Advanced Product Review – Livingston Lures Pro Sizzle Jr.

Pro Sizzle Jr. XXX Shad

by Jamieson Heaney – Livingston Lures Regional Pro Staff

Last year, we got the chance to attend the Livingston Lures Fish with a Pro Day on Lake Oneida.  Four anglers got the chance to fish with the Livingston Lures pro staff for a day and to hang out with the crew and management of Livingston Lures that travel to the events during the season.

One of those anglers, Jamieson Heaney, took the opportunity to join the Livingston Lures pro staff after that trip, and has spent much of the past year fishing the lures under a variety of conditions.

We asked Heaney to do a special guest review of his favorite Livingston Lures bait, and he chose the Pro Sizzle Jr. topwater.  I mean, how could you blame the guy; topwater is after all quite possibly the most exciting way to catch a bass.

We would actually have to agree with Heaney on the Pro Sizzle family as well.  There seems to be something about that lure that draws strikes on the pause.  You get a good cadence walking the lure then let it settle around cover and the sound waves on the Junior, and then even the LED light on the tail on the Pro Sizzle have shown an increase of a few strikes when compared to standard walking baits.  Is it a scientific study that we’ve performed?  No, but fishing is all about confidence, and when we need to use a retrieve that requires a start and stop retrieve, the Pro Sizzle is one we reach for.

Jamieson Heaney Celebrates a Smallmouth with Jeff Kriet – photo by Dan O’Sullivan

We wanted to let someone who has fished the bait a lot give you his opinions in the reader written Advanced Product Review of the Livingston Lures Pro Sizzle Jr.

Pro Sizzle Jr.
My choice of baits to review from Livingston would be the Pro Sizzle Jr .

Most of us have fished a walk the dog type of bait, but for me personally this one is amazing. From walking it or at times letting it sit still and let the noise do the work for you. The Pro Sizzle Jr. would be compared to maybe the famous Zara spook, but it has its differences too.

The body to me on the Pro Sizzle Jr. is slightly wider than most other walking baits, which I believe helps the cast maybe on a windy day and helps the walking action a little more. I first tested this lure on a pond near where I grew up, but have fished it on clear lakes, and on stained lakes as well.  It produces well when the fish are either feeding on shad and also when you can find the top water reaction strikes as the main pattern.

Pro Sizzle Jr. Chrome Blue

All the colors on the Pro Sizzle Jr. are great, but my personal choice is the chrome with blue back because it seems to work where ever I go.  That color really seems to produce well on fairly clear waters; which is what I personally seem to fish the most. XXX Shad is my next color to play with, and Baby bass would be a good color to play with certain times of the year as well.

I have caught a bunch of spotted bass who have crushed the bait on both movement and while sitting still, but largemouth seem to eat it more sitting still at a little a slower pace. I haven’t really fished it for smallmouth bass yet, but will once the season heats up around home.

For me I personally use a Dobyns 735 (7 foot 3 inch 5 power rod) Champion series rod with a Lew’s Speed Spool 7:1 ratio reel for line I believe heavily in 50-pound-test Sunline SX-1 braid for topwater. Braid just makes it easier to work the bait with very little movement in my hands and on long cast you can get the great hooksets loaded up more as well with a 7′ -7’3″ foot rod.

Jamieson Heaney and Jeff Kriet Show Off Some Smallmouth – photo by Dan O’Sullivan

My style of fishing will depend on what type of fish live in the water.  If I’m fishing for cold water spots I will work the bait pretty quickly and then “kill the bait” and let the noise do some work , then speed up and suddenly  kill it in front of them again; I’ve gotten some pretty awesome strikes that way.  For largemouths I will make sure the bait walks really good side to side make sure you have a decent amount of slack line twitch, letting the bait go either right or left all the way; then, pause, then twitch again to walk it fully to each side.  Largemouth seem to strike on the pause more than spotted bass do.

Along with the features of this bait we’ve already discussed is the Livingston Lures EBS System which has a battery life of up to 2 years. The EBS system helps draw the fish in to get curious then draws the explosive reaction strike when the sounds kick in.

One other nice thing about this bait is the hooks, they are sharp, they work fantastic, so I didn’t have to change anything or sharpen them at all out of the packaging. For 11.99 it’s a super choice and one of the Clear Winners in the whole Livingston Lures lineup.

Find a dealership near you or log on to www.livingstonlures.com load up a spool, grab a topwater rod and go out and have some fun . Best of luck out there!