Lucky John Tioga is an edible silicone bait that is known to every domestic spinning angler. Since its appearance, it has proven its worth in all reservoirs when catching predatory representatives of ichthyofauna in a variety of conditions, therefore it is deservedly considered one of the best among its kind.
The manufacturer of Tiogi is the well-known fishing company Lucky John, specializing in the development and manufacture of artificial baits and other products for fishing. Its assortment includes many popular rubber models, wobblers and spinners, but Tioga is considered the face of the brand and is one of the best-selling items in the company’s catalog.
In this article we will talk about the features of Lucky John Tioga. Why has this soft bait earned such recognition among spinning fishermen, what are its advantages? Let's consider fishing options for it, the best equipment and fishing techniques.
Description of the bait
The Lucky John Tioga lure has a hybrid body that consists of a worm-shaped cylindrical body and a tail like a ripper. As a result, in water the “rubber” behaves like a vibrating tail, actively wagging its rear end, imitating the behavior of a small fish.
Tioga plays like a classic vibrator.
Lucky John is made from high-quality material endowed with edible properties. Its distinctive features are:
- high elasticity, allowing you to play on super-slow retrieves and free fall;
- balanced looseness, ensuring reliable retention of the hook or jig head in the body of the bait;
- strength to withstand a sufficient number of predator bites.
The silicone used to make bait contains certain amino acids and salts, which give it edible characteristics. Once in the mouth of a fish, Tioga material does not cause wariness or rejection in it. As a result, it holds the “rubber” in its mouth longer, allowing for a more confident bite, and if the predator misses during the throw, then it pursues such a tasty object much more willingly and recklessly.
Note! The advantages of the “edible” are best manifested in compacted reservoirs and when catching a passive predator.
In addition to being “edible,” Lucky John Tioga’s silicone bait is impregnated with a mackerel-flavored attractant. Once in the water, the “rubber” leaves behind a fragrant trail, which additionally affects the predator’s senses, attracting its attention.
Tioga comes in a very convenient package.
Tioga is supplied in a classic plastic transparent bag with a Zip Lock system. Inside there is a rectangular blister that prevents squeezing and deformation of the package. It already contains baits, packaged depending on their size.
Dimensions
The Lucky John Tioga bait is available in five sizes. The smallest modifications are 2 and 2.4 inches long. They are relevant in ultralight and light spinning directions. Suitable for fishing for perch, small pike perch and pike, sometimes shooting at a white predator.
The sizes 2.9, 3.4 and 3.9 inches are relevant for “adult” spinning rods. They are used for targeted catching of medium and large predators. They performed especially well when hunting zander and pike. And they also come across hefty humpback salmon, asp, catfish, and maybe burbot.
Advice! The 2.9-inch lure is the most versatile.
Jig baits
The quantity in the package directly depends on the size modification of the bait:
- 2" – 10 pieces;
- 2,4» – 9;
- 2,9’’ – 7;
- 3,4’’ – 6;
- 3,9’’ – 5.
Some anglers, especially beginners, find inch sizes uncomfortable. If we convert Tioga's modifications into centimeters, we get the following row: 5.1, 6.1, 7.4, 8.6, 9.9 cm.
The 3.4-inch long Tioga is good for asp in early spring.
It is advisable for an angler to have Tioga in all sizes in his arsenal. This will always allow you to adapt to the current situation. It happens that a heavy pike perch prefers small “rubber” and, conversely, a small perch is more willing to attack a bait 3-4 inches long.
Dimensions and packaging
Tioga's size range is impressive. With 5 different length options, the Tioga can catch almost any fish. The ripper is available in the following variations:
- size 2.0″ (50 mm). Weight - 0.75 grams. 10 pieces. packaged. An excellent bait for catching small minke whales with a microjig. Installation is possible both on offset and on a jig head;
- size 2.4″ (62 mm). Weight - 1.3 grams. 9 pcs. packaged. Suitable for fishing small and medium-sized perch, as well as medium-sized pike;
- size 2.9″ (75 mm). Weight - 2.5 grams. 7 pcs. packaged. Universal size. You can catch almost any size predator with it;
- size 3.4″ (86 mm). Weight - 3.8 grams. 6 pcs. packaged. The optimal size for catching medium-sized pike and pike perch; perch weighing up to 1 kg can also be caught at this size;
- size 3.9″ (100 mm). Weight - 6.15 grams. 5 pieces. packaged. The bait is good for classic jig. Interesting for hunting trophy zander and pike.
