I stopped by my local tackle shop, Tightline Premium Fishing Tackle, in Killeen, TX last week and Chad said he had something new he wanted me to check out. It was a soft plastic fluke style bait called the Switchback from Bio Bait. As always I was happy to oblige and spent a few hours on the water with it so I could report back. I’ll give you the skinny down below but first, who and what is Bio Bait?
About Bio Bait
Our mission at Bio Bait is to protect and conserve our fisheries for generations to come by offering a safer alternative to soft plastic!
Bio Bait is a revolutionary, patented, water-soluble, safer alternative, fishing lure company. Our patented formula breaks down 99% quicker than the industry standard.
Safer for fish and the environment. This is a giant step in the right direction of finding a 100% biodegradable fishing lure alternative to plastic. With your support and help, we can move closer to finding that ultimate answer.
Our baits are infused with fish oil during production so the scent last as long as the bait. No more dipping your lures in scent just to be lost after the first cast. Bio Bait never dries up and only smells better the longer it’s in the water. Open up a pack of the industry standard and then give our baits a smell. Bio Baits scent is infused in our secret sauce to attract fish, not to mask the unnatural smell of the industry standard plastics.
The Testing Setup
I went to a known local lake where I knew I could get a few bites and where I knew some fish were probably ready to eat. I took the Bio Bait Switchback 5″ in the Perch Gill color and fished it against a Zoom Salty Super Fluke 5.25″ in a similar color. Once I located the fish, I’d make alternating casts with the Bio Bait and the alternative. The water was clear so I could see interest and reaction as well as cast to cruising fish.
Bio Bait : The Good
At the end of the testing period, I landed nine fish with the Bio Bait and three with the alternative. I was actually pretty surprised. The fish really seemed to hone in and chase down the Bio Bait where with the alternate bait I had to almost hit them in the head with it.
The action of the Switchback was a good soft jerkbait action. It fell at about the same rate as the other fluke, not too fast but not too buoyant either. The slight downward angle on the nose of the bait gave it an erratic dart when twitched and it seemed to draw the fish in well.
Durability on the Bio Bait is good too. I was able to catch six of the nine fish off of the first bait I tied on. That is slightly better than my experience with other similar style baits.
The bait is as advertised for not drying up. I fished it in 100+ degree heat and the fish oil held its own. It’s still as lubricated today as it was the first day I opened the pack.
Bio Bait: Potential Drawbacks
Up front, saving the planet and the fisheries ain’t cheap. A package of six of the Bio Bait Switchback soft plastics is going to run you $7. That’s $1.17 each. The Zoom bait we compared to is $3.49 for a 10 pack. That’s $0.35 each. Do they Bio Bait lures catch more fish? They did in our test BUT, is it worth the price each? You’ll have to be the judge.
The only other drawback I really saw was the limited number of colors that the Switchback is available in. From the Bio Bait website, they show seven color options. They all look good but seven is a little light in a saturated soft plastic market.
Final Thoughts on the Bio Bait Switchback
Does it catch fish? Absolutely. Will I buy these en mass like cheaper versions? Probably not. I’ll keep a few on hand for those tough bite days but not a speed bag full just because of the price.
One thought on “REVIEW: Bio Bait Switchback”
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Great honest review! Pretty cool to see a local company (Colorado) get featured outside of the state. These guys had really only been in business for about a year or so I believe when this article was written. I have had a similar experience when fishing their tubes and stinkos. I hope that they come out with a larger size of tube for bigger bass and lakers. They have expanded their colors quite a bit since your review…check out their DNA series on their tubes, switchback, and coming soon – their swimbaits.