I sent in a 9" trout because the head cracked clear through the first time out with it, It did take them a while but a new one showed up in the mail today. I think it has been 3 weeks, but I am happy to see a replacement. It was my last old style bait with the side fins that flapped when reeled, those fins shure do add a little extra action, I'll miss that little guy. To bad I for got to send in the 12" bait I had with the bill glued in wrong, O'well package #2 going out.

I sent a 9" soft Castaic bait back to them after the lip popped out of my bait, just after hitting the water- If I hit a dock or the bank, I wouldn't even ask for a fix, but the lip just popped out- I sent them the bait, they sent it back pretty quick with a new lip in place, at no charge- pretty good service- I was thinking they might send a new bait, but I was more then stoked to get my old scarred (and pretty lucky!) bait back, it is running well and ready for the LMV trout opener in two weeks. This bait has taken a back seat to the Osprey, and the new Rago may make it obsolete, but you gotta keep throwing the baits that have given you some love. Am I the only guy not fishing stripers at Cottonwood Cove still throwing the AC plug? Slow trolling a 9" AC at LMV, especially at night, it still works. Can't wait to throw the Slammer, wake baits are the bomb.

The Castaic's are my number 1 baits, I don't know what I would do with out them(9 and 12"). The Slammer does just ok for me, the fish usually don't want to come up for it. I have 2 Ospreys like 9 and 12 and have never had a follower on either. The 9 has good action and head shake and the 12 I have sucks, doesn't track right and rolls verry easily(both are BWW pro rigged). I have caught a few on an Optima 7 or 8" trout swimbait, an just bought a 10 and 12" to try (old style). The 10 looks about right and the 12 I think will suck, but we will see. Any of these baits will catch fish, It just depends on what you have confidance in, as far as I am concerned. I did try to order 2 Rago trout lures and they put me on the list, but never called me back. So forget them for now. Everything has its place, as I would nor drag a castaic trout no the botten in heavy cover but the Optima does fine.