When Reaction Innovation released the Sweet Beaver it quickly became the staple in the fishing industry. Take a look through any serious bass anglers tackle and you will see at least one pack of beaver style baits. The reason is because they flat out catch fish. The soft plastic
manufacturers know this and that’s why almost every company sells a beaver bait. In my eyes, there is many duplicates but only one true beaver. Today I will review the Sweet Beaver and tell you a few tricks along the way.
When I look at the Sweet Beaver the first thing that catches my eye is the ribbed body. These ribs serve two purposes: to displace water so the fish can hone in on the bait and to give a life like feel of a crawfish when the fish inhales it. The ribs on the body of the beaver mimics segmented tail of a real crawfish. Further down the body is a flapper on each side of the body. This also displaces water and since they are free moving, they can flare when stationary and look like a real crawfish in a defensive position. Lastly is the tail of the bait. The tail comes perforated from RI, but can be separated if the bait needs more free moving appendages. The head of the bait is very durable and doesn’t tear out as easily as some others on the market. This is a big plus when punching grass all day because the mat alone can tear the bait up.
I’ve found the beaver to be extremely effective as a flipping bait. I’ll fish it around boat docks, cypress trees, and grass mats. Basically anywhere a jig isn’t very effective. It also can draw bites when a jig is too much and the fish are wanting something smaller. Another use for the beaver is on the end of a Carolina rig or Swing head. The Carolina rig accents the free falling spiral that the beaver has. A swing head allows you to fish it around rocks, another hiding spot for crawfish.
Currently there are four styles of the Sweet Beaver: the standard Sweet Beaver 4.20, the Smallie Beaver, the Double Wide Beaver, and the Kinky Beaver. The Sweet Beaver 4.20 is the flagship of Reaction Innovation’s product line and is offered in 50 different colors to match whatever you are trying to imitate. The beaver comes in 10 to a pack and is packaged in a high quality package that won’t fall part when you’re opening them up.
The Sweet Beaver has really improved my fishing over the years and know it will improve yours. Grab a pack at Tackle Warehouse and start hooking into some big bass this summer.
