September 08, 2012
By Ned Kehde
Midwest finesse anglers often grumble about the scarcity of creature baits that are available for finesse applications. But Tommy Hagler of Hag's Tornado Bait in Abilene, Texas, has created one. He describes his new Undertaker Jr. as a creature bait and crayfish bait combo.
It is endowed with a pair of cupped, crayfish-like claws that extrude from behind its head, as well as a pair of legs or side appendages that protrude from its torso.
From the tail of its torso to the tip of its claws, it is 2 3/4 inches long, and its two antennas are an inch longer than the claws, making it a 3 3/4-inch soft-plastic finesse bait. If finesse anglers want a shorter bait, it can be made a tad shorter by trimming the tail behind the legs or side appendages.
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When it is affixed to a jig, Hagler says, smallmouth bass anglers in Canada and the northern regions of the United States have found it to be an extremely productive bait. Likewise, largemouth bass and spotted bass anglers are finding it to be an ideal option on those days when their quarries are difficult to inveigle.
In addition to the jig rig, anglers can affix it to a split-shot rig, jika rig, drop-shot rig,Texas rig and Carolina rig.
During the retrieve, the side appendages fold under the bait, acting as if they were legs. The claws move toward each other in front of the nose, as if they were clapping. During a pause in the retrieve, the side appendages float out to the sides of the torso. Then the claws swing out and its torso moves upward, simulating the behavior of a crayfish.
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It is available in eight colors: green pumpkin, green sweet tator, Junebug, Texas pumpmelon, watermelon red, black widow, hydro and watermelon chartreuse.
They are imbued with a garlic scent.
The suggested retail is $3.95 for a package of eight.
For more information, please see: www.hagstornadobait.com
