Introducing the Osprey Tournament Talon.
Osprey Tournament Talon Specifications |
| Type |
Soft Bodied Swimbait |
| Depth |
Mid-Water to bottom |
| Class |
Sinker |
| Size (Weight) |
6" ( 2oz), & 7" ( 2 1/2oz) |
| Colors/Patterns |
16 Colors |
| MSRP |
$17.99 |
Action: I must admit, though the original Osprey Talon is storied, I've never owned one nor have I thrown one in the water, so I cannot draw any comparisons between this version of the Talon and its older sibling. I can say that the Tournament Talon has steady and true action with the tail moving back and forth at even the slowest of retrieves. Pick up the cadence of your retrieve and the bait's body stays true with very little to no wobbling, though the tail kicks feverishly to keep up.
Viewed from above the water, the Tournament Talon has a very realistic profile.
Fall Rate: Like the Optimum Titan we discussed earlier in this article, the Tournament Talon descends with little finesse. Rather it dives straight down to the bottom in a head down position at better than one foot per second. This bait is a good choice if bouncing or hugging the bottom is your goal.
The
Tournament
Talon gets
its action
from a very
compliant
tail
section.
Application: True to its moniker, the Tournament Talon is a good bait in and around just about any type of structure. Thanks to its relatively thin profile and streamlined shape it even pulls through weeds surprisingly well and can be bounced off of and around rocky bottoms and wood pilings with ease. A very versatile bait fishable in a variety of cover situations - a tournament angler's ideal.
The bait includes modest detailing on the underside.
Features: The Tournament Talon features a sharp and durable top hook along with a rigging ring at the bottom for installation of a trailer hook should you so desire. Pretty basic, no frills plastic bait. The one very helpful feature of this bait is the variety of colors it is available in. Of course, to some, this can be more of a hindrance than an aid, but having the ability to match color patterns of forage in your area is always a bonus.
Those so inclined will be happy to know the Talon has a bottom rigging ring
Ratings:
Osprey Tournament Talon Ratings (?/10) |
|
Construction/Quality |
A well built bait |
8 |
|
Performance |
Wonderful in open water or the weeds |
8.5 |
|
Price |
A tad on the high side |
7 |
|
Features |
Nothing out of the ordinary |
7 |
|
Design (Ergonomics) |
Nice profile, translucent colors are excellent |
8 |
|
Application |
Good in the weeds or open water |
8 |
Total Score |
7.75 |
Ratings Key: Ratings Key:
1 = terrible : 2 = poor : 3 = lacking : 4 = sub par : 5 = mediocre : 6 = fair : 7 = good : 8 = great : 9 = excellent : 10 = unbelievable!
(For a detailed explanation of the ratings go here)
|
Pluses and Minuses:
Plus |
Minus |
|
J
Surprisingly effective in the weeds |
L
Maybe just a tad pricey |
|
J
Swims well out of the box |
|
|
J
Good selection of colors |
|
|
J
Bait comes pre-rigged ready to fish |
|
The Osprey
Tournament
Talon is a
very
effective
bait.
Conclusion: The Tournament Talon is one of those baits we were just getting to know before the frenzy to wrap up our 2008 season came to a head. It will no doubt stay in my arsenal to help test the pile of new swimbait rods showing up at TT HQ each month, because I've fished it enough to know it is a bait worth further investigation. For now, let's see what's up with the next soft bodied swimbait in this article...
Looking for Osprey Tournament Talon Tophook? Try
TackleWarehouse.com or
MonsterTackle.com
Next
Section: Baitsmith's Six Inch Swimbait
