"The BAIT BUSTER may not be pretty but it's a fish catching machine." — Mark Nichols. It is a 4-1/4" weighted mullet imitation built on a single upright Mustad hook, which is why it comes through grass and structure that would foul a treble and why it holds big fish through a long fight.
Which Bait Buster, and how to fish it
Four models, four depths
- Shallow Runner — 5/8 oz, 5/0 hook. Medium sink rate. Fish it on the surface, mid-range or on the bottom — the most versatile of the four.
- Deep Runner — 3/4 oz, 5/0 Mustad. The line tie sits on top of the head, which keeps it running sub-surface. Excellent bounced off the bottom.
- Trolling — 7/8 oz, 5/0 Mustad. For deeper trolling, and for casting into anything five feet or deeper.
- Super Heavy Trolling — 1.4 oz on a 6/0 Mustad Extra Heavy Ultra Point. Hard current, deep passes and the biggest fish.
Fishing it
A steady retrieve is enough. The weighted head keeps it tracking upright and the body does the rest. Where it separates from other swimbaits is in cover — the single upright hook lets you run it through grass, over oyster and alongside pilings without collecting weed on every cast. When fish are following without committing, add a pause; the Bait Buster settles nose-down rather than falling over sideways, and that is often the trigger.
Rebuilding rather than replacing
Bait Buster Bodies and Bait Buster Jigs are sold separately. Carrying spare bodies is cheaper than carrying spare lures and takes far less room in a boat bag.
Proven on snook, redfish, seatrout, tarpon, striped bass and — with the heavier models — arapaima and other outsized freshwater species.
