November 15, 2018
By Ned Kehde
On Nov. 13, 2014, we published an interview with Matt Stark of Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey, who is the proprietor of Riot Fishing LLC. At that time, he was a newcomer to the tackle industry. And we focused on why, how, when, and where he got the gumption to get into the business of manufacturing fishing tackle.
Subsequently, we published a gear guide about his Urami Worm on Feb. 17, 2015.
But since then, we have failed to keep abreast with Stark and his burgeoning company. To make up for that blunder, we will publish four gear guides about his soft-plastic baits that should catch the fancy of Midwest finesse anglers and their quarries. And we will commence this endeavor by focusing upon Riot Baits’ Relic, and in the days to come, we will publish ones that focus upon the Baton, Tattle Tail Swimbait, and Tantrum.
The Relic is a multifaceted creature bait that is 3 1/4 inches long. According to Stark, it is “a hybrid fusion between a craw and creature bait.” In the eyes of power anglers, it is a flipping and pitching bait. But it is small enough that Midwest finesse anglers, who are always in search of an effective creature bait, will affix it to a mushroom-style jig with an exposed hook, and they will employ it with all six of the standard Midwest finesse presentations. Some Midwest finesse anglers will also radically customized the Relic.
Advertisement
Its posterior is adorned with 12 tentacles. Some are two inches long and some are slightly less than two inches. When a Midwest finesse angler affixes the Relic to a mushroom-style jig, these tentacles become a skirt.
Its torso and head is 1 3/4 inches long. They possess somewhat of an oblanceolate shape with an acuminate tip; some might describe it as possessing an elliptical shape; others might say it exhibits an ovate shape. It is three-quarters of an inch wide at its widest spot with a circumference of about 1 3/4 inches. Its dorsal and ventral areas are slightly convexed, and they are adorned with four segments. On each side of the torso, four small saw-blade-shaped teeth radiate from each of the segments.
The dorsal portion of its head is endowed with a pair of eyes, and its ventral portion is stenciled with the word Riot. A flat claw-like appendage branches out from each side of its head.
Advertisement
These flat claw-like appendages are one-sixteenths of an inch thick. They are two inches long and a half of an inch wide at their widest spot. When they are fully extended, these claws are 2 7/8 inches long. The claws exhibit the format of the tail of a curly-tailed grub. Along the first 1 3/4 inches of the outside edges of the claws, which is its relatively straight section, there are six tiny saw-blade-shaped teeth. Along the outside bend of each claw, there are two small appendages; the longest one is a half of an inch long; the shortest one is three-sixteenths of an inch long. Along the interior bend of each claw, it is adorned with a rim that is an inch long and three-sixteenths of an inch wide. This rim is described as an “inner claw flange.”
It is manufactured in the following colors: Blue Steel, Green Pumpkin, Money, Riot, Slayer, and Zulu.
It is impregnated with salt, but it is buoyant.
A package of seven costs $4.99.
Endnotes Here is the link to the interview with Matt Stark: http://www.in-fisherman.com/bass/riot-fishing-interview-matt-stark/ . Here is the link to the Feb. 17, 2015, gear guide about Riot Baits’ Urami Worm: http://www.in-fisherman.com/bass/riot-baits-urami-worm/ . Here is a link to the Midwest Finesse column that describes how to employ the six standard Midwest finesse retrieves with the Relic: http://www.in-fisherman.com/midwest-finesse/six-midwest-finesse-retrieves/ . Many Midwest finesse anglers are inveterate customizers. These three photographs exhibit some of the ways they that they will customize the Relic. In this first photograph, the 12 tentacles are shortened. The jig is affixed to the Relic’s posterior, and the tentacles become a skirt. In this second photograph, the two flat claw-like appendages are removed. The top Relic has the jig affixed to it posterior, and the tentacles become a skirt. The tentacles are shortened. The bottom Relic has the jig affixed to its head, and the tentacles become a tail; it is similar to the motif of a tube. The tentacles are shortened. In this second photograph, the two flat claw-like appendages are removed. The top Relic has the jig affixed to it posterior, and the tentacles become a skirt. The tentacles are shortened. The bottom Relic has the jig affixed to its head, and the tentacles become a tail; it is similar to the motif of a tube. The tentacles are shortened.
