Features: All Shockwaves sport a solid-plastic body with a deep hook pocket for maximum hookup ratios. You don't need a huge hook to rig the thing—a 3/0 to 5/0 works very well. The head is sculpted into a realistic form, while the flat paddle tail and its narrow base are responsible for providing ample life to the bait.

Despite the tail featuring a very narrow base, I didn't have a single bite-off from the several dozen 2–4 pound fish caught on these baits.

Design and Ergonomics: I'm glad to see the Shockwave offered in ten natural color schemes. All of them are nicely composed and actually look realistic in the water. Far too many baits out there are sold in some crazy color schemes that I have zero interest in ever tying on. I can always appreciate it when a manufacturer keeps in simple and sticks to what will produce for most anglers.

During one retrieve, I had a good strike but missed the fish. When I brought it in, this is what I found—big tooth marks, and half the body gone! Aside from this, durability was average or better with each bait usually lasting a few fish.

Two sizes are available, a 3.5 inch and a 4.25 inch. I did not receive any of the smaller sizes for testing, but I don't mind because the 4.25-inch size is perfect for many situations. A larger bait eclipsing the 5-inch mark may be a good idea in the future to round out the lineup, but that's debatable.

Application: This is a great search bait for probing weedy or open-water shallows. Don't overlook letting the bait fall to the bottom then shaking the slack or hopping it like a jig to draw a bite when the bucketmouths get fussy—I've done this on many occasions (with other soft swimbaits, too) and it can work great. This bait would also make a sweet chatterbait or swim-jig trailer, and it could be fished on an Alabama rig or even on a jig-head for deeper presentations.

Another beautiful and healthy largemouth brought to hand thanks to the Shockwave.

Conclusion: The Missile Baits Shockwave continues to prove it's a fish catcher on a weekly basis. It's an attractive choice within the soft paddle-tail market and offers up great versatility to boot. I'm a big fan of the affordable pricing and the fact that they are made right here in the United States. As of this writing, I've nearly used up all of the bags I received for testing but look forward to purchasing some on my own for future use. These generate a lot of bites and are a cinch to rig and fish. Set one up and send some shockwaves through your local bass waters!

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