Tackle Test: April Bass Edition
A look at EZ Riser Flexible Boarding Ladder, Jackall Giron, RAM Mount Trolling Motor Stabilizer, Reaction Innovations Skinny Dipper
EZ Riser Flexible Boarding Ladder
Here is an affordable, strap-on safety feature for bass boats that are not equipped with an affixed boarding ladder. It could be a lifesaver in the event of an unexpected fall.
Specs
Dimensions: 54 inches by 10 inches
Price: $24.95
Contact: ezriserjetstep.com
Performance
Attaching it is simple. The roll-up ladder secures to any open or closed boat cleat and deploys by opening a supplied fabric fastener strap. Though it is not as sturdy as a factory aluminum ladder, I found that climbing the rungs was fairly easy, even when I was dressed in bulky foul-weather gear.
Construction
The ladder is made with heavy-duty nylon rope that is treated to withstand ultraviolet light for long life and is rated to support up to 300 pounds. The rounded rungs are made from hard plastic and wrapped with soft, nonskid padding.
Convenience
The ladder stowed so neatly it was barely visible until needed. It also was removed easily, so it could be transferred from boat to boat in a matter of seconds.
Jackall Giron
Swimbait connoisseur or not, it would be wise of you to fit a few of these babies into your stash. Tossed on beds or worked at various depths in the water column, the Giron brings out the bully in thick-shouldered largemouths.
Specs
Length: 4 inches
Weight: 3/4 ounce
Buoyancy: Slow sinking
Colors: Eight
Price: $19.99
Contact: jackall-lures.com
Performance
One cast confirmed it: The Giron catches big ones, especially the RT Bluegill. It produced a 5-pounder on the first cast and four others in the 4- to 6-pound range in a single afternoon. The keys were counting the lure down a few seconds and making hasty stop-and-go retrieves. Most strikes came the instant it went idle or snapped out of grass.
Action
The jointed body displaced a wicked swimming action on a steady retrieve and spun sideways when paused. When twitched, the lure darted frantically like a wounded perch, or one that was significantly disoriented. The lure sank slowly and came to rest on its treble hooks with a natural, horizontal stance that simulated a bream hovering just off the bottom – perfect for bed-fishing.
Design
The Giron is made of hard plastic, with an internal tungsten weighting system. Castability is decent, but it does catch some wind. Premium paint jobs, 3-D eyes, a textured finish and detailed gill plates make for a lifelike appearance. It wears premium black nickel hooks – a No. 2 at the belly and a No. 4 on the tail.
Applications
The lure was most effective in clear water in environments where bass feed on bream or tilapia. It’s a great choice for probing shallow and medium depth ranges.
RAM Mount Trolling Motor Stabilizer
When it comes to practicality, the RAM Mount Trolling Motor Stabilizer is arguably one of the most functional boating accessories money can buy. In bass arenas, it’s useful for adding some stability for a stowed trolling motor when navigating rough water.
Specs
Ball Size: 1 1/2 inches
Arm Lengths: 3 1/2, 5 1/2 and 9 inches
Price: $48.95 to $76.03
Contact: ram-mount.com
Performance
I installed the Trolling Motor Stabilizer kit on a 2006 Ranger 521VX equipped with a Minn Kota Fortrex 101. Not only did it eliminate vibration, it maximized support for the entire unit and reduced stress at the pressure points when motoring in extreme conditions. The spring-loaded socket arm removed easily using a tension knob. It can be stored in a glove box when not in use.
Installation
It’s painless. I used the RAM 108-D kit, which comes with a floor ball, shaft ball and a 9-inch socket arm to connect them. The shaft ball secures to the shaft, just under the head, using a hose clamp sleeved with rubber to prevent marring. Vic Vatalaro, a Ranger dealer and FLW Tour pro from Kent, Ohio, prefers a different setup on Z500 Series Comanches. He recommends mounting a second 1 1/2-inch floor ball to the aluminum mono-arm of the trolling motor (drilling required). That’s then secured to the floor ball with a 3 1/2-inch socket arm. It allows you to maximize the length of the trolling motor shaft and provides a better fit when stowed.
Design
The socket arm is marine-grade aluminum with a black powder coat finish. Mounting balls are constructed of premium rubber for optimum shock absorption.
Reaction Innovations Skinny Dipper
The Skinny Dipper is proof that a swimbait needn’t be expensive to seduce the lunkers. Tie one on and take it for a swim. I did, and I was surprised by the results; this baby has been a winner ever since the first ones popped out of the mold in 2007.
Specs
Length: 5 inches
Colors: 21
Price: $5.60 for a pack of seven
Contact: reactioninnovations.com
Performance
The paddle tail thumped wildly while the body displaced a slight swagger when worked at a medium or fast retrieve. The meaty, salt-impregnated plastic body cut the wind extremely well, traversed heavy cover and posed a large profile that attracted several bass up to 4 pounds. An angler will need a rod with some backbone to drive the hook home.
Rigging Options
The options are many. Flip the Skinny Dipper Texas style, drag it on a Carolina rig or swim it weightless (Tex-posed or exposed) around shallow cover. It performs in combination with a variety of hooks, but wide-gap models provide optimum penetration. Reaction Innovations recommends a 6/0 Owner Wide Gap Plus hook matched with a Reaction Innovations Screwed-Up Bullet for weightless fishing around skinny-water cover. A jighead or weighted hook allows for deeper presentations. The Skinny Dipper and its kid sister, the Little Dipper, also double nicely as trailers behind chatter-style lures.
Design
Aerodynamic in shape, it has a belly slit that helps hide the hook shank while promoting easier hook penetration. Exposed hooks ride flush in a textured crease along the back, but it’s sometimes necessary to skin-hook the point to hold it snug.