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Lure Review

 


One Super-Sized Topwater Bait Please : Strike King's KVD Mega Dawg

 

Date: 5/5/19
Tackle Type: Lure
Manufacturer: Strike King
Reviewer: Cal






Total Score: 7.67 - GOOD

Introduction:
There's no denying big baits are fun to throw. What makes them even more fun is if they are designed to be fished on top of the water. Topwater, big bait strikes are as thrilling as it gets. Strike King recognizes the excitement surrounding the pursuit of big strikes on topwater and have recently mega-sized one of their popular topwater baits. Here's our look at Strike King's KVD Mega-Dawg.

 

Strike King KVD Mega Dawg Specifications

Type Topwater Plug
Length 6"
Weight 2oz
Material Plastic
Colors 10
Hooks 3x of unspecified brand
MSRP $13.99

 

Impressions: Strike King's KVD Mega Dawg is a super sized version of their popular Sexy Dawg topwater cigar bait. It measures six inches (6") in length and weighs in at a full two ounces (2oz). Like the Sexy Dawg, the Mega Dawg has a very traditional, streamlined cigar bait profile and is equipped with three hooks.


Introducing Strike King's KVD Mega Dawg.

Real World Test: My setup for Strike King's KVD Mega Dawg is my trusty "do anything rig" in my Gancraft Killers Ground Trick fishing rod matched with my Shimano Bantam MGL spooled with 50lb Finatic Pro Series braid.


This is a 6", 2oz bait!

Castability : Any big topwater bait worth its weight needs to support casts for distance. Strike King's KVD Mega Dawg is equipped with the usual internal moving weight balance system approach that shifts the bait's weight and momentum into the direction of your casts so you can literally just bomb this bait. Cast on a reel like Shimano's Bantam MGL, I had to be mindful of my casts because I continually casts down to the backing on my reel. This bait flies.


Strike King's KVD Mega Dawg is equipped with the usual internal moving weight balance system approach that shifts the bait's weight and momentum into the direction of your casts

Ease of Actuation : The biggest question after a super long cast is whether or not you can get your bait to do its thing. Line stretch plays the biggest role on super long casts but I fished this bait on braid, so stretch was a non issue.

After a few quick twitches of my rod tip to establish the right rhythm, the KVD Mega Dawg is a very easy bait to work. It dances side to side with ease with maybe a slightly wider side to side motion than smaller baits of this same style. Not wide enough, however, to be considered a slide to slide.


The bait's angled chin helps with the easy walking action

Position at Rest : Pause your retrieve, or after that long cast, the bait sits in the water with the usual tail in the water, head up position. That explains the ease by which this bait walks really. For walking baits, if that tail is too parallel to the surface, it's tough to get the right resistance against the water for the bait to want to walk side to side. If they're too parallel to the surface, you have to work harder to get them to walk correctly. The KVD Mega Dawg has no such issues.


At rest in tail down, head up position and ready to go

Design/Ergonomics: If you're accustomed to throwing larger than normal baits, the KVD Mega Dawg will require zero adjustment. If not, then be sure to at least upsize the power of your rod to handle this bait's two ounces of heft. It's super easy to throw and work, you just need the right rod to accomplish the task.


Detailing is very modest

Strike King offers the KVD Mega Dawg in ten different colors but continues to use generic hooks on their KVD branded hard baits. I'm sure it's a licensing and distribution entanglement, but I find it odd to purchase a KVD hardbait with generic hooks. This bait should be equipped with Mustad KVD trebles. You don't wear a designer outfit with generic shoes do you?


A KVD branded bait with no KVD hooks? Why?

Price & Application: The price of Strike King's KVD Mega Dawg topwater bait is $13.99. Use it anytime you want to upsize your catch and cull out the smaller fish that are slapping at your regular sized topwater baits.

Ratings:

Strike King KVD Mega Dawg Ratings (?/10)

Construction/Quality Solid design and finishes 8
Performance Casts for distance and easy to work 9
Price Probably about right for a super sized topwater bait 7.5
Features Moving weight system but no KVD hooks? 7
Design (Ergonomics) Solid color selection 7
Application Good for when the fish are active on top and you don't want to mess around with the smaller fish 7.5

Total Score

7.67

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
+ Fun to cast for distance - No KVD hooks on a KVD bait?
+ Easy to work  
+ Bigger bait for bigger bites  

Conclusion: Strike King's KVD Mega Dawg is super fun to fish. In the end, it's just a standard walking bait in a much larger size, but it's the larger size that makes it so fun to fish! This bait was well on its way to earning one of our editorial awards, but I just can't get over the fact the Mega Dawg is branded as a KVD bait but doesn't come with KVD branded hooks. The realist in me knows it has to be a money or political thing between Strike King and Mustad, but the consumer in me doesn't care. Certainly I can purchase the right sized Mustad KVD hooks and replace them on my own, but I don't buy a sports car with generic rubber only to have to install my rubber of choice before I even drive it, do I?


Throwing a bait like Strike King's KVD Mega Dawg doesn't guarantee a monster catch, but it sure doesn't hurt!

 

Rant over. What I like about this bait is it taps into the big bait fisherman in me. Bigger baits generally catch bigger fish. How many times have you been on a topwater bite of any significance only to have your bait slapped at time and time again by fish that won't even make the MLF weight cut? Your patience can only take so many of those non-scorable bass, right? Throwing a bait like Strike King's KVD Mega Dawg doesn't guarantee a monster catch, but it does tend to help you automatically cull the fish most of the smaller fish so you can spend your time concentrating on bigger, more exciting explosions.

 

Looking for Strike King KVD Mega Dawgs?

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