“Perfect for the winter bite”: Tournament Baby Vib 47S – Mark Gercovich

Do you remember a time before metal vibes and blades took over the winter bream fishing world ? No ? well it was probably 10 years ago, I am getting a little old ! Back then I remember we began having success on some old school Daiwa vibes ( TD pro vibration it says on the bottom of the only one I still have with legible writing on it) on those shut down winter fish that didn’t seem to want to eat lures. Well infact they did eat, it was just that the 1 to 2m shallow diving hardbodies we used in spring and summer weren’t anywhere near the ball park in targeting winter fish at holding at depth.

At 55mm they seemed perhaps a little big for the bream and perch that we were targeting but no, they in fact did work. However soon smaller vibes arrived on the market, then those metal ones that I was sure weren’t going work cam along (…as if a bream is going to eat a bit of metal off the bottom…mmm wrong on that account !) The larger full bodied vibes were forgotten and placed back in the bass/yellowbelly box where “they belonged.”

However the arrival of the new TD baby Vib has put a full bodied vibration lure back on the end of my line for a spot of winter action. The combination of them being a little bit smaller (at 47mm) and the addition of the super sharp saqsas trebles made me just a little excited when I took them out to target the local winter bream and perch population.

I’ve raved about those saqsas treble before and I continue to admire their ability to provide great penetration, yet having more strength than the ultralight trebles I’ll often re fit my bream lures with. Another indication of how sharp they are is that I usually always try and get a treble out of a fish with my fingers before I go hunting for the pliers. However knowing how sticky the saqsas trebles are even without a fish attached it, was pliers every time.

Many full bodied vibes just sink like a stone. The way the baby vibe can be “swum” down on a long cast and a light line makes for a lure than can be fished through the water column not just doing its best work near the bottom. They should be an effective all year round lure not just a bottom hugging winter fish specialist. I look forward to trying them out more as the season progresses.