CRASH TEST: Worden's Rooster Lake Troll

Info: Yakima Bait Co.

Ave. Retail: N/A

Wild Country Rating:

The words "Rooster Tail" and "trout" are, obviously, deeply synonymous: Yakima Bait’s Rooster Tail spinner – the ubiquitous pulsating hackle/spinning blade combo created in the 1950s – is easily one of the most effective lures ever created for trout.

Reacting to repeated requests from customers to create a lake troll based on the Rooster Tail, Worden's Lures - parent company of Yakima Bait - debuted the Rooster Troll in selected markets last year. To say it's been a success is an understatement.

The new Rooster: The UV Rooster Troll is a multiple-blade gang troll that comes in four sizes: mini, small, medium and large. Each of those four sizes starts out as 24 inches of 45-pound plastic-coated, braided cable, with a plastic trolling rudder (2 1/8 inches x 1 1/8 for the mini and small, 2 ½ x 1 ½ for the medium and large trolls).

The new Rooster meets the old Rooster in the Rooster Troll’s blade arrangement, which incorporates four original Rooster Tail blades in the mini, medium and large models, and five blades in the small troll.

Rooster attraction factor I: The Rooster Tail’s long, slim willowleaf blade is engineered to provide maximum flash, so the Rooster Troll’s four-and five-blade arrangements generate a high volume of fish-attracting flash when they’re trolled at fairly high speeds.

The UV edge: Don’t let the UV component of the Rooster Troll escape you, because, frankly, it’s easily as important as the flash thrown off by the chartreuse and flame blades. A quick glance at the Rooster will tell you that the blades are sparse: the largest blade on the large size is 2 1/8 inches, and the smallest on the mini is 1/24 ounce and ¾ inches.

But the UV boost more than makes up for it, as proven by Yakima Bait pro-staffer Eli Rico of Hot Shot Guide Service, who has fished the Rooster Troll from its prototype stages.

“I can't speak loudly enough about how effective UV is," Rico says. "I'm a believer that it's a major part of the success I've had so far with the Rooster Troll."

Avoid the drag: The Rooster Troll's flash radius and UV attraction qualities allow it to function as a low-drag gang troll, which is critical if you want to troll for trout with light tackle.

ROOSTER LAKE TROLL SPECS
Sizes: Mini, small, medium, large
Colors: Chartreuse, Flame
Length: 24 inches
Blade sizes: 1/24 to 1 ounce; ¾ to 2 1/8 inches
Key Features

• Slim, willowleaf blades produces maximum flash
• UV component provides added attraction

-J.S.