New Heddon and Strike King Lures for 2020
Terry Nelson 07.22.20
Back in my ancient past I lived to compete on the bass tournament trails around the southwest part of the US. I loved the competition and the ability to make a few bucks to pay for the next tournament while catching largemouth and smallmouth bass.
Ask any bass fisherman and they will tell you there are two absolutely heart stopping techniques for putting a few bass in the live well when conditions are right, topwater and a spinnerbait. Both are big bass techniques, in other words, some of the largest bass I have ever landed came from one of these bass catching lures. When bass are on these baits the strikes are explosive and just downright a blast!
With the above in mind, two new baits are on the market that any fishing enthusiast should take a look at.
Heddon Slopenose
Innovative? Absolutely!
New? Only if you consider 1902 recent.
Heddon Lures is reaching all the way back to the inattentiveness of James Heddon for a design that was patented and a lure that was released nearly 120 years ago. Originally dubbed the Dowagiac Expert Casting Bait, this unique topwater lure was quickly dubbed the “Slopenose” by anglers.
James Heddon designed fishing lures to prompt attacks from fish, and Heddon engineers worked tirelessly to recreate the original lure’s appearance and functionality, but with durable modern materials and hardware and high-quality finishes.
The Heddon Slopenose helps anglers trigger strikes in a couple of important ways. First, its shape and unusual-looking collar combine to create a broad range of sounds and actions, including walking, darting, chugging and popping. As importantly, the same collar makes this lure surprisingly snagless for a lure that has two No. 2 open treble hooks. That means it can be worked where the big fish lurk and where it is difficult to fish with most topwater lures.
A fairly large lure (4 7/8 inches; ¾ ounce), the Heddon Slopenose was designed for big bass, pike and muskie, and is well suited for other aggressive predator species, including striped bass, redfish and snook.
The Heddon Slopenose comes in 10 colors, including the iconic Blue Head, Red Collar and some Heddon favorites like Fluorescent Green Crawdad and Flitter Shed. Heddon lures can be found through a variety of distributors and retailers
MSRP: $9.99
Strike King Tour Grade Spinnerbaits
Look in the tackle collection of every serious angler, and you will find a variety of spinnerbaits. Look a little closer, and you are sure to find several Strike King models in that bunch.
The new Strike King Tour Grade spinnerbaits will come with double willow blades, one on the shaft, and the other attached to premium ball bearing swivels for free rotation. The uniquely detailed bullet style head is molded with 3D eyes and a molded bait holder collar to a 35-thousandths R-bend wire frame, and an O’Shaughnessy bend hook provides the bite to hook and hold the hardest charging bass. The silicone skirts are wire tied to assure that the skirts stay up during the retrieve or during battle. It features all new color combinations that include newly designed head colors that were made to match the custom skirt colors. Most spinnerbaits have a “one size fits all” head color and then put a skirt on it. On ours, each head color is matched specifically to the skirt.
The new Tour Grade Spinnerbaits will come in all of the popular fish catching colors and several new additions to the Strike King lineup. Available in two sizes, 3/8 and 1/2-ounce, and will be available in the fall of 2020.
MSPR is $7.99
About Strike King
Strike King is a Lexington, SC based supplier of fishing tackle and sunglasses. The Company supplies hard baits, wire baits, soft plastics and related accessories through the mass market, sporting goods, and specialty outdoor channels. For further information about Strike King, please visit www.strikeking.com.
