BassBlaster

Review: Megabass Vision 110, Part 1

That's Randy back there.

by Randy Breth [If you’d like to get some free stuff to review for BassParade, let us know using the Contact page.]

When the news came out that all of the Top 5 finishers at the 2011 Beaver Lake FLW used some version of the Megabass Vision 110 jerkbait, I knew I had to do a review of this lure.

I sent a note off to Megabass USA with the request that the test lures be in the general blue back/orange belly/silver sides color scheme, and here’s what I got back from company prez Yuskei Murayama: “Don’t you want one in Go Pro Blue, like Bryan Thrift used?”

At that point the winning color wasn’t reported yet, so I was happy to know what exact color really sealed the deal. Of course I wanted one! Cool.

I was tipped off to the 110 by the guys at Tackle Tour a couple of years ago, and always have one of them “on deck” during that key time for suspending jerkbaits: late winter/early spring. The difference this time would be instead of it being just another arrow in the quiver, the Vision 110 would be the star, the first choice.

All the others would be thrown if the 100 didn’t pay off first, or in a spot I knew it just wouldn’t be coming back from. Deliberately throwing a $30 lure into a cedar tree is something I try not to do, at least not intentionally.

I’d fish them extensively until the spawn was on and the prime jerkbait window was closed – a total of almost 2 months of fishing.

I fished the 110 exclusively on a custom 7’ medium power/fast action spinning rod (yes, spinning) paired with a large-spool spinning reel filled with 15-pound Sufix Performance braid in Hi-Vis Yellow. I used an 8′ fluorocarbon leader, Orvis Mirage leader material.

    > Mirage is intended for fly fishing so it comes in “X” tippet diameters. 1X is what I use – it’s listed as 14.5-pound break strength, but only about the diameter of 8- or 10-pound mono. It’s the toughest diameter-to-strength fluorocarbon I’m aware of, and it’s tough stuff, too. Too stiff for a main line, but great as a leader tied to the braid, in this case with a back-to-back Uni knot. I take the split rings off my hard baits and attach them with a snap.

Even though I’ve used 110s for a few years now, I still had the “kid on Christmas morning” feeling when the I signed for the package of baits. There are actually four versions of the 110: standard 110 (slow riser), 110 HF Pro-Rise (a faster floater on the pause), the 110 Silent Riser (no rattles and tungsten weights fixed in place), and the 110 Magnum SP (suspending, super-slow sink).

My two samples were the standard Vision 110 in Go Pro Blue II and Il Tamamushi OB. Both are variations of that blue back/orange belly/ silver side pattern that works well in clear water.

First Impressions

Hardware

First of all, the Katsuage Out-Barb hooks have a unique look to them, and are flat matte black, as are the split rings that connect them to the lure hangers.

The hangers and line tie are silver, but the blacked out hooks and split rings give the lure a “stealth” look, and makes the outstanding paint on the lures stand out.

I thought the hooks were a little “gimmicky” when I first saw them, but after using them you realize they hook and hold fish as good as any premium treble hook – and also are a little easier to unhook. You have to press the hook in toward the shank while pulling it out as opposed to pushing out and pulling – with the barb on the outside you do everything the opposite.

Finish

The details and finish on the lures are second to none. Just outstanding.

On the Go Pro Blue II you can see through its translucent finish to see the two tungsten composite balls and the track they roll in that makes up the bait’s long-cast system.

No tumbling or flipping around in the wind like an original Rogue or Husky Jerk: These lures fly straight like an arrow, tail first. You can also see the three small ball bearings that make up the rattle chamber of the lure.

Sound

The combination of larger tungsten weights and smaller rattles gives the lure a layered effect in it’s sound. On a calm day you can hear it close to the boat even through feet of water – the louder “whack” of the tungsten with a rattle undertone.

The bait package states, “The ONE TEN is designed for a hardcore power fisherman,” and the sound this lure can make when worked hard backs this up.

– End of part 1 of 2 –


2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Dwain

    May 25, 2011 at 12:03 pm

    its an amazing jerkbait

  2. joe

    May 26, 2011 at 6:51 am

    After fishing 110’s for the first time this spring, iam completely sold. Awesome action in the water, and the paint finishes are works of art.

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