mattlures new hard bluegill - finally, a swimbait for the hardcore AND the masses

[paul.]

as promised here is some more info on a fantastic bait you can expect to see fairly soon.  you can go to the outings section to see a report on the bait's short debut at one of my fishing holes today.

thoughtfully designed

anyone who has fished live bluegills will tell you that there definitely seems to be a "preferred" size for bass - about 6 inches to be exact.  any smaller and a good sized bass may regard them as not worth fooling with.  any larger, and it seems the bass sometimes avoid them as they can be perceived a difficult meal (due to the spines and body shape).  matt obviously knows this.  the optimum size is evidenced in his soft bluegill baits and now in his new hard bait.  speaking of size, this is one of the big turn-offs to many anglers considering a first swim bait purchase - the large size of many of these offerings.  no angler is going to buy a bait that intimidates him or her, particularly considering the price point of some swimbaits.  not to mention the fact that with many of the oversized offerings in the past, anglers have been faced with a difficult choice.  either they must fish swimbaits awkwardly and uncomfortably using their existing rods and reels, or they must break down and purchase expensive new ones.  no worries with matt's new bait.  it is easy to cast and performs superbly with the traditional sized (and priced) rods and reels you already own.  of course this bait will work well on swimbait gear too if you already own it.  so thankfully, with this bait, matt has achieved a size that is acceptable to anglers and to the most important customer, the bass.

well built

with one glance, it is easy to see that everything about the mattlures new hard bluegill is total quality.  as with his other baits, the paint job is top notch, exceeding everything else out there in realism and rivaling the real thing.  it's as if the bait was actually painted by a taxidermist.  the overlaying clear coat is even and well done, adds to the realism, and protects the work of art underneath.  the eyes add to the incredible realism.  the joints are fluid and tightly spaced to crate the illusion of a one piece bait.  the split rings and hooks are top quality and will surely stand up to the assault of the bass that will smash these offerings.  with the few other swimbaits i have owned, one outing and some paint or finish is missing.  not so here.  this is a bait that could last a long, long time and still look fantastic with little or no maintenance.

incredible action and versatility

the bait i used today was a floater.  i am not sure if matt plans to unleash a sinking version or not.  simply put, this bait swims like the real thing at all speeds.  with a steady retrieve, it can wake across the surface in deadly fashion with just the dorsal fin and the top of the tail protruding.  needless to say it's floating qualities enable a spot-on injured bluegill presentation when twitched.  with just a small amount of practice though, you can also get the bait to dive a few inches underwater where it will perform the same deadly gyrations.  and yes, it will "180" like a champ.

applications

this bait will work anywhere you have previously fished topwater baits, rattle baits, jerkbaits,  or shallow diving cranks.  fish that have been previously pressured with these offerings will see something totally new.  one application that may be overlooked by some anglers, and one that i hesitate to even mention is bed fishing.  this bait may in some sight fishing situations equal or even outperform matt's soft bluegill baits.  yes, you heard me right.  imagine putting this bait behind an egg or bank sinker.  placed on a bed, the bait will naturally want to float back to the top with the sinker resting on the bed.  but if the angler reels almost all the slack out of the line.  the bait will suspend in a nose down attitude a couple of inches from the sinker.  with subtle rod movement, the bait can be repeatedly pulled down to the sinker on the bottom, making it appear that a bluegill is raiding the nest.  and you could literally do this for hours without moving the rig off the bed and having to re-cast.  

the conclusion

obviously i think this is a remarkable bait.  but why should my opinion matter?  after all, i am very much an average basser and a total swimbait novice.  well, that's the reason.  guys considering a swimbait purchase, particularly those new to the genre,  are not concerned with whether a bait can produce for fish chris or mike long.  they want to know if it can work for them.  and based on my experience with this gem of a bait, the answer is a resounding "yes!"

i hope y'all enjoyed my admittedly amateurish review of what i think is an incredible bait.  having dispensed the info above, i have officially exhausted my knowledge of the mattlures hard bluegill swimbait.  well, at least until next outing with it.  be looking for it soon and good luck out there.  

 

[Simp]

Any idea about price on these?

[BassinWill301]

I didnt even know these were coming out.  They look sick, and very realistic.  I am going to have to try one of these.

