Northwest Arkansas Times
By Bobby Hill
Slinker throws a curve in world of soft plastics
The deep arch in his fishing rod was a tell-tale sign of a good bass. The bass-fishing fanatic grunted and groaned as he tried to get the fish to the boat but just a short while into the struggle the line went slack. He made a sound only a bass angler could appreciate as he made a mock gesture of breaking his rod in frustration. Although the bass was gone, I'm sure Shawn Clark got satisfaction knowing it was his own lure design that fooled the big-mouth predator.
Clark's lure is called the Slinker and its slogan, "Because worms aren't straight," is the key. It's made of plastic but it's different from the sacks of worms most of us keep stored in our tackle boxes. The unique S-shaped design sets it apart. Most designs are either straight or the tail is curled or rippled. But Clark knew his would have to be different if it was going to create a niche in a crowded market.
Clark, of Springdale, didn't plan on being a lure designer. In fact, he always figured his future lay in the veterinary field. The Springdale High School alum earned an animal science degree from the University of Arkansas. Love changes everything, however, and when he met his wife, Tests, well, things just took a different route. Today, Tess and Shawn have a 10-month old son, Cade.
They were living in Little Rock when Clark got the chance to come back home and take over his cousin's business, Vaughan's Bait Farm. He sells night crawlers, red worms and frozen bait to marinas and bait shops across the region. And now that he's finally got the Slinker patented, he can publicize and market it full bore.
The Slinker idea was born in 1994 on the Arkansas River near Maumelle. Clark was fishing one afternoon following a rain when a small snake slithered off the bank towards his boat. A soft plastic jerkbait was his lure of choice and he noticed a big bass swimming towards it.
"The bass passed up my bait and nailed the snake instead," Clark said. "The water was very stained and I wondered how the bass knew the snake was there. It must have been putting off massive vibrations. I thought I could make a bait like that."
The logic behind the idea was sound but actually doing it wasn't easy. In his spare time he would cut molds out of plaster of Paris. Afterwards he'd pour in plastic and give his inventions a try, mostly with disappointing results.
"I probably broke two or three molds out of frustration. It took me about a year before I got the results I was looking for," he said.
New lures come and go every year so I wasn't expecting much when I hooked up with Clark last week. I figured a worm is a worm. I was wrong. The Slinker has a life-like appearance when it's moved and when dead still. If you've ever watched a snake meander through the water and stop, you have a good idea of what this worm will do. It stretches out to about eight inches when you reel it in and coils back to around four inches when you stop. That's hard for an old bass to resist.
The lure is versatile. It can be fished Texas or Carolina-rigged but it looks most deadly when it's used weightless. Rigging needs to be precise, however. The flat side of the worm should face up and it's important to hook it straight to avoid line twist.
Colors range from pearl and green pumpkin to black/red flake and watermelon. In the near future, Clark hopes to add some new colors to his lineup and add a finesse version of the Slinker. His brain's always trying to cook up something just a little different.
"I've got a lot of ideas that I know haven't come out yet," he said with a laugh.
If you're interested in the Slinker you can find some at local sport shops or you can order then at www.slinkerlures.com.
Bass anglers want an edge whenever
we go fishing. It's especially important today with our crowded, over-fished
reservoirs. Any serious angler knows that there's no such thing as a miracle
bait. The Slinker is a bait most fish have yet to see, however, and I
believe it'll be powerful bass ammo in your tackle arsenal.
U.S.
Patent # D453,205 S
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