March Tackle Grab & Braidwood Round 2

OH YEAH! Lookin stylish with a little piggy.

Out on Braidwood again today with 2 buddys, we managed 4 bass, a handful cat's and a bluegill.  We launched at 7:30 this morning and made a run to the spillway.  The wind was a little too tough for my boat with all of the weight to stay, so we headed for calmer water.

I was throwing a 1/2 oz football jig head with a Rage Craw, and managed to get a nice size bass in the 3# range to the surface, but she only had a mouth full of plastic and no hook.  After rounding the corner, I landed a keeper pretty much in the same exact spot that the 2 last week came from.  I also caught a short later in the day on a Berkley Crazy Legs Chigger Craw on a 3/16 Zipper Head football jig.

One of my buddy's pulled a small one off of a point in the area on a squarebill later in the afternoon.  Also between the two of them, they probably caught 10 small cats, all coming on orange craw pattern cranks.

Yesterday, my tackle grab box showed up!

Here is the haul this month:

Tacke Grab Box - March 2013

• Hawg Wild Lure Co. - Wacky Craw (http://shop.hawgwildlures.com/4-Wacky-Craw-WKYCRW.htm)
• Gambler - Bacon Rind (http://www.gambler-lures.com/category_s/216.htm)
• Bassinova - Chatterbait (http://bassinovabaits.com/?page_id=50)
• Reaction Strike - XW-70 (http://reactionstrike.com/crankbaits/xw-70-90-110.html)

The Hawg Wild Wacky Craw, not for wacky rigging though, is a bait that I have been looking for that found me!  It is a 4" realistic hollow craw body and pincers with meaty ringed worm tail section to hold the hook.  This bait should work in all of your craw imitation applications, and I am looking forward to catching some fish with it!

 I was also pretty happy to see the Gambler Bacon Rind in the box.  I am a huge fan of hawg style baits and this one looks great!  It has a single ribbon type tail instead of the usual two thinner tails.  It also has wings similar to the Havoc Hawk Hawg compared to other baits that have "legs".  They sent a half green pumpkin half junebug color that does look pretty killer.  I just wish they had sent more than 3 pieces, especially since they sell a 40 pack for $9.99.

Looking at the Bassinova chatterbait, the blade has two holes in it, which I am assuming will reduce the drag when retrieving. The blade also looks to be of solid construction, but the lead and paint are run of the mill.  The silicone skirt is a little bulkier and has a little higher quality compared to most of the chatterbaits I have come across.  Chatterbaits are a good follow up to a spinnerbait, that will put a few extra fish in the boat when re-working an area.  And that is exactly why this bait will be in my tacklebox this spring.

The last bait in the box is a Reaction Strike XW-70, a topwater walking bait.  I am not too familiar with this class of baits, as I have only used them a few times.  To be fair, I think I should hold off on any commentary until I try the bait out. Anyone have any rod/reel/line recommendations for working one this size (3 inces)?  

Do you subscribe to a monthly tackle program?  Do you find value/quality in them?  Or do you think they are a promotional sham?  Leave your thoughts and comments below. 

Until next time, tight lines.