Roumbanis: Big Offseason, Lots of Good Times Ahead

Fred Roumbanis might be forgiven if he hadn’t spent much time this offseason contemplating a game plan for the upcoming Shreveport Classic. After all, he’s been busy fishing, testing tackle, working for both existing and new sponsors and making a long-awaited trip to Africa. But that hasn’t stopped him from thinking about the Red River.

“I love fishing in places that are hard to get into,” Fred said. “There are a lot of backwaters like that on the Red River, places where if you work hard you may come across something special that you’ll have all to yourself. It’s a place with so many variables – the water level, water clarity and the backwaters – that no one has an advantage even if they have past history on the river, so I’m going to go in with a totally open mind.”

But before he heads to Louisiana, Fred will take a roundabout route through Florida in order to fish the FLW Open on Lake Okeechobee, a venue that saw him finish 7th in 2011, a haul that included a whopping five bass, 34-05 stringer on Day Two.

“I want to start my year off right again and Okeechobee is the place to do that,” he said. “You can just go out there and get lost in the reeds. There are new surroundings around every corner. It’s like being a little kid out fishing again.”

For novel surroundings, though, it would be hard to top the winter sojourn he made last month to South Africa with fellow Elite Series pro Derek Remitz. “We saw just about every kind of wild animal you can imagine,” he recalled. “Elephants, lions, zebra, hippos, crocs and rhinos. You’d be fishing along and there’d be monkeys. Derek got to feed a warthog.“ It wasn’t just all wildlife-viewing, however. The anglers made good use of their time, capturing the high-flying tigerfish and also chasing some more familiar largemouths. While Fred was in a strange land, he felt right at home in his host’s Triton 21HP – although the 350 HP Verado outboard and the Porsche Cayenne his host used to tow the rig were a bit more than even the fast-driving Fred was used to.

“What I really took away is that we take fishing for granted here,” he said. “They don’t have a lot of launches there, so a lot of times we just put the boat in off the side of the road. And there’s no Boat US, so you can’t get towed in. If you break down, you’re out there all night with the crocs and the hippos. It’s a lot of work for them just to go fishing.”

Fred’s Hard Bait Facts

IMA will once again be prominently displayed on the side of Fred’s Triton in 2012.

“They’re a very significant sponsor and I appreciate all of the support they’ve given me over the course of my career,” he said. He expects this year to be a breakout campaign for the brand and he’s spent his little available free time since his last tournament of 2011 trying to find little tweaks and tricks to use with the baits to keep his competitive advantage. In particular, he’s worked hard with the Flit and the Beast Hunter.

“The Flit is just deadly out here,” he said, referring to his Oklahoma home. “It’s got what I call a soft jerkbait approach, which means that it darts side to side, almost like a ‘hunting’ jerkbait. It’s so erratic and it suspends so well. Make a couple of hard jerks, pause it with some slack in the line and they clobber it. I’ve fished just about every higher-end jerkbait out there and it’s the best of the bunch.”

At the Classic, he expects that he’ll utilize some combination of the Square Bill, the Shaker and his namesake Roumba to get the job done. A lot will depend on the weather conditions leading into the event. So far it has been a mild winter, so the fish may be further along than they were when he fished the Classic there in 2009. That’ll influence his crankbait choices.

“The Shaker works well in colder water, under 50 degrees,” he explained. “It’s a tighter vibration bait with a shimmy wobble. It’s almost the opposite of what happens in the fall. I get on a Square Bill bite in the fall when the water temperature is 50 to 55, then when it gets colder I go to the Shaker. In the spring, the order is reversed. “

Fred spent some time down at Lake Fork this past fall throwing the IMA Shaker
and managed to whack a few good ones

While the Red River has varied water clarities, Roumbanis chooses his crankbait colors not entirely in accordance with clarity, but often with regard to sustained clarity. So while he may very use patterns with yellow or chartreuse in the dirtier portions of the Red, don’t be surprised him to pull out natural patterns in the same water colors elsewhere.

Shaker Natural

Shaker Bright

“My philosophy is that fish get used to dirty water,” he said. “If there’s a quick change, I’ll stick with chartreuse, but in places where it stays stained they learn to hunt instinctively, so I’ll go with darker, more natural baits.”

