Some products are excellent fish-catchers by themselves. But every once in a while, I get the chance to product test two things, that when combined, create something that is truly a breakthrough. That is the case with this week’s pairing of the Oozzie Jigs with BioEdge potions, a marriage of two products that was truly made in angling heaven.
OOZZIE JIGS
Metal and lead jigs of all shapes, sizes and colors have been popular go-to lures for surf, bay, coastal and deepwater anglers for as long as I’ve been plying the briny and historically speaking, way before that into the early 1900s. The one thing all of these jigs have had in common to date is that they were just colored or chrome slabs of metal, with all of the allure of a baitfish provided by the skill of the angler via the method and speed of the retrieve.
Well, that has changed. Welcome to the new age of fishing. The new Oozzie Jig now allows fishermen to inject chum or oil directly into the lure, creating an irresistible and alluring combination of sight and scent oozing from the jig, which is sure to attract fish to your jig and keep them in your strike zone. The versatile Oozzie Jig allows you to either load scented oil or chum into the jig and is available in a variety of sizes and colors. Countless chum recipes can be created that can be used either fresh or frozen and thawed for your next fishing trip. The secret to holding the scent in place is a delivery system that allows the angler to either inject a liquid scent into a cotton wick that is accessed via a hole in the top of the jig and dispenses it via strategically placed holes in the jig body; or you can remove the wick material and load the jig with either fresh or frozen chum that will dispense its goodies when the jig gets into the feeding zone to increase your strike potential. These jigs are effective employing a variety of methods and can be cast, trolled or used in the traditional vertical jigging format.
The Oozzie Jig is the product of carpenter/inventor/fisherman Bob Sundstrom who hails from New Hampshire and it was first introduced into the marketplace in 2011 via the introduction of a 16-ounce cod jig. To learn more, I contacted Bob and he shared with me the history of the Oozzie Jig’s development and how it’s made. Each jig is hand-crafted in the USA and starts from a piece of straight 304 grade stainless steel tubing that is laser cut to length with its chum holes drilled in place and has a solid S/S slug inserted into the bottom end for ballast. A dogleg bend keeps the weight in place and adds action to the jig when retrieved. After the jigs are hand-polished, a P-Line squid skirt is added over the top for additional action and appeal. A blade flasher, a pair of split rings and a quality nickel plated Mustad hook completes the set-up.
Oozzie Jigs are currently available in 3/8-, ½-, ¾-, 1-, 1-½-, 2-, 3-, 4-, 10-, 12-, 14- and 16-ounce sizes, with prices ranging from $8.99 to $22.49. Bob Sundstrom has developed a marketing slogan for his new scent-producing Oozzie Jigs as the “sure cure for lock jaw” and I think he has hit one out of the park.
BIOEDGE SCENTS
BioEdge Fishing Products was founded by a group of pioneer marine baitworm farmers lead by Peter Cowin and Peter Nason. They were growing sandworms for bait and also as a fish farming feed. The group conducted research to ascertain what made the bait so attractive to fish, with a focus on developing extracts that could be made to formulate cheaper feeds, so fish would eat them as readily as fresh bait. The bait extracts they made were incredibly effective as both feed additives and as a scent which could be used by anglers to make soft plastics, hard plastics and even metal smell and even taste attractive to fish.
The secret of developing these scents is a unique “cold extraction” process that starts with fresh bait, which is ground up into a slurry while adding unique ingredients to accelerate the cold extraction process. Unlike the making of other scents, which are either a concoction of amino acids and chemicals, or are the result of cooking the oils out of baitfish, the proprietary BioEdge process was a natural extract of the rich, attractive substances found in the bait without the breakdown caused by cooking. After several years of prototyping the products and extending the range of scents, the group established BioEdge Fishing Products in 2008, launching 12 scents available in both a liquid “potion” form and as well as a semi-solid “wand” form for applying onto hard baits.
The company has grown rapidly and now has a range of 34 natural scents made from fresh water and saltwater baits as diverse as squid, bloodworms, sand eels and sardines to night crawlers and crayfish. They cost $8.99 each and are available at Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s and hundreds of smaller independent stores all over the country. For more information, contact www.bioedgefishing.com.