[senko_77]

I was on the phone with Randall yesterday, and he said that Matt's new bluegill was awesome.  He's thrown them all, and for him to say that, it must be good.  Hopefully he'll get on here and post some info on it

Nice post Paul.  Very in-depth review.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Excellent, excellent review.

Fantastic choice of reviewers Matt, Paul speaks to us like we need to hear it. Student to student.

One question, any negatives? (Feedback for Matt)

EXCELLENT

[Handy]

That thing looks spectacular! You say it will work with equipment we already own, so my question is what does it wheigh then? If I remember corectly my heaviest rod can handle 1 1/4 ounces. I would definatly get Matts if it does work on my current gear.

Paul

[-ebby-]

i am gonna start saving up for one now! when are they coming out? price? very nice work tho!

[paul.]

i am not sure about an exact release date, but i believe it will be fairly soon.  

no info on price or exact weight either.  i will leave it to matt to provide those details.

i will say this, yesterday i intentionally used this bait on a rod that was actually a bit light for it just to see what would happen - a 6'6" med. action rated for lures up to 3/8 oz.  and there were absolutely no problems casting or working the bait whatsoever.  i knew if the bait performed well on this set up, it would absolutely shine on a 6'6" or 7" mh.    so have no fear.  the rods and reels you already own will be just fine.  i could have even used this bait on spinning tackle   with no problem.  i'm not sure what the bait weighs exactly, but it really doesn't "feel" that much different than casting a big crankbait, a dd22 for example.

lbh, to answer your question about negatives, there is only one big one -that the bait is not available just yet! ;D  

there is one thing i did notice that folks may want to take into account (and this is definitely not a negative, just a matter of personal preference).  the bait came to me with 2 hooks.  if you notice in the picture, there is a ring for a hook and split ring cleverly hidden under the back rear fin.  with 2 hooks, occasionally the hooks hung into each other or the rear hook hung into the tail section.  but mind you, this only happened a very few times when i was experimenting with the bait.  you will see that i just added a bigger size hook to the front of the bait and removed the rear one.  but i will warn you, there is a trade off here.  by removing the rear hook, you will sacrifice some hook-ups, especially with short strikes.  so to achieve optimum results, the bait is best left as is.  again, my adjustment was only a matter of personal preference.

whether you own a hundred swimbaits, or are looking for your first one, this lure is a great choice.  trust me, you will be well pleased.        

[fourbizz]

What a good looking bait Matt! I've been dreaming of a 3pc bluegill for a long time! and in pauls hands....big uns BEWARE!!!

[Mattlures]

Paul I have to thank you for being a guinea pig. There were several reasons I chose to let you test a bait. See I dont keep a regular prostaff. I give out a few baits to certain people for feeed back. In most cases the baits have been thourohly tested before hand but its alway good to get some different feedback.

Here are the reasons I picked you.

#1 I have seen you progress and learn and you belive that swimbaits can and do produce big bass consistantly.

#2 You are not a "pro". I can and will give one of these baits to Mike Long and John Kerr. But seriously what will that prove? Those guys are soo good they could could catch huge bass on any decent bait. You however are closer to the average good angler. Actualy Your a stud but a rookie swimbaiter.

#3 Your a nice likable guy, who I always enjoy reading your post.

#4 The one thing that realy stood out to me was your knowlege of useing real live bluegill for bait. That takes more skill then some realize and I knew that you could use your experience with real gills to stick big fish with fake gills. If I could make you a believer then that says something.

Thank you again for giving the bait a shot.

Thank you to everybody else for the kind words. You guys are awsome!!!!!

[grimlin]

Screw the new BBZ-1 baits....i'm after matt's hard bait.

[preach4bass]

When will these baits be available to us mere mortals?

[Redlinerobert]

That looks like a winner Matt.  Can't wait to try it out......

[Los]

would this one pretty much work in any lake or what? i'm new to bass fishing and hear you guys say you have to "match the hatch" but don't pretty much all lakes have bluegill?

[Zephus]

Like everyone else, I'm very impressed with the look of these....and the report by paul.  I guess now I'm curious about the price, and the date they are available.

[tyrius.]

Well now it looks like I'll probably be able to figure out what the "free gift" is for purchasing over $100 worth of stuff on www.mattlures.com.   That is assuming that the promotion will still be going when these baits become available.