Fall 2022
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landscape they continue to get the call. I love the Vixen and the Repo Man and the Megabass Giant Dog X.
Others prefer the Lucky Craft Sammy or the 6th Sense Dogma. Yet every year – and especially in smallmouth country – at least a few top finishes are credited to the Super Spook, usually by anglers not sponsored by PRADCO.
Patterns involving bone and chartreuse seem to show up most frequently when brown bass are involved, but clear and chrome models have their day in the sun, too. Sure, these are updated versions of James Heddon’s creations, but they combine modern components with a longstanding popular shape to get the best of both worlds.
REACTION INNOVATIONS SWEET BEAVER
The “Beaver Style” Lure has become ubiquitous across soft plastic manufacturers’ product lines, and while the D-Bombs and Pit Bosses and Rodents and
others rightfully get credited with lots of
top finishes.
Meanwhile, the Sweet Beaver seems
to quietly just produce. It may still be the best overall lure of this type – the right consistency of plastic, able to hold a big hook, and the widest array of colors (along with those unrepeatable color names). I know two pros sponsored by competing companies with their own baits in this category who have won six-figure checks on the Beaver, along with numerous other top finishes. It may no longer have the name shock value, but it still gets through cover and attracts big fish.
What fascinates me most about these four lures is that with the possible exception of the Choppo, all of them have been around for most of the history of modern bass fishing. They’re not new, and yet I see them all of the time in the boats of anglers sponsored by other companies. Continue to ignore them at your own peril. •
background by FWStudio
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