8" Free Style, Floater, SS and Fast Sink

[Bassindon69]

I been using them a few months now and like them all 3. I have caught fish on all 3 of them but I like the Floater and SS the most. That would be because those two are on rods more then the Fast sink . The SS ROF fall is always a better look on any bait when falling slowly over a faster fall (so I think), Unless you are just trying to get it down deep. I will explore more deep with the Fast sink this winter.

 

My biggest fish at 9.13 (some would call that a 10 ) so far came on the SS. That big fish was also caught at night. The rest of the fish were caught in the day time and were about 8 lbs on down.

Slow reel, burning or ripping the baits, the baits run true. The boil sound the bait makes when POPPING it hard on the surface is sick. You can WORK this bait and it will run true. I did only catch one fish on the Fast sink so far but it was caught where everyone and their mother casts so that was cool. Never pulled one out of there before. And again the Fast sink has just not had the same use as the other two.

 

I really like how well you can cast these FS baits. Some hard baits just seem to catch wind and don't cast very well but the 8" Free Style casts very very well. That is also something that means a lot to me is being able to get the baits out there on a long cast. (no cast off's with 25# P-line PF)

I have only used these about 1/2 year now. We will see what else comes up next

Feel free to jump in guys.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KFsv-oR3bw

[Darth Baiter]

Good review Don.

[Maxwell S.]

Nice review! Thanks for the info!

[reelfish]

Thanks Don. I feel the same way. The 8" Bass became my favorite swimbait this summer. What I like about the bait is that it stays down more than the SS 6" shad win you rip it. The 6" Shad seem to rip out of the water which is pretty dang cool. However, when I rip the 8" it seems to stay down a lot more which I prefer.

 

I have been waiting for a 6" or 8" fast sink to hit the market because the lake I fish is clear and pretty much the only cover is docks and man made brushpiles at the edge of docks in 20' of water. I have a hard to keep some of these baits down in the water column when working them aggressively. Thanks for the review and I will be looking forward to your comments on the fast sink.

[SPEEDBEAD]

Both freestyles are must have baits in my boat. I prefer the slow sink but the floater at times is just awesome. Here's how I use them:

 

Slow sink- I prefer to make this bait move a lot while keeping it in the zone as long as possible. When I say move alot that doesn't mean unnaturaly! Just because the bait can do some crazy things doesn't mean the fish want it like that. Make the bait turn slightly, pause, spin it again, pause ... Subtle though. What would you do if you were cornered by something that wanted to eat you? Look one way, look the other way, but be locked in place trying to decide which escape to make... I use the straight grind to cover water and locate fish. When the bite is on, I speed it up and make it very erratic.

 

Floater - I prefer these when it's calm out. When the bite is on I like to cast it out, let it sit, then rip it 2'-4'. Then kill it. The bites on this retrieve are savage. When the aggressive retrieve doesn't work, and I know where the fish are, I go to the exact opposite. Slight twitch, pause, pop it.. pause, slap it... The bigger fs floaters walk easier then the smaller ones, but you can walk them. I haven't done well on the floater with a straight grind except for followers.

 

The thing that makes freestyles so good to me is I can do any and all of these things on any given cast. Whatever the situation calls for a freestyle can do it.

[DBirdtn]

Man can't get enought of the 8in freestyle my new bait for this year.Its gonna be my new go to bait lol. Great stuff guys.