Lanciotti Lures Psycho Gill Product Review #lanciottipyschogillreview #psychogill #psychogillswimbait

Swimbait Review

It Is An Obsession, It Is My Obsession, Lanciotti's Psycho Gill Can Be, an Enthusiast Bait Collector's Key

Date:	2/20/23
Tackle Type:	Lure
Manufacturer:	Lanciotti Lures
Reviewer:	Cal

Total Score: 8.25 - GREAT

Introduction: Nothing inspires an unhealthy passion for bass fishing like a good topwater bite. This is especially true when your lure of choice is an oversized chunk of resin or wood. Whether it be a rat, gill, trout profile or other, it's tough to beat the adrenaline rush of having a three ounce or larger bait slurped down from the surface of the water. In fact, it's addictive. So much so, it can become an obsession. Then, once you cross that threshold, psychosis is only a missed swing away. Turn to your buddy for support, and rather than offer you consolation, they're likely to feed into your madness. If this kind of fishing frenzy describes your bass fishing existence - especially with big baits, I have good news. The subject of today's review will make matters worse. Here's a look at Lanciotti Lure's Psycho Gill.

Lanciotti Lures Psycho Gill Specifications
Type	Wake Bait
Length	6 3/8"
No. Pieces	2
Joint Style	V-Joint w/ Pin & Screw Eye Hinge
Weight	3.1oz
Depth	0 - 3ft
Material	Resin
Variants	3Pc also available
Hooks	2x 1/0 Mustad KVD Triple Grip
MSRP	$150

Introducing Lanciotti Lure's 2pc Psycho Gill

Impressions: Joey Lanciotti from North Andover, Massachusetts began his bait making journey sometime early in 2018. His first bait, the Psycho Trout, debuted at the end of that year for the retail price of $78. The gill profile, subject of today's review debuted shortly there after and quickly garnered the majority of interest. By Spring of 2019, interest was so high, for Lanciotti, bait making was all about the Psycho Gill.

This bait has become an obsession, not just with me...

At the outset, Lanciotti's goal with the gill was a realistic enough profile to attract bites, but also something that would stand out in the market. The bait's girth was chosen to make it easier to cast into the wind. To help with hook up ratio, it is designed with no external fins. The bill is designed to not only give the bait its swimming action, but it is thick and robust acting as a shield helping the bait deflect off cover. Most importantly, the bait is designed to be versatile allowing the angler to both work it on the surface, and crank it down when conditions dictate. The current design has been in effect since the beginning of 2020.

... but with our Editor in Chief, Zander as well who consistently ranks it in his top five favorite wakes

Real World Tests: I started fishing this bait in 2021. In the grand scheme of things, when it comes to big baits, the Psycho Gill is actually not that big or heavy. This is great news because it doesn't take an incredibly stout combo to throw it on. The first combo to have the honors was my Evergreen International Combat Stick RCSC-78XH Wakebait rod paired with my 200 sized Conquest DC. From there, this bait has visited with a variety of combos finally settling upon my self wrapped Phenix B-USB C 790H swimbait rod paired with either a Scorpion 151 HG MGL or that same reel with Shimano's DC system.

Tail is held in place via two pins

New in package baits come with a spare tail

For fishing line, with my wake baits, I like using either straight nylon monofilament or braid plus a leader of nylon monofilament. If my combo is serving non-dedicated wake bait duty, I'll sometimes use a fluorocarbon leader on my braid, but for topwater duties, it's mono. Specifically, these days my line setup is usually a hollow braid like Seaguar's Threadlock topped with a high quality nylon leader like Sunline's Saltimate Nylon Shockleader.

Hooks are wide gap, 1/0 trebles

Hook hangars are rotating

While most big bait anglers prefer larger reels, the braid plus leader strategy allows me to get enough line on a 150 sized reel. This in turn allows my combo to be as light as possible to help stave off fatigue and enhances ergonomics for a more enjoyable day of slinging big baits. Having an easily replaceable leader of about twenty feet or so also allows me to freshen the top portion of my line before each trip without the need to respool my entire reel. I choose nylon monofilament as a leader on my wake and other topwater baits for the more positive buoyancy. Fluorocarbon has a more negative buoyancy and can create a downward angle that will even pull a big bait down rather than letting it stay on top. If fished straight, braid also has a positive buoyancy, but I prefer the shock absorption of using a leader and the leader's lower visibility gives me more confidence.

As long as your rod is built to handle four ounce baits or more, slinging the Psycho should be no problem

Next Section: Four ways to fish this Psycho