Spring 2025
®
most in-demand minnow baits on the market. It can be hard to get because it’s so popular and works so well for anglers fishing with forward-facing sonar, and now there is a new version, the Sakamata Shad Real.
The finishes are ultra-realistic and are printed to look exactly like a baitfish. It has the same great darting and rolling action as the original but looks like a real fish with a nice touch of added crystal eyes. It comes in the 6-inch and non-salt versions, perfect for techniques like mid-strolling because of the buoyancy.
MORE DEPS SOFT PLASTICS
Deps soft plastics continue to gain in popularity, and the distinct yellow packaging is now found in many tackle stores across the country. They have some great designs, unique ones, and continually add new shapes and sizes.
imitator that now comes in two sizes. It comes in a 2.6 and 3.6-inch bait with large claws for the size of the bait and was made to have great action as it moves along, either on a Texas-rig or on the back of a jig.
NEW ZAPPU PLASTICS
Zappu makes great hooks, weights, jigheads, and other useful terminal tackle items. Now, they have some new soft plastics for you to use with those products. The new worms include the Magatail and Limbooo.
The Magatail is part of the “Fish Magnet” brand. It uses high-density soft plastic and has a unique curved tail. It can be fished with their Inch Wacky heads, weightless wacky rig, or a Neko Rig. The 4.5-inch bait looks different from most soft plastics and looks great as it falls.
The Limbooo is a soft stick bait made for Texas or wacky-rigging. It is made with the SAF material, a high-density plastic filled with salt, amino acids, and a custom scent. The bait is 4 inches long and has unique ribs that add vibration as the bait falls.
The Optimum Bait Co. family is full of great products that serious bass anglers appreciate for their unique designs, many of which are inspired and produced in Japan. This year, there are several new items that continue that trend and help show American bass something different. •
One of the newest is the Wiggle Bug, an insect-imitating worm that sinks perfectly. It’s a small bait that mimics a bug or a shrimp and has a slight vibration as it falls. The soft plastic material is heavily salted, so even though it’s a tiny bait, not much longer than an inch, it casts great without any added weight. You can fish it weightless on a drop- shot or free rig, giving the bass a unique look.
Another new bait is the MS Craw, a compact crawfish
ADVERTORIAL
page 35