Topwater Test Drive - Jackall Binksy

Looking for a small profile topwater bait that makes more noise than a National Lampoons frat party? then look not further then Jackalls "Blinksy"a popper that brings way more to the table then any popper Ive ever seen.

PROs:

The Binksy is the swiss army knife of top water baits. It can be fished as a popper, and flutter bait or a hack and slash walking bait with a nice flutter spoon on its belly. This bait is perfect for all those times you want to make as mush noise a possible..  but it's not exactly stealthy.

 For a bait with this many body modifications the Binksy casts like extremely well. You can easily get some serious distance with both casting and spinning set-ups.

The Binksy feels nice and solid in your hands and performs well overall. Its seems to have been built with quality parts, nice strong hooks and a solid finish. My only issue with the baits design is that I would have liked to have seen a deeper mouth on the popper. The flat surface pushes water well but I'd like more gurgle. 

CONs:

The Binksy feels like it has a bit of an identity crisis on its hands. Is it a popper? a prop-bait? or flutter and slash walking bait? the answer is all of thee above but with so much going on its not exactly the best at of these techniques.. but then again its far from the worst. 

Some guys will complain about price, yes most Jackall hard baits are pricey (even more so in Canada) but the Binksy is on the lower side of Jackall's scale, so although it ain't cheap it won't break the bank like many of their other hard baits.

This bait was designed to utilize it's 3 key features when retrieving, but the issue I came across was that at times I had to over work the popper in order to get the rear prop to spin which defeated the purpose of having this "everything but the kitchen sink"style bait.

REPORT CARD:

Quality: B+

Popping:  B

Walking:  B

Casting:  A

Options: B

Price: C

Where to Buy:

Tackle Warehouse ($14.99)

Outdoor ProShop ($14.99)

Land Big Fish ($14.99)

Walk This Way - 3 Walking Baits that are all the talk around the dock in 2014

I don't know about you, but I can't ever get my hands on enough top-water baits.. between frogs, poppers and walking baits I could easily easily break the bank.. and if you ask my wife I may have already, but with that said I spent this past off-season freezing my ass off up here in Canada while still  paying close attention to a new group of walking baits that seem to be the talk of the town... and I have gone out of my way to add all 3 to my personal arsenal. 

One, the Triton Mike Balsa Bull is a re-engineered version of a true classic (Ichiban Minnow), the second bait is the previously discontinued Reaction Innovation Vixen that just recently became available to the masses, and the third is a newish bait from Jackall that not only brings some size to the table but it also includes a cavity behind the head designed to add bubbles and disturbance.. 

So, lets see what all the hypes about…

the BALSA BULL is created

For those of you old enough to remember the legendary Ichiban Minnow aka the Balsa Pro you already know that it was touted as one of if not thee best top water bait ever created, (even more so in clear water situations).. But then in the late 90's like an episode of the X-Files it mysteriously vanished from the shelves, never to be seen or heard from again.. until now.

Triton Mike of the Bull Shad swim bait fame put in the time and effort to have the Balsa Pro reverse engineer thus creating the Balsa Bull  a nearly 100% identical replica of this now extinct bait.  Once available for sale the Balsa Bull immediately  garnered a flurry of interest, and has blown up on forums and review sites all across the word wide web. It's not often that you see this much love is put into a bait, but then again thats what Triton Mike is know for. 

