6 New Striper Lures from ICAST 2019

Last week, we scoured the floor at ICAST, looking for the new striper lures among a sea of largemouth bass gear. Here’s what we found:

Fish Lab Hard Mack Attack
$13.99-$18.99
The new Fish Lab Tackle company seems to be targeting Cape Cod Canal anglers with their version of the articulated swimbait. This has a more slender, mackerel-like profile than a Sebile Magic Swimmer, and comes complete with finlets. The three-piece swimming action can be retrieved slowly, or burned just under the surface. Of the seven colors currently available, five are mackerel patterns. The Mack Attack comes rigged with two trebles on the belly, and a feather and flash dressed single hook on the tail. There are four models available, a 7-inch slow sinker, a 7-inch fast sinker, a 9-inch slow-sinker, and a 9-inch fast sinker.

Fish Lab Soft Mack Attack
$12.99-$20.99
The soft-plastic version of the mackerel style swimbait, with a realistic profile, and heavy-duty hook. This bait was designed for fast-currents and deep-water presentations (sound like anywhere you know?). While available in three sizes (up to a 10-inch, 16-ounce bait), the smallest , a 6.5-inch, 5.5-ounce bait is most likely to appeal to striped bass anglers. Though, the heavy versions could be used for boat fishermen, or even trolled like a mojo. Available in four colors–purple mackerel, silver/black mackerel, blue mackerel, and green mackerel.

Fish Lab Mad Eel
$8.99-$13.99
The hook design on this paddle-tail jig is designed to hold onto fish better than a standard j-hook, even during the furious headshakes of a cow striped bass. The rounded head shape provides an additional rolling action and allows the bait to skip off rocks and bottom structure. Each tail is molded with a chamber that allows for straight rigging (and that can be filled with Super Glue to keep it snug to the jighead). Available in three sizes, 7, 7.5, and 8 inches (2.25, 3.5, and 5.25 ounces, respectively), and seven colors, including sand eel, green mack, and pearl white.

Westin Lures Sandy Andy
While Fish lab went for realism with their mackerel, Westin Lures (who also makes a cool flounder lure) made a very realistic sand eel paddle-tail bait. Rigged on a realistic looking head, with lifelike fins, the Sandy Andy comes in sizes from .5 (albies) to 10 ounces (cod). The sizes in between shoudl be perfect for stripers both by shore and boat.

 

Ocean Born Flying Wideback

One of the latest hard baits from Ocean Born is the Flying Wideback. This lure is almost a hybrid minnow plug/metal lip, with a unique bill that has two attachment points, which the designer, Patrick Sebile, said allowed him to get the action he wanted, while making the bill very strong and able to withstand bouncing off rocks. The bill design also allows freer side-to-side movement of the lure due to its minimal water resistance.  It features a ribbed bottom to cut down on wind resistance during the cast.

Hyperlastics Sandyll

A Band Of Anglers will also be adding to the Hyperlastics line this fall, with new sizes in the DartSpin, a sand-eel imitation, the Sandyll, and a curly tail. The last two baits will have matching jigheads that feature the super strong Patrick Sebile designed hook and prongs that fit into slots on the underside of the bait. Once rigged on the jighead, the durable Softough material stays perfectly in place.