|
Topwater Action with the Live
Target Sunfish
| Date: |
9/11/16 |
| Tackle type: |
Lure |
| Manufacturer: |
Live Target |
| Reviewer: |
Wolbugger |
Total Score: 7.87 -
GOOD
Introduction:
Topwater
fishing is undoubtedly one of the most fun ways to catch any species of fish.
The visual excitement of seeing a fish smash a surface lure is pretty darn tough
to beat! What makes topwater fishing even more awesome? For me, a bait that can
be effectively fished in both open water as well as cover really heightens the
experience. As someone who loves throwing frog-style baits, the Live Target
Sunfish series of baits really caught my attention. Although these are topwater
sunfish imitators, they can be used just like one of my favorite offerings—the
hollow-body frog. That's a great thing!
|
Live
Target
Sunfish
Specifications |
|
Type |
Soft Hollow
Body |
|
Length |
3-inch and 3
1/2-inch |
|
Weight |
7/16-ounce
and
5/8-ounce |
|
Depth |
Surface |
|
Pieces |
1 |
|
Hooks |
Double
Trokar Hook |
|
Colors |
12 |
|
Origin |
China |
|
MSRP |
$12.99 |
Even in the
packaging these
baits look fishy!
Quality/Construction:
The Live Target
Sunfish could almost pass for a small hard-plastic swimbait at first glance.
Once removed from the cozy packaging, however, the softness of the body becomes
apparent. The vibrant, realistic coloration of the hollow body is really quite
impressive. You'll also find a great amount of detailing on the fins, scales,
and gills, as well as subtle color shifts and accents. A strong and super-sharp
Trokar hook along with a vertically-oriented line tie rounds out a top-notch
package.
Quality Ratings for
Live Target
Sunfish |
Finish (1-5) |
Detailing (1-5) |
Hardware (1-5) |
Craftsmanship (1-5) |
Total |
Possible |
Rating (= Tot/Pos * 10) |
4 |
|
|
|
19 |
20 |
|
It's an impressive-looking bait, that's for sure.
Performance:
It doesn't take a ton of concentration to master the necessary cadence that
makes this lure dance. All that's needed are small twitches of the rod tip and
it easily walks. The bait's walking action can range from short pops back and
forth to full 180-degree swings to either side. The Sunfish may also be
manipulated over and through vegetation, and a quick snap of the rod can also be
used to make the bait jump out of the water. Most of my fishing was with the
smallest Sunfish, and for that I found my insanely-versatile MBR843C NRX to be a
sweet matchup with this little bait.
Notice the slight curve to the body of the Sunfish.
The Live Target
Sunfish can be launched a long distance thanks to the weight and compact body. I
was also able to skip it decently on a backhanded cast, but admittedly I'm not
the best at skipping with a baitcaster. I didn't experience any solid hangups
while pulling the bait over moss mats and through light to medium aquatic weed
clumps. The only little annoyance was that the hook points would collect thin
tendrils of grass or moss from time to time which was to be expected. A bit of
water would get inside the body here and there, but it never seemed to hurt the
action.
A
look at the sharp Trokar hooks which expose on strike
Next Section: Strike to Hook ratio?  |