The Balsa Bull is officially the bait I'm most excited to throw in 2014, I snapped up a pair of them (one in each colour) and I can't wait to give them a test drive (come ice out). Do yourself a favour and check our the Balsa Bull, yes it retails for a steep $29.99, but just remember the original when found retails at prices close to or above a car payment

The VIXEN returns

If you frequent  fishing forums or fishing related websites there is a good chance you have seen the rumour mill working overtime when it comes to the re-introduction of  Reaction Innovations Vixen line of top water baits.. well it's a rumours no more  because as of March 14th Reaction Innovations announced that they were officially shipping Vixens to your favourite dealers, and I jumped all over one. This announcement comes on the heels of a very long pre-sale period that sparked some complaints from anglers who have been waiting as much as 10 months for this product to finally arrive. Recation Innovation themselves expected this bait to be available back in 2010, so yeah it has been a long hard road

Why the Hype? well there is a mix of hype around the Vixen some of it is being created by Reaction Innovations themselves who are constantly reminding us that this product will only be available  for a limited time, thus driving up demand. But the rest of the Hype is from the group of anglers who have been awaiting the Vixens return since it's discontinuation pre-2006. Why it ever went away, we may never know, but what i do know os that the demand for this product never went which makes me very excited to tie one on.

Will the Vixen worth the wait? only time will tell, I placed my order two short days ago from American Legacy (one of the few companies that still had stock) and now I'm eagerly awaiting its arrival. From everything I read by simply tying this bait on I should almost instantly turn into Kevin VanDam, if that's the case, Ill see you at the Bass Master Classic next year

Something new - the Jackall Bowstick 130

while standing in the top water section of the Bass Pro Shop it's easy to go cross eyed while attempting to sort out which walking bait to buy. Bait companies are painfully aware of this and thus they do their best to make their baits stand out, some times this means pimping out their baits with crazy new colours and other times they actually have to up the anti and offer the angler something brand new.. enter the Jackall Bowstick 130

There are a few things about the BowStick that will catch your eye, first and foremost is it's size, other then the IMA BigStick this bait is the largest topwater bait in my arsenal (currently) and in a time where giant swim baits are king it's nice to see the top water world catching up. The second and more obvious change is the triangular shaped hole just behind the baits head. Jackall believes that this hole will create more disturbance in the water and leave a larger more pronounced bubble trail.. both of these are a good thing.

Yes, I know, I know the Bowstick has been around for a few seasons now, but its still being talked about on the dock and that is  probably because Jackall is rapidly expanding in popularity in both Canada and the US, where as when this bait was launched Jackall was still relatively unknown to the weekend angler and a much harder to find commodity.  Although talked about I personally don't think it has received the same hype as the above baits and even if your not a believer in the hole/cavity system you can't deny that the Bowstick brings with it both Jackall high quality and some serious size (5.2 inches long and 1oz)


Thanks my thoughts, what about yours?.. discuss

New for 2013: Top Water Baits

The anticipation that comes along with every new bass season extends way past the dreams of the fish waiting to be caught (and lost), or even the greatness achieved with a possible tournament victory. For me it even extends into the new baits I cant wait to test drive... for 2013 Bass season this list includes 3 new top water baits that I believe will bring my game to a new level!

Arbogast Buzz Plug

Arbogast is a company that at times does not get the credit it deserves for it's line of classic, yet still relevant baits.. from the hall of fame baits like the hula popper and jitterbug all the way up to the all new "Buzz Plug" Arbogast has been putting fish in boats longer then many of todays pro anglers have been alive.

When I first spotted the Buzz Plug, I was sold, and already dreaming of calm quiet mornings and burning this baby over deep weed edges. I love the concept behind this bait, the unique body shape gives it a nice wobble, and the fact that it floats will ensure you can keep it buzzing at almost any speed. When paused the fat ass end sits down in the water like a frog bait leaving the hooks dangling down to entice a strike

I would call this a "buzzbait for dummies" but since I personally plan to use it quite a bit I would really only be insulting myself

DUA Pencil 100

Ok, so maybe this is not as new as the other baits listed here, but since I only got limited time on the water with it in 2012, it's still kinda new to me.. and I cant wait to start throwing it again.

Like the Abrogast Buzz Plug the DUO Pencil 110 is one of the easiest top water baits to work, and work well. It walks the dog so easily you don't even need to try, just simple rod twiches and the bait will do all the rest.  Having thrown one a few times now, it is still fun to tie one on and watch your partners expesion when you first start working it.. the sound it emits is so loud it almost startles people... "damn whats in that bait" is a common expression.

