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Fanatik Baits Serves up a
Feeding Frenzy with their Larva Plastics
(continued)
  It wasn’t long
before I was filling my livewell with quality fish. I was experiencing success
with all three baits but I did notice that on colder days with crystal clear
water when the bite was tough that the X-Larva easily outperformed the other two
baits. The smaller size and more subtle action without the ribs seemed to be the
right formula on these days where extra finesse was necessary. On warm days and
in slightly stained water the Larva and Dagger performed almost equally, and on
some days even out fished a Senko.
Crappie were all over the Fanatik
Larva
If I had to
choose just one bait out of the company’s lineup to drop shot it would be the
X-Larva. This bait is an effective cross between a worm and a creature and
though it is small in profile it can draw strikes from big fish. That being said
my biggest fish did come on the Larva 3.5” bait and I found the bait effective
for not only largemouth bass but also Shellcrackers and Crappie. The Larva 1.6”
size is a downright panfish weapon.
These baits were best fished with
spinning gear and light fluorocarbon lines. I had a lot of success with 4lb.
Seaguar Tatsu on this Megabass and Daiwa combo
During testing
there was one afternoon where I caught more bluegill than I have ever have
before on a lake that I routinely fish. There was one moment when I was jigging
the drop shot and saw a school of Redear chasing the 2.5” Larva up to the
surface. The bait was almost too big for the fish but that didn’t stop them from
them from competing for the bait and it looked like a school of piranha darting
around prey. Finally a Redear that was able to get his mouth around the head
of the bait crushed it. It was by far the most aggressive that I’ve ever seen
panfish swarm on any bait that I’ve ever fished on my home lake.
Multi-species madness, the Larva
delivered Redear as well
Price and
Applications: Rigged weightless the baits don’t impart a lot of action and
while the Fanatik plastics can be fished a variety of ways my absolute favorite
has to be with a drop shot rig. This presentation allows anglers to impart a lot
of action on the tail section, legs, and ribs of these baits. I caught a lot of
spotted bass, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, and redear sunfish. Another
application that seemed to work is using these baits as a trailer on finesse
jigs or even swim jigs and vibrating jigs.
My biggest fish came on larger
original Larva baits
In terms of
durability the Fanatik baits also rank quite well, and while they are not the
most durable baits they are able to last through a few fish each before the head
tears through. The silicon used in the bait’s manufacturing holds up well to
strikes and it is the smaller fish that nip at the appendages that seem to do
more damage to the bait than largemouth that simply suck the entire lure in on
strike.
Through thin the tails stayed
intact. The silicon used to make these baits is soft and elastic
In keeping with
the company’s original goal of making their baits accessible Fanatik lures come
8 per pack (2.0” size) or 4 per pack in the largest 3.5” size and retail for
only $3.99 each. While already popular in Europe Fanatik is just starting to
ramp here in the Americas so the best way to obtain the baits is directly from
the manufacturer’s own online store.
While the Larva and X-Larva are my
favorite Fanatik baits the Dagger also proved effective
Ratings: (We've re-calibrated our ratings standard for 2008 and have included a key at the bottom of the following matrix as a guide)
|
Fanatik
Larva Plastic Bait
Ratings
(?/10) |
| Construction/Quality |
A
quality bait that features details like ribbing and thin appendages that
return to shape on pause. These baits are well designed and well constructed |
8 |
| Performance |
These baits flat out catch fish, and I was surprised by how effective they
were across a range of different species. The smaller sized proved to be
deadly for panfish and even incited a bluegill feeding frenzy. Crappie and
Redear Sunfish also fell prey to the dragonfly larva imitator |
9.5 |
| Price |
$3.99, a very reasonable price per pack |
9 |
| Features |
The
main features are the profile, scent, taste, and excellent thin tail that
quivers with the slightest movement |
8.5 |
| Design
(Ergonomics) |
Easy to fish a variety of ways though best fished finesse. Drop shot proved
to be our most effective technique |
8 |
| Application |
Great for a variety of species and the smaller and thinner X-Larva delivered
on days where the bite was tough |
9 |
|
Total Score |
8.66 |
Ratings Key: 1 = terrible : 2 = poor : 3 = lacking : 4 = sub par : 5 = mediocre : 6 = fair : 7 = good : 8 = great : 9 = excellent : 10 = unbelievable!
For More
Details
of the
updated
rating
system
visit
our
explanation
here |
Pluses and Minuses:
|
Plus
Minus |
| +
Larva baits are good for a variety of species |
-
Good durability but violent strikes, especially from small fish, can tear
the bait depending how it is rigged |
| +
Able to be fished a variety of ways, though dropshot was most effective
during our tests |
-
Still relatively hard to source in US |
| +
Works when fishing is tough, even in cold and clear water |
|
| +
Smaller Larva and X-Larva baits are deadly panfish weapons |
|
| +
Reasonable price for an effective bait |
|
Conclusion:
Throughout testing strike to hookup ratio
was very good, but this is usually the case with a dropshot rig. It is difficult
to say just how much the scent and taste attributes of these baits play into
attracting and getting fish to stay hooked up but I can confidently say that it
certainly didn’t hurt.
Fanatik Larva baits were a good
option on cooler days when the bite was tough
I feel the biggest attractors
on these baits are the hybrid dragonfly and nymph profile and that super thin vibrating tail
design. When it comes to attracting a wide variety of sunfish Fanatik has the
entire formula well dialed in.
The original 2”
Larva continues to be a fish catcher but it is definitely worth trying out the
other sizes on your local body of water. For me the X-Larva was the top
performer in quantity while the larger Larva bait delivered the most quality. In
terms of patterns the green and purple patterns performed the best, but like all
baits matching the hot colors on your lake will be key. Fanatik has a lot of
baits in their lineup but the Larva and X-Larva are my favorite. It is easy to
see why the brand is so popular in Europe, as these baits are very effective at
drawing strikes from so many different kinds of fish. The Larva Series baits
offers American anglers a different profile, and new weapon in which to target
largemouth and panfish. The baits are so effective that I’ve burned through all
my test lures, something that I can’t say about many of the baits that we test,
and I’m keen to reload just to see if I can draw another fanatical panfish
feeding frenzy.
Looking for Fanatik Baits?
Try the Fanatik Online Store
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