Fish a better bass trap - The Persuader American Angling, Pro Assassinator Clacker Spinner Bait
 

Total Score: 8.50

Introduction: Have you ever stumbled on one of those baits that, after trying, you find yourself referring to in hushed tones? Have you ever wanted find one of those secret baits before your fishing partner? Or are you looking for something new to help you gain confidence while at the same time, having a little fun? The Pro Assassinator Clacker Blade Spinnerbait (or the Clacker for short) by Persuader American Angling might very well be one of those baits. Take a moment with us to see how this innovative spinnerbait performed during our 2004 bass fishing season.
 

Impressions: My first introduction to the Pro Assassinator Clacker Blade Spinner Bait by Persuader American Angling was at the 2004 International Sportsman’s Exposition in Northern California, and to be honest, at first glance I did not find it very compelling. Looking at the bait through its packaging and seeing its strange geometry, I had the impression, given its awkward appearance, that the lure was more of a gimmick bait than anything else. But after talking to a representative and taking the bait out of its package for a closer look, my impressions soon changed.

As described by Cliff Liddy, President of Persuader American Angling, the blades are configured such that, during your retrieve, they not only spin, but come in contact with one another, clacking, to create more noise and disturbance than traditional spinnerbaits. This patented action will also foul the lure, from time to time, in the middle of your retrieve – just for a second – but enough to cause an even more erratic presentation. This combined activity is uncanny at triggering strikes from aggressive fish.

The bait itself speaks of quality in every aspect of design and craftsmanship from the detailed paint scheme and 3D eyes on the head to the ball bearing swivels that connect the willow leaf blades to the bait. As a test, I held the lure up letting the blades dangle, and discovered the blades twirl effortlessly with just a soft puff of air. The skirt is made of top-notch silicon fibers that have nice body and movement both in and out of the water. Once I inspected the quality of components and came to understand what they were trying to achieve with the non-traditional configuration, it all came together and the bait was quickly in my shopping basket.

Field Tests: For our tests, we employed mostly medium heavy weight rods coupled with reels that had a 5:1 retrieve ratio or roughly, twenty to twenty one and a half (20 – 21.5) inches of retrieve per turn of the handle, and headed out to some local bass waters, including the California Delta, for several months of fishing fun.
 

Casting: Given the weight of these spinnerbaits casting for distance or accuracy is hardly a problem. However, every now and then, given the configuration of the blades, fouling during a cast can be an issue. We’ve found if care is taken to visually check the lure prior to each cast instead of just blindly casting and retrieving, this issue can be greatly minimized.

Retrieve: We tried a variety of retrieves with this spinnerbait: the traditional slow roll, the crank and pause, the crank, hop and pause, and the simple, steady retrieve to name a few. During our tests, the simple, steady retrieve seemed most effective with this bait. Other retrieves worked as well, but what sets this bait apart is its chuck and wind nature. The steady retrieve seems to best compliment the design of this bait allowing the blades to clack and foul automatically lending consistency in this inherently inconsistent action. You really can feel the vibration of blades coming together through your line and into the length of your rod as you crank the reel. This fantastic action makes it all that much more simple to detect a strike. The sensation can be likened to a big, single blade Colorado style spinnerbait but without all the water resistance. Add to this, the extra flash of two willow leaf blades and it’s not hard to understand why this bait is so effective.

Weedlessness: As with all spinnerbaits, the Clacker is easily retrieved through grass, between branches, and over logs, rocks and rip rap. The ball bearing swivels can get inundated and eventually foul in heavy hair algae, but that is pretty much the norm for any spinnerbait. As far as actually snagging, overall, in three months of use, we lost maybe one lure to an underwater hang up. Not too bad at all. 

Trailers: The Clacker has a typical bait keeper barb on the hook shank to hold in place any variety of trailers one might choose to employ. Over the course of our testing, we had no problems with trailers slipping or wanting to come off before their time. The bait keeper on the Clacker is very effective.