Three More Zoom Baits That Will Make Packing Easier for Your Next Mexican Bass Trip
Prior to each trip back to El Salto or Picachos, I try to review my past tackle suggestions in order to ensure that our hosted groups are fully equipped for success. While going through my past recommendations regarding Zoom Bait Company, I realized that one of my favorites, the Zoom Swimmer, had been discontinued. Most of the other items in their catalog stay around forever, so that’s typically not an issue – you’ll likely be able to get lizards and trick worms and centipedes from now until the end of time. Nevertheless, it also gave me an opportunity to look through their lineup with an eye toward packing for Mexico. I reencountered several lures that’ll do double-duty on your next trip, and which therefore you should consider.
Like the Ol’ Monster or the 8-inch lizard, you can do just about everything with this one, from flipping bushes to Texas Rigging offshore structure, but in recent years it’s become my go-to for Carolina Rigging. I’m not sure that it catches more or bigger fish that the big lizard, but I have more confidence in it.
Favorite Colors: Green Pumpkin Purple Gold and Watermelon Red Flake
The original Ultra Vibe Speed Craw is extremely versatile, but this one is just meatier and long enough to hold a 5/0 hook. It slithers into tight spaces on a punch rig, excels on the back of a jig, and you can Carolina Rig it when you know the fish are there but are being finicky or biting oddly.
Favorite Colors: Watermelon Seed (all around) and Sapphire Blue (flipping deep trees).
This third option isn’t quite as versatile as the first two, but it still has a time and a place, and may gather some of the most heart-stopping strikes you’ve ever experienced.
You can drag it offshore or on a Carolina Rig, but where this one really excels is swimming it behind a pegged light (1/8 ounce or 3/16 ounce) sinker, or buzzing it across the surface. That’s particularly useful in high water scenarios when you can cast far back into thickets that the boat can’t penetrate. Put it on straight braid and you can put it in places that a Chatterbait or swim jig won’t go.
Favorite Colors: Junebug and Green Pumpkin
