By: Mark Romanack
The Mag Lip has become the author’s “go to” plug for targeting steelhead like this one and also coho, chinook, lake trout and brown trout. In short, the Mag Lip catches all the trout and salmon species day in and day out.
Plugs designed to target trout and salmon are a breed in of themselves. Compared to the typical “bass” or “walleye” crankbait, trout and salmon plugs tend to have a more aggressive side-to-side wobble or action. In part, this aggressive action is designed to elicit an angry or spontaneous response from fish, compared to most plugs which are designed to look like something good to eat.
Many of the plugs that fall into this unique category share a common thread. Many of the most popular trout/salmon plugs feature a banana shaped body. Perhaps the first bait to fit this mold was the Worden’s FlatFish. This classic bait is still produced today by Yakima Bait Company out of Granger, Washington. The wide wobble of the FlatFish has been the undoing of countless steelhead, trout and salmon over the years. If the FlatFish has an achilles heal it’s this bait functions best at slow to moderate speeds. In fast current or at faster trolling speeds the FlatFish blows out.
The Luhr Jensen KwikFish is another banana shaped trout plug that has gained a considerable following over the years. Designed by legendary angler and lure designer Buzz Ramsey, the KwikFish has a wide wobble similar to the FlatFish, but it sustains itself in fast water better.
In recent years the Mag Lip produced by Yakima Bait Company has stolen the show when it comes to wide wobbling trout plugs. Ironically, the Mag Lip was also designed by Buzz Ramsey. After Luhr Jensen sold to Rapala, Buzz went to work for Yakima Bait and immediately started work on the Mag Lip family of baits.
The beauty of the Mag Lip boils down to a couple of critical points. First off, the Mag Lip is much more speed tolerant than either the FlatFish or the KwikFish baits. Secondly, the “hunting” or “skip-beat” action of the Mag Lip is more pronounced than it’s predecessors.
The superior action and sturdy construction of the Mag Lip has made this bait the clear winner among trout plugs. Back-trolled in rivers or trolled in open water the Mag Lip not only catches steelhead, this plug is deadly effective on coho, chinook salmon, lake trout and also brown trout.
Gabe VanWormer (left) and Captain Michael Mochan are both believers in the Mag Lip’s ability to put fish in the boat!
MAG LIP MODIFICATIONS
Because the Mag Lip has become so popular among serious anglers, this particular lure has been exposed to a host of “after market” modifications aimed at making these baits even better. The most common modification is in switching out the factory hooks for larger treble hooks, using only one treble hook or in many cases switching out to single Siwash style hooks. Adding an extra split ring to each hook gives the bait more freedom to move, increasing the action and making it more difficult for hooked fish to twist and leverage the hook free. The same can be achieved by using a small barrel swivel in combination with a Siwash hook.
The Mag Lip comes factory supplied with a round snap at the pull point. This extends the pull point away from the bait and aids in keeping the lure stable even when fishing in fast water or at high trolling speeds.
Adding a second snap to the end of your fishing line can also help increase the Mag Lip’s aggressive wobbling action. Hooking a snap to a snap may seem redundant, but this simple trick really livens up the action and emphasizes the “skip-beat” action this plug has become known best for. Running a snap to a snap also makes it more practical to switch out lures and lure colors as needed.
THE FUTURE
Rarely does a fishing lure become as dominate in the market place as the Mag Lip. Available in over 50 fish catching colors and seven sizes including 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5 and 5.0, the most popular sizes are the 3.0 and 3.5. The future looks bright indeed for the Mag Lip and also for those anglers who have discovered how to use these baits to catch more and bigger trout and salmon.