At the start of this season I was the proud owner  of a pair of DUO Pencils, and when I lost one recently  (damn submerged rope)  I was very upset as they are not cheap, and not easy to come by, so my back-up has now been put under lock and key and awaits tournaments days.. this is no bait to waste on fun fishing when there is money on the line!

Live Target Frog Popper

Yeah, I know, I know there are endless sites and anglers spouting off about every Live Target bait ever releases.. but you know what, there is a reason why.. they make quality baits that anglers want and need..Me, I need me the all new "Frog Popper", partly because I'm addicted to frog baits (as seen here) and partly because I love poppers. So by combining the two, they really just forced me to buy one. (shame on your Live Target, shame)

All in all the Frog Popper has everything you want and need in a popper bait, it spits loud and far and like with the Live Target walking frog it sits very well on the pause. I love that it comes equipped with feathers on the back  hook, for me this is a must on a good poppers

I will admit Im not stoked on the size they made this bait available in. It has a smaller profile then the majoiryt of the poppers I throw and I would like to see it come in a bit larger sizes, but knowing Live Target that is how they will re-launch it next season (yeah, I'm on to you guys)

So if you are looking to spice up your top water arsenal this season, be sure to take a long look at these three choices, one if not all 3 may just nicely fill a gap in your current line-up.

Test Drive: IMA Roumba with some help from Paul Mueller

One bait that surprised me this past season is the Roumba from IMA baits. This wake/subsurface bait provides you with  things that many other shallow water hard baits don't or simply cant... that includes size, stealth and some seriously crazy action.

Lets start off by talking size, although the Rumba only comes in at 3 inches in length it makes up this shortfall in it's girth (insert joke here) and it's weight (just over 1/2oz). The wide body gives this bait a great profile in the water and is one of the main characteristics behind the baits erratic action in the water.

When it comes to the baits performance, you may be surprised to hear me use the word stealth, yes it is large and it is heavy, but it fishes like a ninja and will catch fish unaware, and force them to strike. The Roumba can be fished above or below the surface but I personally prefer to keep it on top. Quick jerks or taps with the rod tip will give the Roumba a seizure, and in turn drives fish crazy.

I have heard the Roumba called a "search" bait, and I guess I can agree with that, but not in a traditional sense of the word. I don't spray cast this bait over open areas of water looking for fish, but instead use it to find fish in areas fish like to hide.. the Roumba is a "go get 'em" bait. Cast it over or around various forms of structure and watch as the fish come out of hiding to come get it, kill it, and eat it.

I love to slow crawl the Roumba over submerged timber or make it dance on the roof of a weeded. This bait has replaced the Manns Baby -1 that I previously used in these situations.

I have started to carry 4 with me on the water (3 of them you can see below) and will be adding a 5th after I watched Paul's video (see below). The Bone and BlueGill colours are a must have in your tackle bag.. this last color is a "fisherman catcher" just way to cool to pass up but does not add much that the other two havent provided. The Roumba can be purchased in a Rattling and non Rattling version, me I like the rattle, so most of mine are Rattlin' Roumbas, this adds some weight, and makes it a bit less "ninjay" (pronounces NIN JA EE, and yes I just made that word up)

Hey, If you don't want to take my word for it, check out the below video from fellow Dobyns team member Paul Mueller..

to see more of Pauls videos click HERE

Last but not least If you are looking to get your hands on some IMA Roumba's here are some links to some of the best places to get your hands on one.

Optimum Baits

Tackle Warehouse

The Hook-Up

Bass Tackle Depot

Test Drive: Duo Baits Invading a Tackle Shop near you

I was recently contacted by a member of the DUO baits team, and asked if I would be interested in giving some of their baits a test run, and in turn provide my honest thoughts and opinions. Not one to miss a great opportunity, I quickly jumped at the offer, and am I ever glad I did.

