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Spro BBZ-1 Shad or Tru Tungsten Trulife 4" swimbait 2025


fishing user avatardrop-shot fool reply : 

I have been thinking about ordering a few but i don't know which won to get.  They both look awesome on their videos.  I like the color of the spro better, but i like the two hooks on the true tungsten.  Any body used either of these baits.  If so were they worth the money, or should i stick to the sebile magic swimmers.


fishing user avatarmrlitetackle reply : 

never tried the tru tungsten, but i have heard many complaints about the pin falling out.

i have 2 of the spro's...

look amazing in the water, and i have caught fish with them as well, although i will say that they dont preform (with respect to catching fish) as well as i had hoped for them to.  I mean they look so great on the retrieve, at any speed, and still...... the results are not so great (for me at least)... a few fish here and there, but nowhere near the performance that i expected to see from this bait...

honestly, i have caught far more fish (in a shorter time-span) on the SK sexy swimmer....... i cant keep the fish off of that thing!!!


fishing user avatarCaptianPlanet reply : 

Honestly I wouldn't get either, the tungsten is wiked small. If you havnt seen it, it is four inches but the profile is tiny. The Spro is a much better bait, it is larger but is still fits its small swim bait category. But like mrlitetackle, I havnt had much luck on it either. The best role it plays is in bed fishing, and its deadly at that. I have read that it kills if you toss it into a school of boiling shad. Idk, its not my favorite but you could end up loving it, so bottom line is the Spro is the better bait. 


fishing user avatarEastTexasBassin reply : 

I have one of the slow slink spro bbz-1 shads, and my results are similar to those already posted in this thread.  I've caught some fish on it, and ONCE I had a great day with it.  Other times, I've found that I caught far more fish once I switched to something else.

It sure does look great though. 


fishing user avatarmidnighthrasher reply : 

4" trulife in babybass.....  my brother used it all summer and killed it.... he caught his pb 4.10 lb lmb in a tourney... awesome action and tough as nails...


fishing user avatarangler1 reply : 

I have never tried the TT and also do not know anyone that has been sucessful with it either. As for the Spro, I have one and admit it has a great action however I have never caught anything with it after numerous attempts. Personally I would save the 20+ $ and get something you know won't let you down.


fishing user avatarroadwarrior reply : 

Never caught a fish on the Spro BBZ-1.

It now resides with my Kick-Tail collection!

All show and no go as far as I'm concerned.

:-X


fishing user avatarPrimus reply : 

I 've had the same expirience as Roadwarrior, it looks great in water and I'm amazed that it hasn't produced. I keep thinking that it's been a timing issue and I admit I probably haven't given it enough time on the water to give it a fair evaluation, could I be doing something wrong? I will say that the SK King Shad has produced, and a very nice ratio of larger 4 lb plus fish, I've thrown this bait primarliy in lowlight conditions sometimes as alternative to a topwater bait. That said others have used it and don't share my enthusiasm for this bait. I also have 1 Tru Tungsten but I've only made a handful of cast with it.


fishing user avatarRandall reply : 

Stick with the magic swimmers.


fishing user avatarbassfanatick reply : 

Hi, I would have to agree with most of the comments on here.  I have both of the baits the original poster mentioned, and yet have caught any worthy fish on them.  Just save your money and buy something else.


fishing user avatarDan: reply : 

If you must by one, get the Spro. The TT is TINY!


fishing user avatarChaz Hickcox reply : 

It really depends on the size of the forage.  I have personally found that the bigger swimbaits aren't always the way to go, especially when the forage is smaller shiners.  As far as using it, I don't know because I have not used either one.  I would guess that either one would be good twitched all the way back to the boat, much like walking the dog.  I personally use Castaic Rock Hard and when I do a steady twitch cadence back to the boat I generally can get a strike.  As far as matching the color, that doesn't matter too much, a twitched swimbait will generally look like a small fish in distress and will trigger a strike.  Unfortunately the Castaic Rock Hards are only available, for the time being, in rainbow trout.  They have been working on their rock hard baby bass and shad for almost a year now and they should almost be ready.


fishing user avatar-nick- reply : 
  Quote
If you must by one, get the Spro. The TT is TINY!

Sometimes tiny is better! Like most other posts, I had both and have never caught anything on the spro but have been pretty successful on the tru-tungsten. I eventually sold my spro. If your absolutely set on getting one I'd say go for the tru-tungsten. Much better "small" swimbait imo.


fishing user avatarDan: reply : 
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If you must by one, get the Spro. The TT is TINY!

Sometimes tiny is better! Like most other posts, I had both and have never caught anything on the spro but have been pretty successful on the tru-tungsten. I eventually sold my spro. If your absolutely set on getting one I'd say go for the tru-tungsten. Much better "small" swimbait imo.

It's not even worthy of being called a swimbait. I'm just not into paying $20 for that little of a bait. There's nothing to warrant the price, especially when considering the reports of it falling apart.


fishing user avatarMALTESE FALCON reply : 

I've had MUCH more success with my Strike King Sexy Swimmer, than my Tru-Tungsten. I'll give  the Tru-Tungsten one more season before I relegate it to the "What was I thinking pile".

Falcon


fishing user avatarGrey Wolf reply : 
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If you must by one, get the Spro. The TT is TINY!

Sometimes tiny is better! Like most other posts, I had both and have never caught anything on the spro but have been pretty successful on the tru-tungsten. I eventually sold my spro. If your absolutely set on getting one I'd say go for the tru-tungsten. Much better "small" swimbait imo.

It's not even worthy of being called a swimbait. I'm just not into paying $20 for that little of a bait. There's nothing to warrant the price, especially when considering the reports of it falling apart.

