This micro swimbait tempts finicky crappie with its flexible jointed paddletail
Crappie fishermen got their first look at the “lifelike swimming motion” of a true soft plastic micro swimbait last month at the sportfishing industry’s premier trade show.
Among the myriad of new products showcased was the Bobby Garland Crappie Baits Slab Stalk’R, the creation of Skylar St. Yves from Chandler, Okla. The 37-year-old brand manager for Bobby Garland Crappie Baits said in June the company would launch the product online about 1 week before ICAST scheduled for July 14-17 in Orlando, Fla., along with the new Bobby Garland Crappie Baits Head Lock’R Jighead featuring a screw-lock bait keeper designed specifically for panfish-size soft plastics.
“This is the one thing we were missing in our lineup we consider a true swimbait. We knew we wanted this to be compact so we started at an inch and a half, then built it to be a little bit fatter in the belly than the (Bobby Garland Crappie Baits) Baby Shad,” St. Yves said, noting he regards the latter as a super crappie bait.
Still, Slab Stalk’Rs will catch slabs if finicky crappie aren’t eating the Baby Shad, he said.
The key to its “swimbait”-style design was the addition of a joint between the body and paddletail, St. Yves said. Also, the faster you retrieve it, the tighter the paddletail’s action gets with a perfect balance of speed and movement.
Great reviews
St. Yves, who was born and raised in Seattle, grew up fly fishing for trout. He learned the importance of matching the hatch. The Washington native hooked his first crappie soon after moving to Oklahoma in his early 20s. He graduated from Central Washington University and went to work as a communications and education specialist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
He and other designers from PRADCO Outdoor Brands had a concept in mind and drew it up last November. Prototypes were available in January and production began in April.
“We had a pretty good idea what we wanted to do from the beginning,” St. Yves said. “When we get the drawing right the first time it’s a major plus. We knew we wanted to get this thing for this year and have it in the fall. We’re happy by the way that it turned out. Reports from the water are exceptional. Everybody who’s had it have great reviews.”
Accomplished fishing guides and pro staffers such as Terry Blankenship of Osage Beach, Mo., who fishes Lake of the Ozarks, and Jerry Hancock of Yantis, Texas, who guides on Lake Fork, have been catching crappie on the Slab Stalk’Rs since they got them in June.
“I’m really excited about that bait. We knew about it … got to see prototypes. I can’t wait for it to hit the market,” Hancock, 55, who has guided on Texas lakes since 1999, said. “I’ve had it for a couple weeks. I’ve gotten to play with them some. I’ve mainly been casting for black crappie with them. The action with that paddletail and jointed tail … it worked really well.”
Twenty-four colors
Hancock has been throwing natural colors, such as “threadfin shad,” he said, noting when the water chills in late fall and winter, blue hues such as “easy money” are hard to beat on Texas lakes. With the new Lock’R, he can catch 15-20 crappie on one Slab Stalk’R.
St. Yves said Slab Stalk’Rs are available in 24 colors, including the Top 12 tried and true Bobby Garland colors over the years, one being “monkey milk.” The other 11 are from the new Baby Shads introduced in January, while one, “easy money,” was created solely for Slab Stalk’Rs.
For more information about the Slab Stalk’R and other Bobby Garland Crappie Baits, go to thebobbygarland.com or call (239) 732-2400.
