Every year lure company’s introduce new products to the fishing industry and try to be better than anyone else so that they can have the number one most wanted lure or lures of the year to put them on the top of all sales across the country. This year I believe that a company that has been one of the top manufacturers of soft plastic lures since the early seventy’s has done it again. Who is this company? Well, it’s a company that has been a sponsor of mine since 1988 and they have been a big supporter of mine when I would go and do talks at big sport shows, to bass clubs and even schools where I would go and talk to young men and ladies about fishing and the many advantages of how education can help them even in the fishing industry. This company would supply me with small packs of plastic lures for everyone to fish on their next outing and packets for everyone to read so that they could become better anglers. The company that I am speaking about is the Mister Twister Lure Company.
Mister. Twister didn’t start the soft plastic worm industry, but they did come out with the very first curl tail plastic worm know as the “Phenom soft plastic worm” and when it hit the market it started a whole knew way of fishing. Before Mister Twister the only soft plastic worm was just a straight tailed worm that really had no action to it, for it was just thrown out and fished back but when Mister Twister came out with the Phenom curl tail it was the best thing since sliced bread, you could swim it, shake it, jiggle it and the lure had action that just drew the fish to it. In the eighty’s the Mister Twister Lure Company came out with another great soft plastic worm known as the the Thunder worm, which was a plastic worm with a larger tail on it. The tail was wider but still had the curl tail action and along with those two quality’s it also had ribs on the tail that would make a slight noise under water when fished. In the Ninety’s we got together and came up with a new bass fishing soft plastic tube bait that made a big hit and here we are now in the two thousands and they have done it again.
That’s right, they have done it again, and their latest invention is the new Mister Minnow. The Mister Minnow comes in three sizes, a two inch, a four inch and the six inch. When fished these lures look so real that you will want to throw your rod down, jump in and eat them yourself. These lures have a great swimming action with eyes that actually look real and the fish just can’t help themselves when the lure swims by. These new lures are made for catching all kinds of fish, up north the Walleye, Musky, Pike and small mouth bass and down here in the south it is no different these new Mister Minnows are catching Bass, Strippers, White Bass, Crappie and even salt water fish such as the Speckled Trout and Red Fish and there just don’t seem to be an end to the many types of fish that can be caught on the new Mister Minnow.
Now let’s talk about the fish I caught on the new Mister Minnow and how I rig my new Mister Minnows to catch the big trophy Bass and crappie here on the lakes I guide on, Lake Fork and Lake Palestine.
First let’s talk about the six inch bait. I will rig the new six inch Mister Minnow with a 3/8’s ounce Salt Water Jig head made by Mister Twister, the jig head comes in different colors, but the one I like best is the white. I will insert the jig head into the head of the Mister Minnow so that it will swim easily. I will fish this six inch minnow on Lake Fork out on the deep humps in about 20 to 30 feet of water. I will use my Lowrance Graph to find these humps and after locating them I will cast the minnow out and let it fall to the bottom. After it hits the bottom I will lift up my rod tip and begin slow turning my reel handle just enough to make the minnow swim a long the bottom of the lake making it look just like the small bar fish they are feeding on. This method of fishing is great in the winter months, post spawn and in the fall. This type fishing can and will land you many trophy bass if you try it. On Lake Palestine I will fish for both bass and strippers and large bass working it the same way I do on Lake Fork. Next is the four inch size. I will rig it up with a jig head and swim it like it’s big brother and I will also rig it up both with a weighted hook and by dead sticking. This bait is equaily as good as it’s big brother, but can be fished several more ways. Big fish just can’t resist the new Mister Minnows.
Now I said there were three sizes, the last is the Crappie “catching-est” Crappie bait I have ever had in my boat. I have had Crappie lures in the past that I thought couldn’t be beat and would have probably staked my fishing guide reputation on when it came to catching Crappie but this year Mister Twister has done it. They have built the best Crappie bait I have ever fished, the new Mister Minnow Crappie minnow. This bait has so many real life features that it’s hard to mention them all for I would be here all day talking about them, but for just a few, it has a stream line body with a swim tail and the paint job on the bait looks just like live bait and the eyes they make the lure look so much like the real thing that the Crappie just can’t resist eating it.
My name is Ricky Vandergriff and I have served as a professional fishing guide for over 34 years working both Lake Fork and Lake Palestine and I can’t remember anyone ever building a soft plastic lure that looks as real as the Mister Minnow so get into your favorite fishing stores and ask for the Mister Twister Mister Minnow and the Mister Twister painted jig heads and I will see you on the water.
Now here’s whats happening on lake Palestine. Lake Palestine is about one foot high and rising even more with the rains and fishing has been very good.
Bass are in the grass biting good on mister Twister Comeida worms and my new 430 Special Spinner baits. Fish your water good and fish slow for best results.
Crappie are good in the shallows on the new Mister Twister Mister Minnow Crappie jigs and also you can still find some nice crappie out in water as deep as 17 foot where you find brush.
Sand Bass are great up on the river by 31 bridge on the Mister Minnows rigged with a 1/16oz jig head rigged with a small spinner, Mepps spinners and small Rat- L-traps are also great.
Until next month, remember to keep only the fish you can use and release the rest so our kids can enjoy the great sport we call fishing.By: Ricky Vandergriff
