BLAZE Magazine Special Edition 2006-2016 | Page 43

er 6.5 & 8.5
Digg War Pig Pitbull
Wild Thing 90+ & Cutter 1
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e
10
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Cu Cutter 11 + Skinn +
y
& Bad Shad
fish across the gamut of fishing scenarios
and seasons. Here are my impressions after
fishing these baits starting with prototypes
and going through production models.
Digger 6.5 & 8.5
The Digger 8.5 produced a couple limits of
largemouth the first day I fished it, along
with some beefy smallmouth, so I find it
impossible not to have one or two rigged at
all times. Both baits are great for working
shallower deep weedlines or over grass that
tops out about 6 to 9 feet from the surface.
Both baits run true even when over-cranked
on high speed reels up to and including the
Abu Garcia Revo Rocket (37 inches of line
per turn). They get down fast, stay deep and
offer an action that triggers fish. The color
patterns resemble real forage and get bit. For
me, it’s my new confidence crankbait.
War Pig
Available in ¼- and ½-ounce sizes, this lipless
was designed with a unique pug nose to
bounce off cover for incredible versatility
shallow or deep. Thanks to this design,
water also flows around the bait from top to
bottom for more shake and rattle. How do
bass respond? The first time I fished it was
with David Fritts on a lake in Minnesota,
nearly every bass we caught -- and there were
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several -- had engulfed the bait completely!
In a lifetime of angling, I had never seen
this before with a rattlebait before. Add the
Fusion19 hooks to the equation and my
hook-up-to-land ratio exploded.
Pitbull
Berkley’s square bill casts like a dream and
gets down fast, all the while kicking with an
aggressive, hard wobble that drives fish nuts.
Fishes just about anywhere: Use to cover
large, shallow grass flats, or chunk it into
shallow wood and rocks for aggressive bites.
It runs about 5-6 feet on a long cast with
10-pound mono.
The Pitbull’s one-of-a-kind action is a lot
“harder” than other baits. Plus, it’s got a
slow rise on the pause. The bait’s laser-sharp
Fusion 19 hooks ride behind the Pitbull – not
below. It also has a forward-facing treble that
points down and an up-facing rear treble …
so go ahead and throw it right at that tree
trunk!
Wild Thing
Fritts calls the Wild Thang his “ultimate
crankbait.” And watching him fish it last fall, I
can tell you why: he caught scores of bass on
it – and a 7-pound walleye! It’s one of those
baits that has a hunting action so you don’t
have to fish it very fast. Thanks to a unique
bill, the bait will run along in “hunting”
fashion and then all of a sudden kick out. It
also rises slowly on the pause, making it easy
to fish around gnarly cover.
Cutter 90+ & Cutter 110+
& Cutter 110+ Skinny
I’ve always been a huge fan of jerkbaits and
don’t limit their use to early spring. Berkey’s
new Cutter baits feature a coffin bill, which
gives it a unique action…with an erratic
darting motion and a pronounced roll.
A lot of the western anglers I’ve fished with,
like Berkley Pro Josh Bertrand of Phoenix,
like the Skinny when presented with ultra-
clear water and fussy fish. I’ve found both
wider 110+ models work well on the typically
fertile waters I fish, but need more time on
the water with both baits before drawing
conclusions.
These baits are best fished with a softer-
tipped rod that has more backbone than
you might use with classic jerkbaits…the
Cutter responds very well to both finesse
presentations and ones that are more
aggressive (my favorite for smallmouth).
SPECIAL EDITION 2006-2016 |
| 43