Brand new for 2008! Ima Japan in association with FLW pro Michael Murphy, unveils the latest jerkbait for bass - the Ima Flit.

Body Length: 4-3/4" inches (120 cm), not counting the lip
Weight: 1/2 ounce (15 gr.)
Depth: Floats at rest. Dives 6-8 feet. Suspends when paused. Rattling.
Hooks: #6 Owner black nickel hooks

Michael Murphy (above) fishes the FLW Tour. Murphy holds a degree in fisheries and aquatic science and has worked in the tackle industry at Shakespeare and at SPRO. Most recently, Murphy has worked with Ima to design the new Ima Flit jerkbait.

Ima Flit ~ Jerkbait ~ Ghost Minnow

Ima Flit ~ Jerkbait ~ Brown Flash

Ima Flit ~ Jerkbait ~ Blue Shad

Ima Flit ~ Jerkbait ~ Matte Bluegill

Ima Flit ~ Jerkbait ~ Tennessee Shad

 Ima Flit ~ Jerkbait ~ American Shad

Ima Flit ~ Jerkbait ~ Silver Flash

Ima Flit ~ Jerkbait ~ Chartreuse Shad

Ima Flit ~ Jerkbait ~ Misty Shad

Ready to Roumba!

The first shipment of Ima Japan lures has finally arrived!

The Rumba is a high tempo, fast-stepping and seductive dance, and that describes the overcharged action of the new Ima Roumba too.

It cuts a rug across the top with a high energy, non-stop display of surface sidestepping intended to excite and arouse bass to dance with it.

There's really no need to give the Roumba any additional rod tip action. All the wild gyrations are built right into this new style wake bait designed for Ima by bass pro, Fred Roumbanis.

The Roumba has more and faster side-to-side action, just reeling the Roumba steadily, than most other topwater lures. Although the built-in action causes the Roumba to move rapidly side-to-side, it does not need to be reeled and moved forward quickly. So it may be moved forward slowly - but with a fast side-to-side action - for raw reaction.

• Body length is 3 inches (75 cm) long, not counting the lip.
• Weighs 1/2 ounce (16 gr).
• Floats at rest.
• Extreme wobbling action on top.
• Hold rod tip high for best topwater action.

Ima Roumba ~ Wakebait ~ Albino

Ima Roumba ~ Wakebait ~ Gizzard Shad

Ima Roumba ~ Wakebait ~ Bluegill

Ima Roumba ~ Wakebait ~ Bull Frog

Ima Roumba ~ Wakebait ~ Hot Craw

Ima Roumba ~ Wakebait ~ Real Crawfish

Ima Roumba ~ Wakebait ~ Stink Bug

Serrated Blade Spinnerbaits

1/4 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style R ~ White Pearl

1/4 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style R ~ Chartreuse White #2

Serrated Blades. Brand new blade style for 2008. Since the Serrated blade spins in a wider arc, the spacing on these 1/4 oz spinnerbaits has been pulled a little closer together than usual on this pairing. So the head of the back blade tucks up under the tail of the front blade. This is possible due the the wider arc of the front blade's tail, and it helps the two blades blend together closely, possibly giving the impression of a single larger baitfish or a singular spinning, flashing mass. That is, it doesn't appear as much to be two separate blades, since the head of one is tucked under the tail of the other, so they tend to blur into each other as they spin.

1/4 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style R ~ White Shad

1/4 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style R ~ Shad-A-Delic

1/4 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style R ~ Super Silver Shad

1/4 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style R ~ Smallie Special

Serrated Blades. Brand new blade style for 2008. The manufacturer describes the Serrated blade as a Willow blade that they put a bit of a turbo charge in it. The manufacturer sculpted an aggressive notched outside edge to add more turbulence as it slices through the water. The cupping on the blade in conjunction with the notched edges gives the Serrated blade a very tight rotation and distinctive vibration as the blade cuts through the water says the manufacturer.

3/8 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style S ~ White Pearl

3/8 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style R ~ Super Silver Shad

3/8 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style R ~ Pearl Blue Silver

3/8 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style R ~ Alewife

3/8 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style R ~ Shad-A-Delic

All have .040 diameter twist-wrapped closed eyes, except the last item (3/8 Style R) has .035 diameter R-Bend Super Wire.

Chartreuse White Laminated Blades. One side of each blade is painted white. The other side of each blade is painted chartreuse. The two different color sides blink on and off chartreuse-white-chartreuse-white as they rotate. This causes a lot of color flutter and color flicker not possible with a solid white or solid.chartreuse blade. Blades are nickel-plated brass beneath the paint.

