Give your bass the “Optimum” lunch, serve them up a B.L.T.

Review by "Get Hook'd" staff member Rich Craven

I received an Optimum package to test and review. I enjoy trying new baits so I was pretty excited to test and review one I haven’t thrown too often, a swim bait. In my package were 2 Baby Line Thru (B.L.T.) swim baits in (#505) sunfish color, three inches long, with a number 3 Eagle Claw Laser Sharp treble hook.



Before heading out on another test trip to one of my favorite lakes, I rigged up the new product to one of my fishing rods. See below for a step by step on rigging the Baby Line Thru.

Step 1:


Step 2:


Step 3:


You now have one completely rigged Baby Line Thru. So lets head off to our favorite lake and give it a good shake down.

I had the Baby Line Thru rigged on a 6 foot 6 inch, medium action rod, with 10 pound test monofilament line. Recommended is 6 ‘6” or 7 foot medium action rod on 8-14 pound test line to ensure proper action of the Baby Line Thru. The Baby Line Thru is designed to fish with a moderate or fast retrieve, so it is an excellent search bait when fan casting it.

Action: The Baby Line Thru has a tight body roll and a pulsating tail kick. I rate the Baby Line Thru an A+. I have not run into a bait with this kind of action before, definitely something most fish have not seen, and the vibration it gives off is like nothing they have felt before on your lake. Did you catch a glimpse of the BLT footage on Youtube? Totally awesome! Click the links below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbF9YdXAM08
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jb4AbqV8qr8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw8AdNRXFZU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv2CcuAJBYo

Durability or Durability through unique engineering: I noticed when the Baby Line Thru is properly rigged, and a fish strikes it, the bait has a tendency for the hook to pull free from the body allowing the bait to run up the line. This allows the Baby Line Thru to remain out of the fish’s mouth, keeping the bait from further damage during the fight. This is definitely a money saver here, allowing you to use it many more times in the future. I rate the Baby Line Thru with an A+.

Castability: I rated at an A++! This was a sweet casting lure to throw. When throwing the BLT on 10 lb monofilament, I was able to cast about 40 yards with it! I was surprised to be able to throw a small bait like this that far, to say the least! Upon returning home, I decided to dissect the BLT to find out what was causing it to explode from the end of my rod! I was definitely surprised. Inside I found a non-lead sinker, one half ounce in size. Look and see what I found inside of the Baby Line Thru.



Innovative engineering is a common characteristic possessed by those folks on the Optimum Engineering Staff. The ingenuity lies in their use of an internal weight to supply a channel for your line to run through AND provide the “meat” behind those massive casts. For those keeping score at home, you’re looking at another top mark; A+.

Conservation: The folks at Optimum have definitely gone “GREEN” with the Baby Line Thru. I like the idea of the non-lead weight, keeping our environment safe. They also made the Baby Line Thru with a Non-Phtalate plastic, keeping the lure completely “Echo” friendly. Conservation I rated at an A+.

Will I be throwing the Baby Line Thru next season? You bet!! I loved this little swim bait. It comes in 32 different colors, so I am sure I can find plenty of them in the colors I choose to fish with. The action of the lure was really unique. I am looking forward to throwing the larger models. Oh I for got to mention, they also come in a 5 inch and 7 inch size. The 5 inch model should be fished with a 7' medium heavy rod and 14/20lb line. The 7 inch model weighs 3.25 ounces and should be tossed on a 7 foot plus rod that is rated medium heavy to heavy.

You can find the Baby Line Thru at the following links for about $9.99 a two pack (3 inch size), $7.50 for 5 inch, and $10.99 for the 7 inch:

http://www.optimum.com

The Baby Line Thru is comparable in price when matched against the other swimbaits on the market. You may get a few more of the other guys swimbaits per pack, but with the way that the BLT is rigged, you will get that many uses out of them and then some. Like I said, it’s definitely a money saver, allowing you to use it multiple times, and not get all ripped up like the other swimbaits on the market.