Christmas Gift Ideas for the Angler
By Mark Romanack
Rooster Tail Scent Spray is the perfect compliment to any lure or live bait. Designed to create a natural scent stream in the water, fish just can’t resist the amino acids and strike stimulants packed into every bottle of Rooster Tail Scent Spray.
The men, women and children I know who enjoy fishing are my favorites when it comes to buying Christmas gifts. Anglers of all ages and skill sets share one thing in common… they all love to collect and use fishing lures! My personal collection of fishing lures would put a Bass Pro Shops to shame, but that’s another story.
Yakima Bait Company, based out of Granger, Washington is one of the largest tackle manufacturers in the world. The fine folks at Yakima Bait Company have brought to the fishing world a number of iconic baits including the Rooster Tail Spinner, FlatFish wobbling plug, the Spin-n-Glo bait drifter and the Mag Lip skip-beat-plug to name a few. A nice selection of these lures or any of the Yakima Bait Company products will put a smile on the face of anyone who enjoys fishing.
ROOSTER TAIL SPINNERS
The iconic Rooster Tail Spinner catches everything with fins and comes in literally hundreds of sizes, color patterns and blade designs. Anglers who enjoy targeting panfish and stream trout will be all smiles over an assortment of 1/32, 1/20, 1/16, 1/8 and 1/6 ounce sizes. Anglers after larger trout, bass and pike will find that the 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 and 3/4 ounce models are tailor made for making long casts. Many of the most popular Rooster Tail sizes and colors are also sold in 3-Pak and 6-Pak Trophy Pak assortments, making it easy to choose a gift.
FLATFISH WOBBLING PLUG
The FlatFish was the original wide wobbling plug to hit the market several decades ago. Available in 14 different sizes, the FlatFish is ideal for targeting all species from panfish to walleye, bass, pike, lake trout, steelhead and salmon. Besides featuring an aggressive side-to-side wobble, the FlatFish comes in a host of species specific color patterns guaranteed to put fish on the stringer.
In addition to the original FlatFish, don’t overlook the Jointed FlatFish and the Hawg Nose FlatFish. The Jointed FlatFish has even more action and is deadly effective on trout, salmon and pike. The Hawg Nose FlatFish is the largest FlatFish in the family and is a favorite among those who target trophy lake trout, northern pike and musky.
SPIN-N-GLO BAIT DRIFTER
The Spin-N-Glo is lake trout candy. This iconic bait fished 18-24 inches behind a dodger or flasher has caught more lake trout in the Great Lakes than all other lure options combined.
When most anglers talk about the iconic Spin-n-Glo they are probably focusing on catching trout, steelhead and salmon. Each Spin-N-Glo is hand made and hand painted to perfection. Even the soft plastic wings are hand trimmed to make each Spin-N-Glo a fish catcher.
The Spin-n-Glo is ideal for side drifting rivers for steelhead. The smaller sizes including the No. 14, 12 and 10 are a good choice for drifting applications. Spin-N-Glo is also commonly used for back bouncing chunks of spawn for salmon. The larger No. 2, 0, 00 and even 000 sizes are perfect for keeping spawn up off bottom and attracting river run salmon.
The value of the Spin-N-Glo doesn’t stop with steelhead and salmon. The Spin-N-Glo is also the “go to” bait for anglers who troll for lake trout in the Great Lakes and natural lakes all across North America. A Spin-N-Glo rigged 18 to 24 inches behind a dodger or flasher has probably caught more lake trout on the Great Lakes than every other lure option combined!
Lake trout love Spin-N-Glo and the best sizes for trout are typically the No. 4, 2 and 0. Cold water species aren’t the only fish that love Spin-N-Glo. Walleye fishermen use the Spin-N-Glo in place of a spinner blade when fishing live bait such as leeches, minnows and nightcrawler. A Spin-N-Glo has great action at speeds much slower than can be achieved with a traditional blade. The most popular Spin-N-Glo sizes among walleye anglers are the No. 8, 6 and 4.
In total Spin-N-Glo come in 10 different sizes, hundreds of different color patterns and the wings are available in white, black, silver, chartreuse, pink and glo.
MAG LIP SKIP BEAT PLUGS
The Mag Lip 3.5 is the author’s favorite wobbling plug for targeting chinook salmon.
When the Mag Lip hit the market a few years ago, it was immediately obvious it was something special. The “skip beat” action of the Mag Lip creates an explosive strike response from fish that think it’s getting away. To say Mag Lip drives fish crazy is an understatement.
Mag Lip comes in several sizes including the 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5 and 5.0. The smaller 2.0 and 2.5 sizes are ideal for trout and kokanee. The 3.0 and 3.5 sizes are great choices for lake trout, brown trout and steelhead. The 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5 are perfect for targeting trophy lake trout and salmon.
Unlike other wide wobbling plugs, the Mag Lip is stable enough to fish at all common speeds from .7 to 4.0 MPH! Trolled in open water or back trolled in rivers, the Mag Lip is hands down the plug choice of guides, charter captains and other professionals who make a living catching fish day in and day out.
ROOSTER TAIL SPRAY SCENT
Every Yakima Bait fishing lure is a fish catcher, but when these lures are treated with a couple squirts of Rooster Tail Spray Scent, they become even more effective. Rooster Tail Spray Scent is designed to provide a natural scent stream in the water plus concentrated amino acids and bite stimulates that fish simply can’t ignore. Available in Trophy Bass, Panfish, Garlic Plus, Garlic Nightcrawler, Shad, Shrimp, Trout/Kokanee and Trophy Trout formulas, there is a Rooster Tail Spray Scent ideal for every fishing application.
This year make it a Merry Christmas by making sure Yakima Bait Company is a part of your family fishing traditions. From everyone at Yakima Bait Company, may you enjoy a Merry Christmas a Happy New Year and great fishing throughout the year.