Russ Lane's sponsor portfolio got a boost this week with the announcement of a new deal with Spro and Gamakatsu. The Elite Series pro noted that he'll be designing baits for Spro just like his fellow pro-staffers John Crews (Little John), Dean Rojas (Bronzeye Frog), Mike McClelland (McStick) and Bill Siemantel (BBZ).
Spro national sales manager Syd Rives announced the signing and noted: "We're happy to welcome Russ to the team. Russ will be designing a new style of crankbait with Spro, and Spro's ready to get started building baits with him in 2011."
Lane said: "It's been a blessing for me to begin a working relationship with Spro and Gamakatsu. For as long as I can remember the only hooks that I've ever used were Gamakatsu. Half the puzzle is getting a fish to take your bait, and then you have to figure out how to up your odds of actually getting him in the boat. That's the advantage I get from using Gamakatsu hooks."
About his first bait project with Spro, Lane said: "For the last couple of years I've admired the way that Spro goes about designing their line of hardbaits. They are one of the very few companies that totally utilizes pro staff when it comes to producing the highest-quality baits possible. Guys like Crews, McClelland and Rojas know exactly what it takes in a certain bait to give them a few more bites over the rest of the Elite Series field. Spro and I have been working together on a particular crankbait that I've been wanting for the past several years.
"There are lots of crankbaits on the market that catch fish, but most of them are what I call 'Wednesday baits.' How many times have you heard someone say that they were really catching them earlier in the week, but under the same conditions on the weekend they struggle to get a bite? Fishing pressure's what made those fish reluctant to bite and the bait that we're working on will have all of the subtle qualities needed to get those pressured fish to react."
Lane just got back from a trip to the Louisiana Delta to scout the area for the upcoming Bassmaster Classic. He said he doesn't think his new crankbait will be ready for the Classic, but it's a deeper bait, so it likely wouldn't have been a factor anyway. He and Spro hope to have it ready by the time the Elite Series hits the post-spawn.
