SPRO CHAD SHAD COLOR : THREADFIN SHAD
PHOTO BY BRANDON ROWAN
RAPALA CRUSHCITY FREELOADER COLOR : GREEN SHAD
SPRO MEGALOJOHN COLOR : BLUE GILL
RAPALA JIGGING RAP MAGNUM COLOR : SHAD
STRIKE KING BABY Z TOO COLOR : MORNING DAWN
DUCKETT SUBTLE TAIL COLOR : ELECTRIC SHAD
GAMAKATSU UNDERSPIN
SPRO MCSTICK 110 + 1 COLOR : DEADLY BLACK SHAD
JACKALL RHYTHM WAG COLOR : GOBY
BERKLEY POWERBAIT POWER SWITCH COLOR : CLOWN
Z-MAN STREAKZ COLOR : SHINER
DIRTY JIGS GUPPY HEAD COLOR : TENNESSEE SHAD
RAPALA PXR MAVRIK 110 COLOR : HOT BLUE FROST
“ Our ( bait design ) approach emphasizes angler control , enabling the fisherman to react to the fish .”
— Kyle Peterson , Berkley ith today ’ s forward-facing sonar units , we can digitally see the three big B ’ s : bass , baitfish and the baits we ’ re throwing . And we view them all in real time with vivid clarity never imagined this side of an underwater camera . Fish images are getting so good that even species identification is possible at times , making angler / fish face-offs more video game-like than ever .
The lures we throw – and how bass react to them – are becoming more discernible as well . Targeting bass that anglers can “ see ” and figuring out how to trigger them has led to a rapid evolution in the lure market . For the first time , baits are being made specifically for use with sonar .
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A few trends have emerged :
• Suspending jerkbaits have become 12-month-a-year tools , as they can be kept within the strike zones of interested fish . Manufacturers are upgrading previous offerings and tweaking jerkbait designs to enable longer casts and deeper reach .
• More buoyant , responsive plastics and jigs / rigs are being developed to deliver a natural fall and offer anglers better control .
• Shape and small features matter . A concave surface creates a better return , and hollow baits return better signals than solid ones .
• Size still matters , too . Large-profile baits create bigger screen signatures and draw the attention of big fish , while smaller , more subtle offerings are proving they can tempt big ones more than many of us thought . Some of the minds behind the new tools explain why they came about , and how you can use them to improve your forward-facing sonar game .
MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024