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Get
ready to “Roumba” with ima’s new wakebait
(continued)
 Casting:
The Roumba
weighs in at .56oz and is easy to cast with any rod 7 foot and up. The optimal
length of rod we recommend to fish this lure is a 7’6” rod which will cast this
bait both accurately and a good distance when using heavier 12-17lb monofilament
lines. A medium heavy action rod will make it easier to dig fish out of
structure as you will want to fish the lure right on top or around snaggy
structure. For all of our tests we used a Powell 765CB which is a 7’6” Med-Heavy
rod with a moderate fast action and designed for ripbaits, crankbaits, topwater,
and swimbaits. Be prepared to cast this lure into harms way as it is designed to
draw fish out of structure.
The Roumba is
designed to be most effective fished over hydrilla, brush piles, standing
timber, wrecks, or even around boat docks.
The Bull Frog pattern has a white
belly
Retrieve:
Once the lure has
been cast it is time to make some more choices as the Roumba is more
multipurpose than a crankbait or a spook by themselves, as it can be retrieved
on top of the water or subsurface depending on the speed of your retrieve. The
first thing I thought as I began cranking was this was truly the lazy angler’s
wakebait. Unlike many stickbaits that require a unique popping rod action to
generate a “walk the dog” action the Roumba wobbles side to side all on its own.
With a combination of a rounded body and an offset lip the Roumba actually rocks
side to side putting out a generous wake when retrieved at a slow constant rate.
An eclipse with the Roumba
showcases the lures internal structure and weighting
It is possible to pause the bait and let it sit alongside pockets
of structure or even jerk the rod forward to imitate a fleeing baitfish or a
frog on the go. Retrieve quickly and the Roumba almost immediately drops below
the surface and fishes like a shallow crankbait. You can even pause or vary your
retrieve to fish the Roumba like an oversized jerkbait. During our tests we
caught the vast majority of our fish on the surface with the Roumba, but it is
excellent to have the option to go under the surface when necessary. In fact
this characteristic allowed us to fish the lure on the surface then plunge the
lure beneath floating debris on the way back in, something that would have
stopped traditional cigar or prop baits in their tracks. On average we were able
to get the Roumba to dive to a depth between one to two feet depending on how
fast we retrieved.
A close look at the face of the
Roumba and you can see both fish and frog characteristics
The lure is weighted to balance well, but does not feature any type
of rattles or internal knocker to put out noise. Some anglers are sure to desire
some more audible noise from this lure. Ima claims the lure’s natural sound
triggers strikes, helping catch schooling fish. We think the action of the lure
is what caused the fish in our test to strike. Every take was quick and violent,
and few fish actually chased the lure any distance, more often they darted out
quickly from their hidden positions for what they probably viewed as an easy
meal.
A head on look at the Roumba
Durability:
The Roumba proved to be quite hard-wearing and after a dozen strikes the lure
still looked as good as new. The lure doesn’t scratch any more than a normal
crankbait, and is actually less susceptible to scratches from it’s own hooks
than a traditional jerkbait. The lure also comes armed with black nickel Owner
hooks which held up well in our tests.
The lures come armed with black
nickel Owner hooks
Price &
Applications: The Roumba is priced in parity with other premium Japanese lures.
Like some of the Lucky Craft offerings the Ima Roumba retails for 16.99-19.99
depending where it is purchased. The $16.99 price tag is more appropriate, and
the Roumba is able to hold its own at this price thanks to the lure’s
distinctive action. Both patterns we tested performed equally well which leads
us to believe that it is the action of this lure over the pattern that really
gets fish to strike. Nonetheless pattern is still something to consider, and we
think that the Bull Frog style is the must have pattern for any water where
anglers know that bass regularly feed on frogs. The California Delta is one such
body of water, and frogbite in the Delta is almost legendary.
There are quality details and
shading in each Roumba, and each of the nine patterns is finished in a unique
style
The Roumba cannot be fished completely weedless but it can operate
very close to or right on top of structure making it a surprisingly
multitalented lure. On water outside of the Delta the Roumba still proved
effective, and while the action was not as frequent as on the Delta, the strikes
still came. On waters like these regional lakes patterns like the Baby Bass,
Bluegill, and Real Crawfish will perform better. The Roumba can also be used to
target Striped bass and the flashy Gizzard Shad pattern is ideal for this
purpose.
Ratings:
|
ima Roumba Ratings
(?/10) |
| Construction/Quality |
The
Roumba is built with the quality you would expect from a premium Japanese
lure. The hooks on this lure are excellent, and the lure is built to sustain
brutal topwater strikes |
9 |
| Performance |
The
Roumba did not disappoint when it comes to topwater. Much more effective as
a topwater lure than a subsurface lure, but the lure can be fished
effectively both on top or as a medium diving crankbait |
9 |
| Price |
This isn't the cheapest lure out there but it is inline with premium
Japanese offerings from competitors |
8 |
| Features |
The
Roumba has a number of features nor normally found in other lures. It can be
fished multiple ways, but best of all it can bring up a wake and mimic a
tight walk the dog pattern simply by retrieving...this lure is easy to fish |
9 |
| Design
(Ergonomics) |
Overall the design really is quite impressive. The only thing some anglers
will wish for are rattles so the lure makes some more noise. Some anglers
may also want to dress up the rear hook for stripers |
8 |
| Application |
The
Roumba can be fished both above and below the water for a number of species |
9 |
|
Total Score |
8.66 |
Pluses and Minuses:
|
Plus
Minus |
| J
Great design, easy to fish |
L
Not the cheapest price |
| J
Good for a wide range of species |
|
| J
Unique design |
|
| J
Explosive topwater strikes! |
|
Two topwater taken bass courtesy
of the Roumba
Conclusion:
Is the Roumba a
crankbait or is it a topwater stickbait? It actually is both. Able to be fished
as a wakebait or a shallow diving crankbait the Roumba proved to be a very
versatile bait. The lure is most effective on the surface, and is a great bait
for anglers that are looking for an easy bait to fish on top. It doesn’t take a
whole lot of skill to fish the Roumba effectively, and is perfect for anglers
that are not adept in the walk the dog technique. Simply cast the Roumba and
retrieve and prepare to set when your wake is cut short. Fish hit the Roumba
forcefully, and splash hits are the norm with this frog imitating bait. Anglers
will do just fine with two Roumbas, one to imitate a frog and another to match
their local prey. Ima may be a new brand to many here in the US but with novel
lures like the Roumba they are well on their way to making a name for
themselves.
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