TULSA, OK – Not too far from historic Lincoln, N.M., of Billy The Kid fame, and well after the outlaw's demise, for many years there was a small roadside bar with a path behind it that led to a grave marker. On the marker was the inscription, "This is one of the few places where Billy The Kid is not buried." It's only a relative point because the 2012 Bassmaster Classic being held this week in the Shreveport, La. area just might present a similar scenario as to how something not necessarily in the center of the spotlight will still benefit from its shine. Today's hottest thing in bass fishing is a castable umbrella rig, a multi-armed contraption that resembles the wireframe of an umbrella and makes it possible to present several lures at the same time to look like a real school of baitfish. It's an adaption from what anglers chasing striped bass have trolled with for years.
The modified-for-bass version is being credited for many amazing tournament catches throughout much of the southern half of the United States during the usually tough fishing times of winter. However, B.A.S.S. has disallowed its use in the Classic and for all of the Elite Series pro events.
"The B.A.S.S. ruling doesn't mean these kinds of rigs, and the baits for them, won't be the talk and the hottest selling items of the Outdoor Expo held in conjunction with the Classic," said Gene Larew Lures owner Chris Lindenberg. "What it does mean is that our new and already highly popular Sweet Swimmer isn't likely to have a role in winning the Bassmaster Classic, at least not on an umbrella rig. But we understand both sides of the story."
The Bassmaster Classic is often called fishing's "Super Bowl," as it attracts national attention from consumers and media from all across the nation and every other country where bass fishing is followed. History proves that a Classic winning bait typically assures success and longevity of the item, benefiting both its manufacturer and the champion angler. Lindenberg can't help but wonder if that will be the case again this year.
"A Classic win is a big deal for a bait company, but there are more tournaments allowing use of these rigs than aren't, so it's hard to predict what will have a bigger impact this go-round," he explained. "So far, it's really more about how state regulations restrict use of a rig like this than what the tournament organizations are doing. Even with all their shiny wires and hardware and being fished on big line, umbrella rigs are working well because of what they represent ... a natural school of baitfish."
The effectiveness of the castable umbrella rig indeed lies in its ability to imitate a school of baitfish better than any other technique. A bait is attached to each arm of the rig, usually five arms including one in the middle, allowing all baits to be retrieved in unison exactly like a school of baitfish. The rig has proven to be especially effective at enticing strikes from suspended bass.
Swimbaits like Larew's Sweet Swimmer provide the most realistic baitfish imitation. The most common baitfish species consumed by bass are members of the Clupeidae family, which include shads and herrings. Clupeids are small silvery fishes that exhibit schooling behavior. This behavior occurs when fish of the same species and size swim together in the same direction and speed in order to avoid predators or increase the chance of finding food.
The Sweet Swimmer, with its flat sides and a body shape that narrows dramatically in front of the tail, perfectly matches the form and swimming action of natural bait. Shads and herrings swim in a tight pattern at high rates of speed, with their deep forked tail allowing quick movements with little effort. Sweet Swimmers have a large boot tail on the slender tail section that gives them a tight, natural swimming action at any retrieve speed.
At 3.5" in length, the Sweet Swimmer imitates a baitfish size commonly found in most waters across the country. The bait's "Sweet" reference comes from a scent-enhanced lubricant that keeps the bait supple for amazing swimming action at even slow speeds, and also appeals to a fish's senses.
"Some are questioning our use of the word 'sweet' from an aromatic perspective, but the SweetOil scent leaves no doubt that it is present and these are fishing lures," Lindenberg said.
The soft formulation of the Larew Sweet Swimmer adds to the bait's versatility. It has also been proven effective when fished on a jighead, drop shot rig, or as a jig trailer. Considering these other rigging options, perhaps the Sweet Swimmer does have a chance in contributing to a Bassmaster Classic win after all.
If not this time, then perhaps it or another Larew lure will get its turn next February when the Classic moves to Oklahoma's Grand Lake of the Cherokees. Weigh-ins for it will take place in downtown Tulsa, meaning all competitors will have to drive right past Larew's manufacturing facility that is located on the city's east side along historic Route 66.
"Regardless of how you look at it, Larew is on the way to Classic 2013," quipped Lindenberg.
The Larew Sweet Swimmers are packaged 10 baits per re-sealable bag that retails for around $5.99.
For more information, visit www.GeneLarew.com.
PHOTO : Larew's new 3.5" Sweet Swimmer features a scented, soft and supple baitfish shape with a slender tail section and hyper-active "boot" tail for tight and easy swimming action at all retrieve speeds. The pearlescent blue Monkey Milk color (shown) is a popular choice in waters with shad populations.