Lowen Continues to Tinker

Unlike Roumbanis, who’s been around the world and back in pursuit of little green fish this winter, Bill Lowen has stayed closer to home and spent more time in the deer stand than in his boat. That’s not necessarily by design, but the Lowens recently moved and were blessed with baby number just days ago, so the idea of picking up stakes and heading to Falcon or Guntersville or Clear Lake is off the table.

Besides, it’s downright cold in the Ohio River region, where he continues to reside. That makes it “hard to prepare mechanically” for the upcoming season. But that doesn’t mean he’s taken his mind off fishing altogether – quite the opposite! While Lowen may be known far and wide as a “River Rat,” there’s another alliterative title that also fits him well – “Tackle Tinkerer.” He’s spent tons of time in his shop getting everything ready for the upcoming season, which will likely start at the Bassmaster Classic.

Bill Lowens' Hush Hush

“I spend hours and hours on my tackle,” he said. “It’s not that I’m a neat freak, but I like to carry exactly what I need with me and have 100 percent confidence in anything I tie on. I probably carry more than I need, but I’m still pretty simple compared to most guys.”

That certainty and confidence in his gear will allow him to go into the Classic focused only on finding the right population of fish and the right tool to extract them – no worrying about whether his equipment is battle-tested.

“I’m sure that the tournament will involve flipping and pitching, but it could also set up perfectly for a Square Bill or the Rock N Vibe,” he said. Early in the season, he generally chooses between those two baits based on the amount of vegetation that is present. More of the green stuff means he’s more likely to go with a lipless lure. While there will be some hydrilla on the Red, he said that the river system is characterized by “a lot of wood and a lot of rock,” so he’s keyed in on the Square Bill bite.

Hot Craw Shaker

“There will be a shallow reaction bite somewhere down there,” he added. “But the way I fish it will depend on the water
temperatures. If they’re not as warm, I’ll probably crawl the Square Bill along instead of banging it through the cover. I just won’t fish it as fast.”

As for colors, like Roumbanis he’ll key his choices to the water clarities that he finds when he gets there, but said that “combinations of chartreuse, orange and red always work well” just about anywhere this time of year. The IMA Hot Craw pattern is a favorite and Lowen’s Hush Hush is no longer a secret.

Regardless of how the Classic turns out, Lowen is looking forward to the 2012 BASS campaign. Of the eight Elite Series tournaments, at least seven seem likely to have a substantial shallow water bite. The lone possible exception is the “Mystery Lake” event that will occur after the Mississippi River, and even that one could prove to be right in Bill’s wheelhouse.

“This year sets up real nice for me,” he opined.

Dove Loves Amistad Living

Like Roumbanis and Lowen, IMA pro Kurt Dove no longer lives in his “home state.” The Virginia native picked up stakes a few years back and headed for Del Rio, Texas, where he’s quickly become a respected guide who continues to compete in national events as his busy guiding schedule allows.

We caught up with him as he prefished for a Southern Open in Florida, catching quality fish on a Roumba and a Rock N Vibe, but despite the bites he sounded a little homesick.

“It’s hard to leave Amistad right now, when the bite is so good,” he lamented.”We’ve had some good weights lately but the consistency with numbers has just been amazing. It’s a fun lake to fish with so many different ways to catch them and over the past few years I’ve gotten to know it so much better.”

One of his key tools of late has been the IMA Beast Hunter, particularly in the Silver Lining pattern, which excels in Amistad’s crystal clear water. He’s played with the lure quite a bit and discovered why it succeeds when other deep divers don’t.

“It’s been all about the stop and go retrieve,” he said. “It just comes through cover so well with that tight wobble. You can bring it through the deep trees or the grass and it doesn’t get hung up. When it comes out of the cover, that’s when they nail it.”

Kurt Dove with a Rock-N-Vibe Fish on Amistad

He’s also discovered that the retrieve can make all of the difference with the Rock N Vibe. This lure provides a heavier package in a small-profiled body and that allows him to crawl it through areas where bass live, whether that’s Amistad, in Florida or on his “original” home waters of the Potomac.

“This time of year, you can’t fish it too slow around grass,” he explained. “You want to crawl it and tick it through the cover. You hear it a lot, but it’s just too easy to get into a habit of tossing it out and winding it back with a medium or medium-fast retrieve. If you concentrate on slowing down your retrieve, you’ll catch a lot more fish.”

