Very few times have we taken a new bait out of the package and knew it was a tournament winning bait. That cannot be said for the Gene Larew Biffle Bug. We saw it and knew it was the deal. The 4.25 inch bait has all of the ingredients including a segmented body, 6 slender legs on the body, 2 kicking legs, scooped Biffle tail and a rattle pocket all in a single bait. It is balanced perfectly, swims well and will accomodate up to a 5/0 hook. It has a large profile and when they bass hit it they SMASH it.
Gene Larew has been a Midwest mainstay for decades and this new entry will elevate their position further. Perfect for pitching and flipping the Biffle bug can be both flipped and swam for equally great results.
Based on the conditions, cold front and northeast wind, we knew fish would be holding tight to cover and in order to catch them we would have to punch the mats. The bass were buried deep in the cover and a slow methodical approach would be necessary
Our Tests
We rigged the Biffle Bug on a Fenwick Elite Tech Flipping rod with 65 pound Camo Stealth Braid and a 1/2 ounce Denny Brauer Tru–Tungsten Flipping Weight. We used a Reaction Innovations BMF 5/0 straight shank hook with keeper for the best hooking in heavy cover. We also used a Zoom glass rattle.
As mentioned above we flipped mats of grass in 3-6 foot of water and also fished wood with coontail mixed.
In practice we caught a 3 pounder on the first flip with this bait. The action in heavy cover is unmatched. It punches easily through even the heaviest of cover. Once punched through the canopy we would let the bait fall all the way to the bottom, hop it a couple of times and then pitch to another hole. Most bites occurred after a couple of hops or when on the way out of the holes.
We fished this bait in tournament conditions. We had 5 bass weighing almost 15 pounds and also caught a 6.58 pounder as well.
Some Biffle Bug Tricks
Because this is a slender, hollow bait they can get torn up easily rigged conventionally. We pegged the bait to the hook by pushing a flat toothpick through the bait and the eye of the hook and utilized the Reaction Innovations keeper to get more milage out of the baits. We skin hooked the bait to the top side of the bait to allow for quicker hook penetration.
Although this bait is perfect for flipping and pitching we also see other applications from Carolina Rigging, to swimming it and casting it as well. The kicking legs put out a ton of pressure waves and because of the cupped tail it glides on the fall. We also want to try it rigged weightless and buzzed over mats of grass.
You can pinch off the swimming legs easily giving it more gliding action.
We used watermelon red.
The Inside Scoop
The Biffle Bug is available at Tackle Warehouse and comes in 37 colors and 8 baits per bag. They retail for $4.99.
These are a must have bait!
