Click photo to enlarge.
10.6.'10
The Jitterfish is 8
inches long and weighs 2.5 oz., created
by Matt Servant
and distributed through his company, Mattlures.
FIRST a little history: I throw a lot
of Lunker Punker's, AC Minnow's and BBZ's right now, in that order (about
1/2 my time is swimbait, otherwise frogs, Spooks, etc., almost year-round,
especially in So. Cal. where the weather is always fairly nice). I get a
lot of 2 to 3 pounders on them, with some 5 and 6's, and once in a while
one slightly bigger, up to 9#'s so far (no 10's yet). Of course, I'm
always targeting the 10's, it's just that I've not landed the few I've had
the pleasure to hook into ;-/.
Went out to a lake down here in
So. Cal yesterday afternoon in great conditions (overcast and sprinkling /
slightly windy) and tied on a brand spanking new Mattlures swimbait. He'd
asked me if I wanted to test 'a new lure' last week, and I said sure, send
me one.
Once I got this out of the box (had no idea what it looked like before he
sent it) I was really excited, I could see it's potential. So much so in
fact I just knew it
'could' be a new fav, but first I had to give it a real life tryout. It
looked like it would catch fish, catch them the way I liked to also, slow
rolling or walk the dog on topwater, if not other ways. I'd have to see
with trail and error.
"Seconds later she was close by and I was
going to just bounce her in the boat when I changed my mind- she looked to
big to bounce ..."
What really stood out, first
thing, was the giant 'lip' it had, a 'jitterbug' type lip, from the
decades old lure that has been a standard for great topwater fishing,
especially at night (thus the name no doubt, the 'Jitterfish'-good on ya
Matt)! I was surprised it was made of aluminum, not plastic, but figured
the bass would not notice and the aluminum would stand up better to
bouncing off docks and rocks better- and it sure did; I bounced it off of
one on the third cast trying to hit a spot between them. (My AC minnow has
a plastic/fiberglass lip, and is always breaking). The Jitterfish came back in perfect
shape, thank God, I wanted to keep using it 'for testing' ;/).
Within the first two casts I really regretted that I'd have to post my
thoughts on this (with a free bait, you owe the guy that at least right,
even if you want to keep it a secret?),
as I want all the lunker bass in the world to see it on the end of my line
first ;-). What did confirm my suspicions that it would be killer
was it's action, which was unbelievable. My first thought,
and I'm not kidding, was that I was going to land my first 10# beast today!
It also was a dream to cast, darn light for such a big bait; my back and
arms would appreciate it as many days I work a bait like this for 8 to 12
hours!
It worked real well as a 'twitcher/slasher', which the twitcher part has
been netting me a lot of fish lately, instead of the usual constant
working of the lure. AND it twitched/slashed (if you wanted it to) real
well due to the design of the giant lip,
Click photo to enlarge.
Mattlures Jitterfish, come in four styles
so far.
I thought, darn, any idiot could work this bait,
not that I'm not one either, but
still, this thing works itself if you just reel it in slowly, or quickly, too. I did in
fact- later on that.
"I made a rooky mistake; instead of doing
the Mike Long 'keep her on tight line by sweeping her along the boat and
guide her into the net' routine..."
Well, I had not cast it 10 times when I was getting into a real 'walk the
dog hard' technique, basically keeping it in the same spot but thrashing
it
like it was dying. It also made a sound with the body parts hitting
themselves as they snaked, and a different sound than the AC minnow, new
to the bass. It makes the sound even slow rolling it, that clicking helps
call fish to a meal.
And
a few casts in I noticed that lip kicks up a ton of water if you want
it to, also really helping call the big ones from a distance, and is
especially needed in stained water, which this water now was. As I
was contemplating all these things a 'giant toilet flush'
happened on the lure and it disappeared, halfway scaring me- I wasn't
mentally ready for such action, in reality, so soon. Now when you get that kind of a
hit, you scream 'get the net' but I was fishing solo, so I screamed it to
myself!!! I reeled down hard as fast as I could,
setting the hook with that technique, and she jumped fairly fast, and from
a distance I knew she could have been a 10- WOW! That moment was what
fishing is all about!