Your color choices in the Rock N Vibe may vary depending on your local water color and forage options. In Amistad’s clear waters, Dove relies upon Ghost Minnow and Chartreuse Shad most frequently, but as Lowen noted above, the chartreuses and particularly craw imitators like IMA’s brilliant Hot Craw should never be too far out of reach.

Ima & TEAM RB Bass Fishing

Ima Lures is happy to announce their stronger angler presence in Northern California and will be working with Ron Howe and his team at RB Bass Fishing. They are a group of anglers working together to help grow the sport of Bass fishing and pass it on to today’s youth.

Take a look at their homepage and learn more. http://www.rbbassfishing.net/

In addition to using IMA products at the end of your line, you can now wear the company logo proudly. After numerous requests from educated anglers, we’re bringing IMA apparel to a tackle dealer near you.

We have short and long sleeve shirts available in both white and navy blue, boat towels and beanies, along with baseball hats. As with IMA hard baits, they’re only the finest quality and will make a splash at your next bass tournament or out on the town.

As always, we’d love to hear about the bass that IMA lures produce for you, whether on your home body of water or on the trip of a lifetime. Please send pictures of your fish, preferably with an IMA bait in its mouth, and a short description of what made the catch memorable.

Each month we’ll pick one winner who will get to choose the apparel item of his or her choice as a thank you for supporting and using IMA products.

California guide and fishing instructor Randy Pringle is a die-hard hunter, so this time of year is a balancing act for him. Rather than letting his fishing and hunting addictions work against each other, he actually turns them into complementary pastimes. The observations he makes while doing one allow him to succeed at both.

“This is the time of year when Mother Nature is turning,” he said. “Birds are grouping up. You may see five or six white egrets in a place where you haven’t seen them before. That tells you that the shad are moving into the shallows and it’s time to fish. The stripers, the largemouths, the spotted bass and the smallmouths are all moving to the bank.”

He has a carefully composed calendar, with clearly defined “shooting days” and “fishing days” marked, but when the weatherman throws him a curveball, he’s quick to make changes. “That way you can have phenomenal days on the water and phenomenal days in the blind,” he advised. The important thing, though, is to make sure that you get adequate time to experience the fall feed. “The bass don’t know how long fall lasts until it becomes winter. All they know is that they need to eat.”

He employs shad imitators like the IMA Flit and the diminutive Foxy Fry to get the job done. The former, in its several sizes, “allows you to keep the bait in the strike zone longer,” he said. “It’s important to be tight to the shoreline.” The latter, fished on 8 lb. test line, is a numbers-producing machine. When the shad move into the backs of the coves, both lures are deadly with a “stop-start-stop-start” retrieve.

“I never dismiss the Skimmer or the Big Stik,” he added. “But this time of year subsurface baits produce most consistently for me.” While all of the baitfish-patterned baits have their time and place, if forced to take one with him on the water, Olive Herring would be a hands-down first choice: “It’s a killer on every body of water in California,” he said. “Anything with that olive looks like a little baitfish.”

While Pringle plies the backs of coves on the west coast’s famed bass waters, Texas guide Kurt Dove does the same thing on famous Lake Amistad.

“Over the next few weeks, what should start happening is that the shad will congregate in the backs of the drains.” For those of you not from the Lone Star State, a “drain” is where a creek or tributary flows into the lake but doesn’t add water year-round. In effect, it provides a small channel or depression.

“The whole key is the presence of baitfish,” Dove said, showing that a bass is a bass whether it’s in California or on the Mexican border. “I’ll throw an IMA Beast Hunter right down the middle of the drain or on the edges of the hydrilla in 8 to 12 feet of water and fish it with a fast stop-and-go retrieve. The great thing about the Beast Hunter is that it has a really tight wobble. Wide wobbling baits have their place, but in the fall that tight action mimics the bait really well.”

