I was about 12 years old when this one was presented to me by a tournament angler named Steve right in my trailer park I grew up fishing off the dock and shore. I’m confident this was my TSN turning point in life when it came to actually hammering bass consistently from my paddle boat! Yes I said paddle boat, stealthy I know!

I was always used to throwing live dew worms and minnows under a red and white bobber and catching the odd Largemouth, and loving every minute thinking I was a star, then one day this guy in a shinny sparkly blue fibreglass bass boat with a huge 150hp 2 Stroke engine parked in my trailer park canal and said come over here, I want to show you something. Obviously at the time, I was so excited that this man in this futuristic fishing vessel was going to show me something he claimed would get me to stop using live bait. I was nervous and excited all at the same time as he pulled out of his compartment this rubber white worm and a hook that was bent really funny. He showed me how to Texas rig this worm while I stared very sceptically. I had no idea what life would follow this precious moment. He tied the thing on my line, which I’m sure was old 6lb mono that needed to be changed years back and he told me to cast towards the lily pads.

What happened after still amazed me. From this wooden dock, within a second of this worm hitting the water beside a group of pads, and moving it half an inch, an explosion at the surface, as I jumped back with surprise he said set the hook! I did and reeled in a gorgeous 3lb Largie. This was my first bass ever on a Texas Rigged plastic.

For the rest of the season, and spending a bunch of money at the local tackle store, I fished and fished with this bait that I felt was the ultimate lure. I showed everyone I knew and I proceeded to catch limits of bass from my paddle boat with my dad and on solo adventures time and time again.

I guess what I’m trying to get at in addition to revealing this bait and paying this forward in this report is that you never know when and how you may impact someone’s life like Steve did mine that day. I know Steve may not realize this but he is probably one of the biggest reasons, I have way too many fishing rods, hundreds of lures, and this obsession with being on the water.

Anyhow, here is the bait that changed my outlook on fishing, the exact way it was rigged out of Steve’s hands, when we tied it to my line. For the record, my favourite way to fish this bait now isn’t on 6lb mono but using a Medium Heavy Spiining outfit using a good quality reel with 20 lb braid. I like to cast it out and swim it though the weeds, pads, and heavy cover. It can also be used around docs, and along shore lines. In fact it can be used just about anywhere. If you twitch your rod like you would with a jerkbait, you can actually get it to walk the dog and dart back and fourth.

Anyway, enjoy! Let me know how you make out this summer using it. Hopefully you are remembering this story when your arm is sore!

Dan