I will be honest Im someone that prides themselves on the ability to keep up on "what new" and whats hot" in the lure and bait market, but I kinda missed the boat when it comes to DUO, and if I missed it maybe some of you did as well.. Here is the low down on Duo...

Duo is a Japanese hard bait manufacturer that has been banging out Salt and Fresh water baits since the mid 90's. They focus most of their energy on designing high quality baits that perform when called upon (I should also state here that these are some of the loudest baits I have ever thrown). The "Realis" line of baits as Bass fishing specific and tackle most of the major categories including shallow cranks, jerk-baits, stick-baits, topwater and more. I had the opportunity to test drive 6 Duo Baits, and here is my take...

Realis Crankbait 48SR: I'm the first to admit it, I'm not a huge crankbait guy, but when I do fish 'em, it's all about the shallow running cranks, so the Realis 48SR is right in my wheelhouse. Coming is at just under 2" in length this little guy is built like an SUV, short, flat and yet bulky. It has a wide stance that gives off a pretty sweet wobble on the retrieve no matter if you are burning or slow rolling it home. Duo also did something that I wish more bait companies would look at, they made sure the two trebles cannot get caught up on each other. This may sound pretty simple, but you would be surprised at the amount of baits on the market that foul up due to hook entanglement, 

For a small bait, the 48SR casts like a shot. Whether this is due to the profile or to the internal weigh and magnet system, I don't know, all I can say is that I easily covered good distance on both spinning and casting gear. In case I did not mention it yet, t his bait is loud as hell. On my first three casts the loud knocking made me think I was making contact with the rocks behind me. I kept stopping looking around, and then would try to cast it more gingerly.. yet the knocking still persisted. I finally came to realized that it was the bait (yes that was embarrassing).

I'm not going to spend much time talking about appearance as I believe the old adage " a pictures worth a 1000 words" and since this article is pic heavy, i think Ive said enough.

Test Drive Results: I was very happy with the performance of the Realis Crank48SR and have officially added it to my primary Crankbait box. I'm really looking forward to pounding the shallows with it next spring. 

Realis Pencil 110:  The minute I picked up this bait I was excited to get it on the water. I had done some reading on it, and the reviews seemed to be all around positive. Like most anglers I love to throw walking baits and I'm always in the market for the newest hottest thing, and if I'm being honest I think the Pencil 110 ranks right up there with the best I have ever fished.

This is not a bait for the faint of heart, it is big, bulky and loud as all hell. It's size alone makes it intimidating, unless you have fished with the IMA BigStick there are few top water baits that compete with the Pencil110 for size. And if the size does not get you, the weigh will, this is a hefty bait weighing in a 3/4oz and as I mentioned before and will again.. IT IS LOUD. If you follow this blog on a regular basis you may have seen a recent review of Top Water baits in which I mentioned how loud the Strike King Sexy Dog is, well the Pencil110 makes the sexy dog sound like a whisper.

I haven't even talked about performance yet. The Pencil110 walks the dog with ease, I think my 5 year old nephew would have it mastered in minutes. I really love the baits ability to keep up at high and low speeds, I shook the crap out of the Pencil 110 and it continually performed. It splashes, gurgles and chugs along with the best of them, and any fish in the area your there.

The only part of this bait I think needs some tweaking is the pause. The Pencil110 sits nearly vertical when paused, and because of the size of the bait I think it almost sits too low and would like to see it at more of an 45 degree angle. I get the idea they were trying to achieve and I know the importance of the tail of the bait hanging down to give the fish a target. Personally I think it could sit up a bit higher (this would also improve visibility on the pause)

Test Drive Results: I believe this bait falls into my top 3 when it comes to top water walking baits. It has officially worked it;s way into my primary topwater box and will be tag teamed (depending on conditions and the bite) with my IMA Skimmer (a much thinner bait) as well as Zara Spook Jr. These three baits offer distance profile changes that should suffice in any condition (it has knocked the Live Target walking frog out of the top 3, and the Strike King Sexy Dog off my radar entirely)

Realis Minnow80SP:  The Minnow80SP is one of two jerk-baits that Duo sent me to test Drive. It is what I consider the little brother of the pair. Coming in at just over 3 inches in length and weighing only 0.17 of an oz it is visibly smaller then its big brother (Realis Jerkbait120).

