
An Easier to Fish Schooling Bait -
The PDL Rig

Date: |
3/12/17 |
Tackle type: |
Lure |
Manufacturer: |
Longas Baits |
Reviewer: |
Zander |
Total Score: 8.08 -
GREAT
Introduction:
The A-Rig craze has definitely worn off but there is no denying that the
technique, when employed in the right conditions, can be downright deadly.
Schooling baits like the A-Rig can sometimes entice big fish to give chase and
commit. The problem with most A-Rigs is that they require more setup time,
take extra effort to fish, and are even banned from most tournaments. A company
from Spain, Longas Baits, has created an innovative new take on the bait-ball
concept with a new hybrid style swimbait called the PDL rig.
Longas
Baits
PDL Rig
Specifications |
Type |
Swimbait,
Schooling
Bait |
Length |
5 inches
(main
swimbait),
2" (teaser
swimbaits) |
Weight |
1/2oz, 3/4oz |
Material |
Lead,
Plastic |
Hooks |
Owner
Cutting
Point |
Colors |
5+ |
Origin |
Spain |
MSRP |
$15.99 |
The Schooling Bait Reinvented?
At first glance the Longas Baits PDL rig immediately seems familiar.
It looks
both like a traditional paddletail swimbait rigged with a jighead and it also
resembles a cross between a spinnerbait and an A-Rig, with two protruding arms
coming out of the head linking to screwed on smaller swimbaits.

Not a paddletail and
not a A-Rig, this is
the PDL Rig from
Longas Baits
The PDL Rig is designed to be an
alternative to both a swimbait and an A-Rig, and yet it is designed with
elements of both, and can be described as a hybrid of sorts. Each PDL rig is
armed with a single Owner Cutting bait Hook and the smaller 3" swimbaits are
unarmed teasers, creating the illusion of a tight school of baitfish.

The PDL Rig comes fully rigged and ready to fish
When you
first look closely at the PDL
Rig the finish of the bait isn't all that impressive.
The paint on the jighead's
finish is average and while the painted eyes do the job they don't really add a
lot of realism to the lure. The same can be said about the actual swimbait
bodies, they are soft and stay on the jighead well but they are not that refined
in profile or finish. The tails themselves have a more angular shape than your
average paddletail and they kind of reminded me of swimbaits that we would use
in saltwater for targeting Rockfish or Calicos, where refinement sometimes comes
second to durability. While my first impression of the finish of the baits was
somewhat uninspiring I was still very interested to see how they would perform
in the water.

The
bait reminded me of the Starship Enterprise
Ready to Fish: This is the
Starship Enterprise of swimbaits, not just because it boldly goes where other
"swimbaits" have not gone before, but also because it has the PDL's jighead has
same profile as the famed spacecraft.
The coolest thing about the PDL Rig
is that it comes fully rigged and ready to fish.
No setup required, simply pull
the bait out the package, tie it on and cast your own mini bait-ball.

Heavy mono wires link to two teaser swimbaits creating the illusion of a small
bait ball
In the water the PDL Rig comes to
life with the slightest movement. You can fish this lure at just about any
speed. Let it sink to the desired depth and you can slow crawl the bait back, or
simply cast it out and burn it right below the surface.

The
PDL Rig can be fished on standard gear, no beefy swimbait rod required to toss
this bait
The same tails that I was critical
about in terms of refinement look absolutely great in the water. The narrow tail
section and angular tails just looked a little odd out of the package but once
in the water they swing and flutter beautifully, even at low speeds. The two
"wires" that attach the teaser swimbaits are actually made of heavy mono, and I
found that they were firm enough that I could adjust them inwards or outwards to
alter the size of the "bait-ball." The wires also add some additional
weedlessness to the rig. I was able to fish the bait through grass without
hanging up, but if you have a direct impact with submerged timber it still is
possible to snag this bait up.

In
the water the PDL Rig comes to life at just about any retrieve speed
Next Section: Fish the PDL Rig all day...  |