Seconds later she was boat close and I was going to just bounce her in the
boat when I changed my mind- she looked too big to bounce (flipping them in
is always a tough decision as some lunkers fall off due to their weight
being that of a bowling ball and the hook tears out), so I grabbed the net.
I was really excited to
have gotten a monster so soon on this bait, with visions of me taking my
own pic with a lunker and then I made a rooky mistake;
instead of doing the Mike Long 'keep her on tight line by sweeping her
along the boat and guide her into the net routine' that I heard him
espouse at one of his seminars, she
jumped and came unbuttoned while dangling there on the surface, taking her
hugh body, and my heart, down into the depths ;-(. As I'd gotten to get a
much better look of her I
now guessed she was a minimum seven, to maybe eight, pounds! You don't get
those every day- DARN, DARN, DARN and DANG-IT TOO!
Click photo to enlarge.
Seewald with a 9#, on the Lunker
Punker at the Delta.
Anyways, I continued to work this
lure for another hour, thinking I'd get another in short order, but no
other takers were to be had this time. I did break up the patterns some,
reeling it in fast without any change up of cadence, and then slow with
the next cast, with a minimum of change ups to give it a different look
and see how those patterns looked and felt.
But the lake had gone quiet- the breeze stopped completely and it got dark out.
Summary:
Well, I really love this new toy, and I see the bass do too. And at
only $19.95 retail, it looks to be a good seller for Matt. It comes in
four styles, but the trout colored one I got did not seem to be a problem
for a bass that had never seen a trout, as the lake I fished has never
stocked them! I would say, don't walk, but run to the computer and get one
from him now- darn I hate to have to say that, as I know once this lure
gets out there more I'll catch a few less of them, as they will have all eatin' this thing once or twice
from you before I get the time to present it to them myself. Can't wait to
take this up to the Delta, or Clearlake, where lunkers are on every other
bush/tulle point! Even deep Mexico this November or TEXAS and the DEEP
SOUTH on my photo adventure/fishing trip/tour next week!
10.16.'10
Update.
Well, I've
thrown this lure for another couple of hours, and I noticed the lip is
starting to bend away from the lure, due to it landing on it's back with
each cast, the lip aerodynamically causing it to. I would think Matt
might need to make it with a bit thicker material. I can see where
my bending it back to it's original shape, and being aluminum, would only
work so many times before it breaks. Also, I failed to mention it, but the
split ring that comes with it looked a bit rinky-dink, I did not tie to
it. I thought it might help the lure 'wake' better at a slow retrieve, and
tied it to it to test it for a few casts, but it didn't. It seems it
needs a medium retrieve to make it wobble, or wake as we call it.
Still expecting more monsters though. I also heard he had a video on it's
movement. so look for that on his site.
Good fishing.
Michael Seewald/aka Otay Michael
PS
YES, I'm also going to take
this lure, as well as another few hundred, to
TEXAS and LOUISIANA
on my photographic adventure
for a month, starting next week (Oh my gosh, a dream trip coming up...
so excited)!!! Anyone want to sponsor one of the award winners I'll be
making let me know (get 1/2 price on a piece if you purchase sight-unseen,
ie in advance) prices/sizes/details here- Seewald's sponsored trip #56:
Sponsorship Offerings
PPS
If you live in those states, and would like
offer a back seat on your boat, I'd gladly get you a piece of art or two
for free, as a thanks (many of you already have as I knew for about a year
I was going). Or if you have a good idea where I could go to get some
exciting images, let me know. Contact me ASAP. GRACIAS and blessings.
Contact
Direct number for questions/suggestions: 858.245.0485
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