I agree completely with you.


fishing user avatarmidnighthrasher reply : 

Its crazy how sometimes some baits work for some and not for others. Like i said before the tt swimbaits worked great up here. After reading the reviews on this website me and my brother hit up *** and have since used it everytime we go fishing. This thing is a producer for us. I agree that it is small but..... its hard to complain when we caught alot of nice 4+lb fish on it. I cant wait for the 5" to come out i will definetly order a couple.  As for the spro i will probably pick one up eventually but theres no rush.


fishing user avatardman reply : 
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never tried the tru tungsten, but i have heard many complaints about the pin falling out.

I have one that i cant get the pin out to insert the wieghts!   >:)


fishing user avatarmrlitetackle reply : 
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never tried the tru tungsten, but i have heard many complaints about the pin falling out.

I have one that i cant get the pin out to insert the wieghts! >:)

.....at least it wont fall out then ;D ;D ;D


fishing user avatarDEbassman17 reply : 

I havn't caught anything on the sexy swimmer, I've caught oodles of fish on the spro, and don't worry about it only having one hook, every fish I've caught on it has swallowed it, I've only caught one 5" fish on the TT,

-Jason.


fishing user avatarEasternPAfisherman reply : 
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If you must by one, get the Spro. The TT is TINY!

Ummm, dont you guys know there are 5,6,7,8,and 9 inch versions of the TT swimbait, I have a 6" bluegill TT, it has great action but can't really use it with my rods, they're too light.   :)


fishing user avatar.dsaavedra. reply : 
  Quote
I have been thinking about ordering a few but i don't know which won to get. They both look awesome on their videos. I like the color of the spro better, but i like the two hooks on the true tungsten. Any body used either of these baits. If so were they worth the money, or should i stick to the sebile magic swimmers.

then why not get one of each?


fishing user avatarJ_Pearson reply : 

Time and place..

It is in my opinion that the application of "time and place" is a very important variable to consider when fishing a swimbait..whether it be a "tiny" swimbait or a jumbo-sized version.

There are ideal conditions, as well as less favorable conditions to throw a swimbait, just as with any lure or presentation.

For example, if I were to take the Tru-life 4" bait to "Devil's Mud-pit Pond," with a visibility of .03in..on a rainy, cloudy, windy day..well then I suppose I should be tossing my Big, McUgly spinnerbait instead.

It's also a sure bet that you won't find a swimbait tied on my deck when I head to the lake tomorrow morning, with air temps in the 30's and water in mid to upper 40's at this point in the season.

However, under optimal conditions, optimal "time and place" the swimbait will produce.

You also have to consider the local forage. Swimbaits, as I've read and also firmly believe in my own opinion, are a sight-bait. A fish sees it..and if it wants to..kills it. I strongly believe that matching the local forage is an important part of the swimbait formula. Many of the small natural lakes I live around have an abundance of bluegill as opposed to a shad-based forage. In heavy prespawn mode, you can catch bass with little bluegill lodged in their mouths suprisingly often.

Time and place, as well as a strong consideration of the local forage are very important factors in the swimbait formula, and should always be accounted for while discussing swimbait success.

(As an end-note: I've experienced success used Poor Boy's Silly Rabbit swimbaits and I'm very much looking forward to using Tru-Tungsten's Tru-life swimbaits in the upcoming spring season!) 

Best of luck..and keep warm out on the water!

-JP


fishing user avatarMike__D reply : 

I have to go against the grain on this one. I have about 7 to 10 tru tungsten 4 inch swimbaits and love them. I haven't had any problem with the pin falling out at all. I have caught everything from largies to smallies and even a catfish on the bluegill colour. Granted they are really small to be considered a swimbait, they are more of an expensive crankbait. I purchased all mine on sale for around $12 at TW.

I own one BBZ but haven't really used it enough to say wether it produces or not.

Mike


fishing user avatar-nick- reply : 
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If you must by one, get the Spro. The TT is TINY!

Sometimes tiny is better! Like most other posts, I had both and have never caught anything on the spro but have been pretty successful on the tru-tungsten. I eventually sold my spro. If your absolutely set on getting one I'd say go for the tru-tungsten. Much better "small" swimbait imo.

It's not even worthy of being called a swimbait. I'm just not into paying $20 for that little of a bait. There's nothing to warrant the price, especially when considering the reports of it falling apart.

Oh no I wouldn't consider it a swimbait by any means and I definitely wouldn't pay 20 bucks for another but when you find them for sale for around 10ish I think that's a pretty solid deal.


fishing user avatarJ_Pearson reply : 

A quick question for those who don't consider the 4" Tru-Tungsten model a swimbait..What category of baits would it then fall into?

There are big swimbaits and little swimbaits. I just find it hard to toss that bait into another category other than that of swimbaits.

-JP


fishing user avatarSoFl-native reply : 
  Quote
I have been thinking about ordering a few but i don't know which won to get. They both look awesome on their videos. I like the color of the spro better, but i like the two hooks on the true tungsten. Any body used either of these baits. If so were they worth the money, or should i stick to the sebile magic swimmers.

My opinion on both:

TT- small, almost a finesse swim bait, narrow wobble, two smaller lighter wire hooks, floatation is adjustable. Casts pretty well.

SPRO- bigger, wide wobble, moves alot of water, one big hook, not adjustable depth wise. Tends to catch the wind and not cast as well unless you roll cast. Not good to throw into wind.

Both have their places.


fishing user avatar-nick- reply : 
  Quote
A quick question for those who don't consider the 4" Tru-Tungsten model a swimbait..What category of baits would it then fall into?

There are big swimbaits and little swimbaits. I just find it hard to toss that bait into another category other than that of swimbaits.

-JP

I'd call it a big crankbait.




8940

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