New Rattlin’ Puppet Minnow Promises Big Bites
New for 2020, Northland Fishing Tackle has put a twist on its ever-popular Puppet Minnow. The breakthrough introduction of rattles to this already incredible bait now offers an attractive option to bring in fish from a distance with sonic cues.
The new Rattlin’ Puppet Minnow brings the noise with a glass rattle and acoustics that carry through the water, all without killing its famous action. Anglers have long noted the benefits of vibration and additional sound in their baits, as fish home in on auditory clues to help them locate and smash prey of all kinds.
The Rattlin’ Puppet Minnow still sports its trademark action, darting and swimming like a dying minnow which triggers predatory responses in the form of reaction strikes. Its heavy zinc frame fishes with excellence both vertically jigged or when casted, making it truly versatile for multiple species on the ice or open water.
In late fall, open water anglers will find the Rattlin’ Puppet Minnow effective both cast and vertically jigged. Below the boat, snap the bait and let if freefall over schools of walleyes, mega crappies, largemouth and smallmouth bass. Made recently popular, balanced-style jigs can be long cast as well, snapped back to boat, mirroring a baitfish darting off the bottom.
The Rattlin’ Puppet Minnow yields the finest both visually and audibly, in what promises to be a best-selling bait. No longer are anglers forced to choose between an aggressive whizzing lure that targets a fish’s visual acuity, or a loud and proud bait that calls them from a distance. Having both advantages in a single lure gives anglers an edge in a variety of conditions.
The Rattlin’ Puppet Minnow features some impressive upgrades as well, with its wide gap back hook for better sets and hooking retention. The front hook has also been removed in favor of a more weight-forward gliding action; a move that’s sure to excite ice anglers who often clip the front hook to avoid catching the ice while landing fish. Whether ice or open water, these changes to the hook framework are sure to result in more solid hookups and fish landed.
Northland Pro Brian “Bro” Brosdahl is a big fan of the new Rattlin’ Puppet Minnow. “The Rattlin’ Puppet Minnow has a unique shape that really gets the bait to dart forward. It’s a great bait through the ice because you’ve got great reach with it,” says Brosdahl, alluding to how the Rattlin’ Puppet Minnow circles wide for extra coverage.
He continues: “And then the built-in rattle chamber makes a big difference on Lake of the Woods – or any stained lake for that matter. That little bit of high-pitched rattle draws fish in from a distance. One of my favorite parts of this bait is the big, unique hook on the back. It has a different shape, kind of a longer gap, which allows it to hook fish solidly, so they don’t shake off at the bottom of the hole. There’s no front hook, which means it’s not going to grab on the ice with fish come up the hole. With a lot of forwarding swimming baits, you’ve got a front hook that can catch on the ice, and your fish can come off. The colors are also really cool, in that classic Northland match-the-hatch way. There are colors that will work in any body of water. Plus, the dropper hook is sticky sharp, and for ice, you can add a minnow head or a full minnow on the back hook and let the dropper hook free.”
Brosdahl adds: “No matter how you fish it, the bait just works. In open water, I pitch them. Whether you’re in 10 feet of water and walking the dog or 25 feet of water, pitch it, let it hit the bottom, and hop it back just like a jig and minnow and get ready to set the hook! Whether it be on the ice or open water, just the slightest movement of the rod top gets the bait flying. A double hop gets it to change directions which can trigger killer strikes. The hooks are so sharp you don’t have to set the hook too hard, just sweep or start reeling and the fish is on.”
With an MSRP of $7.99, the Rattlin’ Puppet Minnow comes ready to fish, one bait per card, in 12 UV and non-UV colors for a variety of species from panfish to walleye. The bait is ¼ ounce and features a #10 treble and 2/0 back hook.
Jeremy Mallette is co-founder of International Sportsman. An avid hunter and outdoorsman, he has spent more than a decade in the outdoor industry, from hiking and camping to silencers and hunting. His father taught him to shoot at age six, and he received his first firearm at age eight — a 1942 Colt Commando .38 special revolver. He enjoys yearly trips to Kansas for pheasant hunting, spending time with his children at the deer lease, and collecting unique firearms.