Featured Lure: Shimano Coltsniper

Shimano Coltsniper

Minnow-style swimmers are one of the most popular categories of saltwater lures made. Classics like the Bomber Long A and Cotton Cordell Red Fin have been surf-bag staples for decades. Updated versions featuring flashy, prismatic colors and sliding internal weights became favorites in the early 2010s, when it seemed every tackle manufacturer released their own version of the compact, sliding-weight minnow.

These baits became as ubiquitous as the soft-plastic swim shad – the lure that any angler from first-timer to old salt could clip on and catch stripers. At the height of the minnow plug renaissance, Shimano introduced the ColtSniper Jerkbait, a lure with more technical features and a big-fish focus.

The Jerkbait was one of several lures released under the Coltsniper family of long-casting inshore hardbaits. Other ColtSnipers included a lipless glide-style twitchbait, a stickbait, and a swimming metal jig.

Like many of the newer minnow plugs, the ColtSniper Jerkbait included a moving internal weight aimed at improving casting distance, but instead of using a rolling ball as the weight, Shimano mounted a cylindrical weight on a spring to hold it in precisely the right place on both the cast and retrieve. The bait featured a wider profile and a rugged build able to handle bigger water and larger fish.

The ColtSniper Jerkbait is available in two sizes, 5.5 and 6.7 inches, and originally came in eight colors, including bunker, mackerel, sand eel, and transparent amber. In 2018, Shimano added more classic striper-catching patterns to the lineup, including bone and chicken scratch.

1.

Shimano calls the ColtSniper Jerkbait “slow-floating,” which means it hangs a bit on the pause before slowly floating back to the surface. This makes it perfect for bumping off boulders and pausing while waiting for a savage strike from a striper lying in wait.

2.

Through-wire construction and heavy-gauge hook hangers ensure the ColtSniper can survive stripers, bluefish, and even school-size bluefin tuna.

3.

A larger-profile body allows this minnow plug to mimic big baitfish like bunker, mackerel, and herring. The 6.7-inch ColtSniper Jerkbait weighs just under 2 ounces, allowing anglers to fish it on heavier tackle for large striped bass.

4.

The lip of the ColtSniper Jerkbait causes it to dive 3 to 5 feet deep. The bait has a tight wobble on a straight retrieve, and slides side to side on a more erratic retrieve.

5:

The “Propulsion Weight Transfer System” features a sliding internal weight that shifts to the back of the plug on the cast and springs forward when the lure lands. The spring then holds the weight in the ideal position to balance the lure and achieve a tight wobbling action.

During the cast, the weight moves to the back to increase casting distance. When the lure hits the water, the weight moves to the front to give the lure immediate action.