Battle With The Best
A California
Surf Fishing Story
Driven by a lifelong passion for fishing and invention.
I identify challenges and then design my own products to solve those problems, enhancing my success, and enjoyment at Surf Fishing in California.
In April 2000 I moved from WA state to Ventura CA to begin my YouTube channel Vince Goes Fishing. At that time, no Facebook Groups would allow you share YouTube videos, so I started my own group where members are encouraged to share any relevant CA surf fishing content. I also found shortcomings in some of the fishing lures I was using, and decided to design my own to solve those problems.
The first problem I had was with a long casting, sinking jerkbait which had a tendency to snag on bottom structure. So I made one that slowly floats and dives just a few feet deep. Now I can work the Battlestar 115 Jerkbait over bottom structure and fish it slower than any other jerkbait without snagging bottom. Then we improved the hook strength, and added features to make the bait 6X stronger. The lure proved to be excellent in the surf and soon everyone wanted it. Fishermen all around the country experience outstanding success targeting a great variety of species with the Battlestar 115 Jerkbait.
Finally, I designed the Battlestar 5” Rib Bait with an original Rib-Through-Groove® design. This innovative feature hides the hook tip behind ribs, within the groove, creating what I believe to be the most weedless swimbait in the world, with superior hooksets.
YouTube.com/@MikesTackleBox
YouTube.com/@VINCEGOESFISHING
In 2022 I moved to San Luis Obispo county, to experience the very different central coast system north of Point Conception. Suddenly I was immersed in the world’s greatest Surf Perch fishery. I couldn’t help but get the sense that someone was playing a joke on us. The leaders of our Carolina Rigs were constantly getting twisted and fouled. I also noticed a poor bite to hook-set ratio, and the tails of our perch grubs constantly getting torn off. After several years of observation and experimentation, I developed a successful design. Stay tuned to see what Battlestar Tackle has in store, to rock the Surfperch fishing world.
What’s next? I intend to explore the CA Coast, discover the uniqueness of each beach, adapt strategies, and invent new solutions along the way.
Chase your dreams.
- Vincent Alexander
Discover more at CaSurfFishing.com
The next problem I had was my Texas rig swimbait getting snagged on bottom due to a weight forward design. It also got fouled on seaweed due to the exposed hook tip. I tried burying the hook tip in soft plastic, but then I was landing fewer fish due to poor hook-sets. I solved these problems. To improve hook sets, I tested various swimbait hooks and found a specific VMC hook model to be superior.
Finally, I designed the Battlestar 5” Rib Bait with an original Rib-Through-Groove® design. This innovative feature hides the hook tip behind ribs, within the groove, creating what I believe to be the most weedless swimbait in the world, with superior hooksets.
I solved the snagging issue by placing the weight further back on the Xtra Long Shank hook so it sinks horizontally, and swims “nose up” with the rod tip in an upward position. The Battlestar XLS Weighted Swimbait Hook® has proven remarkably snag-less. Available in 1/2oz, 3/8oz, and 1/4oz for surf fishing conditions.
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