His favorite Beast Hunter color pattern is Bluegill, which he believes replicates not only bluegills, but also Gulf killie minnows, tilapia and both threadfin and gizzard shad. Sometimes he’ll mix in Blue Sexy Shad or Silver Lining, too. He fishes it on a Powell 703 rod instead of a typical cranking stick, and pairs it with a 5:1 gear ratio reel spooled with 16 lb. Toray fluorocarbon. The combination of the rod and the line allow him to rip the bait out of the submerged vegetation, often triggering arm-busting strikes. He’ll also throw an IMA Rock N Vibe on the same setup when the fish are suspended. “Sometimes they’ll be in 2 to 5 feet of water over 10 or 15 feet,” he explained. “This allows you to target two separate fish, those up in the water column and the ones hunkered down on the bottom.”

Did we even have to ask Bill Lowen which IMA lure is his favorite? While he uses the entire lineup, there’s no doubt that his namesake Square Bill gets extremely heavy usage in his FeatherFlage Skeeter. While he likes to cover water, he’s careful about where and when he fishes.

“The biggest key in the fall is bait,” he said, echoing Pringle and Dove. “On lakes the shad migrate to the backs of pockets. On rivers, it’s into creeks. I like to look for a place where a channel runs up against a flat. That’s where shad tend to stack up. If there’s no bait, I won’t fish.”

While his retrieve speed may vary from day to day, based on trial and error, he noted that “the Square Bill was really designed for reaction bites. As long as the water temperature is fairly warm, you want to crash it through cover. Then, as it gets colder, you can slow it down to keep it in the strike zone.”

In clear to slightly stained water, he prefers “some type of shad pattern, like Silver Lining or Foiled Bluegill. If the water has a little bit of color in it, he turns to bone. And if the water is downright dirty, he likes something with some chartreuse in the paint job, although he noted that most of the time “in the fall it tends to stay pretty clear, so it’s more of a shad bite.” He throws it on a 7-foot medium-heavy All-Pro cranking rod, first with a 6.4:1 Revo reel, but when the water cools down he’ll go to a slower retrieve ratio, “so I have no ability to work it fast.” Similarly, he varies his line size, starting with 15 lb. fluorocarbon early in the fall, when he’s using a fast and erratic retrieve, then downsizing to 12 lb. later in the year when he needs to slow down.

Fred Roumbanis is another pro who lives by the Square Bill this time of year in his adopted home state of Oklahoma. He’ll mix in his signature Roumba, too, because this time of year “as the water temperatures are falling, the bait is hitting the bank.” Sound familiar?

“Once the water temperature is below 60, it’s hard to beat the Square Bill around here,” Roumbanis said. “I like to fish it on flats with a little bit of a break line or a creek channel nearby. If you can find any little isolated piece of cover, be sure you make multiple casts to it. If you catch a fish from it, you can often come back later and catch another.”

He’s a firm believer in the power of the Square Bill’s deflection abilities. “I like banging bottom with it. It’s not just cast and reel it in. I want to be as erratic as possible.” The two colors he uses the most around home are Chartreuse Shad and Citrus Shad, fishing them on a 7-foot medium-heavy IRod, paired with an Ardent XS1000 and 15 lb. P-Line.

In addition to fishing local events and preparing for February’s Bassmaster Classic on the Red River, Fred also has a special expedition planned for this off-season: He’s headed to South Africa with fellow Elite Series pro to fish for Tigerfish. They’re mean, toothy critters and he’s anxious to put a Big Stik in front of one and put his skills to the test.

Our lone East Coast representative in this edition of the emailer is South Carolina pro Michael Murphy, who spends this time of year working lakes that are loaded with blueback herring. That gives him prey to imitate, but it can also make the fishing tough – even if the bass are feeding heavily they have tons of natural feeding opportunities in front of them.

“Right now the fish are moving off the secondary points into ditches, in two feet or less of water,” he said. “They’ll stay there for about a month. I go after them with the Rock N Vibe.”

While there are lots of other lipless crankbaits to choose from, he said the smaller profile but heavier weight of the Rock N Vibe gives him an advantage. He can cast it longer distances, then burn it while allowing it to stay down in the strike zone, covering water.

Surprisingly, he throws it on 15 lb. monofilament line. “Some people prefer fluorocarbon or braid, but I like the castability of mono. When they’re up shallow sometimes you have to sneak up on them.”

He’s also a stickler for a particular rod action and dotes on his 7 ½ foot Denali cranking rod.

