|
|
|
 Uncle Josh and Bass Stalker Prove That Looks Can Be Deceiving: Introducing the Spot Stalker Jighead
(continued)
Weedlessness: We were a little skeptical at first, at the effectiveness of the Spot Stalker's rather minimalist weedguard, but after fishing it for some time, the only instance in which we gave it any thought was when we were removing the hook from a fish's mouth. The weedguard does have the tendency to get bent after several fish, but it's easily bent back into shape and continues to hold up well even after that. Together with the conical shape of the head, this design is a real winner in the weeds too.
|
|
|
Another look at the Spot Stalker's weedguard.
|
|
|
|
The gentle curve of the Spot Stalker head provides a modest angle for the hook but also gives the head a great deal more versatility
|
Design: Bass Stalker leveraged their already proven Original Bass Stalker and Grass Stalker jigs in the design of the Spot Stalker head. This is evidenced by the inclusion of their signature concave head design. The jighead's bait keeper features a double barb that holds any rigged plastic baits very securely, and, as mentioned above, we found the single strand weedguard is surprisingly effective.
|
|
|
The signature Bass Stalker concave head design
|
The head's shape specifically, makes it equally effective in weeds as well as rocks. The only real area of
criticism then, is the angle of the hook when the head is at rest on the bottom. Though we experienced no noticeable effects, the Spot Stalker's hook does not stand as upright as some of the competitor's products. Then again, given the hook's shallower angle as compared to say, the Buckey Spot Remover, it could be
argued better hooksets are achieved because the hook is more inline with the direction of pull. Semantics aside, it's worked very well for us, so we see no reason to complain.
|
|
|
This fish fell for a Spot Stalker rigged Kreature Bait
|
Durability: The Spot Stalker jigheads feature a baked on enamel finish that is unbelievably durable. After several trips with the product, none of our used jigheads had any visible wear on them. In fact, we couldn't tell which heads had been used and which ones were new! To get to the bottom of the issue, I took one out of my storage box, tossed it up in the air about 10 feet, and let it come crashing down onto the concrete. We do this quite often with jigs and jigheads to test the durability of their finish. The Spot Stalker came through with flying colors.
|
|
|
We tossed this Spot Stalker head up in the air about 10 feet and let it land on the concrete sidewalk. This was all the damage that was inflicted.
|
That pretty much leaves the hook and weedguard. Mustad Ultra Point hooks are already proven winners, so we had no concerns on that end, and the weedguard we have already discussed. It seems to bend, but not break, but even then, it will probably break off eventually simply from the nature of its material (metal). Just the same, we've seen worse and are really quite impressed with the Spot Stalkers overall design and durability.
|
|
|
If you look closely, you can see the weedguard got bent to the side while in this fish's mouth. We thought it was toast, but were able to easily bend it back into its original position.
|
Ratings (We've re-calibrated our ratings standard for 2008 and have included a key at the bottom of the following matrix as a guide):
|
Bass Stalker Spot Stalker Jighead Ratings
(?/10)
|
| Construction/Quality |
Maybe not a prototypical design, but really solid quality all the way around |
8 |
| Performance |
Better than we had anticipated |
7 |
| Price |
At roughly $0.90 a piece, not a steal, but certainly not as crazy as some of the competition |
6 |
| Features |
There might not be much you can cram into a jighead, but Uncle Josh/Bass Stalker sure finds a way |
6.5 |
| Design (Ergonomics) |
Unconventional AND effective |
7 |
| Application |
Designed for brush and weeds, but effective in the rocks as well - very versatile |
8 |
|
Total Score
|
7.08 |
| Ratings Key: 1 = terrible : 2 = poor : 3 = lacking : 4 = sub par : 5 = mediocre : 6 = fair : 7 = good : 8 = great : 9 = excellent : 10 = unbelievable! |
Pluses and Minuses:
|
Plus Minus
|
| J Can be used in any kind of cover |
L Not a very compact profile |
| J Very durable build |
|
| J 6 sizes to choose from |
|
| J Bait keeper is very secure |
|
|
|
|
This chunky Clear Lake bass came courtesy of a Spot Stalker rigged Reaction Innovations Flirt worm!
|
Conclusion: I have to admit, this is one of those products that really snuck up on me. When I first received my order, and saw the shape of the head with the thought of what the other products in this category look like (namely round, ball heads), I figured I had a candidate for a very critical review. This is, in part, why I threw a couple of packs at both Zander and JIP to try as well, to make sure we gave the product a fair shake. As it turned out, it more than proved itself over the course of our review period and has quickly made its way to up the terminal tackle chain in my Falcon FTO 501 box full of jigheads. The Uncle Josh and Bass Stalker Spot Stalker jighead is a prime example why we shouldn't judge items like a simple jighead on appearances alone. It really takes some time on the water with a product like this to open your eyes.
Looking for Spot Stalker Jigheads?
Try
Tackle Warehouse or
Monster Fishing Tackle
|
|
|
|
