Underwater, some pretty cool visuals produce compelling cause-effect scenarios, often unbeknownst to anglers. Like what happens when jaws snap and gills flare danger red. All that’s left is an explosion of scales and flesh and violence— a flashy feast for the eyes that triggers primal responses from other aquatic predators in the neighborhood.
Biologists and anglers both know it by the same name: feeding frenzy. And when one shark or piranha—or bass or walleye—strikes, the whole school sees the colorful chaos and loses its collective mind, swimming frantically and with a serious need to bite things that move.
“Your lure might as well be one of those ‘things,’” says Walt Matan, expert angler and lure designer for B-Fish-N Tackle, referring to a new lure with a direct line to this key predator-prey dynamic.
Leaning heavily on the visual attraction factor—and on the biology behind feeding frenzies—the veteran tackle company recently introduced the MasterFlash Jig.
Built around B-Fish-N Tackle’s glitter finish H2O Precision jighead, the MasterFlash Jig adds a blast of flash and scale-suggestive sparkle, dressed with fine, holographic strands of premium 1/69” tinsel. The bait moves with abundant action, color and enough profile to trigger strikes by itself, but can be amplified with a soft plastic or live bait threaded onto the jig shank.
“We’ve hand-selected a specific premium tinsel material that flexes, folds back and rebounds on the pause, exceptionally well,” Matan notes. “Also critical is the quantity of strands we choose and precise placement of the material on the jighead. These factors cause the jig to undulate, breathe and pulse during different parts of the retrieve—all of which present fish with a powerfully attractive visual. At rest, the jig’s fibers expand outward, giving off the illusion of a puff of scales after a predator slashes through a school of baitfish.”
Like most jigs—but with way more bling factor—the MasterFlash is a versatile, fish-catching machine. Anglers can fish the MasterFlash Jig “as is,” or combine with any host plastic softbaits or live/dead bait. Combine it with a B FISH N Pulse-R to make a lethal swim jig, or impale a shiner or sucker minnow for long-line and pop-jigging scenarios.
The MasterFlash Jig is available in four weights: 1/8 ounce; ¼ ounce; 3/8 ounce; and 5/8 ounce, covering all fishing situations, shallow to deep. This unique jig comes in six color combinations that give off more flash, action and attraction than any other gamefish jig on the market! Each jig features over 300 multi-colored strands of 1/69” tinsel held in place with a flexible collar slid over our unique “keeper” molded into the jig head. Many anglers will add a little Super Glue gel around the collar to really grip the tinsel to the jig.
Colors include MF-RGWS (Rainbow Glitter Jig Head with White, Silver, and Transparent Tinsel mix); MF-PGR (Purple Glitter Jig Head with a Rainbow Tinsel Mix); MF-CGSG (Chartreuse Glitter Jig Head with Chartreuse Spring Green Tinsel Mix); MF-GGG (Gold Glitter Jig Head with a Gold Tinsel Mix); MF-SGS (Silver Glitter Jig Head with a Silver/Black/Blue Tinsel Mix); and MF-OGO (Orange Glitter Jig Head with an Orange Tinsel Mix).
To maximize success with the new B-Fish-N MasterFlash Jig, Matan offers five species-centric tips:
Lake Trout – Canadian Shield Lakes
“Lake trout move shallow right after ice out. They run to rocky shores looking for an easy meal. The MasterFlash Jig will attract them from a distance. This time of year you can swim or rip the jig tipped with an AuthentX 5” K-Grub for dynamite action. As the trout move deeper, a larger 5/8-ounce MasterFlash Jig can be jigged vertically and tipped with a 4” AuthentX Moxi.”
Salmon and Trout – Great Lakes
“Lake trout, brown trout, steelhead, cohos and other trout species will move about harbors in spring and late summer. A flashy jig is just the ticket for this clear-water angling! You can fish the jigs “as is”, or with a plastic like the AuthentX Ribb-Finn or live bait. When fishing from a boat it’s best to search for fish with your electronics and then cast to them with the MasterFlash Jig. Suspended fish are easily seduced by frequent jig pauses, which creates a flaring and pulsating tinsel motion… this kind of start and stop retrieve can really create chaos!”
Walleyes
“No matter where you fish walleyes, a jig is always a top choice! The MasterFlash Jig is a great trophy bait on Lake Erie, Green Bay, Little Bay de Noc, Canada, Devils Lake, and wherever big ‘eyes swim. Whether you tip it with a live minnow or AuthentX Ribb Finn, the MasterFlash Jig should be used with extreme caution—always be ready to set the hook!”
Northern Pike
“Each year, intrepid anglers travel far north in search of giant pike. But like any trophy hunt, it’s a hero or zero affair. Whether you’re looking for the rare 40-inch-plus fish or simply numbers girthy ten pounders plus, the MasterFlash Jig is big pike insurance. Tip the MasterFlash with a 5″ K-Grub for aggressive fish and a 4″ Ribb-Finn for those lumbering, tentative monsters!”
Bass
“The Jig ‘n’ Plastic combo is hard to beat for largemouth and smallmouth bass… and the MasterFlash Jig only makes it more lethal, whether you’re chasing Great Lakes smallies or largies on inland lakes. Jig it, rip it, swim it, crawl it on the bottom… the flash and attraction are an equal opportunity employer for green and brown bass. And it’s a great bait to turn followers into eaters. Bass can’t resist how the tinsel pulses and flares on the pause. Tip with a AuthentX Ribb-Finn or a 5″ K-Grub for that trophy of a lifetime!”