Bomber Plugs – Extraordinarily effective and affordable minnow imitators

One of my earliest memories of fishing is of when my father and I would go trolling for musky on warm summer evenings. I clearly remember the still water’s surface shattering like a plane of glass as giant leviathans from the deep became airborne while chasing minnow imitating plugs - it still sends shivers down my spine to this day. We would meet up with my dad’s friend (who had the only boat at the time) just after dinner. On those nights I wouldn’t need to be told to finish my meal – I was usually done well in advance of anyone else. In fact, I would eat so quickly that my dad would typically remark, watch out you don’t eat your fingers! I never did manage to eat my fingers, but I did accidently bite my tongue on occasion, sending my sister into hysterics. My sister typically picked at her food no matter the circumstance. In any event, I see the same thing with my six year old son today; at home, I need to repeatedly remind him to eat; at the cottage, where there are frogs and grasshoppers to be chased, he inhales his food like a goose – I guess cycles do repeat themselves. My dad’s friend’s boat was a baby blue fiberglass run about - I’ll never forget it - with a Mercury outboard that would gently rattle your teeth as it put-putted along. I remember that engine clearly, as I would stare at it while we slowly trolled - the smell of its exhaust in my nose, oily and rich. I don’t know if it was the fumes, or the time spent with my father, but those were some of the best, most magical evenings of my life.

My dad was always a Rapala man, and to a great degree so am I because of him. He would troll a black and silver Rapala minnow plug behind the boat with great patience, and he put big numbers of pickerel and musky in the boat to be sure – much respect to Rapala. My dad’s friend however, trolled a Bomber Long A behind the boat with less patience then my dad, but with occasionally greater success in terms of the size of the fish he caught. He always threw a big vibrant green Bomber minnow, with yellow sides, orange belly, black scales and red fluorescent eyes - I remember that lure always seemed angry or panicked to me because of the eyes. He said that it was exactly because of those red eyes that the bigger musky would become enraged and mad enough to bite. I can’t argue with his results. Where the Rapala baits were dignified and refined, the Bomber baits seemed larger and louder than life. Truly, the impression those lures made on a young boy, way back when, still sticks with me...

These baits are built like trucks – flat out. (Bomber Long ''A'' - Regular Jointed - top to bottom: FIRETIGER, SILVER FLASH/RED HEAD)

Today, I still throw bomber plugs (and Rapala plugs) when the situation calls for it. Jointed or straight Long A’s when I troll for Musky, and Tim Horton Pro Long A’s when I throw diving/suspending plugs for Small or Largemouth Bass. The plastic that Bomber uses is ultra-high impact and low-wear, as I still have (and still fish) the first Bomber Long A I ever purchased. The hooks on Bomber plugs are sharp from the start (Gamakatsu hooks are found on the Pro Long A), and the paint remains durable and resistant to chipping long after your first cast. The baits offer a tight and true wobble right out of the package, whether you run them at low or high speeds (something not easily accomplished). Combine this with a fantastic set of fish-calling internal rattles and terrific colour schemes, and you have a lure that catches fish consistently. Big fish consistently – an attribute not seen in many lures available now or in years past. Bomber minnow plugs function well on light or heavy lines, and are dynamite (pardon the pun) on most any game fish that swims. Bomber also offers Long A Saltwater Grade models that are incredibly well made for life in the brine.

Topwater Bottom Line: When Bomber first fabricated the Long A, they produced an instant classic. When Bomber fabricated the Pro Long A (in concert with Tim Horton) they offered up a new classic. Their five to seven dollar price range ($4.69 for the original Long A; $5.49 for the jointed; and 6.99 for the Pro) seems like an absolute steal when you consider the lures potential. Along with Rapala, they will always remain my go to minnow plugs, as they are not only productive, but also tie me to a time when I fished with my dad – something I truly miss. There are some lure manufactures who just get it right from the start, and Bomber is one of them. I suggest you give these lures a home in your box and a job on the end of your line. As always, please practice catch and release with these lures.

Topwater Rating:

5 out of 5 bobbers

This suspending Tim Horton Pro Long A offers a realistic finish that is seemingly wet before it hits the water. (Avialable in: SUNSET SHINER, GOLDEN BENGAL (shown above), PEWTER PEARL, WATERMELON PEARL)