PRADCO: Because you deserve the best

By MIKE ROUX

I have a question for the fishermen reading this article: Do you recognize any of these lure companies?  Rebel, Booyah, Lindy, Bomber, Yum, Cotton Cordell, Little Joe, Creek Chub, Bandit, Heddon, Smithwick, Arbogast, Norman Lures, War Eagle, Bobby Garland Crappie Pro or Gene Larew?

My guess is that several of these names appear in your tackle box right now. And for good reason.  The above list includes some of the highest quality and most productive fishing lures on the market today.

I grew up with lots of these lures and use them still today. From Fred Arbogast’s Jitterbug and Hula Poppers to Bomber crankbaits to Rebel Pop-R’s and stick baits, millions of anglers have caught tens of millions of fish on these baits. What you may not be aware of is that all these great companies exist under the same flag; PRADCO Outdoor Brands.

PRADCO’s fishing division serves all fishermen, from guys who like to troll for walleye to those who prefer to cast for bass, to fathers and grandfathers teaching kids to fish. Not only are these the products that you want, but they are also exactly what you need.

PUTTING THEM TO THE TEST
Recently Mid-MO Reapers pro staff member and my grandson, Connor Dietrich put some of our favorite PRADCO baits to the test. We started the evening with crankbaits from Bandit and Bomber. After the sun dipped behind the trees, we switched to topwater.

Connor began casting his Bandit crankbait at about 4 p.m. His bait was silver with a black back.  This has become one of his “go to” baits, and for good reason. At 4:08 p.m. he hooked up.  This first bass of the evening weighed about two-and-a-half pounds.

I was casting a chartreuse Bomber. It too has a black back. I was wanting to determine which color the bass would like best in the very clear, but tea colored water.

Connor did his best to keep track. We had four doubles on the crankbaits, but as close as we could figure, the Bandit beat the Bomber, 16-14. Connor’s 3.5-pounder was the biggest on these baits.

TOPWATER
After the sun dipped behind the treetops, we switched to topwater.  The Jitterbug I chose was jointed and painted like a frog. Connor was throwing a Pop-R with a black hackle tail. The water was blowing up around our lures on a fairly regular basis.

With two more doubles on topwater we lost count of our catches. Connor boated several between two and three pounds. There is no quit in this kid, and if it were up to him, we would likely still be there.

I had some good fun with the Jitterbug, as well. I had a couple of huge blow-ups on it that I missed. One knocked the lure three feet out of the water. My big fish of the night was a touch over five pounds.

THE TOOLS YOU NEED
The bottom line here is that PRADCO gives you the exact tools you need to be successful on the water, regardless of the conditions. Check out their entire line of lures at pradcooutdoorbrands.com.  And to actually see all this action, subscribe to Mid-MO Reapers on YouTube and enjoy some great fishing.

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