Born Again Armageddon Trout Review

[chasenbass]

Born Again Armageddon Trout (Original)

 

Action: First off let me say that the action of this bait is very fluid for a 3 piece hard bait that is over 8â€. I have fished large hard baits for a long time and many did not look that well or good at all in the water while swimming. The slight swag of the head while it swims looks very natural and deceiving to the large bass that we are all after. The kick from the tail looks like it just got off the trout stocking truck and is ready to be inhaled by a giant bass. The middle section of the bait doesn’t move too much so that it isn’t overpowering and taking action away from the front or back. The BAA swim is very fishy and calls the big girls up for the reasons above. The most appealing thing to me about this bait is the swim imitates a trout and the action is where this bait excels. As for waking this bait it can be done. You have to reel a little slower than say a Wake Jr., but it will wake really nice on the surface! To me it looks like a wondering, stymied trout just cruising along.

 

Color: What can I say……..Have you seen Mickey’s paint jobs? The color schemes I have seen from trout to perch have been spot on. For me fishing in California the trout and dark trout have been the best colors for me. Basically matching the hatch where ever you are is part of the equation to the success with any bait. I’m not saying that a trout colored bait won’t work, but if the primary forage is something other than trout, then that is what I would be fishing.

 

Durability: The durability is second to none! All the baits I own have some hook rash and paint missing from teeth marks and hooks digging into the bait while fighting big bass. This is a small price to pay when you are sticking 10+ pound bass! I have never had any hinges sticking, paint bubbling, or parts of the bait breaking (hinges, tails, and bills). The BAA is bullet proof in the durability department.

 

Sink Rate: The Original BAA floats, but will dive when it is retrieved (depending on the rate at which you reel at). So sink rate isn’t applied to the BAA. (Unless you own a slow sink) Different review!

 

Application: Let’s see I have caught fish while waking the BAA, casting the BAA while making it dive, and trolling the BAA. Anytime there are large forage fish in a lake that I’m fishing I’ll have one of these baits tied on. The versatility of the bait is so unique that it can be used in so many ways. Waking, Casting, Trolling, & Dead sticking on the surface. The BAA is a must for any swim bait user in the world. The bottom line is that if you’re not using the BAA you’re missing out on big bass!

 

Thanks for reading the review and I hope this helps!

 

chasenbass

[BASS]

Review of the BA Armageddon, original, crankable bill:

 

At first glance on the bait, the first thing I notice is how frickin awesome it looks. The look on this things face is just mean. It gives the bait its own badass attitude. I got my Armageddon in the very first release when the only color was rainbow trout. Still the one I use today. The Armageddon is unquestionably intimidating, but once you understand the fact that it will catch fish, anybody can (and will) catch monsters on it.

 

I got returned-on to this bait when a friend of Nick and I’s literally found an Armageddon when he was scuba diving in a river. It was stuck on a branch. This man was no swimbaiter prior to this, but knew how to catch trophies out of Westlake. Nick and I couldn’t believe the ridiculous find he made, but what even astonished us more was he started catching fish on it. He even got a couple 7’s. I was hooked from that point on to throw this bait as much as I could. It was all just meant to be.

 

Appearance:

The Armageddon looks mean. It is a wide profile bait and definitely a good chunk of resin. The paint on this is spot on. Mickey does, by far, some of the best paint on the market and this is no exception. This bait is a work of art

 

Application:

I fish this lake anywhere big baitfish swim. I’ll be honest, I have never fished this bait where an actual rainbow trout has swam, but Westlake has bass that eat other bass and this bait has done a great job replicating that for me. I fish this bait in the warmer months primarily at night. My biggest fish on the arm have actually come in the summer and spring. Once again though, I am fishing a troutless lake. I have caught fish off tullies, near rocks, and in open water near submerged cover. Basically anywhere there is any type of water and the fish are biting the top, throw the arm!

 

Action:

On a straight retrieve at a medium speed, this bait gives a really nice, realistic action. It leaves a nice wake, creates a kind of bubble trail and clacks. It does it all. I personally don’t crank this bait, I don’t even really twitch it much. I just let the bait do the action it was made to have and pause it every now and then. It is very realistic and definitely calls fish from afar.

 

Tackle:

I am fortunate enough to be able to throw my Armageddon on a Low Down XXH and it has performed flawlessly for me. I pair that rod with a 400TE and Maxima 25lb Ultragreen and BAM! Perfect combo for this thing. It literally will chuck this bait a mile and allow for a long time period in the strike zone. In fact, the first day I got my Low Down, I headed down to the lake, tied on an Armageddon and caught my very first Arm and LDC fish. It wasn’t a typical topwater day either. 60 degrees, clear sky, and mid day. This combo was just made to be.

 

Performance:

From about April on, I had an Armageddon tied on one of my rods just and nearly every night I was out there, I fished it. I had trips where I brought only my Low Down with an Arm tied on. Throughout Spring-Summer, I experienced probably over 30 explosions, unfortunately, not too many hooked up, but I most definitely landed around 10 and lost about 5 at the boat. The average fish was big. Granted, I got two four pounders, but the rest were over 5 with some bigger. I missed one giant that I actually got on the bank, he shook free and flopped himself right back into the water, quick release. This is a bait that I can go out and know that I will get bit and that fish will be a trophy. It’s a great feeling. I have utter confidence that this bait will be hanging from a few monsters for me this coming year. It makes it almost too easy. Just find the spot, cast the bait, and retrieve it slow and steady just so the bait is swimming. Pause it every now and then and be prepared for a frightening explosion.

 

Unfortunately, Nick and I don’t take pics of a lot of the fish we catch out of pure laziness. But here are a few that we did get of this bait.

(Biggest Fish I have landed on the bait)

(Heavy Floater)

[BASS]

Only negatives I can think of:

Hard to find

Hook-up ration hasn't treated me too well.

[GRIZZ]

Rocky, your writeups (reviews) are off the charts, very well done.

 

Question, nothing to do with the review, but you mentioned your throwing in on a Low Down XXH.......8' or a 8'6"?

 

Thanks!

[BASS]

Rocky, your writeups (reviews) are off the charts, very well done.

 

Question, nothing to do with the review, but you mentioned your throwing in on a Low Down XXH.......8' or a 8'6"?

 

Thanks!

 

Thank you!!! I have an 8'. Maybe if I make some money I can eventually get an 8'6" that rod sounds amazing too!

[nightsessions]

Anyone have anything to add to this? Just picked up a floater after my sucess with the wake jr

[flaswimbaiter]

Mine tosses fine on an LDC XH. Have not had any luck with bass, but the snook love it.

[Mikey99]

Nice ones Dave. Are you waking it or cranking it?

[flaswimbaiter]

Cranking, on the pause, it suspends.