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AC
Plugs Prepares to introduce Bluegill Swimbaits
| Date: |
5/03/08 |
| Tackle type: |
Lure |
| Manufacturer: |
AC Plugs |
| Reviewer: |
Zander |
Introduction:
AC Plugs has long been
known as a pioneer in the big bait industry and has been accelerating their
product development and introduction of new hard and soft swimbaits. We meet
with them to take a look at their new Bluegill swimbait.
Zander talks to Mark of AC Plugs
about the upcoming Bluegill
AC Plugs have been used to
target a variety of fish including trophy stripers, largemouth bass, and now
trophy trout as well. It was in the late 1980’s that Allan Cole was fishing for
striped bass at Pyramid lake and made a historical discovery that has changed
the face of trophy fishing forever. He noticed that Striped Bass were keying in
on stocked rainbow trout and gorging themselves on these pen raised food items.
He set out to design a fishing lure that would not only match the coloring of
the hatchery trout, but would also duplicate the swimming motion of the fish.
The result was the birth of the AC Plug.
Allan Cole's son Eric Cole catches
a nice bass with the massive 10" Casitas
The AC Plug Original has
been sold under different brands in the past but is now back in the hands of AC
Plugs. The company is now producing their own lures, and since bringing
everything back under their own brand has been on the fast track when it comes
to introducing new baits.
The new bluegill from AC plugs
(note the tail was removed by the manufacturer, and will debut the complete
product at ICAST)
One such release was their
Casitas soft swimbait which features a life like body combined with quality
hardware which includes extra rigging that many swimbait aficionados would add
aftermarket. These include owner Hyperwire split rings, Owner hooks, and
SevenStrand wire and crimps.
Mark shows us the two newest
baits, the Mag Shad and the Bluegill
There are currently three
sizes of the Casitas ranging from the 6” and 8” to the massive 10” version. The
bait is available in three patterns that include Dark Rainbow, Light Rainbow,
and Stocker Purple.
The Bluegill will be available in
three patterns, Tilapia, Bluegill, and Crappie
AC Plugs now expands their
swimbait range with a new Bluegill which will start at 6 ˝ inches in length, and
there will be a total of three sizes. Mark at AC plugs explained to us that the
company has been working on a new tail, and was not ready to debut the tail yet,
so the samples we saw had the tail removed.
The jointed Mag Shad is designed
for both bass and trout anglers
There will be three rates
of falls as well as three colors, which will include Tilapia, Bluegill, and
Crappie. The sample we saw had a very realistic profile, complete with extending
fins. The bluegills will retail for 25, 27, and 29 dollars depending on size.
Pro Staffer Gabe Sanchez uses AC
Minnows on the Delta
In addition to the
Bluegill AC Plugs has also recently introduced a new bait called the “Mag Shad.”
This lure has a unique swimming action that is both very tight and still yields
a great deal of vibration.
A closer look at the Mag Shad
An extra thick clear coat
protects the Mag Shad from big predators as it is designed to be a baitfish
imitator. Bass and Striper anglers will find the bait good for ripping while
trout anglers can use it for trolling. The Mag Shad is available now in three
colors including Rainbow, Silver/Black, and Gold/Black. They retail for 22
dollars for the 5” and 24 dollars for the 7”.
Mark holds up a nice Brown caught
on Lake Michigan
Conclusion: The preproduction sample of the new Bluegill swimbait already
looked very impressive and the company will be releasing final versions at
ICAST. There may be revisions to the sample we saw, and the tail design still
remains to be seen, but we like what we see thus far. As a company AC Plugs has
undergone a complete makeover and the lure offering is expanding at an even
greater rate. One of the things that AC Plugs prides itself on is introducing
baits that are not just designed for a single species, like bass for example,
but providing lures that fishermen can use for a variety of species, the
introduction of the company’s new Bluegill is just the company’s latest
offering, and we expect to see more exciting new baits at ICAST.
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