The 4-Eyes Swimbait became publicly available around December 2003. The bait is made by Joe Castro in the Bay Area of CA. The baits are an 80% post consumer recycled plastic. The baits are available in 7 and 9 inch sizes and come stock with premium ownder hooks, with size 1 hooks on the front and size 2 hooks on the back. The baits are all hand painted, and custom sizes and colors are available if you talk to Joe.
It's always nice to pick up a bait that has a hand finished feel to it. The 4-Eyes have great paint jobs with a solid finish on them. The bluegill color is particularly attractive with it's parr mark pattern and orange belly. The hooks are premium and extremely sharp.
There are a couple different bills available on the baits, from shorter bills for surface fishing to longer bills for a more deep diving action. With the longer bill like the bait pictured above, the bait will dive surprisingly deep into the 10 foot range on a long cast. The bait I have is not extremely bouyant and naturally wants to run in the 3 to 5 foot range. I gather that some of the other baits are floaters, so make sure to ask before you buy so you know what you're getting.
The baits in general are very durable and should last for many many fish. It's a 100 fish type bait for sure, and has an epoxy flex resin finish.
Not a lot bad to say about this bait. To me it's a little more of a general fish imitator than a trout specific imitator. Meaning that the overall profile is kind of stubby with a tall tail on it. I'd be using this bait more as a bluegill, carp, goldfish type imitator than a trout imitator specifically. Not to say fish that want trout won't eat it, but just something to consider when making your purchase.
The stock hooks are very nice hooks but on the small side. Smaller hooks mean less wear on the bait, but personally I would switch them out for a size or two bigger. That's a personal preference thing.
Most of the hardbaits on the market are hitting the $50 + range these days, and the 4-Eyes is no exception, retailing for around $55.
As far as I know, this lure is no longer in production.
