GEARING UP
1.
2.
3.
4.
1. RAPALA
RAP-V BLADE
The Rap-V Blade is sort of a blade
bait, sort of a lipless crankbait and
sort of a jigging bait, and that’s the
point. It was designed for everything
– vertical ripping and jigging presentations,
casting and hopping, burning
or slow-rolling. However you
work it, the bait maintains its wobble
and vibration, while a “BB rattle system”
provides additional attraction.
At 2 1/2 inches long and 1/2 ounce,
the Rap-V’s most noticeable design
features are the oversized “angry
eyes” and elongated metal top fin,
which sports two connection points.
Connecting to the front point provides
a slower, lazier fall, while the
rear hole is best for a faster, headdown
action. $9.99
rapala.com
Z-MAN CHATTERBAIT
2. JACKHAMMER
STEALTHBLADE
The JackHammer StealthBlade is the
Pippen to the original JackHammer’s
Jordan: quieter, more subdued, a
role player capable of scoring when
it counts. Z-Man and EverGreen collaborated
on the new premium
vibrating jig to create something
more subtle, with a tighter, higherpitched
frequency. It’s the tool to
use on pressured fisheries and in
clear water, or as a cleanup bait
behind the original JackHammer.
Designers reduced the flash with a
clear, polycarbonate blade. They
selected a thinner, hand-tied skirt
and redesigned the hook with a
lighter wire and shorter shank, but
with the same size gap. A special
coating enhances the hook’s
strength. The goal was a hook that
could still penetrate when fished on
lighter line in stealth situations. The
StealthBlade comes in 3/8 and 1/2
ounce in six colors. $15.99
zmanfishing.com
3. MEGABASS
ONETEN MAX LBO
The term “Linear Bearing Oscillator
Second Type,” or LBO II, is a mouthful
to say, but it’s also going to be
responsible for giving a lot of bass a
mouthful of the new Megabass
ONETEN MAX LBO jerkbait. The
LBO II system is an ultra-responsive,
sliding weight-transfer system.
Rather than relying on loose ball
bearings, the LBO II weight-transfer
system consists of a cylindrical
weight with three sets of micro ball
bearings inset into oval tracks
around its perimeter. The micro
bearings reduce friction so the
weight snaps sharply to the rear
when cast, providing the inertia to
really bomb the bait out there. As
soon as line tension is applied, the
weight zips back toward a magnet in
the front – into the action position.
At that point, the ONETEN MAX
LBO can perform its designed action
right from the first twitch. The system
allows the MAX LBO, which is
about an inch longer and 1/4 ounce
heavier than the original VISION 110,
to fish and perform with the agility of
a smaller jerkbait. $26.99
megabassusa.com
6TH SENSE
4. SPEED WAKE
A lot of wake baits rely on a slow
side-to-side wobble to antagonize
bass into biting. The Speed Wake
can do that, too, but its best attribute
is its ability to cover water and
trigger strikes with a much more
aggressive presentation. 6th Sense
designed it for maximum retrieve
speed without blowing out, which
makes it sort of like the squarebill of
the topwater world. Sling it around
shallow cover, or wake it over
schools of bait anytime bass are
looking up. At just shy of 4 inches
long, the Speed Wake is the right
size for mimicking most baitfish forage
species. $13.99
6thsensefishing.com
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FLWFISHING.COM | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING.COM | AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2020