Lucky John Tioga is packaged in traditional plastic containers. The latch is reliable and does not open spontaneously during transportation - this is very important from the point of view of maintaining the attractiveness of baits for predators. The packaging is more than convenient. It is compact, which allows you to put it in any even small handbag.
Colors
The Lucky John Tioga color palette is very versatile. The assortment includes colors specially designed for specific fishing conditions: lighting, water transparency, time of year, weather factors, bottom character, etc. There are many universal colorings that have proven themselves on different bodies of water.
Tioga's most famous colors are:
- Nagoya Shrimp (in our opinion, machine oil);
- Watermelon;
- Green Pumpkin;
- Blue Gill;
- Flash Minnow;
- Lime Chartreuse.
On some rivers, when catching pike perch in snags, Purple Plum and Magic show good results.
Advice! In cloudy weather, white colors, such as Ocean Perl, work well.
In general, a spinning player’s set should have at least five colors – several natural ones and a couple of bright ones. In warm water, clearly visible acidic and fluorescent colors are more relevant, in cold water - dark, natural, with sparkles.
Features of Lucky John lures
The Lucky John company offers a full range of bulky hard baits, which allows you to completely cover the needs of the fisherman for all predators and fishing conditions. In the manufacturer's catalog, spinners can find the following classes of wobblers:
- minnow;
- shads;
- cranks;
- rattlins;
- poppers;
- walkers;
- compilers.
The predator loves bait from Lucky John
Each Lucky John wobbler is a high-quality product in which the manufacturer has implemented innovative technologies that make it possible to obtain a catchable bait with the specified performance characteristics. The main ones include:
- Magnetic Cast System – a special system for long-distance casting, which allows you to optimally position the center of mass during the flight of the wobbler;
- A stabilization system consisting of steel or tungsten balls designed to give the bait stable movements at different speeds and angles of supply to the current;
- The noise capsule in many models allows you to increase the range of the wobbler and attract fish from a long distance;
- The LBF blade is a specially designed blade used in lightweight models to quickly get the bait to the working horizon.
Each lure from LJ is designed to solve specific problems, so the angler does not need to guess about its purpose. With a competent approach to fishing, a spinning angler can put together a completely combat-ready set for all occasions.
Tioga Fat
The enormous popularity of Tioga prompted the manufacturer to release its enlarged modification - Lucky John Tioga Fat. This is a large bait aimed at targeted hunting for heavy predators, such as catfish, pike and pike perch.
The Tioga Fat is good on large walleye.
Tioga Fat is available in three sizes - 3.9, 4.5 and 5.8 inches. Like the basic model, it is made of soft and elastic rubber with edible properties, impregnated with an oil attractant with the taste of mackerel. It is distinguished by a thicker body and an enlarged “heel”, which has a more impressive play.
Features of application
The Lucky John Pro Series Tioga silicone bait is universal. It works all year round, even in winter. This “rubber” is used in any current and in standing reservoirs, in deep riverbed areas and extensive shallow waters, on a clear bottom and among snags.
Tioga on an eared sinker with offset - optimal mounting of the bait.
The basic Tioga rig from Lucky John is a hinged one on an eared sinker. This equipment allows you to effectively fish with a jig, which is why the bait was created, which opens up to its maximum when performing a stepped retrieve.
If fishing is carried out on a clean bottom, then an open hook, usually a single hook, is used in the equipment. A double is also suitable, but it can collect various rubbish found on the bottom, for example, a shell, single algae, twigs, etc.
