​ ICAST 2012 Recap: Striper Lures

It took some sifting through, but we definitely turned up some promising-looking striper lures among all the largemouth lures in Orlando.

The first were the Ron Arra Pro Series from Strike Pro. These lures have been available for purchase through the season, but we finally got a rundown of the lures from the man himself. Ron, famous for his long-distance casting and his prowess at plugging for striped bass on Cape Cod, showed us the flat-bottom and round-bottom pencil poppers, the Cow Hunter pencil popper, the Bottle Neck Popper and the Ultimate Needle. All plugs are wood with a foil overlay which gives them a nice flash. All of the plugs are on the big side, with the Ultimate Needle measuring 9 inches and sporting two trebles and a single hook.

The Shimano Orca, particularly in its mackerel pattern, looked like it would be another big hit with the bass. This lure can walk-the-dog both above and below the surface. We had the chance to fish it for a month before its release, and we saw firsthand how well the stripers respond to this stick bait. The Orca is primarily designed to dupe tuna. It has the perfect profile to entice bluefin, and it casts like a dart.

Another lure that really caught our eye was this articulated swimbait from ABT lures. This lure, the Banshee, had a dead-on herring pattern, and the 8-inch size was perfect for mimicking the river herring of spring. The lure has a great action on both a slow and fast retrieve, and looks like it would work wonders on big largemouths as well. The hooks definitely need an upgrade if you’ll be fishing it in the salt, however, and I’m curious how well the joints would hold up to a bull-dogging striper.

Also in the realistic lures category is the Savage Gear 3D Eel. I walked past the Savage Gear Booth while they were swimming this eel in their test tank, and it looked phenomenal. The big curly tail had an awesome action to it, and the shape, acquired through a laser scan of a live eel, was incredibly lifelike. The lures have a steep price tag for a soft plastic, but as long as you’re sure the bluefish aren’t around, the Savage 3D Eel looks like it will be an excellent live eel alternative. Check the video below for a clip of the 3D Eel in action.