Introducing 3:16 Lure Company's Mission Fish.
3:16 Mission Fish: At first glance, the Mission Fish really doesn't look like anything extraordinary. It features a really basic, slim profile, modest detailing and the prototypical paddletail design but what really set it apart from other line-through baits at its introduction was the split body cavity enabling weedless rigging with a single EWG style hook. Today, this design rather commonplace.
3:16 Mission Fish Specifications |
| Type |
Soft Bodied Swimbait |
| Depth |
Bottom |
| Class |
Sinker |
| Size (Weight) |
4 - 9 inches (1oz - 3.15oz) |
| Colors/Patterns |
17 Colors |
| MSRP |
$8.99 - $17.99 |
Action: The tail of the 3:16 Mission Fish moves rather modestly but the effectiveness of this bait is not in a steady retrieve. Rather this bait is built to be fished just like a jig - pitched up to tight quarters or heavy cover, and hopped back to the boat at different speeds. The weedless design aids in getting the bait into some of the thickest cover you can find.
The Mission Fish features a weighted head with a line-through design.
Fall Rate: Like many of the baits discussed earlier, the Mission Fish is all about getting to the bottom and getting there as soon as possible hence there is no real "fall rate" of which to speak. Really, just think of it as an oversized jig and you should feel right at home.
But the big
deal about
this bait,
at least
when it was
introduced
several
years ago,
was this
split bottom
designed to
conceal the
hook and
provide a
weedless
rigging
option.
Application: Weeds, weeds and more weeds is what the Mission Fish is all about. Swimming through, hopping among, or diving down inside is where this bait needs to be placed when there are weeds around but thanks to that exposed weighted head, you can also hop and crash this bait onto rocks and fish it almost shakey head style.
The hook comes out on top of the bait just like rigging a plastic worm except in this case, the shank of the hook is concealed within the bait.
Features: The Mission Fish comes in single packs only but each bait is accompanied by an appropriately sized Gamkatsu EWG hook so you don't need to go rifling through your hook supply or that of your local tackle store in order to fish this bait. You can tie it up straight out of the package and get to fishing.
Each bait comes with a hook removing the mystery of which hook to use for the bait.
Ratings:
3:16 Mission Fish
Ratings (?/10) |
|
Construction/Quality |
A well built bait |
8 |
|
Performance |
Very good weedless design |
8 |
|
Price |
Not terribly expensive, not the cheapest out there either |
7 |
|
Features |
It's all about the weedless design |
8 |
|
Design (Ergonomics) |
A wide variety of colors |
7 |
|
Application |
Very good weedless design |
8 |
Total Score |
7.67 |
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
The original weedless swimbait |
L
Not the most realistic profile |
|
J
Works very well fished in weeds like a jig |
L
Hookups can be problematic at times |
|
J
Lots of colors to choose from |
L
Durability can be an issue, so be sure to carry some softbait glue |
|
J
Comes packaged with a hook |
|
The Mission Fish is a staple in Northern California come February.
Conclusion: 3:16 Lure Company's Mission fish is far from a secret any more and the baits most effective season is almost at hand. When the fish start moving up in preparation for a busy Spring, this bait can be very effective in helping you get a first hand look of what kind of fish are swimming around your fishing grounds.
Looking for 316's Mission Fish? Try
MonsterTackle.com
Next
Section: The Optimum LT & BLT 