1-1/2 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style C ~ Pearl Blue Chartreuse

1-1/2 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style C ~ Smallie Special

Chartreuse white flash skirt has a hank of reflective silver hologram Mylar strands banded into the white belly.

1 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style C ~ Chartreuse White Flash

3/4 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style C ~ Smallie Special

1-1/2 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style A ~ Chartreuse White Silver

1 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style A ~ Smallie Special

3/4 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style T ~ Rainbow Trout

3/8 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style R ~ Herring

As I am aware of it, this was one of the first mass-produced Gibbs needlefish.

This early Gibbs needlefish model has heavy screw eyes. Within about the next season, Gibbs came out with a little wider body shape and a through-wired model, and these more slender screw eye models were discontinued then.

The historical or collectible significance of the screw eye model is that this is one of the very first needlefish of any kind that many Rhode Island anglers could get their hands on, and they caught an awful lot of big bass on it. There really were no other brands or models out there around that time that I am aware of, just the original wood Super Strike needlefish (which had very limited access), plus the older, flimsy Boone and Classic screw eye models, which didn't hold together. The Gibbs screw eye model here was made of denser wood and far heavier screw eyes than the Boone or Classic. So when this screw eye Gibbs model hit the beaches, it was available in sufficient quantities to arm entire gangs and armies of Rhode Island surfcasters who were equipped with them.

The Gibbs screw eye needles were light (3/4 oz) and also high-floaters. They were best to me for slack tides, light surf, and especially in cut-off kinds of tide pools up close to shore. For me, since I had other needlefish options, the screw eye Gibbs were a light tackle needlefish to use on the same relatively light spinning gear and same kind of spots as I'd use a 5-1/2" Red Fin in many cases.

But for the Rhode Island surfcasters, it was one of the only and best-made needlefish available, so they used it under all conditions, and clobbered monster fish with it under any and all conditions.

One of the most effective ways that some of the best Rhode Island super-sharpies used them was to cast straight out in front of you, and just keep the line taut as the needlefish swung in a semi-circle down tide. Often the hit would come when the bait was parallel to the bank directly downtide from you, only a second before the surf spit the plug out onto dry sand. You couldn't do this, get these close-in hits on a short cast. You had to let it swing down, which took patience. Most guys were too impatient to do it. Most guys never got out of the mode of cast, reel, cast, reel, cast again. Meanwhile, you would make one cast with the Gibbs needlefish - and just drift it, not even turning the reel handle. You couldn't do this in a line-up - or even with one other guy downtide from you. Your plug would be down past the next guy before it got into the thin band of the shoreline strike zone. Whether fish were leisurely following along behind the plug, and belting it only when it got too shallow for them to continue to follow it - or whether the plug only got into their range within inches from the shoreline? Who can say? But you couldn't do it on a short cast. You had to cast long, and let it swing down. Maybe your immediate presence on a short cast alarmed them - or maybe you just weren't getting it out far enough where they were - then they would tail behind it all the way to shore. The split-second before the plug popped out onto sand forced the bass to make a decision. Ka Boom! It may have something to do with the fish conserving its energy, tailing the plug and not wanting to expend a lot of energy to strike in open water where the plug (bait) had plenty of space to evade the attack. So the fish just follows the plug (bait) until it has no more room to maneuver or evade the bass - until the bass had it pinned against the shoreline. At the very last instant, the hit would come. At that point, you were practically standing on dry beach anyway, so you could simply walk down the beach, reeling in line as you go, and land your cow on a short line without much fanfare.

As I say, some of the Rhode Island sharpies were lethal at this trick tactic, and it worked as well by day as by night. It seemed there'd always be one of these guys as the very last man on the end of a line-up, and he'd be using this tactic. But even when they had an entire spot all to themselves, this same tactic was every bit as effective. About the best at doing this was a Rhode Islander named Stormin' Norman De Lisle. Often, as the daybreak action ended and everyone else went back to their buggies to retire, that was the moment Stormin' Norman went into action. He'd go down to the spot as it emptied out of surfcasters and he'd start doing this trick with the Gibbs needlefish. You'd swear for sure that Stormin' Norman's lure had washed up and beached itself - until his rod doubled over - again and again and again! There wasn;t much fight involved, just running down rhe beach, reeling as you go, anf snub the fish out of the wash onto the sand. Stormin' Norman had this tactic down pat.

