|
The Defiant 247 and 210 Swimbaits – A One Two Knockout
(continued)
  Unlike
traditional soft bodied swimbaits both Defiants do not come pre-rigged with an
embedded top hook, and are instead designed with dual line-through channels that
enables anglers to rig the bait with either top or bottom hooks. Each bait comes
bundled with two hooks that are linked together so that you essentially have a
pre-rigged stinger hook. The integrated rigging options on the Defiant baits are
one of the most innovative features in these baits, allowing anglers to
configure the baits easily in an effort to maximize strike to hookup conversions
in different retrieve styles.
One of the coolest features of
this bait is the hook design which comes pre-rigged with a stinger
Real World
Tests: I have fished the full sized Defiant 247 for two seasons since Oliver
first introduced the baits to me, and the smaller Defiant 210 over the last
season from spring to winter, targeting largemouth bass in Northern California
lakes including Berryessa, Clear Lake, the Delta, and a number of smaller local
reservoirs. I’ve fished both baits on a variety of setups, but mostly the
Megabass Destroyer Onager for the 247 and the Destroyer Mark 48 for the 210. My
primary reel and line setups for fishing these lures was either 30lb mono,
straight braid, or more often 50lb. braid with a 25-30lb fluorocarbon leader.
The Baitfsh pattern is beautifully
painted, and one of the hardest to find
Operation:
I find with many soft bodied swimbaits it takes time to build confidence on
these big baits, and that many times what looks good to anglers in the water
doesn’t necessarily translate into strikes. Unlike hard-bodied swimbaits where
they often exhibit an aggressive gliding motion, or water displacing tail whip,
the action that soft-bodied swimbaits impart is normally quite subtle.
The pattern I fished the most was
the Dark Trout which most closely matched the hatch of the stocked trout in the
lake
I personally
believe that fish often perceive soft bodied swimbaits as more lifelike, easy
prey, versus hard-bodied swimbaits that often trigger strikes as a result of
action. I’ve always had more success fishing soft-bodied swimbaits in clearer
water when fish are able to see the bait clearly and key in on tail movement.
That isn’t to say that it isn’t possible to draw strikes in heavily stained
water, it just means having to put the bait right in front of the fish, or
having to retrieve the lure at a snail’s pace.
Each bait is finished with a wide
knob tail that holds up well to strikes
My experience
with the Defiant baits was similar, and while the allure of fishing a big bait
and catching a big fish is always there, just like so many other swimbaits,
anglers will need to put in the time to catch fish. The clearer the water the
more followers I was typically able to draw, and the more trout that was in the
lake the more likely I was able to convert those followers into strikes.
During the battle the lure slides
up the line helping keep fish pinned
Like many other
full-sized swimbaits the Defiant 247 delivered most when I was fishing it
slowly. I was able to fish the lighter and smaller 210 a little faster, but
still had to remind myself to slow down my retrieve in most situations. While
the trout patterns clearly outperformed the other colors in lakes that had
recently been stocked it was the plain white pattern that was consistently the
most effective.
I didn't give the Pearl pattern
much of a chance at first. This was a big mistake as it performed surprisingly
well
While white patterns are
typically the first color I turn to for targeting stripers I typically don’t
fish them as much for largemouth, unless the water is heavily stained, and
prefer the added realism of fishing a bait with a more realistic pattern. “Don’t
sleep on the white,” Oliver advised when we talked about my early results and he
was right. I’m not sure if the fish view the plain white pearl as shad, generic
baitfish, or just that it is more visible in deeper water, but for whatever
reason this unembellished bait absolutely gets bit.
Like Oliver said... don't sleep on
white! The Pearl pattern delivers and for those that want to get creative can
also be customized to better mimic local baitfish
Next Section: Effectively converting strikes to
landings..
 |
