CS Bass Trends Trendy Bait: Say hello to the BBB Boom Craw

By Joel Shangle

The science of sight fishing is a weird one, as almost any devotee of the technique will admit. Joe Everett sums it up best: “You’re fishing for a fish that doesn’t want to eat. She wants to argue.”

With that in mind, Everett, the Southern California sight-fishing fiend who graces this month’s cover, teamed up with Brad Kowalski of the Big Bait Brotherhood in Manteca, a small custom big-bait builder whose baits are available on the web (Facebook: Bassin’ Brad, Big Bait Brotherhood) to design the Boom Craw.

The Boom Craw is an “argument stopper.” Or, starter, depending on how you look at it.

“This bait was designed strictly as a confrontation bait,” says Everett. “It’s going to be used when I have an opportunity to bring something right into a fish’s face. I wanted a big profile bait other than what was already out there. I gave him all the trigger that I knew about and asked him to create a bait that would hit all those triggers. This bait is all about starting a fight.”

The Boom Craw is 5 ½ inches of floating, soft-plastic hand pour, impregnated with salt, with detailed antennae and glitter. The overall attractiveness of the bait is enhanced with oversized claws and a big profile, and it’s available in dozens of different colors.

“The bait’s suppleness and salt flavor make it an attractive bait to a bass,” Everett says. “Hard baits, it’s sometimes hard to get a hook set because a fish will mouth it and spit it out. This bait you can pin Texas style or Carolina-rig it and it’s going to suspend over the bottom. Fish are going to grab it and BOOM!”