Right Side View:

Left Side View:

Bottom View:

Front View:

For more detailed information about this and many other surf plugs like it, please read the full story of:

Surf Plugology ~ by Russ Bassdozer

Thank you.

What if someone were to give you the secret how to double your usual catch every time you go fishing?

How much would you pay for the secret lure that's practically proven to double, triple or catch five times as many fish on your next - and every - fishing trip you make?

Well, here it is - the secret lure to make your catches skyrocket beyond belief - for under $1 apiece.

There are two things a fish needs to do when something moves within the fish's window of opportunity:

1) It needs to validate whether this thing is food or not, and

2) If it is food, it needs to beat other fish to eat it.

The Red Gill, rigged as shown below, is already pre-validated to be food by a competing fish that is chasing the thing. So an onlooking fish can almost assume it is valid food already being chased by a competitor. The way it is rigged, the competitor (a larger lure) will never catch the thing. As the onlooking fish senses the competitor isn't closing the distance, the fish will make a pre-emptive lunge to strike the Red Gill first.

Just the other night, I caught 30 schoolie striped bass on one of these Red Gills rigged ahead of a 5-1/2" Red Fin. 27 of the stripers hit the Red Gill teaser. 3 hit the Red Fin plug. This is usual when you use a Red Gill. What would you rather catch - 3 or 30? Rig the Red Gill as shown below for the best fishing of your life.

One good hook to use is the Mustad 34007 in either stainless steel or tin-plated. The stainless rusts less. The tin-plated holds a sharper point, so it's a trade-off which to use.

The photo below shows:

• 2 each of Mustad 2/0 model #34007 stainless steel O'Shaughnessy hook
• 2 each of Mustad 3/0 model #34007 stainless steel O'Shaughnessy hook
• 2 each of Mustad 4/0 model #34007 stainless steel O'Shaughnessy hook

Sizes 2/0 and 3/0 work best for relatively smaller fish and relatively lighter tackle. Don't hesitate to big up to a 4/0 if warranted by the size of fish present or with heavier tackle.

6 Red Gill Teasers Hooks ~ 2/0, 3/0, 4/0 Stainless Steel

Step 1. Pass the line down through the nose and out the back of the body. Abrasion-resistant 20 lb. test fluorocarbon leader is used here. Tie the line on the hook.

Step 2. Pull the line back up through the nose until the hook is in position shown. Tie a barrel swivel to the line. As in this example, almost always the first tie, you will make the length a little too long. If so, you will need to retie to make it shorter. In this example, it was left a little too long (sorry).

Step 3. Tie a second longer fluorocarbon leader to the swivel, and tie the other end to a snap attached to a plug (or any lure) of your choice.

Step 4. Unsnap the plug (or other lure), and wrap the loose leader line around two fingers, making a compact coil as shown

Step 5. Store each ready-made leader and Red Gill separately in small sealabe plastic bags. Sequester in a waterproof bag or container for later use.

15 Red Gill Teasers ~ 4-1/2" ~ 3 each of 5 colors ~ No hooks

Pro Tube Jig. Living in the heart of tube bait country up north, master jig modeler Joe Rummelt. has crafted dozens of different tube jig head shapes, all designed for tube baits and all good. But these Pro Tube Jigs are the best. Joe really does not know why the Pro Tube Jig works so swell, but it does. Joe's customers who drag tubes on Lake Erie, the Great Lakes and all across northern states, they tell Joe they catch more bass on this Pro Tube Jig than any other. There's just something about the Pro Tube Jig that bass love best.

Gamakatsu Hooks. Wide gap round bend hook. The hooks in these jigs are Gamakatsu #60414 4/0 in both the 1/4 oz and 3/8 oz sizes. This Gamakatsu hook goes well with tournament strength fishing rods, either spinning or baitcasting, and/or with braided line, mono or fluoro.  These are not springy hooks and they're not the thin wire, light wire hooks often used in other tube jigs. These hooks are not ideally suited to light tackle. This hook is Gamakatsu's best and most dependable jig hook, and it's a must-have for medium to medium/heavy strength gear. Use it with 100% confidence it will not bend.

Top: 3/16 oz . Bottom: 1/4 oz  Both 4/0. Photo shown for size comparison purposes only. Both sizes not included with item for sale. Both sizes sold separately.

Two ways to rig are:

• Starting Untied:
  
  To rig untied, start from the back. Simply insert the tube jig head-first into the hollow back of a tube. Push forward and pop the hook eye out through the tube skin at the head of the tube. Then tie the line on.
   
