Real World Tests: A bait of this magnitude calls for a combo worthy of task at hand. I fished this bait on board my Megabass of America F10-711X Onager matched with my Daiwa Ryoga Shrapnel spooled with 20lb Sunline Super Natural nylon monofilament. In hindsight, that combo was really overkill for the bait. All you really need is a rod with a nice tip, capable of handling a two ounce bait. Some of today's crankbait rods designed for fishing vibrating jigs would work just fine too.

Like all Roman Made baits, their South wake bait is hand made from wood

Roman Made's factory is located near Lake Biwa in Japan. The bass at the south end of that lake reportedly feast on bluegill. That is the inspiration behind the origin of this bait and why it is called, "South." It is essentially a wake bait made to be fished at a methodical retrieve where the knocking of the two wood pieces calls attention to nearby bass.

The joint hardware is pretty standard fare

I found the bait to run best at a medium to fast paced retrieve. You can't retrieve the bait too fast it seems - the wake just gets larger. Pulled back at a crawling pace, and the bait has no action at all. It will just come back perfectly straight in the water. But pick that retrieve up and the bait wiggles and wobbles side to side creating a very distinct wake that bass can track.

Viewed head on, all you can do is admire the bait's clean lines

If you pause your retrieve, you can get the bait to turn to the side and do some limited tricks, but I had best results just on a straight retrieve over spots where I think a bass may be hiding (like a weed bed) and boom! Bass really do not like bluegill very much. Every effective bait I've thrown with this profile just gets annihilated. Roman Made's South is no exception to this experience.

If the South were an actor, that jawline would be money

I'm not sure the brand hooks Roman Made supplies with the bait, but they are very sticky. Despite that, I was surprised at my catch rate with this bait. Sometimes, these tall, sunfish profiles, can cause issues on the battle because fish can gain leverage to toss them. I had no such difficulties with the South and after a while, it just didn't feel all that large to me anymore.

Conclusion: I've yet to fish a Roman Made bait that's been a disappointment. Of course, I've only fished the Mother and Negotiator. The South is welcome addition to my arsenal and a fun wake bait to throw. It puts off a pretty large wake given the size of the bait. Hits are always super explosive to the point where it's almost a little scary to throw the bait because I become fearful of losing it and not being able to find a replacement. Such is the dilemma when throwing hard to find, expensive tackle. If you add it all up: 1) Expensive; 2)Difficult to Find; 3)Wood Construction; 4)Made in Japan... you know where this is going, right? Roman Made's South has earned our Ultimate Enthusiast Award for all of the above and more.