This tough soft plastic bait is a winner with saltwater anglers
A soft plastic shrimp imitation on the market recently caught the fancy of many inshore fishermen and as a result has caught plenty of speckled trout, redfish, flounder and other finfish.
The artificial lure found its niche, for sure, but saltwater fishermen loyal to Egret Baits’ Vudu line of soft plastics wanted a tougher model and got it when the new Vudu Mambo Shrimp was produced in late 2024 and launched in stores this past April/May. It’s the newest magic bullet, so to speak, introduced by Egret Baits president Ken Chaumont.
Chaumont, who has been in the artificial lure manufacturing business, both freshwater and saltwater, a total of 46 years, said they wanted the toughness of TPE.
“TPE is a material that is way tougher than traditional plastics,” he said. “One Mambo Shrimp could easily catch 50-100 trout with no signs of damage. ‘Tough as Hell’ is the Vudu Brands motto. TPE is heavier than traditional plastics, giving it the added weight for great casting distance. The simpler body design also lowered the cost for two shrimp to $7.99.”
TPE is an abbreviation for thermoplastic elastomer, a class of copolymers that combine the best properties of both rubber and plastic. TPE behaves like rubber when stretched and processed like plastic but the bottom line is its resistance to wear and tear.
Sales since the new Mambo Shrimp hit the shelves this spring have told him everything he wants to know about the new soft plastic’s success.
“I focus on sales and that tells me we have a winner,” he said. “Whether fishing grass flats, marsh, docks or open water, this compact powerhouse packs a big performance into a small profile.”
Gliding action
Chaumont also labeled the artificial lure manufacturer’s latest soft plastic a great “glide” bait for tightlining or under a Vudu Cork. Its soft gliding action is deadly on speckled trout, redfish and flounder, he said.
“The new Mambo Shrimp has a natural swimming/gliding motion mimicking a live shrimp,” Chaumont said. “Great under a Vudu Cork or free-lining. Its soft, yet tough construction allows it to stand up to multiple strikes from aggressive species such as speckled trout, redfish, snook and, yes, even bass along the salt marshes of the Gulf.”
This bait is 3 inches long and weighs ⅛-ounce. Its creator said it is at its best when tied to 12-pound test monofilament line or 12-pound test fluorocarbon line.
Chaumont also pointed out it is available in “10 vibrant, fish-attracting colors.”
Are there one or more clear-cut favorite colors going into the new Vudu Mambo Shrimp’s first year on the water?
“They all produce well and it’s too early to say which colors are leading the pack,” he said. “Best colors for clean or clear water are colors Nos. 04, 07, 08, 30, 56, 60 and dirty or stained water are the brighter colors like Nos. 14, 15, 37 Glow, 59. But I’ll tell you, I prefer to tell everyone this is not always the rule. When they are hitting a certain color, put another one on. All the colors will produce in a wide variety of conditions.”
Combine TPE, the body design and the potential of any color in the chart and Egret Baits’ newcomer to the Vudu Brands line is hard for fish and anglers to resist.
For more information on the Vudu Mambo Shrimp and other Egret Baits products, go to www.egretbaits.com or call (318) 256-6904.