• Starting Tied:
  
  With the jig already tied on your line, start from the front of the tube. A new tube can be "speed rigged" by inserting the hook point in a new tube's head (where you want the line tie eye to end up). Then thread the tube all the way up and over the hook and continue to insert the entire jig head, until only the line tie eye sits outside the tube. The insertion hole will be a little larger this way, but the tube will not fish any different, and the tube really won't pull down off the hook easily either.
   
• End Result:
  
  Whether you start untied or tied, the end result should look line above.

5 Pro Tube Jigs ~ 3/16 oz ~ 4/0

5 Pro Tube Jigs ~ 1/4 oz ~ 4/0

Pro Darter Jigs

Gamakatsu Hooks. Wide gap round bend hook. The hooks in these jigs are Gamakatsu #60414 4/0 in both the 1/4 oz and 60415 5/0 in the 3/8 oz size. This Gamakatsu hook goes well with tournament strength fishing rods, either spinning or baitcasting, and/or with braided line, mono or fluoro.  These are not springy hooks and they're not the thin wire, light wire hooks often used in other darter jigs. These hooks are not ideally suited to light tackle. This hook is Gamakatsu's best and most dependable jig hook, and it's a must-have for medium to medium/heavy strength gear. Use it with 100% confidence it will not bend.

Top: 3/16 oz (4/0). Bottom: 1/4 oz (5/0). Photo shown for size comparison purposes only. Both sizes not included with item for sale. Both sizes sold separately.

In snaggy cover, attach the wire coil clips to Texas rig soft baits on the pro darter jig.

Rigged "Tex-exposed" for relatively light cover.

In open water, an option may be to very carefully apply a drop of glue to help keep soft baits in place.

The Pro Darter Jig is center-balanced.

For additional information on these Pro Darter Jigs and tips how-to best fish them:

• Click here to read: Polishing the Rocks with Darter Jigs

4 Pro Darter Jigs ~ 1/4 oz ~ Green Pumpkin

Spinnerbaits for Mexican Bass Fishing Adventures

Going bass fishing in Mexico this winter? You're very lucky! Here are some of the spinnerbaits currently available (as of November 10, 2007) in Bassdozer's Store that would be good choices for a Mexican spinnerbait adventure!

Many anglers who hope to tangle with the double-digit 10 pound largemouth can put the odds a little more in their favor by throwing the biggest spinnerbaits possible - 1 ounce and even monster 1-1/2 oz spinnerbaits!

The odds are you will catch fewer but larger bass on larger spinnerbaits.

The double Willow blades are most popular in Mexico, but don't be afraid to try any other blade combos and/or different skirt colors like the "Smallie Special" or "Spot Special" or any others. Fact is, there are a lot of lures that work in Mexico that are rarely ever used there. So if it is a big bait and looks like it will hold together on monster Mexican bass, give it a try! Chances are good it will work.

All the spinnerbaits below have heavy duty closed wrapped loop eyes on .040 diameter wire arms. This provides better odds that you will land any lunker largemouth that latch onto one of these spinnerbaits. Because the wire loop is wrapped closed, the line can't slide up the arm and force the swivel end loop open as can happen with an unwrapped open R-Bend arm. The closed wrapped eye does not fatigue and snap as easily as an open R-bend wire. Going to Mexico, the odds are lower you'll land lunker bass on unwrapped open R-bend eyes. And the odds are lower that you will land bass on arms less than .040 diameter wire.

1 oz Spinnerbaits ~ Large Blades

The 1 oz spinnerbait is a popular size when it's time to cast for that one big lunker, break out a big 1 oz spinnerbait.

The spinnerbaits in the following section have relatively normal large blades matched to 1 oz spinnerbaits. These blade sizes normally work anywhere that 1 oz spinnerbaits are used in Mexico or anywhere in the USA, Canada or worldwide. All have heavy duty closed wrapped loop eyes on .040 diameter wire arms.

1 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style C ~ Chartreuse White Flash	1 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style A ~ Smallie Special
1 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style A ~ Olive Alewife	1 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style C ~ Threadfin Flash
1 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style D ~ Black Blue Flash	1 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style B ~ Green Pumpkin Olive
1 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style D ~ Black Chartreuse

The 1 oz spinnerbaits in the section below have relatively extra large blades matched to 1 oz spinnerbaits. These blade sizes are a little larger than normally used on 1 oz spinnerbaits, and that makes them especially appealing to big Mexican trophy bass.

