= PRO PICK
HARD BAITS
THE HARD BAIT category covers the water column from literally top to bottom , and the following list of baits follows suit : You ’ ll find some new topwater options , some shallow divers and medium divers , and a handful of baits that are at their best digging into / dragging along the bottom .
Berkley Choppo 75
I love the Choppo in the new 75 size – it ’ s just so short and fat , the bass have to have it . The plastic tail displaces a ton of water , even when you ’ re reeling it slowly . I also love that this bait comes with Fusion19 treble hooks , probably the best treble hooks on the market in my opinion . $ 10.99 at TW / berkley-fishing . com — Bobby Lane , MLF pro
Strike King Chick Magnet
The ol ’ Chick Magnet : this bait comes straight from the hills of East Tennessee , and it ’ s one that I was a little bit cautious about letting out there . You know how we are about our flat-sided crankbaits in East Tennessee , there ’ s probably a thousand different crankbaits being built in a thousand home garages all over East Tennessee . The Chick Magnet actually came from an old bait that we fished on Lake Chickamauga for years called the ‘ 24 ’ – it ’ s a flat-sided bait with a circuit-board bill , so it has a little harder wobble and a pretty aggressive dive . When that water is cold and maybe has a little color or even dirty water , fish will really bite this bait . $ 9.99 at TW / strikeking . com — Andy Morgan , MLF pro
Berkley Stunna
This is one of the best jerkbaits I ’ ve ever seen . It already comes with Berkley Fusion19 treble hooks on it , so there ’ s no need to change the hooks . You don ’ t need a lot of flashy colors with this bait . The Stunna has amazing castability and a slow sink , making it my favorite jerkbait for cold-water situations . $ 14.99 at TW / berkley-fishing . com — Edwin Evers , MLF pro
Z-Man ChatterBait MiniMax and Big Blade ChatterBait
Z-Man ’ s ChatterBait lineup continues to expand as anglers find new ways to fish a bladed jig . Now , there ’ s a model for nearly every application with the introduction of the MiniMax and Big Blade models that are suited for both ends of the spectrum : both subtle and maximum thump . $ 8.99 for MiniMax ; $ 11.99 for Big Blade at TW / zmanfishing . com — The Editors
Strike King Hybrid Hunter
Available in two sizes ( 3 and 3 1 / 2 inches ) that cover everything from 2 to 5 feet , the Hybrid Hunter from Strike King is as effective as it is unique thanks to its unconventional bill shape , which creates erratic deflection off cover . MLF pro Dakota Ebare used the Hybrid Hunter at the 2021 Toyota Series Championship on Pickwick Lake en route to an eighth-place finish and swears by its unique action for fishing everything from shallow hard bottoms to grass . $ 8.99 for all models at TW / strikeking . com — The Editors
Yo-Zuri 3DB 1.5 MR
I can never have enough of these crankbaits – there ’ s always fish that live shallow , and this is one of the best baits to cover water , any time of the year . The paint is on the inside instead of painted on the outside , so no matter how many docks you bang it off of , the paint stays true . $ 7.49 at TW / yo-zuri . com — Zack Birge , MLF pro
Rapala Ott ’ s Garage Tiny 4
The OG Series was a series of baits that I ’ ve wanted or needed for a long time , and Tiny is the next in the line . It ’ s a small-profile , circuitboard-bill , flat-sided bait that dives 4 feet and has an action very similar to a Shad Rap but with a little bit different profile . $ 8.99 at TW / rapala . com — Ott DeFoe , MLF pro
Bill Lewis MR-12
This is the big brother to the MR-6 crankbait : the new MR-12 dives to 12 feet as opposed to the normal 6 feet . The MR-12 has a weighttransfer system that allows you to cast it a mile , along with great action while it ’ s in the water . $ 8.99 at TW / rat-l-trap . com — Mark Daniels Jr ., MLF pro
62 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | DECEMBER-JANUARY 2022