Mangus with a C flash bass.I know the bass fishing season is behind us, but its time to let the cat out of the bag about one of Michianas hottest lures.
With all due respect to anglers who have kept it a secret, the C Flash crankbait is something you need to know about and put at the top of your Christmas list this winter.
Its won a lot of bass tournaments throughout Michiana the past few years including this season - yet most of the successful anglers arent talking about them. You can bet that the top tournament anglers are throwing them and will be using them again (secretly) next year.
I bet theyd catch walleye and steelhead, too!
C Flash crankbaits are handmade from balsa wood and are the creation of South Bend native Greg Mangus, now of Fremont, Ind.
Mangus, who is one of the best bass anglers to come out of this region, acquired the company from Solar Bat about two years ago and has tweaked the design and colors to suit Michiana waters.
He personally carves, paints and assembles each bait.
The baits have a very hard wiggle that allows them to hunt and attract big bass more consistently than most mass produced plugs.
And they better. They sell for about $22 each.
Like most of you, I was reluctant to use a $22 crankbait. Who wants to lose an expensive lure to a pike?
Well, last spring I fished Pipestone Lake during the pre-spawn and loaded the boat with 3-plus pound fish on the .22 cal model until I lost it to a critter.
During late summer, I began playing with the .44 Cal model that runs 8 to 10 feet. I hooked four bass, all 3 to 4 pounds each. I realized that I should have been throwing it a lot sooner in the season.
Best color, of course, is bluegill, which is Mangus best seller. On clear, smallmouth waters, brown craw is tough to beat.
The C Flash has had a hand in big bass catches on Juno, Cory, Magician, Coldwater and Randall lakes, to name a few.
Mangus only sells through dealers. Those in the area who carry them include D&R Sports Center in Kalamazoo, Ye Olde Tackle Box in North Webster, Travel Tender in Goshen, Bait and Hook in Fort Wayne, Lake Drive Marine in Coldwater and LaFountains in Marshall.
Online contacts include Michigan Tackle Specialties ( www.michigantackle.com), Lafountains Gun and Archery (www.buyfishingstuff.com) and Mikes RX Baits (www.mikesrxbaits.com).
Before you buy, there are some things you need to know.
Balsa baits deliver qualities that plastic baits cant. Theyre extremely buoyant and will rise or clean free weeds when you rip and pause them. More importantly, they deliver some very solid vibrations and thump hard during the retrieve, something that our bass seem to like.
On the other hand, they are far more fragile than mass produced plastic baits. You cant slap weeds off a C Flash or you will break it. After extended use, the bait may crack but you can re-seal it with fingernail polish.
So, is the C Flash worth $22? It is if youre a serious bass fisherman and your plastic baits arent doing the job.