Strike King® Premier Pro Model Spinnerbait (Junior)
Target Species: Largemouth Bass
Also
Good For: Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye
For our review we fished several color combinations in the "junior", 3/16 oz. size. Manufactured by Strike King and "endorsed" by bass fishing's current grand champion, Kevin Vandam, we couldn't wait to test the durability and color combinations under varying conditions to see if we could land 'em like KVD.
First Impressions
One thing appreciated right away is the apparent quality of construction vs. cheap cost, including a the use of a premium swivel and polished Colorado / Willowleaf spin blade combo. The Premier Pro spinnerbait is about $1 cheaper than other similar lures on the shelf which makes it sort of a "value play" when trying to decide among the thousands of spinnerbaits on the market.
Fishing the Lure
Spinnerbaits are an excellent option for all times of the year, whether mid-summer fishing around shorelines and weedbeds or early Fall, near gravel beds and over shallow flats. The Premier Pro spinnerbait is no exception. We found the spinner to have very good action at all retrieve speeds. Whether fishing the surface or diving the spinner while jigging, the lure remains sound and true with smooth blade action.
One nice feature of this bait is that the skirt blooms wonderfully when allowed to drop. The bad thing is that we found the skirt band becoming increasingly dislodged until, after one cast, we lost the band and the skirt entirely. The fact that our lure literally fell apart was troubling, but admittedly we fished more than a hundred casts and landed a a couple fish before it become undone. More disturbing is that it happened on ALL 3 lures we used.
Review Summary
Overall, we were pleased with the Strike King Premier Pro Spinnerbait. Like most quality spinnerbaits the action is steady and balanced, and we caught plenty of Largemouth Bass and even a couple Northern Pike. We were concerned however with the ease at which the rubber skirt bands began to fail on the models we tested. Admittedly these were bought in a bin at a local "big-store" retailer, so there is no telling how long they may have been sitting on the shelf. Still, we're going to knock it down points for durability. Even so, the Premier Pro Jr. is still a decent lure and at the price, is a good value - just keep an eye on the skirt band.