If you check out the DUO website you will notice that they spend some time talking about how quickly the Minnow80SP reacts, and I cant agree more.. the only issue I have, is that is reacts so quick and easily that I had trouble controlling it. It took multiple casts and retrieves before I was able to get the hang of fishing with this bait. Early on, i had issues keeping it down, hard twitches or jerks had the bait nearly breaking the surface of the water turning it into a top water bait.

I don't want to rag on it's performance as I know there are more talented jerk-bait anglers out there that may have had greater success then I did. On the positive side of things this baits looks incredible in the water and moves as advertised. I love the flash this bait produces and think it could draw the bass into a feeding frenzy.

Realis Jerkbait 120: Ok, now onto the big brother, and a bait I had a much easier time fishing with. The Realis Jerkbait 120 is a bruiser, it is big, heavy and makes some serious noise. I had a blast fishing with it, and love the response on the rod and in the water. It's large flat sided profile gives off great flash and the weight system is uniquely loud.  The Jerkbait120 comes equipped with 4 rattle style weights, two of these and tungsten and two are steel. This combinations gives off two different sounds, the tungsten providing a lower pitch (almost thud) and the steel giving it a higher pitch (crack). I cant attest to what this does to the fish, but I can say it is definitely offering them something different and as we all know sometimes that's all it takes. 

Test Drive Results: As you can see there are some mixed results on this one. I personally prefer to fish with the Realis Jerkbait120 and have added it to my primary jerkbait box along side my IMA Flits and various Lucky Crafts. I think it's profile and sound will provide me with that "something different" when the bite gets tough. The Minnow80SP on the other hand will need some getting use to. I have added to a secondary jerkbait box and will be sure to spend some more practise time with it next season

Realis Spinbait 80: I will honestly admit this little guy had me stumped/confused. I saw the image on-line but did not spend any time reading up on it prior to fishing with it. So with that said you may understand my confusion when I threw what I thought was a top water bait (like a skitter-pop) only to watch it sink as I frantically tried to keep it up on top of the water.. Obviously I was unsuccessful as this bait is not a topwater bait.  Once I understood that, I started to have fun with it. I

The Spinbaits80's long slender body is surprisingly heavy and casts like a shot (and sinks even better). While retrieving the bait the twin propellers give off a nice easy vibration, and when paused the Spinbait80 gives off a soft flutter while sinking. This bait is great for fishing for suspending bass or in areas with various depths and drop-offs. Like the Rapala countdown minnow it can be fished at any depth and still perform as advertised. This is a very unique bait in my arsenal and I'm really looking forward to playing with it in various situations (hell it could even be used under the ice)

Test Drive Results: You can learn from my mistakes, by spending some time getting to know a bait prior to fishing with it, my assumption on this bait cost me nothing by humility, but that being said I should have known better. I like the Spinbait80 and think it has a place in my day to day arsenal, I'm not sure where that is yet, but I plan on finding out.

Realis Vibration62: Last but certainly not least the Vibration62 is a great little lip less crank that will be seeing some time on the soft and hard water alike (yes that means ice for your warm weather anglers).
This little bait offers up what appears to be a trend for the DUO line-up.. great casting distance, amazingly loud internal rattles and superior performance.

The Vibration62 is lite and small enough that it can be fished on spinning or casting gear and the body design gives of great vibration and flash while being retrieve at medium, fast and super fast speeds (without effecting performance). I love that this is available in a couple sizes and the colour options are pretty impressive as well.

