Indiana, Penn. - January 2, 2023 – The fishing world has become enamored with the advent of Forward-Facing Sonar. When anglers discussed how they won events in the past, the answer would be a technique or a lure category. Now, thanks to advancements in electronics, one technique that is used now is the term “Livescoping.” This general term refers to the angler using the forward-facing sonar of their choice, seeing fish in the water column and casting to it to trigger strikes.
Many products have been used to cast to these fish seen on the screen, but the products used were repurposed from those designed for other techniques.
Until now. Picasso Lures, in collaboration with Tucker Smith, the Auburn University College Bass Fishing Champion and one-half of the $1-million winning team of the Bass Pro Shops U.S. Open National Bass Fishing Championship, introduce the Speed Drop Jighead.
The Speed Drop is a uniquely designed round jighead that is engineered to get down to the fish quickly and efficiently and keep the lure presented properly to the fish once there.
The 20-year-old Auburn University junior has quickly established himself as a force in the bass fishing game with college-level wins to go along with the U.S. Open National Bass Fishing Championship, he is also a skilled tactician.
Smith said the Speed Drop is something that was needed for targeting fish on forward-facing sonar. “There are heads out there that we’ve all been using, but they have limitations,” he said. “Standard heads spiral on the fall; they have hooks that are weak, and they don’t keep the bait horizontal through the whole retrieve; the Speed Drop is better at all of those.”
He said that he and Terry Monteleone at Picasso Lures worked together to achieve the perfect head for the technique. They modified the shape of the head to speed up the sink rate and remove the spiraling action, put in a small, thin, 2X strong hook, adjusted the line tie position and incorporated a low-angle dual barb bait keeper.
“The tapered head makes the lure fall fast and straight without spiraling,” said Smith. “The keeper barbs are at a tight angle for easy rigging and holding all types of plastics tight. The line tie is made so that the bait stays as horizontal as possible through the retrieve; it has increased my success ratio a lot.”
Monteleone added that they looked at the market and made improvements. “The hook was the first thing, it needed to be strong enough, but still thin diameter” he said. “The tapered head and bait keepers were vital to action and presentation, but the line tie position was key to making the lure look natural during the retrieve. With most heads, the bait is hanging tail down after the lure gets past a certain point of the retrieve, and we wanted it to be effective throughout the cast.”
Aside from his general fishing knowledge, Monteleone said they love having Smith being a part of the Picasso Lures team. “Tucker is a young man who is extraordinarily accomplished for his young age,” said Monteleone. “He has a maturity beyond his years, and he loves to learn and improve his craft. He’s a pleasure to work with and a great representation for our company – this product is evidence of his skillset and knowledge.”
The Speed Drop is available in 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2-ounce sizes, it will be available in five colors to match the most popular shad-imitating colors in use today. Built on 2/0 and 3/0 2X Strong Gamakatsu hooks, comes in packs of two and retails for $5.98.