The NLBN K-Tail creates a new soft plastic category for surfcasters.
The NLBN K-Tail is a gamechanger in fishing any situation where shallow-water baitfish are waking on or near the surface. These wide-bodied soft plastics were literally designed to mimic mullet, which are a staple baitfish in Florida where NLBN lures are designed and distributed, and also something Northeast surfcasters look forward to in the fall. Another baitfish these baits mimic well are mackerel, which are also known for v-waking through the shallows. Whether you’re throwing the 5- or the 7-inch version, they are like a secret weapon in any bait-waking scenario.
NLBN K-Tails are built to match a variety of our local baitfish and the action takes some of the subtleties if freshwater ‘boot tail’ swimbaits and brings it into the saltwater market at an affordable price. They are durable and easy to rig, their action is realistic and consistent and boy do they draw attention from inshore predators.
These lures are hand-poured and the attention to detail is amazing; from the scaled bodies and large, poured-in eyes to colors that do a phenomenal job of mimicking live baitfish, they became a fast favorite in my bag. If you ask me, they’re in a league of their own.
The thing that captured my attention was that subtle tail-kick combined with the body of the bait which runs true and looks very real in the water. Plus, since its unweighted, it comes with amazing versatility, I can slow-roll it along the bottom or keep it riding high, leaving a convincing wake, right on the surface. I have noticed that I can get reactions from stripers from surprising distances. The hits, on this bait, are on par with everyone’s favorite topwater striper lure, The Doc. Most of the time, it’s a hard, committed strike that almost rips the rod out of your hands! But this bait can also be a huge weapon in dirty water after dark, with the tail thump and the significant amount of water displaced, it presents as an easy target. Sometimes I feel like it hypnotizes the fish!
The two times when it seems to really shine for me are during the spring herring run and, right now, during the mullet run in the fall. For the herring, I like the ‘Snowbird’ color, it can be hard to find a perfect match for river herring, but this color does a great job! For mullet, all of the color options are good, but I like the ‘Kalcutta’ for low light and dirty water or the ‘Krome Ave’ when the sun is out or the water is crystal. In either case, I lean heavily on the 7-inch version.
These swimbaits are excellent for targeting striped bass. I screw lock the jighead in the front and jig it off the bottom in piles of bass that are stacked up and boy do they crush it… hold on tight! I also love to speed-retrieve the K-Tail on the surface; they chase this thing down like it owes them money! I tend to target structure and use whatever rig is necessary to get the bait to the structure. If it’s deep, I’m using a jighead, if it’s shallow I’m rigging it on an unweighted swimbait hook, the BKK Titanrider is preferred. If you’re hitting estuary and bay mouths, try bouncing bottom through the gut. But keep your eyes open for schools of bait leaving the estuary, this is when you can use them unweighted and fish the bait fast!
Pro Tip: cut about a quarter-inch off the head of the bait before screwing it onto an NLBN Jighead.
| IN THE FRESH |
| I felt like I had to put this in there for my fellow multi-species surfcasters. These K-Tails are also deadly for largemouth bass, when fishing lanes in weedbeds, the edges of lily pad patches or along stretches of brush or hard structure. Big baits love big fish, I stick with the 7 inch and it catches me some impressive freshwater bass. |
Do not start your fall run off without adding a few K-Tails to your bag. These baits are versatile, extremely well-made and, something I haven’t mentioned yet, they cast really well. In addition to all that, they draw vicious strikes from striped bass 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You are going to love them! Head over to www.nlbn.com and check them out, these affordable baits come in four stock colors and two sizes: 5 inches (three-pack) and 7 inches (two-pack). Choose the size that suits your needs and put them to work!
