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Man It's a Hot One, Like Nine Inches : Rago Bait's Smoothie
| Date: |
10/9/11 |
| Tackle type: |
Lures |
| Manufacturer: |
Rago Baits |
| Reviewer: |
Cal |
Total Score: 7.83 -
GOOD
Introduction:
My official introduction to the world of hard bodied big baits began in 2006 when I was fishing the Rago Baby Tool enroute to its December 2006 product review. They say your first is always the most memorable and while I've fished quite a number quality, hard bodied big baits since that time, I've always loved my Baby Tools for their combination of realism together with fish catching action. Trouble is, once I write up a bait, I seldom throw it again simply because there are just too many new products I need to fish each and every year. So while I've been fishing some of the latest and greatest creations that the big bait manufacturers have been producing, I've been anxiously waiting around for Rago to produce his next new hardbodied bait. Well, in November 2009, it finally happened. Jerry Rago introduced a new hardbodied swimbait at BassJam 2009, and we made it to his booth just in time to snatch up the very last one. Introducing our review of the Rago Baits Smoothie.
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Rago Baits Smoothie
Specifications |
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Type |
BigBait |
|
Depth |
Any |
|
Class |
Med/Fast Sink |
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Size (Approx Weight) |
9" (~4oz) |
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Supplied Hook |
Owner 1/0 2x |
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Colors / Patterns |
We've seen up to 4 |
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MSRP |
$100 |
Impressions: Unlike the Baby Tool which has a soft plastic tail section, the Smoothie is 95% hard body. The very tail itself is the only portion of this bait made of soft plastic. It is a four jointed bait with a skinny profile described by Jerry Rago as the best swimming bait he's ever produced. So why has it existed in relative obscurity until now?
Introducing Rago Bait's Smoothie.
Well, something about back to back tournament wins on two similar but different soft plastic swimbaits by two kind of well known bass anglers in a national bass tournament circuit. When you're a one or two person shop, you can only do so much. Rago has been busy keeping up with demand for those baits and hasn't had time to make much else let alone hard bodied baits like the Smoothie.
The Smoothie is a NINE inch bait ...
Field Tests: Which is just fine with us because that has afforded us more time with this bait to see just what it’s about. The primary testing grounds for Rago’s Smoothie over the last couple of years? Clear Lake, Lake Berryessa, and the California Delta. The Smoothie made it with us to the Amazon as well, but like all the other big baits we took down there, it spent more time soaking up the Amazonian sun than tempting the crazed fish because the bite just wasn’t there. Fishing can sure be an inconvenience sometimes, can’t it?
... with four joints, five sections ...
The Gear: Having spent so much time over the last couple of years fishing smaller sized big baits that allow you to use conventional bass gear, it took me a little time to gear up and dial back into the requirements for a true, big bait. The Smoothie is a nine inch bait weighting right around four ounces. While you can try, it is not recommended to chuck this bait on conventional bass gear. That’s right, you need to pull out a real big bait stick like the Dobyns Rods 795ML (Zander’s choice) or a Daiwa Zillion TDZL74XHFB (Cal’s Pick). Megabass’s Orochi X4 F6-72X4 Destruction can also handle this bait in a pinch.
... and a replaceable tail.
Rate of Fall: The Rago Smoothie is rated as a medium to fast sinker. Weights actually seem to vary between baits as the six I purchased actually vary in weight from 3.8 to 4.1 ounces. Nonetheless, the sink rates are just about identical on all versions averaging just under one foot per second. The bait descends in the water column with a neutral, parallel to the bottom attitude.
Each bait comes with a spare tail.
Next Section: The best swimming Rago Bait? |
