PRADCO Lures That You Should Take to Mexico
Over the past several decades, PRADCO Outdoor Brands has purchased up quite a few iconic fishing tackle companies. While not all of them are bass-centric, you’ll find some selection of them at every tournament, in just about every angler’s boat.
While I haven’t used a Jitterbug or Hula Popper in decades, plenty of their offerings are still in my arsenal, including on our frequent trips to Anglers Inn Lake El Salto and Lake Picachos.
Of course, the most famous amongst them is the Bomber Fat Free Shad. I’ve previously called it the “OG” for El Salto because of its long history of catching megas off the lake’s deep structure. While some other deep divers have entered the conversation, here are some things that still recommend the Fat Free Shad for a place in your tackle bag:
It's remarkably inexpensive.
They run properly out of the package and get down in a hurry.
The Citrus shad color in particular is a proven temptation for Mexican giants.
I always have some of them with me, but there are several other lures that consistently make the trip (in fact, many of them remain down there in my stored tackle):
On our first May trip to El Salto, back in 2013, there were a pair of anglers who’d caught them so well on this hollow swimbait that they were patrolling the dining area at mealtime offering to pay a king’s ransom for any Money Minnows, new or torn up. That left an imprint on my brain.
One of the best all-around spinnerbaits ever made, runs true even after getting mangled by a bunch of big bass, and doesn’t need a trailer.
There are other full-sized walking baits that I sometimes prefer, but this is an amazing choice when bass are eating smaller forage. I love a Rico for Mexican largemouths, but when you need to make longer casts and cover more water this can be a better choice.
Like the Fat Free Shad, this one costs substantially less than the competition, without any loss in effectiveness, so you won’t hesitate to throw it into the gnarly stuff.
Finally, a semi-related pro tip: About a decade after 9/11 I was in a taxi on the way to an airport to fly to Okeechobee when I realized that my “Bomber” sweatshirt was probably a bad choice for flying – I don’t want to end up detained in either an American or Mexican jail.
