I have been testing a lot of smaller micro soft plastics, jigs and hard baits for panfish this last year and I’ve been working with FishUSA to cover as many of their offerings that I like for fishing for panfish. One of the new baits I stumbled onto was the LunkerHunt Fish Bone Bait Jar and I’ve had a lot of fun with this small container of ready to use, indestructible soft baits this year. This little jar of baits will get you a bunch of crappie, bluegill, sunfish and bass.
Here’s a bit more about what I like about the Fish Bone Bait Jar baits and also some pros and cons of storing, handling and fishing with these baits. As is the case with most baits made from the stretchy soft materials that rival plastics, you do have to keep a few things in mind with these unique panfish baits.
WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT THE FISH BONE BAITS
The first thing you will notice about these baits is that they are very soft and stretchy. This gives them a great swimming action at all speeds and the tail kicks subtly no matter how you fish them. It kicks on the fall, on a fast swim and a slow swim equally well. They are very durable. I never had any issues with the baits tearing up on fish. I got a whole bunch of fish on one bait.
The baits have a very unique almost skeleton like frame. This build is super flexible giving the bait added movement. But more importantly it traps air bubbles and the bait is always moving and releasing bubbles. So no matter what you do with it, it always looks alive. I caught a bunch of panfish lifting and dropping it back to me on the retrieve. I caught fish slow rolling it on the bottom and I caught fish reeling it at a fast clip in very shallow water on the bank and over grass.
ADDED SCENT
Each bait is infused with their proprietary Lunker Attractant that must add to the appeal because they got bit pretty well for me. So the action, bubbles, and scent make these little soft baits the total package for panfish.
THE RIGHT SIZE FOR A LOT OF FISH
The baits are 1 1/2 inches which means you need to fish them on a small jighead. But they also appeal to a wide variety of fish. I caught red ear, bluegill, crappie and bass on them. I imagine I will catch other species as well before it’s all said and done. But that 1 1/2 inch size makes them especially effective for crappie and bluegill. I paired them on Eurotackle Micro Finesse Jigheads as well as some custom Tungsten bead fly heads I tie up on a No. 8 hook.
VERY TRANSPORTABLE
I hope that more panfish bait makers will start making these little jars like this for their baits. I like that I can just put a jar in my pocket and go fish. I’ve used them in the boat, on a kayak and walking the banks fishing. Having them in an easy to get at pouch that holds the baits well is a big plus to me.
PROS AND CONS
Things I like about these baits would include the following (PROS):
- 21 baits in a pack
- Scented
- Nice jar to hold them
- Durable
Things I don’t like about these (CONS):
- Have to keep them out of the heat
- A little harder to rig
You can’t leave this jar in your car or in a boat in the summer. If they get too hot, they will sort of stick together and that can cause the tails to get messed up. I will say that even the ones with a bent tail swim perfectly fine. However I did have a couple tails twist and then stick together and they were not salvageable. That’s when I realized they can be affected by heat. So keep them in a cool place when not in use and you will be fine.
The baits are similar to the Elaztech Z-Man uses in that you have to give special attention when rigging. Because the baits stretch, you have to take your time to rig them straight and have to pull and stretch the soft bait up onto your jighead. So just take your time and get them rigged perfectly straight and then you can just go to fishing without having to mess with your bait all the time.
You can find the LunkerHunt Fish Bone Bait Jar at FishUSA in three great fish catching colors.
