GEARING UP
FIRST LOOK
SPAWNING SEASON is close at hand for much of the country , and that means one very important thing for bass anglers : big fish , up shallow , waiting for a jig or soft plastic bait to fall in front of their faces . For that , we have you covered . Here ’ s a look at a handful ( mouthful ?) of new jigs and soft plastics to make hawg-hunting season your best one yet .
1 EPIC BAITS JIGS
$ 5.99 | tacklewarehouse . com
The folks at Epic Baits made a name for themselves with high-quality tungsten weights of all shapes and sizes . Their newest offerings – jigs – are just the next step in Epic Baits ’ expansion , and they certainly have the features to make a big splash in 2022 .
Epic Baits jigs are made with quality in mind , designed around ultra-sharp Gamakatsu hooks and tough-as-nails skirts . Each jig is affixed with the perfect middle-ground weed guard ( not too stiff and not too flexible ) and a molded keeper , which sits directly below a jig head that sports lifelike 3-D eyes for an added element of realism .
Epic offers four jig models ( compact swim , finesse , football and grass punch ) in a handful of eye-popping color combos . Available in 1 / 4 to 1 1 / 4 ounces ( depending on model ).
2 BERKLEY POWERBAIT CRASH CRAW
$ 5.49 | berkley-fishing . com
A perfect pairing for any number of new Berkley PowerBait jigs ( see next page ), the new Crash Craw – designed by MLF pro Scott Suggs – is one you ’ re likely to see in a lot of “ Top 10 Baits ” articles this season .
The Crash Craw is a bit of an enigma in that it has the general silhouette of a typical craw-style bait , but upon closer inspection , it ’ s anything but typical . Heavy ribbing along the body serves as abundant shielding for your hook point and six short appendages along the back half of the midsection ooze natural crawfish vibes . Paired with Berkley ’ s powerful PowerBait flavor , the Crash Craw is likely to be a fish-catching juggernaut in 2022 .
Available in 12 enticing colors and two sizes ( 3 1 / 2 and 4 1 / 4 inches ) in packs of six or eight .
3 STRIKE KING MID-SIZE RAGE BUG
$ 6.99 | strikeking . com
Sometimes you don ’ t need to reinvent the wheel . Sometimes you just need to make it a bit bigger . And a bit smaller . Strike King ’ s uber-popular Rage Bug already comes in three sizes ( original , Baby and Magnum ), and new for 2022 , you can add the Mid-Size Rage Bug to your bait bags and choose a size that works for any application .
The 3.38-inch Mid-Size Rage Bug is the perfect middle ground in the lineup that offers incredible versatility for use as a jig trailer or standalone bait ( for flipping , punching , dragging and even as a topwater wake bait ). If you can only take one pack of Rage Bugs on your next fishing trip , this is the one to have .
Available in 13 colors in packs of eight .
68 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2022