Freshwater Hard Bait : River2Sea Ish Monroe Biggie Square Bill Crankbait – We reviewed the Biggie Square Bill crank earlier this season and while we are logging additional time with other baits we find that we keep going back to this particular bait when we want to deflect off structure to entice strikes. The great thing about the series is that River2Sea offers two sizes in the Bumpin' (rattle) and Creepin' (silent) models. the series is available in a range of patterns including the flashy Abalone Shad which uses actual abalone inserts to add additional realism to the gill plates. Since our initial review the company has also added additional patterns, all of which retail for the reasonable price of $8.49 each at Tackle Warehouse.

Freshwater Skirted Bait : D&M Custom Baits Piranha Swim Jig – D&M's Piranha Swim Jigs are just about as easy to fish as they come. Each swim jig comes with a twin tail grub and is ready to fish right out of the package. Simply tie it on, cast and retrieve. Each jig comes armed with a 5/0 Gamakatsu hook and a blade that matches the bait's skirt. D&M is all about attention to detail and each head is painted meticulously and finished with 3D eyes. The D&M Piranha Swim jig is a great bait to fish in cooler conditions when traditional blades don't work. These baits are available in 3/8, 1/2 and 3/4oz. sizes and retail for $7.49 each at Tackle Warehouse.

Freshwater Soft Bait : Missile Baits DBomb – Designed by one Bassmaster Elite Series pro, John Crews, and leveraged by another, Ish Monroe, in his win at Lake Okeechobee in 2012, the DBomb has taken off like , well, ok, we won’t say it. But if you’re not fishing this creature/craw bait, you’re missing out. Its ribbed body releases air bubbles on the descent when combined with the undulating claws provides a realistic profile of a crawdad falling into the water. Few hungry bass can resist such an easy meal when dropped in front of their faces. The DBomb is available in packs of 6 baits in up to 12 different colors.

Soft Bodied Swimbait : Savage Gear Sandeel - Savage Gear is huge in Europe and is starting to make a name for itself here in the U.S. with offerings that are catered towards domestic species and applications. The first time we saw the Sandeel we immediately thought "saltwater," and while they are great for rockfish we have also found that these soft bodied swimbaits are absolutely deadly for both Largemouth and Striped Bass. The jigheads provide a seamless transition to the soft swimbait tail and the paddle tail design kicks back and forth aggressively whether the bait is retrieved or jigged. The Savage Gear Sandeel is available in 5", 6", 7", 7.5" and 8" sizes and retail from $5.99 to $13.99 depending on size. 

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