1 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style C ~ Pearl Blue White	1 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style C ~ Autumn Green
1 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style C ~ Smallie Special

1-1/2 oz Spinnerbaits

Not every angler who goes to Mexico uses the monster 1-1/2 oz spinnerbaits. They are strenuous to use for any more than brief periods, but you just may find that the very biggest bass in Mexico are caught on these, the very biggest spinnerbaits offered in Bassdozer's Store. All below have the heavy duty closed wrapped loop .040 wire eyes.

In 1-1/2 oz, you can't leave home without a basic selection of white and/or chartreuse white patterns. In 1-1/2 oz spinnerbaits, you really ought to have some dark colors too, such as the black blue and black brown craw.

The spinnerbaits in the following section have two have very large blades and are truly trophy bass spinnerbaits. These can be fished shallow or deep with equally good results.

1-1/2 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style C ~ White Shad	1-1/2 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style C ~ Pearl Blue Silver
1-1/2 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style A ~ Black Brown Craw	1-1/2 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style A ~ Black Blue

The 1-1/2 oz spinnerbaits in the following section have relatively more modest (but still large) blades that lets you fish them deeper, and are good blades for slow-rolling deep. They are still large blades, just not as humongous as some of the others shown.

1-1/2 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style C ~ White Shad	1-1/2 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style C ~ Pearl Blue Silver
1-1/2 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style C ~ Pearl Blue Chartreuse	1-1/2 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style C ~ Smallie Special
1-1/2 oz Spinnerbait~ Style A ~ Chartreuse White Silver

3/4 oz Spinnerbait Selections for Mexico

More modest 3/4 oz spinnerbaits will also catch many Mexican lunker bass too.

All the spinnerbaits below have heavy duty closed wrapped loop eyes on .040 diameter wire arms.

3/4 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style T ~ Rainbow Trout

3/4 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style C ~ Smallie Special

More Coming Soon!

1/2 oz Spinnerbait Selections for Mexico

More modest 1/2 oz spinnerbaits will also catch lunker bass of the biggest kind too. But statistically, the odds are that you will catch more small to average size bass on small to average size spinnerbaits. The odds are you will catch fewer but larger bass on larger spinnerbaits.

Nevertheless, there's a place in Mexico for a 1/2 oz spinnerbait - especially up in shallow water or where you want a spinnerbait to stay up more easily and more snagless in brush tops, the lighter weight 1/2 oz spinnerbait gets the job done.

All the spinnerbaits below have heavy duty closed wrapped loop eyes on .040 diameter wire arms. This provides better odds that you will land any lunker largemouth that latch onto one of these spinnerbaits.

1/2 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style T ~ Chartreuse Shad	1/2 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style T ~ Spot Special
1/2 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style T ~Bleeding Chartreuse White	1/2 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style T ~ Watermelon
1/2 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style T ~ Watermelon Candy #2	1/2 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style B ~ Green Pumpkin Olive
1/2 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style T ~ Dark Watermelon Red #2	1/2 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style T ~ Rusty Green Craw
1/2 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style T ~ Rusty Red Craw #2	1/2 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style T ~ Rusty Red Craw
1/2 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style T ~ Black Blue #2	1/2 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style T ~ Black Blue

Don't Forget the Heat Shrinkable Tubing Too

Don't Forget the HST. Thin wall heat shrink tubing (not included) is a nice add-on to prevent the fishing line from fouling in the wire wraps during a cast. It's vexing to make a cast and have the line foul in the wire wraps. Worse yet, a lunker bass can snap your line more easily when the line's fouled in the exposed wrapped wire eye. Covering the wrapped wire in heat shrinkable tubing ends that potential problem. The heat shrink tubing can help to keep the line positioned properly, prevent fouling, and it only takes a few seconds to add it onto the eye.

Whiptail Blades. Brand new design for 2008. The Whiptail blade is scuplted with baitfish details, a scaled back, smooth belly, and engraved jawbone, eye, gill and fin. When used together in pairs, spaced wide apart, there's a swimming baitfish school resemblance. Due to the uniquely hooked blades as they rotate, it may appear at times as there's more than two baitfish (although what a fish sees is anyone's guess), but the rotation casts off a lot of images on both sides of the wire arm remindful of a movement of several baitfish in concert. Probably the most important aspect of the blade design is the vibration created by its aggressive tail cupping and unique curvature. The Whiptail has a tight rotation and a distinct thumping vibration. When the blades slow down, the curvature creates a left hook or kick out move to the side, and a singular thump can sometimes be felt in the rod tip when the spinnerbait is close enough to watch and feel that happen. Because one edge of the blade is scaled and the other edge is smooth, there is a dual visual dimension to the spinning blade flash. This dual dimension adds something that's just not possible with either an entirely smooth or an entirely scaled finish blade. Even using one smooth and one scaled finish blade wont achieve the same effect combined in the Whiptails. The asymmetrical curved or hooked tail creates the flickering illusion at times of a swimming, jumping or flexing baitfish movement that's just not possible with most other symmetrical straight blades like Willows, Indianas, etc.