Test Drive Results: I loved this bait from first cast, it fishes extremely well and is something I consider an "all season" bait. In the spring it will see some  use on Walleye and Pike trips, and during the summer and fall it will be used during some bass outings, and in the winter I will be jigging up walleye, perch and crappie with it.. yes you can say it is versatile.

Test Drive Overview: 

Again I want to thank the team at DUO for giving my the opportunity to test drive a selection of their baits. I was extremely happy with the quality and performance from their entire line-up, so much so that I will be placing an order for a few of the baits I have yet to test (like the Realis Popper64) as well as stocking up on a few that I feel in love with (Pencil110 and Crankbait48ST). These baits where a lot of fun to fish with, and I believe they can and will fill some holes in my current arsenal. During the above reviews I did not really touch on colour, again I think the images speak for themselves, but in closing I will add that DUO has a pretty impressive array of color choices for all their baits. So If you are looking to mix-it-up and add some new baits to your arsenal you cant go wrong with a  DUO Realis. Check them out at Tackle Warehouse or from DUO International . 

All baits in the above Test Drive where fished using a Dobyns Savvy Micro Guide rod (SS704c) paired with a Daiwa Advantage reel (SunLine SuperSniper FC line)

Top Water Baits Part 2: Poppin' and Chugging

Welcome to Part 2 in my series on the best of best when it comes to Top Water baits. As we discussed last time there are many different styles of bait and each has it's place in your arsenal depending on water and weather conditions,  these styles include: Frogs, BuzzBaits, Skitterpops, wake baits, Poppers, and Walking baits. Last week we looked into Walking Baits (found here) and for today we will be focusing on the slow gurgling fish enticing Poppers!

Over the past few years I have fallen into a bit of a routine when it comes to poppers, and I have been using two or three baits over and over again. These baits will be listed below, but I will also include a few newcomers to the market. Some of these new poppers are not yet tried and true, but they are too sweet to pass up.

Things to Look For: 

Poppers are the loud little brother to walking baits. They are designed to move slower then walking baits and thus can be used in windier conditions or in dirtier water. I find the most successful popping baits have the following three characteristics...

 

1) A Big Mouth! yes this seems obvious but if you are buying a popper with a small or shallow mouth you really are doing yourself a disservice. The larger/deeper mouth gives your bait the ability to really gurgle water and call fish in from long distance. If you can hear your bait, don't expect the fish to!

 

2) Tail Down presentation: Some poppers like the Chug bug are designed to sit flat in the water, personally I prefer my baits to sit with the bottom hook hanging down low under the water. This gives the fish a nice target and is more prone to catch fish swiping at the bait instead of in haling it. 

3) Shake your tail feathers!: I don't buy any popper that does not have feathers on the tail hook, period. This is a no brainier and kind of goes side by side with point 2 (above). These feathers are great for providing the fish with a nice juicy target and gives your bait a little extra movement even when paused 

Ok, now on to the baits (in no particular order)

 

1) Heddon Pop'n Image  

I keep two or three of these bad boys with me at all times. The color pictured here is my go to option (Tennessee Shad) and it works wonders over deeper water or if there is any chop at all. The Pop'n Image has a larger body profile then most poppers that helps to be be seen easily. It is equipped with a decent rattle and a small but deep mouth for great pop'n action.

 

These baits have a great paint job and life like scale reflection. I opt for this bait over other poppers when Im looking for longer casts or increase visibility. It is not the loudest popper in my arsenal but it gets the job done

 

2) Bill Lewis Spitfire

The Bill Lewis Spitfire may be my favorite top water popper in my collection (currently). With it's large wide mouth it moves more water then any popper I have tried to date. The Spitfire is equipped with a collection of mini ball bearings instead of one larger knockers and thus gives off a different but highly effective sound. This bait does not slit as low in the water as the Pop'n Image but it still provides a decent target with it's blood red hook and white tail feather.

