Great Lakes smallmouth guru Joe Balog is always on the leading edge of tackle trends and refinements. He was one of the first Erie pros to embrace and exploit the dropshot, and was the first to develop a dropshot goby bait.
His newest creation is likewise a goby, but it's truly unique because it's a swimbait. The Joe Balog Goby Replica weights at least 1 ounce and is meant for heavy tackle – 17-pound line is about right, he said. The baits first became available last week.
"I've been working on it for about 7 years," Balog told BassFan from the Sandusky Bassmaster Northern Open, where he's near the top with 19 1/2 pounds after a brutally windy day 1. "I'm still testing it, but I finally got the right swimbait guy in California to build it like I wanted. It's heavy enough – it weighs over an ounce – so you can fish it in 30 feet of water, and it lays flat on the bottom just like a real goby sits. In essence it's a trophy smallmouth swimbait."
A few more tidbits from Balog about the bait:
Balog added that he did catch some practice fish on the Goby Replica at Sandusky, but didn't use it today – he was in scramble mode because of the blow. And the dropshot bite is best now in the Western Basin anyway.
For more about the bait, or to order, visit GobyReplica.com.