3/8 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style B ~ Herring

3/8 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style B ~ Ghost Minnow

3/8 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style D ~ White Shad

3/8 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style B ~ White Shad

3/8 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style R ~ Herring

3/8 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style B ~ Spot Special

These are not Whiptail blades, but hope you enjoy seeing it too:

3/8 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style R ~ Rusty Red Craw

Slow Willow Spinnerbait Blades

Slow Willow blades are the same length, width and exact oval shape as standard willow blades. All the dimensions of standard Willow and Slow Willow blades are identical - except the Slow Willow has much less concave/convex curvature or cup than the standard Willow. The Slow Willow has a shallow cup and looks flatter compared to the standard Willow.

Slow Willow (left) and standard Willow (right) are the same size, except for cup depth.

This difference, the shallower degree of cup, makes the Slow Willow start spinning at slower speeds than a standard Willow. When you start to retrieve a standard Willow at a slow speed, you may have to jerk the bait and reel it faster at first in order to get the blade spinning. On the other hand, with the Slow Willow blade, there's not as much of a start-up problem at the beginning of the retrieve. You get smoother, easier, better starts with the Slow Willows during those first few important seconds of the retrieve when aggressive, active fish will rush over eager to strike if the spinnerbait looks appealing.

Likewise at the end of a retrieve, as a slow-rolled spinnerbait gets closer to the boat, a standard Willow blade can stop turning during the last leg of the retrieve. If you are tuned in to the blade's vibration up the line, it's pretty apparent when you feel it just go dead and stop rotating as it nears the boat. Unfortunately that's a critical strike point since following fish often react right when a slow-rolled spinnerbait starts rising vertically toward the boat - but that's just when a standard Willow tends to stop turning too. The Slow Willow will continue to spin longer at the end of the retrieve and it starts turning earlier at the start of a retrieve. A few more seconds better performance may not seem like a lot, but those are two high percentage strike moments - the very beginning, and with slow-rolling the very end of a retrieve when the blades are hesitant and having trouble turning.

So at the beginning and end of a retrieve, the Slow Willow spins a little better. During the middle of a retrieve, it can be fished a little slower than a standard Willow.

The Slow Willow blade also spins at a greater degree of cant or skew from the wire arm axis. In other words, whereas the standard Willow spins quite tightly, the Slow Willow spins in a wider arc. This makes a Slow Willow appear a little bigger, more visible and flashier than a standard Willow. Also more torque and water drag result, which lets you fish the Slow Willow slower than a standard Willow.

So that's why I say no two Willow blades work the same. We can see here where only one property - the degree of cup - is different, it causes a dramatic difference in how the Slow Willow fishes compared to the standard Willow.

Here are a few (not all) tips for using Slow Willow blades:

• First and foremost, think slow-rolling and fishing slowly with the Slow Willow.
• Enhanced lift at high speed. On the other hand, since the Slow Willow has more torque, therefore more lift and rise than a standard Willow, it can be used to help keep a speedily retrieved spinnerbait near the surface. That sounds like a contradiction, but the torque that lets you use the Slow Willow more slowly is the same torque that lifts it higher on a fast retrieve.
• Size #4, #4-1/2 and #5 are the sizes you see on over 90% of all bass spinnerbaits that have willow blades. Actually, #4 and #5 are by far most common.
• Size #4 tends to be used more often on 1/4, 3/8 and some 1/2 ounce spinnerbaits.
• Sizes #4-1/2 and #5 tend to be used most often on 1/2 to 1 ounce spinnerbaits.
• On double willow spinnerbaits, occasionally (and more often with a pair of #4s), both blades may be the same size. But 90% of the time with double willows, the front blade tends to be a half or full size smaller than the back blade.
• A small, light Colorado blade such as a #2 Colorado makes a great front runner ahead of a Slow Willow.

