Panther
Martin WeedWing
Specifications |
Material |
Metal |
Colors |
5
available |
Sizes |
1/4
and 1/2 oz |
MAP |
$3.99 and $4.49 |
Impressions: The WeedWing is by
no means a new invention, Panther Martin has actually been selling these bass
lures in the pre-buzzbait days. But this year they are bringing them back
from the past with 5 exciting new colors and a few improvements to further
enhance your catch ratio.

The Panther Martin WeedWings is a spoon-buzzbait hybrid
Complete Rig
for WeedWing Tests |
Rod |
GLoomis MBR783C |
Reel |
Quantum Energy PT-XMetal |
Line |
12
lb. Sufix ProMix |
Field Tests: Over the years fishing the top water has become one of my favorite
techniques to target big bass. We field tested this lure primarily on bass, but fish such as pike, muskie, stripers, and others will also attack the
WeedWing when worked properly.
Casting: We weren't surprised at all that this Panther Martin
lure can be tossed extremely well. At 1/4 and 1/2 oz in weight, the WeedWing rockets through the air with 12lb ProMix. Even though the
blades will rotate in midair, there weren't any noticeable loss in casting
distance as a result of friction, as the main body of the lure has plenty of
weight to help catapult this lure far afield. Aside from nice long casts needed to
kick-start the top water action, the WeedWing is well balanced and easy to
direct to targeted zones. While using a side-arm cast and thumbing the baitcaster, the team was able to easily hit targets in open water
and precisely drop the lure in-between tight spots without snagging.

Its solid spoon design is smooth
and tough, and aerodynamic shape help the lure cast great distances
Retrieving: Top water fishing is all about how you work the lure
to create fish attracting motions and sounds to entice fish to come up and strike. Learning to control the speed of retrieve is probably the hardest thing to do,
and must be practiced to effectively fish any top water lure. By using a high gear ratio baitcasting reel like the new Quantum Energy PT-XMetal,
it already gives you an edge over anglers who use a slower setup. Throughout the field tests, this new exciting lure always created a nice V-shaped wake
as it ran at the surface of the water. Its "Wing" turned everytime and created
a churning or gurgling sound somewhat familiar to those who enjoy fishing buzzbaits, but the WeedWing
emits a sound that is different but just as effective at taunting fish to strike.
The use of wide gap hooks on the WeedWing is a
plus especially when fishing top water. Having this type of hook made it
much easier to hook into a fish during the retrieve than a smaller sized hook
that I've used in early prototypes.

A big part of the this lure's
action comes
from the "Wings" that produce quite a commotion on the waters surface
Long time users of buzzbaits know that by
tweaking the blade, one can achieve different sounds, speed, and actions. The WeedWing's blades can be bent in or out to control the
amount of force that is required to turn the blade, allowing you to control the speed you
require to keep the lure afloat at the surface. I also tried drilling holes
into the blade which resulted in the generation of a different sound and as the
Weedwing broke
the surface of the water it actually created a bubble trail. Overall the
effectiveness of the lure remained the same.
With double weed guards, the WeedWing can be
fished in heavy structure and cover without easily snagging. Because the
weed guards are made out of two metal wires, they can also be adjusted. When
fishing open top water I would
push the weed guards down, to further expose the hook for a greater chance of getting a
solid hookset.
While this Panther Martin lure is effective on top
water action against aggressive fish, the WeedWing can also be fished in other
ways. Fish it mid-water or drag it along the bottom of the lake, this lure
can be effective at a variety of depths and speeds. We attached a trailer to the hook which added more action,
making the WeedWing even deadlier when retrieved slowly.

A wide gap hook helps provide
solid hookups
Durability: Durability isn't even a concern when it comes to the
WeedWing. Panther Martin went with using filled metal into the
underside of the spoon to attach the hook, at first I thought it might not hold
as well as a screw. But after many drop tests on solid concrete, the hook
remained intact.
Aside from that, the only other parts that can
take on damage from extreme fishing is the blade, weed guards, and the paint on
the models that are not a solid color. The weed guards are made to be bent,
and can be constantly adjusted with no damage to the lure. We tested them on fish and in the lab
and even put the lures through extreme stress. We took a lure and bent the wire until
it broke off. If you bend the
wires down onto the body of the spoon it is very difficult to break. If you bend
them away from the lure, upwards or to the sides about 1 inch maximum from the
hook, the wires still didn't break. Now, if you bend them completely
perpendicular to the lure, it is possible to break them after a few tries. This will
not occur unless you accidentally bend them during
transportation or in an event of an extremely unusual hang up.

Double weed guards prevent the
WeedWing from easily snagging when fishing in and around cover
If you only fish the WeedWing as a top water bait,
you'll never run into problems with the paint. But if you choose to drag
the lure along
rocky bottoms you will definitely put scratches into the finish. But even
after intentionally scratching up this lure it still remained effective.
Price: The MSRP of the Panther Martin
WeedWings aren't all that bad, but could fall into the higher price range for
some anglers. The great thing about online shopping nowadays is that we
can do a quick price checks before buying anything. For these lures, if you
look around on the web, you will be able to find them strategically priced below
MSRP.