In 2007, some of the big tackle companies are introducing new products to win your shopping dollars, while others are reinventing old favorites sure to find a place in your tackle box. Here is a list of a few of those new products that might catch your eye this New Year.
Rebel Lures, famous for their every popular Pop-R series of topwater lures, has released a new bait for 2007 called the Jumpin’ Minnow. The Jumpin’ Minnow is a small topwater bait that the company claims has a side to side action much like that of the Heddon Zara Spook. But at a diminutive size of only two and a quarter inches long, this bait may fill a nearly void finesse presentation currently in the topwater market. The bait retails for $4.49 a piece, and comes in four colors that most fishermen agree are essential to catch fish: bone, bone/chartreuse, silver/black, and silver/blue. The company states that the bait is easy to work, cast, and contains a lead rattle to call in the big ones from a distance.
Rapala has several new products available for the year 2007. First up is the new Minnow Rap, a three and a half-inch minnow-shaped crankbait. Rapala’s goal for this bait was to create a long and slender minnow type bait that had the tight wobble of their Shad Rap series of crankbaits. The baits come in twelve fish-catching colors. Those baits are then divided into two groups consisting of the Classic Patterns and the Bleeding Patterns. The only difference between the two groups is that the Bleeding Patterns include a red diving bill and is fitted with red VMC treble hooks.
Rapala also continues to evolve its X-Rap series of jerkbaits with the addition of the X-Rap Deep 10 and the X-Rap 12. These baits add to an impressive lineup of existing jerkbaits in the 8 and 10 sizes, and are available in twelve colors. Each of these baits are tipped with a signature dressed treble hook. The baits are termed slashbaits by Rapala, with the new 10 Deep filling a void in the water column associated with this series of baits. The baits run between $6.99 and $8.99 a piece at a national tackle supplier.
New for 2007 from Strike King are the Red Eye Shad and the King Shad swimbait. Strike King set out in an effort to remake their lipless crankbaits by introducing the Red Eye Shad. The bait is shaped more like a shad and comes in the half-ounce size only. Available in fourteen colors, the Red Eye Shad is enhanced with 3-D red eyes and VMC Vanadium Cone Cut treble hooks. The baits retail for $4.99 a piece at Bass Pro Shops. The King Shad swimbait is a five-inch, jointed bait that the company claims will track true through the water column even when retrieved at high speeds. The bait comes in seven colors and is available for around $20 a piece. Strike King’s baits are vigorously tested by professional anglers like Denny Brauer, Mark Davis, and Kevin Van Dam.
With the success of the Bronzeye Frog from a year ago, SPRO has released a smaller version this year and added new colors to the lineup. Designed by frog-fishing guru Dean Rojas, the Bronzeye Junior hits the market with many of the same features of its bigger brother. The bait is weighted to allow long casts, fishes weedless, and is adorned with Gamakatsu hooks. Five new colors in the half-ounce series bring the total color selection to an even dozen.
In a year when many new companies introduced baits similar to the Rad Lures Chatterbait, Gambler has issued the Brushblade Jig. Available in half-ounce sizes with chrome or gold blades, these baits are an improvement over their Swimblade Jig in that the can be effectively fished in cover. The bait is nearly weedless with the addition of a fiber weed guard. The new Brushblade Jig is offered in 8 color choices, and retails for around $5.50 a piece.
Terminator has long been a spinnerbait company of uncompromised quality. This year, the company releases it Diamond Series spinnerbaits in ten colors and four blade combinations. Available for purchase are spinnerbaits with double willow blades, tandem willow blades, tandem Indiana blades, and single Colorado blade combos. The company is celebrating its tenth anniversary by outfitting ten of their spinnerbaits with real diamonds valued at one thousand dollars. Think how lucky your wife you feel if you are one of the lucky anglers who purchases one of these baits. The spinnerbaits are valued at $8 dollars a piece.
Booyah Bait Company might have the most new products available in the beginning of this year. Following in the footsteps of Strike King and Gambler, Booyah introduces their "Chatterbait"-style bait called the Boogie Bait. The bait is 3/8-ounce jig with a built in trailer that vibrates through the water due to a large blade located at the front of the bait. Also installed on this bait is the "LEVERAGE" flexible hook system which claims to keep fish buttoned up on the bait during the fight to the boat. A Tx3 hook and a silicone flash skirt complete the package, which is valued at $6 a piece.
Booyah also launches its Counter Strike Buzz on the heels of its widely popular spinnerbait series. The bait features counter rotating blades to create an amazing bubble trail and buzzing sound to draw strikes from lunker bass. The bait is available in 1/4th, 3/8th, and 1/2 ounce sizes, and comes in five color schemes. These baits retail for around $8 nationally.
Booyah’s last addition to its lineup for 2007 is the Bed Bug, a light wire jig in 3/16th, 5/16th, and 7/16th sizes. The bait comes in six colors ranging from Moss Craw, to River Craw, to the Nest Robber. The bait consists of 60 round rubber strands of Bio-Flex silicone which the company claims gives it tremendous, lifelike action. The business end of the bait is a Tx3 light wire hook from XCalibur, and the bait retails for about $3 a piece at your local retailer.
The New Year has come and gone, and tackle companies are filling their lineups with baits that you are sure to love or hate. These companies spend countless hours in research and development, as well as marketing to get you to buy their products. Good luck this year with these new baits, and your favorite old baits as well. Tight lines!
Eric Huber is the Staff Editor at UltimateBass.com, and can be reached at warpath@ultimatebass.com.
