River Rat316

Swim Jigs, spinnerbaits, followed up with Jigs.... surprise surprise

Spring sale starts Friday, and Brandon's advice is spot on, Slone's also I love both of those colors!

For those that haven't taken a closer look at the Football jigs we are introducing, the new Footballs use the same 3x Mustad hook that is found in the Alien head, it has a recessed line tie, and a flat spot that holds the hook up at a 60 degree angle for that defensive posture that everyone is looking for. The Spring sale runs from 4/5-4/7 you can see the Price of the New footballs on sale right now but they will not be able to order until 4/5 Regular black series will also be at the same price for the sale. The sale will also include various other jigs from other series at deep discounts. Bruise Brown Craw New Colors in the Knock Out Series Bayou Craw Candy Craw Bull Frog (there is Brown on top but it kinda gets washed out in the pic)

Mustad hooks are made in China and the company is Norwegian. As far as hooks go Eagle claw is mostly made in the U.S. if not all including Trokar. Lots of good USA made stuff on the tackle and rod side, not alot on the reel side, but most if not all reel companies have U.S. reps, distribution hubs, and so on and so forth, so you are still supporting American workers in some aspects.

speed, you are comparing a 30 degree hook to a 60 degree hook, that is the difference in the angle of the weedguard, they both have their time and place but a 30 degree will come through grass better, and a 60 degree is better in fb, brush style, or stand up jigs.

It doesn't get much colder than the day this video was made, water temp stays around 39 degrees in the winter in this spot thanks to the the Nuke plant

We are working on getting a bunch of new things out at the end of this month, so stay tuned, some good things coming!

There is a shipment on the way to them right now, some New Gill flip and swims were in there I believe, I can't remember if there was New Gill swim jigs or not, but anyway we will be shipping them more by the end of the week. Otherwise you can order from the website also.

Worry not young Jake, there is a southern bream color on its way to the photographers right now, for all you southern guys that have never seen a true northern spawning male gill, Bull GIll and New Gill are about as close as I can get. Bull gill is a little more muted and probably truer to the actual thing, New Gill is louder brighter and stands out, and yes both of them produce, I might get flamed here but I actually like Bull GIll better but throw both equally as much, New Gill gets the nod in any kind of water with a stain to it, the bass can see it better and in turn it gets bit better. And for those that always want to match the hatch, why? I want my bait to be close but at least stand out from the crowd, if they can see it easier and pick it out from the crowd, I just automatically assume it will get bit more often, that is just my thinking on it anyway.

The hair jigs have a light wire hook and a very light weedguard, that is the reason for the spinning gear, you can fish them on baitcast to, but they are not meant for your traditional jig gear, I have a bait caster I throw them with, it is a 7'6" medium fast action, and I use 10lb Floro on it and have no problems with breakoffs, I usually fish 2 or 3 outings on 1 jig before the river gods claim it.

This vid will give you an idea, but I always fish them with a trailer, the vid shows exactly how I rig mine, Thanks Nick and Brandon for shooting this in the extreme cold, I was to big of a wuss to go out and help....lol

All black hair jig is all I need also, in either the hairy craw hybrid type, or a regular hair jig, I only really carry two colors, all black or green Pumpkin Blue, they cover everything for me in a hair jig.

Don't get me wrong, it doesn't make me mad when I get a Pro Staff resume, at the very least it means people are noticing my company, I am just trying to persuade peoples perceptions on most small to midsize companies.

Here is my take on trying to obtain sponsorships for a new tournament fisherman. You are better off promoting companies that you believe in than going out and trying to obtain sponsors just to be sponsored. What I mean by this is, if you have a product that you truly believe in go ahead and start promoting it, make youtube videos, talk about it at tournaments, put a logo on your boat or jersey if you want, if you do a good job most small or midsized companies will notice you and you might get repaid with a sponsorship or discount on products. I get anywhere from 2-3 a week to 2-3 a day emails and some time phone calls (please do not do this most smaller companies are way to busy to chit chat on the phone about giving you free product) asking for sponsorship, 99% of the emails I receive I don't recognize the name or do not even know if they have ever fished my product. The only people that are currently or being considered for pro staff positions I or one of my other pro staff personally know, and I can see the unsolicited promotion they have already done. I, and am pretty sure other companies do it to, do a regular internet search to try and find out what is being said about our products, I take note of those that are promoting product and what is being said (it is how I found this site) if one of my customers is standing on a hill top shouting about my products I am going to take notice and reward that customer, and I am pretty sure most companies would do the same. The whole reason for this post is I am tired of the emails that tell me they would really like to promote my product but want something for free in return before they ever lift a finger, I see it as the other way around, prove to me that you are capable of promoting a product and I will reward you. That "free" product that all new tournament fisherman are looking for is not free, it costs me real money and time to complete, and in the end will cost YOU time to obtain, putting a sticker on your boat or a patch on your jersey is not going to cut it, we need to see something above and beyond before you are going to get something in return. And I will also add if you are under the age of 18 most companies (unless they have a jr pro staff program) will not talk to you, its not that you are not a good fisherman or any of the other things, for me personally its that there is no return or little return on the investment, I know you all have friends and your own tournament circuits and what not, but the sad fact is that persons under the age of 18 generally do not have money to spend on product, I might get flamed for this or whatever but it is a business, it is how I feed my family and pay my bills, if I can't get a return on my investment I am not going to throw money out the window.

crank baits, having a 2lb pike on 1 treble and my thumb on the other really turned me off of treble hooks, especially when there are two of them. I will however throw a lipless the benefits out way the danger for me....lol otherwise it is senko's period, whether they are gycb or any other brand, about as boring as watching paint dry and way to many gut hooked fish with them, other presentations that I can actually feel have gotten my attention over the last couple years

Killer shakey head bait also.

What else are they supposed to say? We bought the design, but they are still using it also? They have to at least try and make it look like it is their own bait, I don't particularly agree with the marketing but understand why they are doing it

I call them junk because they do not endure a quality control check, not because they do not work, back when I actually used to fish cranks the SK 1xd was one of my favorites. But it took 3 to get one that was decent, then after a day of fishing it was tore up, and don't even think about leaving it sitting on your deck in the sun for an hour, they would blow up and look like a balloon, never had the same problems with Bomber square a's which I started to use instead of the SK cranks. With all that said though at least SK would back there product if you called them out on it, Rapala= worst customer service in the industry

Rapala products have a bad rep for breaking because they do, there DT series and the original xrap are known for falling apart, then when you go email or call them to return it they want original packaging and receipt, like any self respecting man keeps all his receipts or original packaging in his man purse, and while I personally do not like Strike King cranks, they have a history of standing behind there products, yeah they are junk and fall apart just like all the other cheap cranks out there, but one call or email and they make it right.

had one of those... your thumb would be huge if you actually used it...lol

6th sense pegx stops are what works for me

This...lol the worst customer service in the industry..........

Thanks for the kind words guys, and watchout also, we have new products coming, just putting the finishing touches on some stuff to go out for photo work this week! New colors and expanding a line!! Super excited!

What he is doing is not right marketing wise, those "blanks" he is buying are not from Megabass, they don't have the same internal weight, they are knockoffs, he could get in big trouble for selling them as a mega bass product, I am not saying they are not worth the $15 or won't fish well but he can not market them as a mega bass product. Just to cover his butt I would tell him to change the name on the box, if a rep for whatever wholesaler comes in and sees this and they carry Mega Bass products, they will let Mega Bass no about the pirated baits.

Like the Berkleys better and can usually find pretty good deals on those also