,
Wisconsin is set to jump into the big bait scene in a monumental fashion. Crafting and testing his baits from within the unforgiving testing grounds of muskie fishing, Nate Lambrecht's baits have been discovered by the big bait throwers out West...
