By Terry Brown
There are some baits anglers keep as a secret. Some never made the mainstream. Many had a large following of tight-lipped anglers who kept their secret close to the vest. The Marlynn Pomme Special is one of those baits. Anglers "in the know" purchased every one they could get in their hands, and today the market is very dry. This is one hard to find bait!
Built in Blue Springs, Mo., by the Marlynn Lure Company for fishing Pomme de Terre Lake in Missouri, the wire bait is a specialty lure that Midwest anglers called a "gurgle bait". Built like a spinnerbait, with the exception of a long wire line tie, the Pomme Special was designed for pike and musky. The long wire serves both as a leader and was part of the engineering that made the bait rise to the top. It didn't take long for bass anglers to soon recognize its effectiveness on aggressive post spawn fish. Paralleling riprap was its forte. Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle.....kablooey!
The Pomme Special came in numerous sizes, but those who fish it know that 1/2 ounce or heavier is better. The long wire arm, unique cupped Colorado Blade and provided Reaper Tail are musts to have it run effectively. Long casts are critical to wake the "World's Best Buzzin' Bait". Some anglers who first tried it became frustrated because rigging and technique instructions did not come on the package, and they fished it like a spinnerbait. There were several single spins already on the market made by other Missouri companies like Alron, and some anglers did not see it for what it was. This bait is designed to be run near the top of the water in a gurgling fashion. The "blub, blub, blub" of the Pomme was the difference. The hits on this bait are not subtle. The bass hammer it.
The Pomme Special had a very unique minnow head for the time, and the Reaper trailer allowed the bait to pull to the top quickly. It is designed to have the Reaper positioned horizontally to give the bait "lift".
We prefer white and yellow, and a silver blade is a must. The old style nylon skirt is also most effective on this bait.
If you find some of these baits, call us, and don't tell anyone.