{"id":2850,"date":"2012-04-16T21:09:42","date_gmt":"2012-04-17T01:09:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.outdoorblog.net\/outinmichigan\/?p=2850"},"modified":"2012-04-16T21:15:16","modified_gmt":"2012-04-17T01:15:16","slug":"the-goby-has-landed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outdoorblog.net\/outinmichigan\/2012\/04\/16\/the-goby-has-landed\/","title":{"rendered":"The Goby has Landed!-Joe Balog’s Goby Replica"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Round gobies entered the Lake Erie \/ Lake St. Clair system somewhere around 1990, and, since that time, have taken a major grip on the Great Lakes.Round gobies are an extremely prolific forage fish present in all of the Great Lakes. This exotic species was accidently introduced to the Great Lakes system by way of ocean-going freighters’ ballast water. As freighters travel from the Black and Caspian Seas to the Great Lakes, they are forced to discharge of their ballast waters due to the shallow depths of Lake Erie and St. Clair. When doing so, all the organisms and fish that were drawn into the ballast water are forced out. Today, such ballast discharges are better regulated to prevent the movement of exotics.<\/p>\n

It’s estimated that the round goby was introduced in the Great Lakes system around 1990. All species of predator fish, including bass, walleye, muskies and large trout shifted a portion of their feeding habits to include gobies, with the most noted transition occurring in smallmouth bass. By 2005, biologists confirmed what fishermen already knew: up to 90% of the diet of smallmouth bass in Lake Erie is comprised of gobies. Today, fishermen for all major Great Lakes species are seeing noted shifts in their quarry’s habits. Walleye, lake trout and pike fishermen are catching goby-eating fish.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\"\"Spring 2012 enter\u00a0Joe Balog’s Goby Replica\u2122<\/a><\/div>\n

While fishing the Western Basin of Erie in the mid 90’s, Balog observed smallmouth bass spitting up gobies by the dozens, rather than their normal diet of crayfish and shiners. It was evident the bass preferred the easy-to-catch, high protein exotics to their native forage. At that time, Balog developed the first ever goby bait, the Drop Shot Goby. But after a few years of fishing with the bait, even with the incredible success of the technique, Balog theorized that there had to be a better, more realistic way to mimic a goby to the bass.<\/p>\n

In 2003, Joe Balog began to entertain the thought of a true goby swimbait. He needed a heavy, bottom hugging lure that closely mimicked the exotic. Balog presented the idea to many lure manufacturers, including some of the largest in the fishing industry, with limited success. No one could build Joe what he wanted. Some got close, others just presented crude hunks of plastic. In 2009, Balog solicited the help of one the leading manufacturers of swimbaits in California. The designer had created the most realistic swimbaits to ever hit the market, and continues to do so with the Goby Replica\u2122<\/a>. The bait is heavy and hugs the bottom, just like the real thing. It lays at rest upright, balanced perfectly on its pectoral fins. Those same fins lightly kick when the bait is moved, just like a real goby. Each lure is hand-poured and painted to exact specifications. The Goby Replica\u2122<\/a> is truly the next frontier of Great Lakes fishing. Field tests in 2010 and 2011 have led to incredible catches. The Goby Replica\u2122 has finally arrived!<\/p>\n

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Why use the Goby Replica?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Joe Balog’s Goby Replica<\/a> is the most realistic goby lure in the world. Trophy fish all across the North feed heavily on gobies and, until now, goby lures were limited to drop shot applications or cheap, crude jigs. The Goby Replica bridges the gap, allowing anglers to use stout tackle for trophy fish. The original Goby Replica\u2122 weighs in at over one ounce, allowing the bait to be effectively fished in waters exceeding 30 feet. In addition, the lure features a seductive spiral fall, but lays flat and upright on the bottom when at rest – just like a real goby.<\/p>\n

This lure is an identical match of a real goby – hand crafted from real goby samples by one of the leading swimbait manufacturers and taxidermists in the United States. Colors are hand selected by Balog himself to match the predominant goby colorations throughout their range, from barred gobies in clear, rocky waters, to the sandy colored fish of Lake St. Clair, to the ominous “black goby” spawning phase. There’s even a color dedicated to sight fishing, making it easy for the angler to spot the lure in the water. No other lure on the market today even compares in realism to the Goby Replica\u2122. Initial trials produced giant\u00a0stringers\u00a0of smallmouth bass, with fish exceeding six pounds, as well as “bonus” walleyes in the mix. Over 7 years in the making, Joe Balog’s Goby Replica\u2122 will add an entirely new dimension to your fishing.<\/p>\n

Replica Specs & Durability<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Goby Replica is a hand-poured, premium swimbait, and each lure is meticulously hand-painted. Premium lures of this quality aren’t cheap, and we know that you, the consumer, realizes and appreciates that. We also know that potential buyers are very concerned over two factors: the durability and snag-resistance of the Goby Replica.\u00a0\"Used<\/p>\n

The photo to the right is of a lure “donated” by Goby Replica Pro-Staffer Erik Jacques. Erik landed over 40 bass with this lure in one day of fishing on Lake St. Clair, and had several other strikes. Thirty of those bass weighed over 3 1\/2 pounds. When he retired the lure, it was still performing well, and catching fish.<\/p>\n

Occasionally, the Goby Replica may need slight repairs which can easily be achieved using super glue. Utilizing a special cavity design, the interior lead mold is engineered to hold the plastic body in place. This results in a very durable lure.<\/p>\n

In extremely rocky environments, the Goby Replica will snag, on occasion, like any other bottom bouncing lure. However, very rarely will the Goby Replica remain snagged, and lost. This is due to the very large, spongy head of the lure. When “wedged” between rocks, the lure doesn’t “lock in” like a jighead or tube bait. By motoring upwind from the snag, anglers can pop the Goby Replica free nearly every time. When testing the Replica in the snaggy, current-filled waters of the Detroit River, Joe was amazed at how he could free the bait each time it wedged between rocks.<\/p>\n