Casting:
There are
four sizes
of the Catch
22 available
(4, 6, 8, 12
inch
models), and
they come in
either
floating or
slow sinking
versions.
Each bait
casts
differently
and the four
inch bait is
really too
light to be
cast on the
rods you
would
traditionally
employ for
tossing
swimbaits.
For the 4”
swimbait we
cast the
petite lure
with a Daiwa
Steez
outfit.
Anything
bigger than
the 4” is
best cast
with a rod
designed
specifically
for
swimbaits.
The Catch 22
really gets
moving in
the water
and the
entire lure
kicks back
and forth
more
aggressively
than most
swimbaits
Retrieving:
I don’t
think the
average
angler
realizes how
much
finessing
most
swimbaits
require to
be fished
with maximum
effectiveness.
While the
average soft
body
swimbait can
be fished
with a
straightforward
constant
retrieve
anglers will
increase
their strike
percentage
by adjusting
their
retrieves to
either
position the
lure longer
in the
strike zone
or better
draw the
attention of
fish in an
effort to
trigger
strikes.
Soft bodied
swimbaits
are more
than just
vibrating
tails, and
as simple as
they appear
they can be
among the
most
rewarding
and
frustrating
lures to
fish, all at
the same
time.
Unlike many
other soft
swimbaits
the Catch 22
can fully
collapse on
impact
reducing the
ability of
fish to use
the bait's
own body to
dislodge the
hook
The team at
Nature
Vision
wanted to
create a
swimbait
that reduces
that
learning
curve. The
deep joint
design may
cause the
bait to look
less
realistic
than a
Huddleston
for example,
but what
they do is
create an
extremely
lively side
to side tail
kicking
action that
extends from
the head all
the way
through the
tail.
Because the
segments are
so thin the
lure is able
to get
moving at
just about
any retrieve
speed.
Whether you
crank the
Catch 22
back slowly
or burn it
back to the
boat the
lure slinks
back with a
lively
S-Pattern.
Fully bent
over the two
indented
areas show
the
InnerArmor
threads
During our
field tests
I found that
this lure
was
extremely
easy to
fish, and in
ultra clear
water could
see the lure
dance
tantalizingly
whether it
was
retrieved,
jerked, or
twitched. I
was able to
draw strikes
from fish
with
extended
pauses, and
at times
could see
fish
lethargically
follow the
lure back to
the boat
only to
break into a
full on
charge the
minute the
lure was
accelerated
after
pauses.
Because it
takes so
little
retrieve to
impart
action on
the Catch-22
it is
possible to
go from a
near dead
top to what
looks like a
fleeing
trout
instantly.
We over
torque the
Catch 22 to
test the
bait's
durability...
it survived
the torture
and lived to
swim on
Depending on
the rate of
fall the
Catch-22
hovers
relatively
evenly in
place or
slowly sinks
when
deadsticked.
I didn’t
catch any
fish on
extended
deadsticking,
as all of my
strikes came
either
during
straight
retrieves or
shortly
after brief
pauses.
The larger
baits are
best fished
with a true
swimbait rod
When it
comes time
to set the
hook unlike
other
swimbaits
the Catch 22
can collapse
into a tight
ball so that
when a fish
mashes the
lure it will
actually
compress
inside the
fish’s
mouth. Since
the hook is
tied
directly
onto the
main line if
a fish
actually
shakes the
main body of
the bait it
will remain
hooked to
the triple
pointed “no
throw” hook.
During our
tests the
bait would
either be
balled
inside the
fish’s mouth
or in some
cases come
completely
dislodged
when we
lipped the
fish, but
the fish
remained
pinned. We
did get some
short
strikes on
the 8 and 12
inch bait
but hookups
were made
easier with
the cleverly
designed
hook system.
The tiny 4"
model bears
the same
finish and
design...
just smaller
