BASSTRIX: Paddle Tail
Swimbait
This hollow bodied soft plastic
swimbait is all the rage right now on bass waters all across the United States. Soft plastic swimbaits have been around for
years. Just think back to Charlie Brewers Do Nothin rig, or the Lil' Fishy, or the Sassy Shad, or the Blue Fox Vibra Tail
... Soft plastic swimbaits are nothing new. However, the Basstrix bait is something new. Have you ever heard the old saying,
"Build a better mouse trap"? Well, that's what the folks at Basstrix have done. They have taken the old standard
soft plastic swimbait and made it better.
The Basstrix bait has a hollow body similar to a tube with flat sides, realistic
eyes, and excellent color schemes. The paddle tail along with the flat sides give the bait a nice side-to-side wobble
while the kicking tail creates a strong swimming action the bass just can't seem to resist.
Costa Del Mar
Polarized Sunglasses with Lenses Specially Developed by Harry Allen:
Costa Del Mar polarized sunglasses are quite simply the best I have ever used.
My lenses are specially made by Mr. Harry Allen. Harry is a fisherman and an Optician, thus he develops lens for fisherman.
Harry understands the various on-the-water conditions we face and he works to develop lens to meet those conditions giving
the fisherman optimum visibility above the water's surface and below.
I personally utilize two of Harry's
specially developed lens: The Harry's Lens and The Flats Lens.
The Harry's Lens is a great overall lens
for everyday use. The lens cuts right through water surface glare and provides excellent underwater visibility over a wide
range of sky conditions from bright sun to low light. The lens also provides great contrast for sharp visual images and depth
perception.
The Flats Lens is a must have for overcast days or those hazy sky days. You know, those hot summer
days when the sun is out but the sky is so hazy it seems overcast. That hazy sky condition is very common in the south when
the humidity is very high and the air is all but still. Well, the Flats Lens is what you need to cut through that dull glare
and provide you with the greatest on-the-water vision possible.
I'm telling you these lenses developed by
Harry Allen are a must for fishermen. Call Harry at 336-884-5677 and tell him you read about his lenses here. He will discuss
your sunglass needs with you and make you a great pair of sunglasses that you will never want to be without.
Pure
Fishing Product Family: Abu Garcia, Berkley, Fenwick, Mitchell, Stren, Spider, Sevenstrand
Pure Fishing houses a huge product line of top quality fishing tackle.
I personally use Abu Garcia reels, Fenwick rods, Mitchell spinning reels, Stren fishing line, Berkley fishing line, Spiderwire
fishing line, and Berkley soft plastics.
Abu Garcia casting and spinning reels are top of the line. They offer
trouble free reliable performance day after day. My first casting reel was a 5500C I bought in the early 1970s, and I
still have it and it still works. I have bought and used a ton of reels since then and none compare to the new Revo casting
reels. These reels are state of the art and as good as it gets for the daily grind of bass fishing.
Fenwick continues to manufacture fishing rods that are as light
weight, strong, durable, sensitive, and easy to handle as any fishing rod in the industry. I use Techna AV and HMG casting
and spinning rods. Their actions are spot on and they are simply as good as it gets.
Mitchell spinning reels are another industry standard. Dollar for dollar these reels are outstanding.
You can pay more but you wont get more.
Stren, Berkley, and Spiderwire fishing lines cover any situation an angler may come across. I use them all depending
on the qualities and characteristics I am needing in a fishing line for a given situation. Fishing line can easily cover an
entire wall in a retail store, and it can be confusing. If you have questions about what line to use drop me an email with your question and I'll answer it for you.
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Black Dog Bait Company: Shellcracker Swimbait
West Coast meets East Coast with the swimbait craze. Lookout! Swimbaits aren't just for those Cali-Bass anymore.
Yep, these baits catch fish here in our southern waters too. My good friend from the West Coast, Justin McComas, introduced
me to the Black Dog Bait Company Shellcracker swimbait when he came to fish with me in May.
I was amazed at the
quality and detail in this bait. Justin gave me some quick lessons on how to present this bait, and it didn't take long
to see that this beauty would be effective on my South Carolina waters once I learned how to effectively present it. Yes-sir,
I had to have one of these baits. Justin shocked me by making his bait a gift to me. Man-O-Man, what a great gift. I could
not wait to spend some time with this bait and learn to fish it.
This bait floats at rest and seductively moves
from side to side with a slow retrieve. It looks just like an injured Shellcracker swimming just beneath the surface. As it
is swimming along you can see largemouth waking up behind the bait. With the bass trailing it you can stop the bait and
give the line a quick jerk and the bait will do a 180-degree turn and face the bass. Hold on because ol' mama
bass can't have any of that. She is going to slam it. You can also present the Shellcracker a little more
erratically with short quick jerks and make the bait walk-the-dog. That presentation has produced the most bites for me. The
bass pictured is a 6 lb. 12 oz. Lake Murray bass that ate the bait while I was giving it the slow swimming retrieve off
a shallow grass line where bream where present.
These baits are awesome. I have to give all of the credit to Justin
for introducing me to the Black Dog Shellcracker.
UPDATE: I have
recently received and tested the sinking version of the Black Dog Baits Shellcracker swimbait. The sinking version has a slow
sink and a very nice swimming motion on a steady retrieve. This bait looks great underwater, and even though it has a large
profile in the water you'll catch 2-1/2 pound bass as well as the trophy sized monsters we're after. I have found
this bait very effective in clear to slightly off colored water fishing from just under the surface, like a wake bait, down
to about 4 feet deep. Right now in my home lake the sunfish are moving up on shallow flats or hanging around docks near shallow
flats. I like to get the reaction strike with this bait by casting it out and retrieving it just under the surface so the
bait produces a nice wake. The strikes are absolutely vicious. I mean take the rod out of your hands vicious. If I get bass
to move on the bait but just follow it back to the boat I will begin to stop my retrieve once I see a bass move up behind
the Shellcracker. A sudden stop of your retrieve will cause the Shellcracker to spin 180-degrees and face the trailing bass.
This will usually draw a violent reaction strike and the fight is on.
This is another great bait from Black Dog
Baits. Buy it ... Try it ... You'll love it!
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