The Stick Bait That Turns on the Bite

I’ve been testing out quite a few new stick baits in my Southwest Florida backyard pond. On sunny, warm afternoons I’ve had considerable luck using watermelon colored baits rigged Texas style or fished wacky style in areas with limited structure or vegetation. So, of course, I was excited when I met the Stinky Fingers Bait Company crew at ICAST this year. For months now, I have been hearing buzz about the Stinky Fingers Twitchin Stick Freshwater Sponge Baits and how successful they are at getting the bass to bite. So, I thought it was my duty as a fisherwoman to test these sponge baits to find out for sure.

When I returned home from the ICAST, I felt like a kid at Christmas. I had several different kinds of baits to try out and was eager to see which ones would get my backyard bass to bite. As I ventured out towards the water with my tackle, I took into consideration that it was a cloudy evening and the sun was just getting ready to set. Given the low light conditions, I decided to try the black and blue fleck Stinky Fingers Twitchin Stick Sponge Baits. One of the unique attributes of these baits is that they are constructed with a scent releasing sponge that helps attract the fish.

I started off by rigging my line with a 1/8 oz bullet weight, 3/0 offset shank hook, and one of the Stinky Fingers Twitchin Stick Sponge Baits. I threw a few unsuccessful casts with the hook rigged at the top before realizing that I should try it flipped around. First, the sponge end didn’t hold the hook as firmly due to the perforations in the bait. Second, the Entice Craw Formula scent probably wasn’t wafting out into the water as well with the sponge end at the top and away from the fish. Third, I saw this handy tip featured on the Stinky Fingers website. Flipping the bait around was definitely the key to success. As soon as I re-rigged the sponge bait upside down and cast my line into the water… BAM! I had an immediate hit on the fall. The bite on these baits turned out to be steady throughout the evening after re-rigging and they held up through many casts.

Stinky Fingers Twitchin Stick Sponge Baits can be purchased online at $5.99 for an 8-piece package. Colors available are:  Black Blue Fleck, Baby Bass, June Bug, River Bug, Watermelon, Black Red Fleck, and Pumpkin Seed.