While we were down in San Diego we happened to run across the folks from Phenix Baits. They had a booth at the Fred Hall Boat and Tackle Show and were very engaging where discussing their baits was concerned.
We were particularly taken with the Phenix Vibrator Jig Version 3. The reasons were several.
The shape of the head of the jig was rounded in a way that was evident it would slide through grass well, the quality of the skirting, the precise cut of the blade, the components that all attach to the blade, the different blade colors, the conical bait keeper on the shank of the hook, the sharpness of the hook and last but not least, the color and weight choices.
Yeah, that’s a run on sentence but all of those features are immediately evident as soon as you pick up the bait.
Here’s the scoop
The Vibrator Jig is available at Tackle Warehouse in 21 colors, each coming in 5 different weights – 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 5/8, and 3/4. This allows you to really fine tune your presentation for depth, rate of fall, rate of retrieve and size of your offering.
You can choose your favorite trailer to fit the size your fishing on any given day and considering the color choices in the jigs, it’s a no brainer to find a soft plastic that perfectly complements the skirt material.
Unfortunately, we didn’t pick up as many as we would have liked. Hindsight was definitely 20/20 in this case because it has become one of our favorite bladed jigs.
The Version 3 is particularly adept at being fished through grass. Whether you’re letting it sink down to the top of emerging grass, then rippin’ it or allowing it to swim through sparse growth, the blade keeps thumping the vast majority of the time.
Can you put this in heavy enough slop to stop the blade from working? Of course you can, but it comes through the jungle better than the vast majority of bladed jigs on the market that we have tested.
Our favorite way to fish it
Our personal favorite for the early part of the year has been the 3/8 ounce with a small 3.5 inch swimbait as the trailer. We’ve been using this to really beat the banks in search of those shallow fish that have been so aggressive lately.
The good part of the Version 3 is that the blade takes so little effort to get moving. Allowing this bait to sink to the desired depth and just starting a normal retrieve immediately gets that blade thumpin’ happily along all while accentuating the kicking action of our little swimbait.
We’ve caught some nice fish on the Phenix. Several of them in the 4 – 5 pound range which have pounded the jig but have not been able to destroy it. The hook is still sharp, the skirt is still in place, the blade works as well now as when we took the bait out of the package and it continues to produce fish even as we’re heading into the summer months.
In terms of durability we would have to rate the Phenix in the top 10% of the bladed jigs that we have ever fished. It is just built solidly.
We’ve been fishing this jig on a 7’ medium heavy rod with a casting reel spooled with 12# co-polymer line. This seems to be the ideal set-up for getting the most out of this jig in 3/8 while providing enough strength to pull fish out of cover and not over powering the bait itself.
We’ve had absolutely no issues with any of the components of the Phenix. We continue to use this jig as we’re coming into the summer months trying to find its limitations. As of right now, we can’t say that we’ve found any weaknesses in the Vibrator Jig 3.
Different ways to use this bait
This lure can be used anywhere you would traditionally throw a spinnerbait because it performs all the functions of a bladed bait. You can slow roll it, yo-yo it, bang it against stick ups as you’re bringing it through them, wake it just below the surface or any other retrieve that you would employ when using a traditional spinnerbait.
In our experience with the Phenix Vibrator Jig 3, it has attractive qualities in abundance with so few drawbacks that it is one of those baits that has made its way very quickly to becoming a starter in our tacklebox.
If you haven’t jumped on board the bladed jig train, this is the right time and place to do it. Grab a few of the Phenix bladed jigs, thread your favorite trailer on them and find out for yourself why this style of bait has become so popular over the last several years.
| Phenix Vibrator Jig 3 | |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating |   |
| An extremely well crafted bladed jig | |
See ya’ on the water …