You might know the Pro Hog as an effective creature bait produced by Lake Fork Lure Co. to target big bass in heavy cover. Major League Fishing pro Jeff Sprague had a hand in the unique design, and you’ve likely seen him using it during tournaments when he’s flippin’ in the thick stuff.
I am not a bass tournament professional. I just want to fish every day like every other red-blooded American outdoorsman. I don’t have easy access to world-class lakes and rivers in my backyard, so I experiment in my local waters to find fish when I can get out. And I had an absolute blast fishing with the Pro Hog in the lakes around east central Florida.
On the Water
There is a certain way you need to fish around here. Generally, it’s a morning bite before the sun rises too high in the Florida sky. Keep in mind, I’m fishing water that reads 87 or 88 degrees in the morning. Summer really hits differently here: It makes me think of that scene from the movie The Chronicles of Riddick, when Vin Diesel has to escape from daylight on an alien planet where the sun rises and incinerates the landscape.
Fishing a couple different lakes in the Greater Orlando area, I recognized that drought conditions had really lowered the water levels. So instead of pitching underneath docks with no water below them, I rigged the Pro Hog a couple different ways and fished it all over the lake. The shorelines were super shallow and completely overloaded with grass. On my most successful day, I was fishing deep weeds along an edge and pulling fish from about 10 feet of water with a modified, simplified Carolina rig.
I also tried it as a Texas rig, on a jighead, with a weighted swimbait hook, and even threaded it on a dropshot rig too. It could work on a shaky head, a screw-lock hook, and I bet a number of other options, too. You can truly fish this bait numerous ways beyond its intended purpose. The mass of the soft plastic is not so large that only large fish can swallow it, so you’ll catch one-pounders to 10-pounders. I used it as a precision pitch bait around fallen trees, but also as a search bait, as long as I was deeper than five feet.
If Looks Could Kill
Creature baits have a sweet spot in my arsenal. I realize they don’t look like anything that crawls along the lakebed with appendages that flow like confetti, shoelace loops, and spider legs. But even for creature baits, the Pro Hog is a unique design. It’s likely imitating a crawfish. The main body features a slim profile so the plastic easily collapses, exposing the hook shank when a bass strikes. I did not notice any hookup problems, whether I fished it with a buried hook or an exposed hook.
The lure features two distinct claws and sickle-shaped tails that spread out and stand up when the bait lands on the lake bottom. Along the thin body are tiny legs like shrimp so it looks good on the bounce. That means this bait works best when it’s on the bottom, or at least close to it. I believe it was emulating a freshwater oversized shrimp since I don’t see crawfish much around me. That’s the beauty of creature baits: They trigger bass strikes not because they’re exact replicas, but because they combine action, look, and smell to get a reaction bite.
Lake Fork also uses a proprietary blend of plastic that lasts throughout tough fishing conditions. And it definitely has scent. No need to add any scents to these baits. The plastic is heavily loaded with garlic and salt. I think that powerful scent trail really helps bass track the bait in muddy waters or heavy cover.
Final Thoughts
What stands out about Lake Fork’s Pro Hog is just how durable it is. It lasts cast after cast, it has that undeniable look, and it’s completely versatile. This soft plastic is a good option if you’re looking for a go-to creature bait. The Pro Hog measures 4.3 inches and is typically sold in eight-packs for around $7.99.
In addition, I am a proponent of smell when it comes to soft baits. I want that stink. And I learned from fishing South Louisiana that species besides bass will eat a creature bait — the most obvious one being redfish. In fact, I often find myself fishing freshwater baits in the salt, and saltwater baits in lakes. So when I get time to sight fish shallow water lagoons for reds, I always have a creature bait rigged up. The next time I get over to the salt, I’ll have to see what the Pro Hog can catch in saltwater too.
To learn more about Lake Fork Lure Co., Wired2fish has also covered the brand’s Pro Flat Finesse Worm, Gold Series Casting Rod, and Pro Speeder Worm.
