Paddletail baits catch a ton of fish, from freshwater to saltwater, from surf to inshore to offshore and everywhere in between, this technology works. One area where these baits leave a little to be desired is visual realism. Other baits may feature molded scales and a molded eye, some might have a couple colors slapped on there to represent the transition from dark to light we all associate with a live baitfish, but so many lack that ‘wow factor’ we see in other baits.
LiveTarget has made their name by designing baits that blow minds with their realistic profiles, colors and action. Lucky for us, they focused their eye on upping the paddletail game with their Slow-Roll Mullet. These 4- and 5-inch, slender-bodied, paddletail shads are made using a two-mold process. First the inner ‘core’ bait is made, these are molded to perfectly mimic the look and details of a mullet, including reflective paint, embossed scales and a realistic eye. Then the Exo-Skin is molded around those finished core pieces, the Exo-Skin is water clear and only enhances the realism of the core insert.
These components together make up a bait that generates a hard thumping swim that moves the whole bait, resulting in a lifelike look with enough vibration to draw in predatory fish from a distance. They can be rigged on swimbait hooks, jigheads and Texas-style and each rigging style adds its own flair to the action of the bait.
When I first saw these baits, I thought of false albacore; rigged on a lightly-weighted swimbait hook and swum just below the surface, these baits will crush the tiny tuna! They are also going to be red hot baits for cold water striper fishing, and I know they will shine in overwintering striper scenarios. And, of course, when the finger mullet are present in the fall, these dead-ringers from LiveTarget should be kept close at hand for any inshore gamefish. They come in two colors: ‘silver’ which is a bright silver with a green back and some yellow highlights, and ‘silver/black’ which very closely mimics the look of the striped mullet that are common along the beaches from Rhode Island through New Jersey and beyond. They retail for $10.99 per pack, the 4-inchers come four to a pack and the fives come in packs of three.
