We recently received some sample baits in the mail. This an everday occurence at Wired2Fish. In fact our offices are litterally stacks of boxes to the ceiling of product from the top companies in fishing as well as relative new comers, especially leading up and following ICAST.
We have an ongoing joke in the office about the same old buzz words that companies like to use to describe their new baits. One of our favorites is revolutionary. Nearly every new product that hits the market from one year to the next at some point will be described as revolutionary by someone who doesn't know how overused that word is.
The internet was revolutionary. The plastic worm was revolutionary. A new shape of plastic, or a new color of a lure is not revolutionary. A new size of an existing product line is not revolutionary. Remaking an existing product with one new feature is not revolutionary.
With that said, we really like when a bait is quietly sent to us without much fanfare with just the, "take-it-out-and-try-it" approach. Let the product tell you whether it's worth an angler's hard earned money. One bait we just received was like that.
Wake Fishing, LTD out of Finland is bringing a few of their products state side. Their new JigWobbler looked a little odd at first, and to be honest, our "gimmick" radar was on high alert. We pride ourselves on not telling you something is great if it really isn't, no matter whose product it is. But we try to give every product a fair shake.
The JigWobbler is a lead-head lure with a joint connecting it to a plastic body that has a shallow almost crankbait type lip on it and then a single treble hook on the back. The plastic body also has a pretty loud, high-pitch rattle in it. Odd looking, but still closely mimicing the profile of a baitfish.
We took the JigWobbler out for some casting and swimming tests. Immediately we were impressed at how well it casts. It swims with a very tight wiggle, more of a vibration. It's somewhere between a Rapala Shad Rap and a blade bait. It has a good action, tight wiggle and vibrates well on a lift and drop retrieve.
This weekend we got on a good scrape on Kentucky Lake and pulled the JigWobbler out. First cast with the lure, we caught a bass, a non-keeper, but a bass on the very first cast we made with it on the lake. Second cast with the lure and another bass a little larger. Same thing on the third cast.
At that point it was laughable. We were pretty enamored with how well it worked. Other larger lures were catching the bigger fish on this day, but we did catch one nice bass on it. No lure is a replacement for the other lures in your tackle box, and anglers should never have that mentality. You need a handful of tools for the different situations and seasons in fishing, whether it's walleyes, bass, crappie or other game fish.
Where we think the JigWobbler will really shine is when the fish are chasing baitfish, or schooling in the summer and fall. We also think it will be deadly when the water is cold and the fish are keying on smaller profile, tight moving baits. The fact that you can throw this bait so far, count it down to a depth and it stay there on a retrieve while maintaining a tight wiggle will make it a killer under those situations.
I think anywhere you throw a blade bait or a shad rap in cold water conditions, this will give you another option to show the fish. A new look, sound and profile they haven't seen before in these coldwater situations.
The JigWobbler will come in three sizes - 1/4 ounce, 5/8 ounce and 1 ounce. It will come in 10 colors that all look very good and will have niches around the country. We really like Parrot, Shiny Red and Black Silver Chrome but really none of the colors look bad and we can see where a few specific colors will play big in different regions for different species.
The baits will be available possibly as early as next week on Cabelas.com and other retailers shortly thereafter. They will be priced between $8.45 and $9.95 depending on the size.
We liked the baits so much we just bought and placed an order for 6 more for a trip to Table Rock in a few weeks. Scott and Marty Glorvigen are testing them for walleyes now, and we'll have their full assessment of the baits for walleye fishing in part two. But for now here are some Wired2Fish exclusive photos.
For more information, visit jigwobbler.com
