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Creature Fever: Causing Havoc with the Berkley Hawk Hawg
(continued)
  Retrieving:
Though these baits are not ultra soft, they are not overly stiff or lifeless and
produce good action underwater. The rear tails kick willingly, and the large
flaps pulsate enticingly when the line is tugged. Working the bait similar to a
jig or your standard plastic worm will produce results, with water temperature
and technique dictating your retrieve, of course. Dragging the bait over rocks
and through wood tree limbs on the bottom was a favorite method, as the ribbed
body can be envisioned vibrating and thumping this hard cover as you pull it
by. Since this bait isn't extremely bulky, it sinks quickly with a modest
weight and will slip in and out of cover easily.
The large rear
flaps provide both added body and action.
The dual sets of
wings allow the Hawk Hawg to glide a bit, most noticeably on a Carolina rig.
Since the bait is not impeded by a sinker directly on top of it, it's freed up
more to do it's thing. On a side note, it would be really neat to see even
larger wings added to this bait. One can think this would enable to bait to
glide even more willingly.
Price &
Applications: Berkley products generally give you a pretty good bang for
the buck, and these are no exception. While the MSRP is listed at $3.49 for a
bag of 8, we found the Hawk Hawgs as cheap as $3.00 a bag. While not ultra high
end plastics, they fish well and the baits in all of our test packs were free of
defects. They are a good value and allow you to stock up with a minimal
financial burden.
When Texas rigging, be sure to stick the hook point into the main body beneath
the ribs.
As previously
mentioned, there are several applications these baits serve. Flipping,
pitching, punching, and Carolina rigging all immediately come to mind. These
are not baits you will have to put away at certain times of the year. You can
certainly have one on deck at all times and expect to catch a fish with it.
Alter your colors and retrieves based on conditions, and they will appeal to
Bass all year long.
Ratings:
(We've
re-calibrated our
ratings standard for
2008 and have
included a key at
the bottom of the
following matrix as
a guide):
|
Berkley
Havoc
Hawk
Hawg
Plastic
Ratings
(?/10)
|
|
Construction/Quality |
Very
nice
quality
with no
noticeable
defects.
Colors
were
clean
and
accurate. |
8 |
|
Performance |
The
baits
produced
good
action
underwater.
|
8 |
|
Price |
An
excellent
value
for the
money
considering
the cost
of some
other
plastics
on the
market. |
9 |
|
Features |
Pro
angler
designed
features
give
these
baits
several
triggers
to coax
fish
into
biting.
|
8 |
|
Design
(Ergonomics) |
The thin
design
allows
the bait
to slip
in and
out of
cover
easily
and the
contours
of the
bait
make it
feel
more
lifelike
to a
fish.
|
8 |
|
Application |
Pretty
good
versatility,
but not
the
crazy
versatility
of say,
a Senko
type
bait.
Don't
overlook
these
for use
as a jig
trailer
too. |
6.8 |
|
Total
Score
|
7.96 |
Ratings
Key:
1 =
terrible
: 2 =
poor : 3
=
lacking
: 4 =
sub par
: 5 =
mediocre
: 6 =
fair : 7
= good :
8 =
great :
9 =
excellent
: 10 =
unbelievable!
For More
Details
of the
updated
rating
system
visit
our
explanation
here |
Pluses and Minuses:
|
Plus
Minus
|
|
+
Good
action |
-
Only
available
in 1
size |
|
+
Versatile
enough
for use
with
several
techniques
in many
different
environments |
-
Not
infused
with any
salt |
|
+
Lots of
colors
to
choose
from |
|
|
+
Excellent
pricing |
|
|
+
Durable |
|
A solid chunk caught on a solo pond hopping mission one evening.
Conclusion:
The Berkley Havoc Hawk Hawg is
a strong contender in the creature bait market. While there is undeniably some
overlap in bait design between companies within the segment, a mixture of
different features and characteristics help make this bait unique. With a
lifelike texture and action, this is a bait that will be productive whether your
Bass fishing ventures take you shallow or deep. Berkley continues to be a giant
in the fishing industry, and the Havoc Hawk Hawg is yet another attractive
addition to their already enormous lineup of baits.
Looking for the Berkley Havoc Hawk Hawg? Try
Tackle Warehouse
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