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The
Pointer on a diet, Lucky Craft’s “Slender” Jerkbait (continued)
 Retrieve
cont'd: In the
field we tested the lure on largemouth, spotted bass, and stripers and was able
to catch all three type of fish. In terms of effectiveness the SP didn’t beat
the standard Pointer 100, but it certainly didn’t fare any worse. When the
structure is tight and you know what the strike zone is the SP can be deadly,
and when we ran into tightly schooled Spots the SP did shine. The SP is
different, but it is hard to argue that it can replace the Pointer 100, though
the Pointer 100 is capable of doing a great deal of what the SP can.
The SP makes use of Lucky Craft's
oval shaped split ring
Durability: In terms
of finish and quality of construction the SP showcases all that makes Lucky
Craft baits so popular. It has a durable exterior, and out of the box the
finishes are breathtaking. The scales on the American Shad pattern still blow me
away to this day, and even after heavy use the only visible damage is where the
hooks come in contact with the side of the bait. Interestingly the SP doesn’t
scratch itself as much as the other pointers as the hooks are smaller, and the
side of the bait doesn’t stick out as much.
A macro of the Aurora Bass pattern
finish
The Diaiichi hooks are robust
enough for both largemouth and smallmouth bass, but a little on the small side
for stripers. Even the smaller 2-3lb schoolie stripers were strong enough to
open up the hooks on the SP. The lure still held on to stripers though, as the
extra hook always seemed to lodge itself into the side of the fish. There were
times that all three hooks were embedded into the side of the striper’s mouths.
There was a lot of debris in the
water during our tests, but the erratic pattern of the SP coupled with the
slower jerk called bass up
Price & Applications:
The Slender Pointer retails for 17.99-18.99 depending on size, compare that to
the average 14.99 price of a normal Pointer. There are times when a smaller bait
like the slender pointer can be more effective than the larger baits, and the
smaller hooks certainly make this a better bait for smallmouth than the normal
pointers, but should anglers really have to pay more for a smaller lure?
Jerk that rod tip!
Sure it has one more hook,
but the bait is basically a modified pointer, and a smaller one at that. The
finishes on the SP are identical to that on the normal pointers and it is hard
to justify the 20% price delta between the two.
A bass falls for the SP
If you can stomach the price
the SP did prove effective at catching largemouth, spots, and stripers in our
test. They can be worked slightly differently than standard Pointers, and can
actually be used in situations where a pointer might not generate strikes. The
problem is there are other baits out there that are similar in price that can do
this just as well.
Fish typically are hooked with
more than one of the three hooks
Ratings:
|
Lucky Craft
Slender Pointer MR Ratings
(?/10) |
| Construction/Quality |
The Slender Pointer is built with all the quality you would expect from a
Lucky Craft offering. Lucky Craft really set the benchmark for detail in
design when it comes to Japanese lures. There are other exotic offerings out
there now but you really can't complain about a quality design like this |
9 |
| Performance |
There is no doubt the Slender Pointer works, but is it better than the
original? In some applications yes, but the original Pointer is still a more
versatile bait. Overall the SP is comparable to some competitor offerings,
but not the groundbreaking lure the original was |
8 |
| Price |
The
price on the SP is hard to swallow. The lure does feature great hooks, but
that doesn't justify the price delta between this thinner version and the
original. There are a lot of competitors out there now, all with aggressive
offerings, and some of which are cheaper |
6 |
| Features |
The
SP features a casting system, a quality finish, and excellent hooks. It
isn't anything revolutionary but it does have all the makings of a quality
lure |
8 |
| Design
(Ergonomics) |
The
SP is easy to fish, and the casting system does work. It may not cast as
well as the original, but it does the job |
8 |
| Application |
The
SP proved good for spots, and it is designed for smallmouth that tend to
slap the bait rather than engulf it, but when it comes to targeting
largemouth and stripers the original has this one beat |
7 |
|
Total Score |
7.66 |
Pluses and Minuses:
|
Plus
Minus |
| J
Lucky craft quality |
L
Price is significantly higher than
original Pointer |
| J
Quality erratic action |
L
Not a major step up from the original in
terms of usage or design |
| J
Good for smallmouth |
|
It may not be my favorite Lucky
Craft Pointer but it still is a decent bait
Conclusion:
The Slender Pointer is a
quality lure, no doubt about that. While it doesn’t have the exotic appeal of
the Megabass Vision 110, it certainly proved it can catch fish. The question is
do anglers need the Slender Pointer? Part of the problem is that the original
Pointer is already that good, and anglers already have a variety of sizes and
diving depths. The Slender Pointer has its moments, and during the pre spawn it
certainly wouldn’t hurt to have one or two of these lures in your tackle box,
but then we come back to the one thing that really hurts this lure….the price.
Why the lure costs 20% more than a standard Pointer is a hard pill to swallow.
The fish certainly don’t know the lure costs that much more, and while anglers
have gotten used to paying near 20 dollars for many Lucky Craft offerings, this
is one lure that I may only buy one or two of, and for the most part unless I’m
targeting smallmouth exclusively I’d stick with the proven performance of the
original Pointer.
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