Swim baits for crappie

Swim baits aren’t just for bass

Emory, Texas-based Lake Fork Trophy Lures has been making top-of-the-line, tournament-winning bass baits for many years. One of the company’s top producers is their “Live” Magic Shad, a swim bait that has accounted for countless trophy largemouth bass in big-money tournaments.

With the tremendous success of the Magic Shad, the company decided to create a downsized version for the crappie market. The LFT 2¼ Baby Shad was the result.

“Our research on this bait with various pros and field testers across the country told us we had something special,” said Lake Fork Lures owner Ronnie Parker. “Once we got the tail right for the smaller bait, we released it at the ICAST show last year, and it has been very well received by crappie anglers from across the country.

“The bait has a single tail so it doesn’t spin on the fall like some other baits,” said Ray Looney. “This is a favorite deepwater bait for me because it gets down quick, it’s very durable and the wide variety of colors allows me to find a bait that works in just about any water color.”

Lake Fork’s crappie version swim bait is available in 30 colors with the company slated to have another five on the market in the near future. In addition to its lineup of solid producers like blue pearl, fire perch and electric chicken, the new colors will include bluegill, violet shad, bluegrass, black/chartreuse and limetreuse.

“We’re excited about being in the crappie market and look to add some additional products as well as increase our presence in this arena,” said Parker.

For more information about Lake Fork Trophy Lures, visit www.lftlures.com.

Editor’s note: This article is part of the Tenn-Tom Crappie-way feature in the August issue of Mississippi Sportsman. Digital editions can be downloaded right to your computer or smartphone.

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