“I can’t say enough about the new ABT baits,” said Goldbeck. “The way they look and swim, you’d be hard-pressed to tell these lures apart from live offerings. In fact, the new Banshee Swimbait is so life-like, whenever I pick one up, I keep expecting it to flop out of my hands.”
ABT’s “Next Generation” baits are the latest designs of Allen Borden, the veteran lure-maker that developed the King Shad and other hot-sellers for Strike King before forming his own company in 2000.
Although Goldbeck just started fishing with the new ABT lures this season, they have already earned his confidence. “These are quickly becoming my “go to” baits – the ones I can count on to produce in clutch situations,” he said.
“I’m blown away by both the 4 ½-inch and 6-inch Banshee models. The unbeatable swimming action combined with the ‘natural image transfer’ finishes drives bass wild,” added Goldbeck. “They’re also incredibly versatile. You can fish these swimbaits fast or slow, in deeper water, suspended, or even topwater, and you’ll get the same deadly results.”
Goldbeck is equally impressed with the performance of ABT’s new “X-2” diving crankbait. “I love the way the X-2 gets down deep in a hurry, hugs the bottom, and swims with a tight wobble,” he said. “The first time I fished an X-2 during pre-tournament practice, I nailed a five-pounder, and shortly after that a six-pounder, working it around offshore structure in about 12 feet of water.”
According to Goldbeck, the beauty of ABT’s X-2 crankbait is not only its ability to tempt bass, but also this lure’s lack of resistance upon retrieve. “After a long day of cranking an ordinary deep-diver back to the boat, I feel a significant amount of soreness in my wrist and forearm, but I don’t experience any fatigue like that with the X-2,” noted Goldbeck. “It’s really incredible – the X-2’s proprietary design takes all the hard work out of crankbait fishing.”
Goldbeck anticipates “using the heck” out of ABT’s “Next Generation” crankbaits and swimbaits on the tournament trail. “The Banshee and the X-2 have already won me over,” he said. “I’ve also had a chance to fish with the new diving ABT Hybrid Shad, as well as the new King Dawg topwater bait, and I’m excited about the performance of those lures too. The Hybrid Shad is an even better version of Allen Borden’s original King Shad design, and the King Dawg is a great topwater lure that makes it easy to deliver the perfect ‘walk the dog’ presentation,” Goldbeck said.
For more information on the complete lineup of ABT lures, including the “Next Generation” models, visit ABT’s new website: www.abtlures.com.