ICAST Coverage Day 4 (Lures) - Swimbaits Reign Supreme
 

Introduction: Want big fish, use a big bait…..want big sales, introduce a big bait. While there were a number of other lure introductions this ICAST the recurring theme was the introduction of yet another swimbait by another manufacturer. Everywhere we turned there was yet another mammoth bait to consider. The interesting thing about swimbaits is that unlike many other baits it is possible to highly differentiate the product in terms of design, physical appearance, and action. Get that big rod ready, it is time to toss some swimbaits…

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Tru-Tungsten: Who knew Tru-Tungsten would make one of the best swimbaits at the show? Back in January of this year, during our interview with Ish Monroe, the tackle enthusiast turned professional bass fisherman, hinted to us he was working with one of his sponsors, Tru-Tungsten, to bring to market an incredible new swimbait.

Matt Newman demonstrates the action of the Tru-Life Swimbait he co-designed with Ish Monroe

We were sworn to secrecy on this development until ICAST, and when the event started, this was one of the first booths we hit to see what they had come up with.

This bait is sure to be a serious contender in the heavily contested swimbait market

The Tru-Life Swimbait is, in fact, an offering to contend with. Available in two series, trout and talapia, the bait will retail for around $60. Exact pricing details are still being worked out and the bait is expected to hit stores by early 2008, but the biggest feature of this bait is the ability to adjust its rate of fall.

Just above the joint, you can see the pin that releases the front section of the bait so you can access the weight chamber

Out of the box, the bait is a natural floater, but remove a pin on the underside of the bait, and the front section separates from the rest of the bait exposing a weight chamber where you can insert up to four tungsten beads to customize the bait’s fall in the water column. No more need for 2, 3 or even 4 different baits and all the associated switching hassles when honing in on what the fish want on any particular day.