“This time of year the fish are apt to just slap at the bait,” he explained. “They’re not eating. It’s more or less a reaction bite. You’ll end up foul hooking some of them, so that parabolic rod action is a must if you don’t want to lose them.”

He said lure color isn’t terribly important. While he likes to imitate the bluebacks, he noted that there are also threadfin shad mixed in, so any natural baitfish color should work. “It’s more about the action than the color, but keep it in the shad range.” Chartreuse Shad and Chrome Blue Back are staples in his boat.

“Right now the water is in the mid- to upper-60s around here,” he concluded. “This bait will last at least until the water gets below 55. That’s when they get into their winter patterns.”

Credits: bassmaster.com

Maybe then you’ll want to get back to hunting…..or maybe not. Every part of the country may fish a little bit differently right now. Even neighboring waters can have totally different bites during the heavy fall feed, but there’s no better time to be a hard bait fisherman and as our pros make clear, there’s an IMA hard bait for every situation you’ll encounter.

In addition to using IMA products at the end of your line, you can now wear the company logo proudly. After numerous requests from educated anglers, we’re bringing IMA apparel to a tackle dealer near you.

We have short and long sleeve shirts available in both white and navy blue, boat towels and beanies, along with baseball hats. As with IMA hard baits, they’re only the finest quality and will make a splash at your next bass tournament or out on the town.

As always, we’d love to hear about the bass that IMA lures produce for you, whether on your home body of water or on the trip of a lifetime. Please send pictures of your fish, preferably with an IMA bait in its mouth, and a short description of what made the catch memorable.

Each month we’ll pick one winner who will get to choose the apparel item of his or her choice as a thank you for supporting and using IMA products.

Welcome to the IMA Emailer – September 2011 Issue

The IMA EMAILER brings you news from IMA pro staff members across the USA and worldwide.

While the calendar tells us that the official end of summer is still a few weeks away, Labor Day, the unofficial conclusion of the season, is upon us. It may be every bit as hot where you live as it was a month ago, or you may be starting to see the first little hints of fall. Kids are going back to school, wardrobes are changing and you might even want to dig a jacket out of the closet.

If you can figure out how the bass are transitioning in your neck of the woods, you can hit on one of the best bites of the year.

Here at IMA, we're big fans of change, as evidenced by our awesome showing at ICAST 2011, last month's version of the industry's biggest annual trade show. We introduced two totally new lures as well as several new colors in some established products. The result was that we occasionally had to wipe the drool off of our display cases. Buyers, pros and media alike were desperate to get a close-up look of what the best fishing minds of Japan and the US combined to produce.

(The ima booth was a hot spot to be at during July's ICAST Show.)

As long as we're talking about "new," we'd like to introduce you to the newest member of IMA's national pro-staff, Kurt Dove. The Virginia native fished the Bassmaster Elite Series for a few years and became acquainted with the IMA lineup through pros like Bill Lowen and Fred Roumbanis. He's also a dedicated fan of our sister company, Optimum Swimbaits.

Searching for a way to maximize his talents, Kurt picked up stakes from Virginia and moved to Del Rio, Texas in time for the start of 2008. He's quickly established a tremendous guide service on Lake Amistad and is the big border pond's most enthusiastic cheerleader.

"I fell in love with the place," he said. "It's just so multifaceted – with grass, and clear water, you can catch them shallow and you can catch them deep. And that's right; you do a lot of catching. You just get bit a lot."

"It's a great jerkbait lake," he continued. "I fell in love with how the Flit 120 produced in the clear water and started playing with the IMA and Optimum lineups. The Rock N' Vibe is great for schooling fish and it's particularly good for guiding. It's easy to throw and it has a different rattle than any other lipless crankbait on the market. I also love to fish the Roumba over the hydrilla in the summertime."

(Kurt shows off a healthy bass he caught on the Flit 120 at Lake Amistad this spring)

The bait that excites him the most, though, is the new Beast Hunter deep diving crankbait.

"We have a deep cranking bite in the hydrilla as soon as it starts to break up," he stated. "It starts soon and should continue right through into December. The Beast Hunter is an awesome all around crankbait and a key part of the IMA puzzle."

