Advanced Product Review – River2Sea Scott Martin Rover

River2Sea Rover – Bigmouth

While surface lures can be effective many times throughout the year, from the postspawn period through the fall is when most anglers consider topwater baits a prime weapon.  One of those baits that we’ve grown to like over the years was the River2Sea Rover 128.

This walking bait was always a quality product that drew big strikes, but thanks to River2Sea pro staffer Scott Martin, it became an excellent bait.  Martin had used the Rover before he became a pro staffer.  As a dealer of the products at Mary Ann and Roland Martin’s marina at lake Okeechobee, he was familiar with its effectiveness.

However, he found one modification that made the lure even better.  He added a small amount of weight to the rear of the bait, and it popped the nose up in the water slightly, making it have a much more erratic side to side walking action.

River2Sea Rover Hooks

Product Features
The Rover 128 is made of hard plastic, features a high quality finish, has great hooks and dual rattles that can make a huge difference on the water.  When Martin made his suggestion, the company added a slightly larger stationary weight to the rear of the bait to achieve the desired effect.

By changing the stationary weight, it allowed River2Sea to retain the tungsten ball in the rear chamber that creates the loud knocking sound that has been driving bass wild for years.  River2Sea also included glass rattle beads in the head chamber that create a high frequency rattling noise that can attract strikes as well.

River2Sea Rover Tail Feather

The remodel of the product line also included a complete refinishing as well.  The Rover got 10 new colors; which they sought the input of all of their team on, and it received color coordinated hand tied feathers on the rear treble hook.  Many of the colors have a foil finish on the gill plate area, which means that every movement of the lure will create a unique flashing into the water; translucent finishes also have a foil insert in the middle for added flash.

Speaking of hardware, the Rover comes with River2Sea’s premium Big Bite hooks.  These black nickel short shank, round bend hooks feature a stiffer wire to make penetration a breeze.  Couple the strong wire with needle sharp points, and these hooks grad and hold.  The lure also comes with an oval shaped line tie on the nose for increased action.

Application
The Rover128 is a walking topwater; similar in action to many of the cigar shaped topwater baits found throughout the marketplace today.  However, the cupped mouth and precision positioning of the bait in the water make the Rover one of the more versatile walking baits on the market.

River2Sea Rover Face

Short, sharp snaps of the rod tip can make the lure slash wildly from side to side with reduced forward motion, and a more subtle, longer tug can make the bait glide more from side to side.  Either one has fish drawing power, depending on the conditions an angler is faced with and the mood of the bass.

Rover is also durable. We are told that pull tests rate it highly enough, to make it suitable for use with all species of bass, and possibly even quality striped bass.  It probably would not hold up to the rigors of peacock bass or golden dorado, but we know it will handle quality fish without fail.

In the Real World
We love the Rover on a 7′ to 7’6″ medium heavy crankbait rod matched with a 6.4:1 retrieve reel and 30-pound-test braided line that is smooth.  We like braids such as Spiderwire Ultracast or Sunline SX-1 because of their smoother weaves which helps with long casts and less friction in the rod guides.

If the water is clear, we prefer to use a monofilament leader which we tie to the mainline with an Albright knot.  This combination gives us the ultimate combination of casting distance, positive hooksetting and stealth because of the braid to leader matchup.

The River2Sea Rover is available in 10 colors, and two sizes which retail at $9.99.  This is an amazing value for this price point.  Find more info at www.river2seausa.com, or pick them up at www.monsterfishingtackle.com