The hook hangers and joints are all joined
together by a long wire that is inserted into the wooden bait and held in place
with glue. These wires are over an inch long and after seeing them there is no
doubt in our mind that they would be able to hold up to even the most viscous
strikes from fish much larger than a trophy largemouth.
We are finally
able to separate the two sections
Making the
final cut
The Mother revealed not one or two but an entire series of lead weights. All of
these weights are put in place at very specific depths and also glued firmly in
place. All of the weights also appear to be different in size, which helps
explain the very exact weighting work that is goes into making sure each bait
swims just right.
The Mother's
extremely intricate balancing system utilizes multiple weights of different
sizes strategically placed within the lure's core
An example of
how far the joint wire extends into the bait
The weights were all locked firmly in place and do not interrupt the wire hook
hanger. We could see that after the lure was assembled a hole was drilled
through the body and the weight to insert and glue the hook hanger firmly in
place.
The hook
hanger is threaded right through the weight
Clearly a lot of work, much more than we
originally expected, goes into the construction of each one of these baits. The
precision that goes into the woodwork, the weighting system, the finishing over
the weight holes, and the paint finish are all exceptional.
The Roman Made Mother post autopsy
Conclusion: Is any bait really “worth”
$400 dollars? The Mother really caters to a niche audience and falls into the
category of a truly “exotic” swimbait. This bait is a huge investment, and I
admit that each time I fished it I was equally excited and scared all at the
same time. Excited that I was tossing an exotic bait, and simply imagining the
beast that could take on the Mother was enough to get my heart going, and scared
that I would lose the bait any one of a million heartbreaking ways. I’ve never
double checked my knots so many times as I did when tossing this bait.
This was
one of the hardest, and by far most expensive, look inside a bait we have ever
done. Truly the "Mother" of all tackle autopsies!
Cutting the Mother open was extremely painful
but also equally enlightening. It is clear that a lot of labor goes into each
and every single one of these baits. It starts with the premium materials but it
is the precision of workmanship and intricate balancing system, all of which is
done by hand by team members at Roman Made, which adds up to one very
meticulously crafted fishable work of art.