I do wish the tail hook was a little larger, but overall I have no complaints on how this bait works day in and day out. I prefer to use the Spitfire on calmer days, it works well in clear water and in both sunny and shade conditions

Sorry guys, this is a hard to find bait and as far as Im aware it is not currently in production.

3) Storm Chug Bug

I think this bait is the only Storm lure in my entire fishing arsenal. The Chug bug is the longest of the poppers I carry and it walks the line between a popper and a walking bait.. yes you can do both at the same time. Equipped with the loudest rattle of all the poppers I own the Chug bug really calls the fish in. It has a wide down turned mouth that moves a lot of water and the long body makes sure it can easily be seen.

Im not a huge fan of the hooks that come with the chug bug out of the package, so I will usually switch them out.

Honorable Mentions:

I want to include three honourable mentions that may not be current staples in my arsenal but I expect they will replace one or more of thee above baits in years to come

The first honorable mention goes to the Rapala X-Pop (pictured at the top). It has a great body design with an ultra durable finish. It pops really well and casts like a bullet for a smaller bait. When paused the X-Pop sits ass down with jsut the baits nose above the water

The second honorable mention goes to the Deps Pule code, which was introduced at ICAST this year and I was not able to get my hands on one until after my tournament season came to an end. I love what I see from the bait and can see it as a replacement for my Heddon Pop'n Image baits very soon. It has the same large profile body, with loud internal rattle, but it sits better in the water and moves more water then the Pop'n Image

 

 

Last but not least we have the IMA Big Stick, this is not your everyday popper and may see limited to no action on the water some seasons. But, when looking for a big fish bait to add that kicker fish to your live well, there is no other popper that can compete with the monster that is the "Big Stick" (it's like the Chug Bug on steroids). I cant wati to bust some fall and spring smallies on this bait

 

 

 

 

 

Top Water Baits Part 1: Walking the Dog

Top water fishing is a way of life, I don't think I have ever come a across an angler anywhere that will argue with you about the high you get when while fishing top water, "the most exciting play in sports" as the ESPN sportscasters say.  When It comes to top water fishing  there are many different styles of bait you can look into, including: Frogs, BuzzBaits, Skitterpops, wake baits, Poppers, and of course Walking baits. Overtime we will touch on great baits in each of these categories, but for today we will be focusing on one of my personally favourite methods.. Walking Baits

Back in the day walking baits use to give anglers fits, there is a very specific rhythm you would need to get into to allow the bait to walk properly for any length of time. But as baits progressed and advanced, it became easier and easier to walk the dog, and catch fish. It you are someone who currently struggles with this, check out these three baits, the pretty much walk themselves

1) Live Target Walking Frog

The LT walking frog hit the market nearly two years ago, and has been a top producing bait in my arsenal ever since. It has a near flawless design that allows it to be walked perfectly by experienced anglers and novices alike. Even better then the walking action on this bait is it's "sit" when paused. The tail end of the frog sits nice and low in the water and lets that tail hook hand down to make sure even fish just swiping at it get a piece of that nasty treble.

Although available in two sizes and multiple colours, I prefer to work with the smaller version as I believe it gives off the perfect profile from below and can be walked a bit more erratic when needed. As for color choices, I like the natural green as well as the higher vis yellow but the bellies of all these frogs are white, so other then a small portion of the of side of the frog that will be visible when it sways, color should be not a driving factor in y our purchase decision.

There is nothing I can actually complain about when it comes to the Live  Target Walking frog, it has all the keys I believe a walking bait needs to make you successful, it walks, it sits, it rattles. Dont touch it, dont change it, just fish it

2) IMA Skimmer

This is a new bait for me this season. I was looking to add some variation to my walking bait arsenal and I liked the long slender profile that reminded me of my old Zara Spooks from Heddon.

