In February, 2012, Fishing-Headquarters was introduced to a small local Chicago tackle company that specializes in soft plastics. Not knowing much about this small tackle company, other than its baits had a craving aroma, smelling of garlic-scented meats that were hot fresh off the grill, I was suggested to check them out on the web because they made great and unique products.
Introducing Dragin Bait Company
Established in 2011 and based in Forest Park, IL, Dragin Bait Company strives to create the best quality soft plastic baits at an affordable price for all fishermen. Owned and operated by Andrew Theisse, Dragin Baits are 100% custom creations from bait design and molds, to plastic formula and injections. Their plastic baits feature a special plastisol additive which keeps the texture supple, yet retains unbelievable hooking ability and strength. The scientific formula of mixing the proper amount of plastic with fish pheromone applied and injected into every bait is proven to catch more fish than most standard industry plastics. Because of this, Theisse guarantees to his customers that his baits should always be your first choice.
The products have been field tested in rivers, inland lakes, and reservoirs. These baits cater to anglers of all skill levels, and has recently found a huge niche within the IHSA Bass Fishing and it’s participating high school students, as well as collegiate fishing teams and clubs. In addition, their growing professional staff membership is comprised of tournament amateurs and professionals who demand the best in quality and color patterns.
Based only on sense of smell, Dragin Baits makes one of the most powerfully scented soft plastics for bass fishing that I have ever taken a sniff of…. It ranks up there with our favorite CB’s Hawg Sauce which is deadly on nasal passages… Thankfully the Dragin Baits blend not crack for humans, but it will be crack for bass as evidenced by Theisse’s mass catches every spring on the Mississippi River. And besides soft plastics, they have their own line of high quality hard jerk baits and surface frogs. Not to mention, they are also one of the largest distributors of AIRrus fishing rods in the Midwest.
Throughout the 2012 season, Fishing-Headquarters frequently fished with Dragin Bait Company on the lakes and rivers of the Upper Midwest. Some of the products we enjoyed using are highlighted below:
There’s something to be said about a “do-nothing” style of bait….. zero profile, little detail, and no action….. What makes this 5 inch worm a favorite of mine is its texture and abilities to be fished as a Texas rig, jigworm, or Carolina Rig. This bait is so interchangeable that it can be fished exceptionally well under these three rigs at any time. In early spring as bass invade the shallows, try fishing the Vibe Worm with Dragin Bait’s Wacky Jig. Specially designed by Theisse, the wacky jig is weedless and can be pitched, flipped, and skipped into the shallows and beneath docks. Theisse swears by this tactic, and from our same experience, we swear by it as well. Likewise, it’s our top producer in late summer as we Carolina rig for smallmouth bass.
Fished best as a jig itself, or as a jig trailer, the Critter Craw is a remarkable craw imitator that excels for smallmouth bass. In 2012, this bait did quite well for sightfishing the shallows, Carolina rigging, and pitching & flipping as a jig trailer. As crawfish come in a variety of shades in the wild, ask Theisse to create a version of this for you in custom colors to successfully match the hatch.
Brush hawg and creature style baits are one of my absolute favorites when it comes to largemouth bass. I don’t have much patience when it comes to fishing at a slow pace (as I am a power fisher, always on the move, and one who covers a lot of water), but there is something to be said about a lure category that has caught some of my largest bass ever. These 4 inch baits saw lot of use for fishing the wood, pitching and flipping, jigging, Carolina rigging, swimming the grass, skipping the docks, and even while fished on a jig for rock oriented smallmouths.
I never grow tired of fishing with tube jigs. . . . . Do you? Unlike most traditional tubes, which are hollow and allow for jig inserts, the Diablo Tube features a solid plastic construction to offer fast sink rates, and to get down deep into the lairs of where big fish live. In addition, it features a unique tentacle style which enables the tail segment to float and flutter while the bait bounces and scurries along the bottom. This 3.5 inch bait was a major player for smallmouths on lakes and rivers. According to Andrew Theisse, who often fishes the downtown Chicago lakefront for bass, the Diablo Tube is his favorite for the rock and rip-rap oriented Lake Michigan smallmouth bass.
Of all plastics I use for river fishing, the skirted grub style (aka – hula grub) is one of my all time favorites. For some reason, these wild alien looking creatures catch some of the biggest bass around. Is it because these resemble crayfish on steroids? Or is it because the ugliness of these baits pisses fish off so much that it triggers vicious strikes? I’m not exactly sure, but smallies everywhere I’ve fished find these lure styles irresistible. Compared with my favorite Chompers brand of hula grubs, the Dragin Baits products fished just as well and even offered fish a downsized profile for when the bite became difficult.
I love fishing the slop and I love fishing with surface frogs. Besides topwater musky fishing, nothing is more exhilarating to me than witnessing a 5 pound bass unleash rage on the surface to destroy a surface frog. Like all surface frogs, the 1/2 ounce bruiser frog is meant to be fished in and around the slop and pads that largemouth bass use. Come June-July-August, these will be the first things you will use for fishing the jungle.
If you are looking to expand your tackle selections this season, or interested in trying something new for your bass fishing whether it’s done on lakes, rivers, ponds, or top level competitive bass fishing, be sure to give Dragin Baits a try. You won’t be disappointed, but you might be pleasantly surprised by how good of quality product this is for a small, independent, local-to-us Chicago, Illinois tackle manufacturer.
Dragin Bait Company
P.O. Box 427 Forest Park, IL 60130
(708) 257-9294
www.draginbaits.com
info@draginbaits.com
Video courtesy of CAST CREW – Freshwater Marauder Apparel co.