Here is a comparison photo and size chart for Slow Willow blades compared to standard Willow blades

:

10 Spinnerbait Blades ~ Slow Willow ~ #4 Nickel

10 Spinnerbait Blades ~ Slow Willow ~ #4-1/2 Nickel

10 Spinnerbait Blades ~ Slow Willow ~ #5 Nickel

Metallic Chartreuse Spinnerbait Blades

Translucent Metallic Chartreuse Blades. Painted same see-through chartreuse color on both sides, over nickel-plated brass blades.

A few (not all) tips for trying different sizes of these metallic chartreuse blades are:

• First and foremost, these metallic chartreuse blades pair well with either nickel and/or gold blades. Don't hesitate to pair metallic chartreuse blades with nickel and/or gold blades.
• Perhaps the most common all-around configuration for everyday duty is the #4 Willow used in front of a #5 Willow for 1/2 to 1 oz spinnerbaits.
• A pair of #4's are favorites of some anglers on 3/8 to 1/2 oz spinnerbaits.
• The #3-1/2 Willow may be paired as a front blade with the #4 Willow back blade for relatively faster-moving 1/4 to 3/8 oz spinnerbaits.
• A #3-1/2 Willow used as a front blade with a #5 Willow back blade makes a relatively deeper or faster runner out of a 3/4 or 1 oz spinnerbait.
• The #5 Indiana used ahead of a #5 Willow is one of my own personal favorite blade pairs for a 1/2 to 1 oz spinnerbaits. The front Indiana spins in a steady, smooth rotation. Yet the back Willow blade gets lost in the Indiana's wake. The Willow doesn't get a good water flow. It lollygags and bumbles along in a more lifelike manner than usual. The effect looks best at slow speeds, but moderate to fast retrieves will give the same but lesser effect..Give it a try!

10 Spinnerbait Blades ~ Indiana #5 ~ Metallic Chartreuse

10 Spinnerbait Blades ~ Willow #3-1/2 ~ Metallic Chartreuse

10 Spinnerbait Blades ~ Willow #4 ~ Metallic Chartreuse

10 Spinnerbait Blades ~ Willow #5 ~ Metallic Chartreuse

Chartreuse White Willow Spinnerbait Blades

Two-tone chartreuse white spinnerbait skirts just can't be beat, and now Bassdozer's Store offers matching two-tone chartreuse white spinnerbait blades.

Chartreuse White Laminated Blades. One side of each blade is painted white. The other side of each blade is painted chartreuse. The two different color sides blink on and off chartreuse-white-chartreuse-white as they rotate. This causes a lot of color flutter and color flicker not possible with a solid white or solid.chartreuse blade. Blades are nickel-plated brass beneath the paint.

Size #4 is white on the outside, chartreuse on the inside.

Size #5 is chartreuse on the outside, white on the inside.

These go great used in pairs with the #4 white chartreuse as the front blade and the #5 chartreuse white as back blade. The #4/#5 Willow combo is especially popular on spinnerbaits in the 1/2 up to 1 ounce range.

10 Spinnerbait Blades ~ #4 Willow ~ White Chartreuse

10 Spinnerbait Blades ~ #5 Willow ~ Chartreuse White

3/8 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style A ~ White Wrap

3/8 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style A ~ Chartreuse White Wrap

3/8 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style A ~ Citrus Shad Wrap

Wrapped Skirts. Skirts similar to this are not new. Several other versions of "wrapped" or "rolled" skirts go back quite a way. But the particular version of wrapped skirt used here is new for 2007. The strands are supersoft and wiggle uncontrollably - far more wiggle and jiggle than most any other skirt material.

Style A Spinnerbait Head. This is one of the best head shapes to use with the new wrapped skirts for two reasons:

1. The elongated nose of the Style A head helps keep the supersoft strands of a wrapped skirt from wrapping around the nose.
2. The thin flat sides of the Style A expose more of the bend or shoulder "bloom" of a wrapped skirt to water pressure, maximizing the wiggle and jiggle of the wrapped skirt.

Indiana/Willow Blades. The blades here are a streamlined pair - for relatively faster retrieve speeds than possible with most other blade pairs.

1/2 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style C ~ Chartreuse Pearl Blue

Style C Spinnerbait Head. This shape head is one of the most popular worldwide, and it is a standby of experienced anglers, including many of the world's top pros. The Style C head shape can be depended upon to do three things very well:

1. It excels for fishing deepwater, channels, ledges, humps, slow-rolling or whatever deep duties you require, this spinnerbait is a deepwater staple.
2. It's a stable and streamlined shape for fishing current or flowing water.
3. It is often used for grinding through thick grass, keeping the nose arm wire relatively straight in line with the streamlined head.

