former rattles; the latter does not.
Lane offers this insight: “ I think it ’ s like crankbaits; some have rattles, some do not. I think when you ’ re catching them on one with rattles and the bite slows down, you switch to one that ’ s silent and you might catch a few more. ”
FLW Tour pro Mike Surman said the Knuckle Bait ’ s design creates, not only a different look, but also, a different vibration profile.
“ This bait doesn ’ t have any thump, ” he said. “ When you have a swim jig, you don ’ t really feel anything; it just comes through the cover really well. The Knuckle Bait does the same thing, but the disco ball — that ’ s what Bobby and I call the knuckle — vibrates. It doesn ’ t thump, but it just vibrates.
“ In clear water situations, when you ’ re finesse fishing, the prism style works really well. But in shallow, weedy, stained waters from Lake
Okeechobee to the California Delta, a rattling Knuckle Bait with a little white trailer has been unbelievable. ”
PRESENTATIONS
Addressing Knuckle Bait
seasonality, Surman says this:
“This bait’s going to be effective
for fishing cover year-round,
especially in the southern states
and out west. Up north, it might
start coming into prominence in
the springtime. The great thing about this bait is that it can be worked just like a swim jig; you can crawl it on the bottom. That means you can pretty well fish it anytime of the year.”
CRAWLING
Surman points to the Knuckle Bait’s head design as a significant element in its grass-friendly performance. A wedge-shape with a smooth sled- style bottom enables the bait to handily navigate the cover and glance off the bottom.
“When you crawl this bait on the bottom, the knuckle rides up higher and that smooth head design keeps it in contact with the cover,” Surman said. “Bobby and I have had success burning this bait over the grass early in the morning and then later in the day, we just started slowing it down, pumping it and almost working like a swim jig.”
Notably, while you won’t get the flash and flutter
common to a spinnerbait, the
Knuckle Bait’s signature feature
further benefits your grass
presentations by serving as a
weed guard.
SWIMMING
“ The Knucklebait weighs a ½-ounce, so you can throw this bait a mile, ” Lane said. “ The Knuckle B ait does most of the work for you, but if you put a swimbait on it, you can hop it up
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