While Dove dotes on shad patterns in Amistad's clear water, he also said a bluegill or citrus shad pattern can be deadly. While Amistad is known for its tilapia population, the most common things Dove finds in his livewell at the end of his tournament days are bluegills, so that's what he tries to mimic most frequently.

If you'd like to book a trip on world-famous Lake Amistad with one of the friendliest and best teaching guides in the business, check out Kurt's website at www.swtexasbassguide.com.

FLW Tour pro Michael Murphy is another big fan of the Beast Hunter. In his years on tour, he's searched for a crankbait that can dominate the 10 to 13 foot range where so many big fish live for a large portion of the year. He's found it in our new crank, which is designed to come through grass without a hitch.

The crankbait's key attribute is that instead of having a weight-transfer system like many other lures in its class, it incorporates a fixed weight inside an thicker sidewalls (a full 2.0mm) which distributes the weight evenly throughout the body.

"Jun (Shoji) worked on it for two years," Murphy said. "He made it so it doesn't have to have the same sort of weights as other deep divers. That allows it to tuck and roll. Rather than operating on a 'pivot,' it rolls like a good swimbait. That provides a more erratic action."

(Jun Shoji and Fred Roumbanis talk about the Beast Hunter and its traits for the cameras.)

"Every fish I've caught on it has had the bait deep in its mouth," he said. "They just annihilate it." He's used it on TVA largemouths and Erie smallmouths. The only problem he had at the latter lake was that the walleyes also seem to like it. Mr. Murphy ended up with a couple of dinners' worth of fillets thanks to his new favorite bait. He's still learning how much it has to offer, he added, and while it catches fish right out of the package he said "it'll take a good year to fully understand what it can do."

While he's used every color that IMA produces in the Beast Hunter, so far his favorite is the multi-dimensional "Fred's Perch." He said the largemouths think it's a bluegill, the walleye probably think it's a perch and to the smallmouths it can emulate a goby.

"That one crankbait will produce fish practically year-round unless there's ice on the lake," he concluded.

(The Brand new items from ima Lures include: Silent Big Stik, Beast Hunter, Foxy Fry)

Murphy put his money where his mouth is at last week's BASS Northern Open on Lake Erie, finishing 3rd among a stout field of Great Lakes hotshots and national touring pros. While the old "Erie tube drag" and a dropshot were part of his arsenal, when the bite got toughest he wielded the Fred's Perch Beast Hunter to top off his three limits that averaged over 20 pounds apiece. With only one tournament left to go, he sits in 8th place overall in the Open points standings.

If you think Michael Murphy loves the Fred's Perch Beast Hunter, how do you think Fred Roumbanis is feeling about now? He's the US pro with the longest track record with this deep diver and he's still amazed every day by how good it is. "That's my go-to color," he said. "And the Beast Hunter just has the most wicked bounce-back action when you deflect it off cover and then kill it."

(The Lake Erie Smallmouth could not resist the new ima Beast Hunter. Give them a try on your local bass the next time out.)

He liked the color so much that he insisted we bring it out in his namesake Roumba, too. "I just have a lot of confidence in that color in any hard bait I throw," he said. But we didn't stop there. There are two other new shades in the Roumba, one light and one dark. Both are made of one piece of ABS plastic and feature a one-knocker instead of multiple rattles.

"I like the one-knocker baits because you can walk them like a big topwater or a frog without any modifications and on each side-to-side movement it makes that sound that allows fish to really target them easily," he explained. "Especially when they're schooling, they really seem to like that pitch."

Rattlin’ Roumba – 174 Black Bass

Rattlin’ Roumba – 175 Fred’s Perch

The light-colored version is Bone, which Fred says imitates just about any injured baitfish. When their first layer of scales are knocked away, bluegills, crappie, shad and most other prey have an underlayer that is bone-colored. That makes it especially good for fish in a feeding frenzy with lots of food options to choose from – between the color and the single knocking noisemaker, this Roumba is an easy target.

The other new pattern, our "dark horse," is called Black Bass and as the name indicates it's primarily black with ridges of blue markings down the side.

"You can't go wrong with black just about anywhere," Fred said. "It's especially good when you want the bait to be a little less intimidating. The silhouette makes the overall profile look smaller."