The Skimmer is a violent walking bait that you can nearly make do circles right on the spot, and like the Live Target walker it sits extremely well in the water.. ass down with the crazy sharp hooks dangling down as the perfect target for any fish paying attention. Fitted with loud internal rattles this bait calls fish in better then the Live Target walking frog (which also has a rattle system)

Of the Walking baits I use, the Skimmer casts further and more accurately then the rest. It has a very long slender body and is weighted perfectly. It hits the water like an Olympic diver, and pops back up ready for the retrieve. In some situations the bait fish profile will out fish the wider frog profile, I think there is room in your arsenal for both the thicker LT Walking frog and a Skimmer

The movement on this bait is what really makes the biggest difference, the first two times I broke it out this season the guys I was fishing with actually stopped to watch it move, and then asked "what are you using". If a bait can catch an anglers attention like that, then you know it is doing something different then the rest

3) Heddon Zara Spook

Im going to wrap this up with a classic walking bait. The Zara Spook was the bait that introduced my to "walking the dog" and to this day I have a "retired spook" hanging on my wall. That bait caught so many fish that eventually the belly treble hook was pulled right off, forcing the bait into retirement. (ahh the memories)

The Spook is a great bait, but does slightly suffer from falling behind the times. It does not have a lot of the bells and whistles some of the newer baits on the market are equipped with. It has a lightweight metal frame that casts well, but not as well as the above baits. It does not have a rattle system and thus relies solely on its movement in the water to call fish in. This is ok for nice calm mornings on the water, but in wind or raining conditions, a rattle is a must .

I love the spook and still carry both the full size and Jr with me at all times. It takes a bit longer to learn to walk a spook then it will with the newer baits that pretty much walk when you breath on them, but all in all it is a quality bait that will put fish in your live well

Please note that the above discussion surrounds the "classic" spook. Heddon does make spooks with rattles as well as a swayback spook that walks easier.

Honorable Mention

Ok, this may sound odd, but Im going to give an honourable mention to a bait I have never used. When tournament fishing my partner and I have a 1-2 punch we like to start the day off on, He throws top water and I throw a spinnerbait. This year he transitioned over from the Live Target walking from to using the Strike King Sexy Dawg. Built very similar to a Heddon Zara Spook it has a very large profile thinning to the tail end, thus improving it's walking ability. The Sexy Dawg is also equipped with the loudest rattle I have ever heard in a walking bait. It casts well and I can attest that it catches fish.

IMA..Walk tall & cast a Big Stik

I don't care who you are, there is just something exciting about tossing around large baits in search of  even bigger fish, and recently I could not pass up the opportunity to add a IMA "Big Stik" to my top water arsenal.

There is absolutely nothing small about this popper/stick bait. A 7 inch beast, that tips the scales at 1.75oz and is loaded with two 1/0 Owner SST trebles... you may be in search of largemouth bass, but don't be surprised if some local Musky or Pike come calling. and if they do, just know that this bait can handle them.

You have to give IMA some serious props here, they did not come to the table with just some big clunky bait, they made this baby right.. perfectly balanced with 8 internal chambers, each containing "loud as hell" ball bearings.. they advertise this as the loudest bait you have ever seen, and really I think anyone would have a hard time proving them wrong.

If the size and sound of the big stik doesn't have your attention yet, then you must be a "sight" guy. so for you... The Big Stik was designed for both salt and freshwater alike, and has a pretty impressive collection of colors (13 in all). I fell in love with the BlueGill color aright off the bat and may also add a clear version some time in the near future, both colors I feel will be largemouth slayers.

If you are still not sold, there is only one last thing to discuss, and that is motion in the water. This big mouth plug spits water with the best of them, and walks the dog better then Cesar Millan. The Big Stik's large body sways incredibly well in the water, and when paused the tail end of the baits hangs slightly below the surface of the water, giving fish a great look at the feathered back hook, and giving you a great hook-up ratio.

The guys at Tackle Tour did one of their famous "autopsies" on the big stick, if your not queazy check out a dismembered bait and see what these beasts are made of.

Tackle Tour Autopsy