Tiki Stick In Package
We’ve talked quite a bit about using stick baits when old man winter comes knocking and today we’re going to take a new offering from an established company out for a few spins around our local waters. The Wave Worm Tiki Stick Super Soft Pro was recently introduced and is now becoming available at retailers and e-tailers. It is the same size as the original Tiki Stick but uses a new formulation for the plastic as well as the introduction as their proprietary “Molopo scent”.
I remember using the original which was heavily coated and packaged with an anise scent that was a bit on the messy side. When you got one out of the package, the oil got on you and made it a little difficult at times to handle the product. The new Super Soft Pro has eliminated all the negatives associated with its predecessor as well as enhancing all the positives. How did they do this and what are the improvements you are wondering?
The first thing that you will notice is that there is no oily residue on the bait. None! That in and of itself is enough to make us want to try it but it doesn’t stop there by a long shot.
The original Tiki Stick weighed approximately 8.5 grams per bait. This was a respectable weight in this class and allowed the angler moderate casting distance. However, the new Super Soft Pro weighs about 10.5 grams per bait, roughly 20% heavier, which makes casting this new Tiki Stick much easier. In our testing, that translated to both better distance and improved accuracy. Of course this also means that the sink rate is marginally faster which can be an advantage when you need to get the bait down in the water column but don’t want to use a weight with it.
Tips For Rigging The Tiki Stick Super Soft Pro
Wacky Worm Rig
The real question for any soft plastic is what is the action like in the water. Stick baits have been around a long time now and are a proven bass catcher. Their subtle action and versatility for rigging options make them one of the baits that most anglers have on hand all year long. We are no exception to this rule and will throw these from the dead of winter to the dead of summer and consistently catch fish with them. So does the Super Soft Pro distinguish itself from the pack in regards to its action? In a word, yes!
Rigged weightless on an EWG the tail of the new Tiki Stick doesn’t just undulate on the fall. Rather, the best way I can describe it, and I’m probably showing my age when I say this, is that the motion is very similar to an old warm up stretch we used to do in baseball. You extend both arms straight out to your sides at shoulder level and rotate them in a circle. That may sound a little odd but the tail exhibits this kind of circular motion as its falling.
Similarly, when rigged wacky style, both ends of the Super Soft Pro have that same circular motion as its falling which causes the center of the bait to undulate back and forth just a little. Now I’m not a bass but when I first started watching this bait, I was thinking to myself, ”Oh yeah, this is gonna’ catch some fish!” Sure enough, the fish seemed to agree with me.
Another improvement that the folks at Wave have been able to build into this new bait is the durability of the plastic while maintaining the softness. I know that I’m preaching to the choir but some of the lures in this category go a fish or two at most and it’s time to replace them. The Tiki Stick Super Soft Pro has held up better than the average stick bait in our opinion. Maybe because we’re using it now in the winter months but we’re getting 3 or more fish per bait. Will this continue as the water warms and the bite gets more aggressive? Beats the fire out of me but I will certainly be fishing it long term just to find out.
If there is anything that we could gripe about, it is just the limited colors that the new Tiki Stick Super Soft Pro is currently available in. As of this writing, there are only six. All of which are proven and should work anywhere in the country but we would still like to see more options in the future. Speaking of that, we would welcome this plastic formulation in some other products in the Wave Worm line. In our opinion, they have come up with a real winner with the new Super Soft Pro.
Visit Wave Fishing’s site for more details and to place your order today!
| Tiki Stick Super Soft Pro | |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating |   |
| One of our favorite new baits this year! | |
See ya’ on the water …