He likes the blue markings because they make the lure look like a black and blue jig, his go-to color when swimming a jig around water willow. The Roumba's wide wobble makes it remarkably snag-resistant around vegetation and unlike a jig it has sticky sharp trebles that'll pin down a slashing bass.

Veteran California guide and bass instructor Randy Pringle likes the Beast Hunter and the Roumba, too, but the two new IMA products that have him most excited come from opposite ends of the size spectrum.

The first is the new Silent Big Stik, a non-rattling version of the big topwater that IMA brought out last year. It may look striper-sized, but big largemouths smoke it, too. When the fish are fattening up for the fall run but there's no wind and clear water, he finds that the silent version produces more strikes.

"Those are the times you want to get subtle," he said. "It's very important to act the same way as the baitfish act under those conditions and that means less noise."

Given the fact that he fishing it in clear water, he prefers more subtle colors, too. Three favorites are the Ghost Rainbow, Ghost Ayu and Bone.

But if you think Randy only gets excited when he's fishing the heavy hardware, think again. The other lure that has him jacked to be on the water is the new Foxy Fry, a 3/16 ounce bundle of dynamite that's half crankbait, half jerkbait, all fish-catching machine.

(NOTE – The Foxy Fry does not come with a split ring in the nose. Use a size 1 or 2 cross snap for best results)

"It's a little bitty thing," Pringle said. "But it's going to be a killer because every body of water has baitfish that size – every frog pond, every lake, even the Delta." In fact, it's a perfect guiding tool on the Delta right now. "If I were to have my clients throw it all day, we'd probably catch 150 fish on it. They probably wouldn't be big, but we'd get bites all day, and it's only going to get better as the temperatures start to drop.

Again, he prefers it in natural hues like Chartreuse Shad, Ghost Minnow, Ghost Ayu and Pro Blue.

It'll continue to be deadly throughout the winter and through the pre-spawn, so you can bet he'll have a spinning rod with 6- or 8-pound test line on the deck of his boat until the fish go up to spawn.

Bassmaster Classic qualifier Bill Lowen has spent the summer at home in the Midwest, where river tournaments are TOUGH. He's fishing every Tuesday and Wednesday nighter he can, along with any other local derbies that cross his path.

He knows of a recent BFL on the Ohio River where it took 5 pounds to win and just over 2 pounds to get a check. In circumstances like that, a single extra bite can put money in your pocket and while he thinks his signature Square Bill is the best shallow diving crank on the market, he believes that IMA made it even more deadly this year with the addition of three new color patterns – Silver Lining, Foiled Bluegill and Lowen's Hush Hush.

The first and the third of that trio are "colors I've used forever," he said. "I was raised on homemade crankbaits and those are good on any body shape."

The Hush Hush is a gaudy bluegill imitator, with chartreuse sides, while the Foiled Bluegill provides a little more flash as a result of its foiled sides. The Silver lining, silver sides with a black back, is a "must have" when the fish are gorging on shad. With those three, he could feel pretty comfortable on almost any body of water this time of year.

That confidence is born out of being raised fishing tough Ohio fisheries. "It just makes you better," he said of the stingy waterways. "You never get discouraged. I'm used to fishing for 6 or 7 bites a day so when you go to Guntersville and you're getting 30 or 40 bites a day and other guys are saying it's slow, that's like heaven to me."

No matter which color or colors of the Square Bill you choose, Lowen said the key is to burn it. SO many guys try to "worm" a crankbait slowly under tough conditions, but Lowen likes to burn it, crash it into cover, and then kill it. That's when the big bites come, whether you're fishing for 40 bites or for 5.

In addition to using IMA products at the end of your line, you can now wear the company logo proudly. After numerous requests from educated anglers, we're bringing IMA apparel to a tackle dealer near you.

We have short and long sleeve shirts available in both white and navy blue, boat towels and beanies, along with baseball hats. As with IMA hard baits, they're only the finest quality and will make a splash at your next bass tournament or out on the town.

Show Us Your Catches!

As always, we'd love to hear about the bass that IMA lures produce for you, whether on your home body of water or on the trip of a lifetime. Please send pictures of your fish, preferably with an IMA bait in its mouth, and a short description of what made the catch memorable.

Each month we'll pick one winner who will get to choose the apparel item of his or her choice as a thank you for supporting and using IMA products.

