It’s no secret that stick baits are something of a cheat code in the bass fishing world. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who has impacted bass fishing the way Gary Yamamoto did when he introduced us to the Senko in 1996.
In my experience, these plastics strike a balance of catching the volume and size of fish I’m after that few other options offer.
So It makes sense that loads of companies offer their take on the holy grail of stick baits. I’ve spent money with many of them.
But when I saw an Instagram post from Wisconsin-based company BIGG Mouth Fishing, I was immediately intrigued.
BIGG Mouth Fishing is owned by a pair of brothers who love fishing and want to help anyone who picks up a rod catch more fish.
After exchanging messages with them on Instagram, I decided to give their products a shot.
Their baits are hand-poured and made-to-order. You can choose from four different patterns of CoreShot stick baits or nine patterns of the traditional version.
How it Works
These stick baits can be rigged like any other. There are a variety of presentations, whacky rig, Texas rig, Neko rig, etc. If you have enough interest in this product to be reading my review, I’m probably not telling you anything you don’t already know.
The Test
I purchased 8-packs of four different patterns of the BMF stick baits: Watermelon Slice (pictured above), Glow Stick, Motor Oil, and Mardis Gras, all were 5.25 inches long.
BiggMouth Fishing allows you the option of adding a variety of scents to your baits, so I added garlic to the Mardis Gras pack.
I fished these baits in both rivers and lakes where I have had success with Senkos in the past. These spots offered a combination of clear and stained water and gave me the chance to target both smallmouth and largemouth bass.
Though, as mentioned earlier, there are plenty of presentation options, I opted for the traditional whacky rig with an o-ring. This is always my go-to with stick baits.
For reference, I also fished with a couple stick baits from competitors.
The Watermelon Slice caught the highest volume of fish in the clear water test, including a solid largemouth on just my second cast.
Glow Stick performed well in the murky river water and in low-light conditions.
Adding the garlic scent to the Mardis Gras pattern really paid dividends in both scenarios. The fish seemingly couldn’t resist and had no trouble locating the source of that pronounced scent.
Then there was Motor Oil, one of their newest patterns. I’ve never seen a stick bait like it. Its dark base gives it a natural appearance that works great in clear water. But when the sunlight hits it, this bait shines (sorry, bad pun). The translucent properties are constantly changing the appearance of this bait when it reacts to the combination of water and light. It’s like fishing eight colors at once. Fish can’t get “used to” seeing it because they are never seeing the exact same bait twice. I realize there are risks with this approach, but I’m a fan.
I caught fish on every variation of BMF stick baits I purchased and they kept pace with, if not surpassed the performance of the competitive products.
The Perks
Since I am largely a shore fisherman, I often find myself chasing fish that are highly pressured. These fish see a crazy number of baits in a given season. Sometimes, you need something that is just different enough. These baits provide that.
While BMF offers their interpretation of many traditional patterns, they also have plenty of color combinations that are quite unique. I am yet to find another manufacturer that offers a version of CoreShot Watermelon Slice or Motor Oil that has the appearance their baits do.
So many of their offerings strike this perfect balance of utilizing natural base colors and incorporating the right amount of attention-grabbing flair.
One of the other perks is the company itself. I love being able to support a Wisconsin-based company. Dan and Andy are extremely responsive guys who love fishing, are open to feedback, and are trying to build a community around their products. My first order came with a hand-written thank you note from the brothers themselves. They genuinely care about their baits and their customers and that gives me confidence when I’m using their gear. I like genuinely knowing a little bit about the people who make my stuff.
The Drawbacks
I’ll be honest, there isn’t much that can go wrong with a stick bait.
After my first round of testing, I sent my feedback in a message and said my only gripe was that fish hit these baits so hard that they sometimes tear. To which they responded, “They will tear eventually. We haven’t found an indestructible plastic yet.”
Touché.
The Ruling
It’s often said the only purpose of most baits is to catch fishermen and not fish. I can confidently say these baits do both.
These products are unique, but not gimmicky. That’s exactly what I’m looking for.
The traditional stick baits come in at $3.50-$5 per 8-pack. CoreShot are $7. On a per-unit basis, I’d say these are competitively priced
If you’re looking to add to your bass fishing arsenal and want to support a Wisconsin company, give these guys a shot. You’ll be glad you did.
Nathan Woelfel Outdoors 
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