The “Limp Stick”

It Ain’t Pretty But It Works!

Pick the thing up at the head end and its body droops like a slug that needs back surgery. Check the rear end of this 5-inch hunk of ugly plastic and you’ll see that it’s open. Drop the thing in the water and that hole in its rear end burps out a string of bubbles as it falls.

But like they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder----and those evil-eyed bigmouth bass must think this new lure is a plastic version of a bass-style Bourbon Street Blonde.

You may not be familiar with the plastic bass bait I’m talking about. It’s called the “Limp Stick.” It was introduced just last year, but it has already found its way into tackle shops around the country including some here in Florence.

The Limp Stick, and that’s an appropriate name for it, is sort of a cross between a Senko style lure and a tube bait. Its head end is similar in shape and design to what you’ll find on most tube lures. As I’ve mentioned, the rear end is open but there are no trailing strands of plastic that you’ll find on a typical tube.

I’m not engaging in wishful thinking when I say bass whack the bejabbers out of these things. A couple of the best days I had last year came while I was throwing it. I’ve done a little poking around and I find I’m not the only one who has had the same experience.

One such angler is a knowledgeable bass pro named Jim Pearson. Jim lives in Florence and for years he’s been one of the top contenders in competitive bass fishing contests in this part of the world. Few plug pitchers have more hardware on their trophy shelves than he does. I was curious how Pearson’s experience with this new bait compared to my own. I knew he had been fishing it since it first came out.

“I’ve done really well with this lure ever since I started using it,” Pearson says. “I just let it sink and I watch my line very carefully as it does. Lots of times fish pick it up on the drop and you want to be ready when they do.”

Pearson’s right. This new Limp Stick is loaded with salt. It may be tubular plastic, but the amount of salt it contains really adds to its weight. Place one on a scale and you’ll find it’s just a hair under a ½-ounce. “The weight of this bait makes it really easy to cast,” Pearson says. “It’s a dandy bait for skipping in under overhanging trees and brush.”

Pearson shared one little trick that he uses for fishing the Limp Stick in water more than 10-feet deep. “I smear Smelly Jelly fish attractant on a split shot and insert the shot in the opening at the rear end of the bait,” Jim says. “Then I push the shot up to the head end. When I fish it this way in deeper water I give it a bit more action once it gets down than I do in when I’m fishing the shallows.”

Bass don’t only grab the Limp Stick, they flat out grab and hang on. The bait’s salt content undoubtedly is one of the main reasons. You won’t find it necessary to let a bass run with this bait before setting the hook.

Even though it’s relatively new to the market, it’s catching bass in other parts of the country besides the Pacific Northwest. I’ve learned it has also done very well in parts of both Idaho and California.

That doesn’t surprise me because I’ve caught fish on the darn thing from Oregon to Mexico. In my next column we’ll take a look at some of the other reasons the Limp Stick has captured the attention of building number of bass anglers who’ve thrown it.

In my last column I talked about the effectiveness of a new plastic bait for bass called the Limp Stick.

Since that column appeared, I’ve had a couple of questions from bass anglers who wanted to know how this new bait was any different from some of the similar plastic baits that have been around for some time. I did some checking to find out. That wasn’t difficult because the Limp Stick is produced right here in my hometown of Florence.

Actually, the new Limp Stick came into being because the guys who run Outlaw Baits were successful in developing a new formula for the plastic ingredients used to make it.

“What we finally came up with,” says Jeff Staggs, president of Outlaw Baits, “was a formula that gave us a bait much softer than the plastic ordinarily used in tubes. That, of course, results in a lure with more action. Its added flexibility, plus the extra salt, are undoubtedly principle reasons why the lure has enjoyed a remarkable degree of success.”

Rigging one of these new baits is simple enough. You don’t have to do anything fancy. I’ve used it with 3/0, 4/0 and 5/0 Gamakatsu wide gap hooks. I’ve wound up using it most often with the 4/0 size. Just rig it Texas Style and fling it out there next to cover and let it fall.

Outlaw Baits is producing the new soft plastic bait in 10 colors. The 10 different shades include just about all that have become standard favorites of knowledgeable bass fishermen. “The best selling colors so far,” Staggs says, “have been pumpkinseed and the green pumpkin with copper flakes.”

If you’ve been to Tenmile Lake recently you may have discovered a place of business called Sporty J’s. The owner, Joseph Nelson, has a good selection of bass tackle. Joseph is a bass fisherman himself. He knows what those fish in Tenmile are taking because when he’s not on the lake himself, he’s likely talking to one or another of his customers who just came off of it.

I mention Joseph, because he had an experience recently with a Tenmile angler who had discovered just how important lure color can be at times. This angler came into Sporty J’s and bought every Limp Stick the store carried in green pumpkin finish. This is a Limp Stick in an olive green with a black flake.

Tony Tantalo, the vice president of Outlaw Baits, was a dedicated bassin’ man before he ever got into the bait producing business. His favorite shade in the Limp Stick is the green pumpkin with copper flakes. “I’ve caught fish on that color everywhere I’ve thrown it,” he says. I can believe that because I’ve been in the boat with him when he did.

I’ve caught fish on the green shaded Limp Sticks, but my best producer has been a black with blue flakes. As usual, the best thing with any bass bait is to carry an assortment and change colors until you find what they want. Don’t make up your mind in advance what that’s going to be. Keep changing colors until the fish tell you t they favor.

Finally, if the bass don’t hammer a Limp Stick fished in a traditional manner, don’t hesitate to try fishing it wacky style. “If you do take that route,” says Tantalo, “snip off the plastic at the head of the bait so you have an opening at both ends. You’ll find it has better action as it falls.”

Like I said in the beginning, the Limp Stick ain’t likely to win any plastic bait beauty contests. But if bass don’t care about appearances, it sure as shootin’ doesn’t bother me. I’ve also caught fish on these homely hunks of plastic wherever I’ve thrown them. Just toss ‘em out close to cover and let ‘em sink. Odds are you’ll wind up loving the little buggers as much as I do.

Again---because they’re brand new your favorite sporting goods dealer might not yet have Limp Sticks in stock. But he can order them for you. The Outlaw Baits phone number is (541) 997-7338.

copyright 2005 Outlaw Baits  Florence, Oregon    EMAIL