Last year square bill cranks were one of my best producers and so as I begin gearing up for this year I started looking at new stuff being released and something really caught my eye, it is the new offerings from Bagley. I ordered the new Balsa Shad as it looks like it will be a great ice out bait but that isn't the only thing that I was interested in, the main thing I wanted was to get my hands on the new plastic line, specifically the Rattlin' Killer B!!!!  Well I ended up getting 2 and when they came in I was really happy, I was originally going to wait until I got to fish them before getting more but it looks like I'm just going to grab some as they might end up being back ordered after a few more people get it. I got the Rattlin' Killer B2, it is 3/8oz and has a listed diving depth of 3'-4', the colors I got are bluegill and mustard shad and while not the most detailed, they are still very nice. The first thing that jumps out at you are the eyes, these aren't painted on, they have 3D eyes, and as I look at the bait closer the hooks look to be very stout and are black nickel, I believe VMC is suppying the hooks, I'm not 100% sure but these ones are sharp and strong. The body has a subtle scale texture on the sides which is a nice touch and what is a really nice feature is the oval spit ring line tie, that little addition made me like the baits even more. The internal rattle is going to be great, it is like a one knocker, it is hard to tell if there is a steel ball hitting the sides or another ball, the sound is very audible and you'll no doubt hear it on retrieves but it is very low in tone and I really, really like that. The reason I like the low tone of the rattle is that the Killer B, for those not familiar with the Balsa models, has a more slender profile which gives it a rapid shimmy but it is a tighter action where as the Balsa B is a wide wobble bait, I've had the balsa models since the late 80s and the Balsa B is with me every trip but I was scared to lose it until the new Bagley ownership started bringing them back. I'll give a full review of it once the ice melts but I'm making an early prediction that these are going to be really good and end up getting hard to find. I don't usually get hyped up about a bait like this but this could be a game changer for my fishing, a 3' diving square bill with a tight action and low rattle makes for one of those baits you can use from ice out to ice in, I'm very happy right now.

Thanks for reviewing.

Where did you get this crankbait from?

Where did you get this crankbait from?

 

I got them direct from Bagley, on their website they have a store that you can get the baits from. In the case of this new one it was a bit different, they aren't on there yet but I emailed them and asked about availability back in January and they told me the approximate date they would be coming in. Well after that I had to contact them by phone and they were able to get me 2 so far but when they hit the shelves I'll be getting more, that is without a doubt. I think if you like square bills then this is on the must have list now, the same basic shape as the original Killer B but in plastic with a rattle and 3D eye, this is going to be a difference maker in my fishing.