S I L E N ® T K I L L E R S
4
LURES
Summer 2019
that continue to dominate without making a splash
By Pete Robbins
page 40
O
ver the past quarter-century of
tournament fishing, a select group of
new lures have made major impacts. Whether it’s the Yamamoto Senko and dropshot
revolutionizing finesse approaches, the ChatterBait
giving us a true spinnerbait alternative, or the 10XD
taking cranking to new depths, members of this Elite
group have rightfully gotten the acclaim they deserved.
There have even been entrants like the Alabama
rig which proved controversial, but no one ever
doubted their effectiveness.
SECRETS OR LESS THAN SEXY?
Nevertheless, some of the most important contributions to the tournament scene haven’t gotten the credit that they were fully due.
In some cases, that’s been because the anglers using them most successfully have endeavored to keep them a secret.
In other situations, it’s because they’re just not “sexy” enough to capture widespread celebration. The proof, however, is in rod lockers and livewells. As the national circuits enter a period of unprecedented live coverage, it’s no longer possible to keep these things a secret.
I’ve been fortunate enough to spend time on the front lines of these bass wars – in the boats, at the tournaments, and talking with the top pros – and I can tell you that there are certain baits that just about everyone throws, but somehow don’t end up in the headlines all that often.
In the following pages we present four of them.