(A customer sent in their ima Square Bill being choked on by a lunker bass)

BUY NOW!

The Beast Hunter mid-range crankbait, developed by legendary Japanese pro Jun Shoji, is the newest offering in IMA’s power-fishing arsenal. Shoji guides on Lake Biwa in Japan, where a world record-tying
largemouth was caught in 2010. With that laboratory at his disposal, he set out to create a lure that can dominate the 10 to 13 foot range where most of Biwa’s monsters are hooked. He’s succeeded in creating a
product that will successfully hunt down those beasts.

Designed specifically to come through grass, without hanging up or losing effectiveness, the Beast Hunter coordinates the size of the lure’s body and thickness of its sides with the length and width of the lip. On 14-pound fluorocarbon it dominates the 10 to 13 foot range. With a very natural wobble – not too wide, not too tight – a subdued knocking sound not to turn off spooky bass, the Beast Hunter is a power bait that doesn’t overpower the situation.

Its design incorporates a small fixed weight inside, which maximizes diving depth while preventing the lure from tumbling and getting fouled on the cast. The sidewalls are 2.0mm thick which distributes the
overall weight proportionately throughout the body enabling it to stop quicker as it doesn’t glide forward. The diving angle is also tuned so when you come in contact with the weeds, softly lift up on the rod.
The Beast Hunter will back slide and glide right over the vegetation. Every aspect of this lure is made to maximize performance.

Although designed by Japanese Pro, Jun Shoji, the Beast Hunter

has been successfully tested by the ima pros here on the U.S. lakes

The Beast Hunter will successfully hunt down the beast of your dreams.

• The Diving Angle – Secret to avoiding hang-ups

The “buoyancy level and the diving angle” are key factors of being able to come through grass. The Beast Hunter has a perfect combination of the two so when you come in contact with the weeds, softly lift up on the rod. The Beast Hunter will back slide and glide right over the vegetation.

• A Fixed Weight and Extremely Thick Body Shell

At 2.0mm thick, the sidewalls are designed much thicker than other baits. This distributes the overall weight proportionately throughout the body enabling it to stop quicker as it doesn’t glide forward. The
thickness also helps it float faster. The design incorporates a small fixed weight inside, which maximizes diving depth while preventing the lure from tumbling and getting fouled on the cast.

• Casts like a bullet!

From the body design to weight placement, every aspect of this lure is made to maximize performance. The hooks are shielded by the body and lip to keep it weedless without hampering hooking ability. This also allows for dart like casting for great distance.

Specs

LENGTH:　67 mm, 2.64 inches

WEIGHT:　23 g, ¾ oz.

HOOKS: #2

DEPTH: 10-13 feet (on 14 lb. fluorocarbon)

CLASS:　Mid-range Crankbait

Beast Hunter will initially be available in six color patterns, all natural hues that will tempt even the wariest bass: 103 Bluegill 121 Hot Craw 147 Blue Sexy Shad 159 Citrus Shad 175 Fred’s Perch 163 Silver Lining

Flit 120 – 114 Table Rock Shad

Flit 120 – 171 Boned Shad

Flit 100 – 114 Table Rock Shad

Flit 100 – 171 Boned Shad

ima Shaker – 104 Chartuese Shad

ima Shaker – 146 Double Cheeseburger

ima Shaker – 121 Hot Crawfish

ima Shaker – 170 Foiled Gold Black

ima Shaker – 108 Misty Shad

Rock N Vibe – 007 Water Bug

Rock N Vibe – 001 Ghost Ayu

Rock N Vibe – 006 Power Blue

Big Stik – 116 Tennessee Shad

Big Stik – 108 Misty Shad

SILENT Big Stik – 172 Ghost Rainbow Trout

SILENT Big Stik – 166 Ghost Ayu

SILENT Big Stik – 135 Bone

ima Skimmer – 173 Lime Ghost

ima Skimmer – 166 Ghost Ayu

ima Skimmer – 135 Bone

ima Skimmer – 153 Blue Back Herring

Rattlin’ Roumba – 175 Fred’s Perch

Rattlin’ Roumba – 174 Black Bass

Roumba – 135 Bone

Square Bill – 163 Silver Lining

Square Bill – 164 Foiled Bluegill

Square Bill – 165 Lowen’s Hush Hush