Megabass of America Dog-X Diamante Topwater Bait Product Review

Lure Review

A Diamante in the Rough? Megabass's Latest STW Achievement (continued)

Quality of Movement : The key with the Diamante is it doesn't just walk side to side like a typical cigar bait. It actually spits and kicks similar to a pencil popper but more subtle because it doesn't have a concave mouth to catch the water. Twitch the tip of your rod hard enough and it will kick off to one side or the other about the length of the bait and then kick back or straighten itself out on the next twitch.

The Diamante's position at rest. Its head is almost completely out of the water.

Position at Rest : This splashing motion is achieved by the bait's head up position at rest in the water. Those fixed weights we talked about earlier at the back of the bait pull the rear of the bait down pushing the head up until you begin to work the bait.

Available in silent mode or with rattle-in.

Design/Ergonomics: The Dog-X Diamante is available in up to eight(8) different colors and can be purchased with rattles or in silent mode. We're actually a little surprised there aren't more than 8 colors, but knowing Megabass, this leaves a ton of room for limited runs of colors like White Phantom Ito Python Natural (and no, in case you were wondering, that is not a real Megabass color - yet). In fact at the time of this writing, we've heard that there are eight brand new colors getting ready to be added to the Diamante's selection this coming fall, so keep an eye out for those. They may very well have debuted by the time this article is published.

Actual Gamakatsu hooks!

One thing that surprised me to find out about this bait is it comes with three (3) Gamakatsu brand treble hooks. Megabass has abandoned their Katsuage branded, thin wire hooks, in favor of a name brand, Gamakatsu product that is slightly more robust. This is quite encouraging and should the need arise to replace the hooks down the line, sourcing Gamakatsu replacements (or similar) will be much easier.

A smallie courtesy of Lake Berryessa, CA.

Price & Application: Brace yourself because the Dog-X Diamante by Megabass comes with an MSRP of only $19.99. How far have we come when we say a bait is only $19.99, but if you understand it's Megabass we're talking about here, then that optimism comes to light. Just a few years ago, this same bait would have likely debuted at something like $26.99 instead.

Ratings:

Megabass Dog-X Diamante Ratings (?/10)
Construction/Quality	Good consistency bait to bait and incredible finishes as always	9
Performance	Really easy to walk and super easy to cast	9
Price	Megabass for under $20, what is the tackle world coming to?	7.5
Features	Available in silent or rattling version	7.5
Design (Ergonomics)	3 very sharp, Gamakatsu hooks - not the house brand	8
Application	Need a top water walking bait? the Diamante is worth checking out	8
Total Score		8.17
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
+ Super easy bait to cast for distance	- Color selection is somewhat limited for now, but that is due to change by the time this article is published
+ Really easy to work
+ Gamakatsu hooks not the typical thin wire Megabass hooks

All that's left is for a run of some limited, hard to get, new, JDM only colors like White Phantom Ito Python Natural.

Conclusion: It appears as if Megbass's STW program is well on its way to producing baits that have a wider, and perhaps easier to understand application than the specialty niche baits that make up a lot of the company's catalog. The previously reviewed S-Crank has become a favorite amongst the TackleTour staff and now the Diamante is working its way to being a staple in our tackle boxes as well. It's easy to cast, easy to work, and very good at coaxing fish into coming up for a chance to play and say hello. We're just waiting anxiously for those exclusive, limited, hard to get, new, JDM only colors.

Looking for a Megabass Dog-X Diamante?

Try TackleWarehouse