When fishing in strong places, you need to use an offset hook, the sting of which is hidden in the body of the bait, which allows you to pass through difficult areas, avoiding snags. The equipment effectively avoids hooks, but when biting, the offset is exposed and catches the fish.
Offset is good not only in snags, but is also used among rocky bottoms, algae and shell rocks. In this case, the sting is not hidden in the body of the bait, but only placed as close to the back as possible. This approach allows you to reduce the number of idle bites.
A jig head is the best option for hunting pike.
The jig head shows good results. The Tioga mounted on it is suitable for fishing in the water column and near the surface. At the bottom, such equipment almost does not work. The optimal wiring options are uniform and wavy.
Popular products
The Lucky John Rock Craw bait is universal and active. It imitates crayfish, resembling it both in appearance and smell. The attention of predators is attracted by the oscillating movements created by the movable tail and small legs of the bait. The use of this rubber is especially effective when fishing with Texas rigs.
Fantasy edible rubber Lucky John Hogy Hog is an imitation of something between a crustacean and a large larva. The aroma of shrimp is ideal for attracting perch, trout, and pike. Reviews advise using this bait for microjigging. According to anglers, using such bait is a guarantee that your catch will be big!
Lucky John Hogy Hog 66 is an edible rubber that is a sinking twister. It is universal, as it can be used for fishing at any time of the year, including winter. Edible rubber Lucky John LJ S-SHAD TAIL is a vibrating tail that has a long body shape. To create these fishing products, the brand uses durable materials that, despite their softness, are resistant to bites.
Reviews from fishermen
Tioga edible soft baits have been in the hands of, perhaps, all anglers. Due to their effectiveness, they have earned a lot of positive feedback, which is confirmed by stable catches. Below are just some of the reviews from spinners about the Lucky John Tioga rubber.
Sanya: “Tioga is one of my favorite baits. What is especially captivating about it is its reasonable price, which is almost an order of magnitude lower than expensive Japanese edibles. It is not a pity to throw this silicone into dense, impassable cramps, where the likelihood of a snag and subsequent breakage is almost inevitable. However, it’s not just the cost that captivates this bait. It comes in different sizes and colors, as they say, to suit every taste. In my arsenal now there are about twenty packs of Tioga of different lengths and colors, and there are no frankly non-working ones - everyone catches them. Overall, I think that Tioga can be recommended to everyone, from beginner to professional. The bait is durable, mobile, and retains an attractive aroma for a long time. Works in any weather in different conditions. Definitely a must have in a spinner’s box.”
Oleg: “In my jig arsenal, Tioga takes pride of place among the best silicone baits. She showed solid results in catching pike perch on riverbed dumps, holes and snags. I mainly use it on offset hooks and hinged equipment.”
Ivan28: “The 3.9-inch long Tioga has shown its effectiveness in hunting spotted beasts. I like to use it along the coastal strip of seaweed. Moreover, the bait works both at the bottom and in the thicker water or from the surface. The optimal installation that works in these conditions is a classic jig head with an open single hook. This equipment is best suited for catching pike on a uniform and wavy retrieve, and allows you to perform jerky animation techniques.”
Serg_Jiggit: “Tioga, set on offset and mounted on an eared sinker, is a catchable bait for zander, pike and commercial perch. She performed well in strong spots and on clear bottoms.”
Tamerlan: “The two-inch Tioga is one of my favorite baits for light jigging. Suitable for targeted fishing of small and medium-sized perch. And also pike and zander weighing up to 300 grams fly into it, asp or weighty ide can take it. I mount silicone on a small offset or open single and a collapsible Cheburashka weighing from 3 to 7 grams. With a heavier load, the bait does not play so expressively, which affects the bite of a passive predator. I prefer bright, less often acidic colors. Colors with sparkles work well.”
Zander Hunter: “I caught my biggest walleye last year on a 3.9-inch, oil-colored Lucky John Tioga, which weighed 10 pounds. In addition to the trophy, this bait often caught commercial fanged up to 2 kg. Therefore, I can safely say that at the moment Tioga is my best tire, which in terms of performance beats the famous Keitech, Raines and others.”