Super Wire Arm. Provides more strength, gets bent less, and emits more vibration than ordinary arms.

Layered Skirt Look. The skirt strands do not all end uniformly as usual. The outer layer of strands end just past the hook bend, approximating the body of a baitfish. The inner layer of strands extend a little further, approximating a baitfish tail effect.

Laminated Blades. One side of each blade is painted white. The other side of each blade is painted chartreuse. The two different color sides blink on and off chartreuse-white-chartreuse-white as they rotate.

1/2 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style R ~ Pearl Blue Silver

Style R Hidden Head. The bright chartreuse head presents a solid baitfish-shaped strike target that's only half-hidden beneath the billowy see-through skirt.

Super Wire Arm. Provides more strength, gets bent less, and emits more vibration than ordinary arms.

1/2 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style T ~ Watermelon Candy

Not going to say much here, because if you like what you are looking at, the picture here says it all.

Heavy duty twisted .040 wire arm and powerful Style T head.

Translucent Metallic Chartreuse Blades. Painted same see-through color on both sides, over nickel-plated brass blades.

1/2 oz Spinnerbait ~ Style T ~ Spot Special

Most guys just won't have faith in a pink spinnerbait, but this particular skirt color (spot special) and blade pairing (Oklahoma/Willow) has gained a small cult following among tight-lipped tournament check-cashers across the south central states. We've bulked the winning package up here with the heavy duty twisted .040 wire arm and powerful Style T head.

Whiptail Spinnerbait Blades

Whiptail Blades. Brand new design for 2008. The manufacturer describes the Whiptail as having baitfish details, and when used in tandem, as having a swimming baitfish school resemblance. Probably the most important aspect of the blade design is the vibration created by its aggressive tail cupping and unique curvature. The Whiptail has a tight rotation and a distinct thumping vibration says the manufacturer.

10 Spinnerbait Blades ~ Whiptail #3 Nickel

10 Spinnerbait Blades ~ Whiptail #4 Nickel

Close-up of #3 and #4 Whiptail spinnerbait blades.

Close-up of #4 Whiptail spinnerbait blade.

Whiptail blades (#3 & #4) compared to standard #4 & #5 smooth Willows.

Serrated Spinnerbait Blades

Serrated Blades. Brand new design for 2008. The manufacturer describes the Serrated blade as a Willow blade that they put a bit of a turbo charge in it. The manufacturer sculpted an aggressive notched outside edge to add more turbulence as it slices through the water. The cupping on the blade in conjunction with the notched edges gives the Serrated blade a very tight rotation and distinctive vibration as the blade cuts through the water says the manufacturer.

10 Spinnerbait Blades ~ Serrated #4 Nickel

10 Spinnerbait Blades ~ Serrated #5 Nickel

Serrated blades (#4 and #5) compared to same size smooth Willow blades.

The Jackall Bonnie is one of the best unknown topwater baits in the USA today. It is the same style of bait as a Heddon Super Spook and Lucky Craft Sammy, meaning you use rod action to "walk the dog" with the Bonnie. What does the Bonnie do different? Why do you need it too? The Bonnie becomes necessary because its difference is it can be walked side-to-side with a faster frantic action. This heightened level of action in the Bonnie is often a strike trigger that many other lures cannot as easily reach. When you think you are working the Bonnie too fast, it's not fast enough. Working it incredibly fast is when the Bonnie leaves other baits behind in its wake. Few can match the Bonnie's productivity when bass are triggered by the fast action level of the Bonnie. So that's what makes it different - and necessary.

Now when I say fast, I mean fast side-to-side action. You can work the rod tip fast, but not retrieve line fast. So the Bonnie develops a fast side-to-side blurring action, but does not move forward fast.

The Bonnie is a great topwater bait to use with braided line, and you may tie direct. No leader and no split ring is required. You hear a lot about braid fouling in the front hook with topwater lures, and there's a way you'll learn to minimize that. You'll need to learn to optimize your techniques and lure manipulation movements to avoid that braid catching the front hook. Practice makes perfect. You can get the knack where braid really won't get caught the front hook any more with braid than with any other type line. Get used to tie braid right to the lure eye (no split ring) as that may help the braid stay untangled, and the suppleness of braid serves as a sort of substitute for what a split ring does anyway.

A soft action rod goes great with braid. The softness compensates for the lack of stretch in braid.

That's all I have to say about the Jackall Bonnie. It's an "undiscovered star" among topwater baits.