Andrey: “If you need inexpensive, but strong, working and proven tires, then Tioga from Lucky John is ideal. For the fifth year now, it has been one of the most frequently used in my arsenal and has caught more than a dozen pike perch, pike perch and commercial perch. In my opinion, the Tioga is most effective on a hinged offset hook mount. I tried to use it on a jig head and spaced rigs - it was a little different. In the first case, it is inferior to the classic vibrating tail, in the second - to passive silicone.”
Lucky John Tioga
Date: October 18, 2015 | 075
The history of vibrating tails began with the boom of soft silicone baits. With the advent of the edible, a new generation of these baits, it might seem that the time of vibrator tails is coming to an end. But everything happened differently. Vibrating tails have not left the arena, they have evolved. Now in the arsenals of spinning jiggers you can see many models of vibrotails with a variety of shape features, and made of edible silicone, impregnated with salts and attractant. One such great lure is the Lucky John Tioga .
The Lucky John Tioga is a typical vibratortail. This is an active bait that plays with its tail when retrieved evenly. The shape, of course, is not entirely typical. The body of the vibrotail is worm-shaped with a fairly deep annular notch. The notch is missing only on the base of the tail, on the extended segment closer to the head of the bait and on the head itself. The tail piece is large enough, but not thick, and therefore not heavy. Because of this, the bait produces fairly high-frequency vibrations when retrieved. If the tail were heavier, the vibrations would be smoother and more sweeping. Well, that's a feature. In some ways this is a plus.
Lucky John Tioga plays very well and imitates a narrow-bodied fish. Good active play is facilitated by the notch on the tail and the softness of the silicone. A good vibrating tail, just not a very traditional shape.
Tioga vibrating tails are produced in five standard sizes. This is quite a wide variety. Dimensions: 2”, 2.4”, 2.9”, 3.4”, 3.9”.
Small versions are designed for catching mainly perch. Large ones are good for pike and good zander. Intermediate versions can be considered universal.
Lucky John Tioga baits are packaged in traditional plastic packs. The number of vibrating tails in a pack: 10 pcs, 9 pcs, 7 pcs, 6 pcs and 5 pcs, respectively. The smaller the bait, the more there are in the package.
A pack of Lucky John Tioga costs less than $2. Of course, as for baits of this level of quality, it’s not money. Not least because of this, Tioga is so popular and in demand among our “horsemen”.
Lucky John Tioga baits are made of very soft silicone, impregnated with an attractant with the smell of mackerel and saturated with salts. Those. According to the properties of the material, these are high-quality edible vibrotails.
There are no questions at all regarding the color scheme. A very wide selection of colors, and new colors appear regularly.
Like all vibrator tails, the Lucky John Tioga works very well when attached to a regular jig head (just without the float lock on the hook). Thus, the body of the bait is fixed well, and the tail swings freely relative to the body.
No less popular is the installation of Tioga on a hinge using single or offset hooks.
The narrow body shape of the bait goes very well with its equipment on offset baits. So, you can use the Lucky John Tioga with a blanket and a weight, directly attached to the hook, or in spaced rigs, using the principle of a drop-shot or retractable leader.
Also, the shape of the bait is quite suitable for “wacky” type equipment.
As you can see, it is a very versatile, universal bait. Thanks to the appropriateness of different installations, a rich grid of standard sizes, and a wide range of colors, Lucky John Tioga can be used in the most diverse conditions, for different types of predators, and not only predatory fish.
Personally, I really liked the two-inch Tioga in 085 (machine oil) and S13 (purple) for micro-jigging schooling fall bass.
Also, Tioga in size 3.9” in color 071 (light green) worked very well when catching pike and medium-sized pike perch in snags on the reservoir. It was equipped with a hinge, on an offset hook and using a collapsible eared sinker weighing 10-12g. This load weight was sufficient in those conditions.
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For example, I came across a photo on the Internet. Nice winter pike caught on Lucky John Tioga in winter.
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Categories: Lucky John · Tags: Lucky John, Vibrating tails, Jig, Pike-perch, Edible, Pike
