Why Wild Thing Lures Are So Effective for Catching Stripers

Real action, real noise, real results — here’s why this lure is irresistible.

This is Alex from Sweeney’s Sports and CatchHappy.co, and today I want to break down exactly why Wild Thing Lures are absolute killers for striped bass. These lures have become so effective - and honestly, so iconic - that we now have an entire clothing line built around them.

To show you precisely how they work, I even commandeered a swimming pool. And as you’ll see, there’s a real reason I joked about catching a striper right out of that pool… these lures are that good.

🎥 Watch the video: 

A Quick History of the Wild Thing

The Wild Thing is built off the legendary P-Line Predator Deep Diver. It’s designed to dive 10–14 feet, depending on your speed, and has long been a favorite for trollers targeting aggressive fish.

But at Sweeney’s Sports, we took that proven platform and customized it to make it even more effective. That means:

• custom skirts

• new split ring

• upgraded trailer hooks

• split-tail trailers

• and 20+ color patterns that match your water's forage

The color shown in the video is Cantalouper - one of the most consistent producers across our fishery.

The Magic: How the Wild Thing Moves Through Water

To show the lure’s action, I worked it from the deep end to the shallow end of a pool. Here’s what happens:

1. It Floats on Pause

Cast or drop it in the water — it floats until you start reeling. That gives you control on every retrieve and lets you pause and reset the lure when needed.

2. It Dives Hard and Fast

The oversized bill forces the lure to dig aggressively. As soon as you start retrieving or trolling, the Wild Thing dives down, leveling off in the 10–14 ft strike zone.

3. It Kicks, Hunts, and Wobbles With an Erratic Action

This lure doesn’t track in a perfect straight line. It hunts—darting, wobbling, and flashing, just like an injured baitfish trying to escape.

That erratic kick is what flips stripers from “following” to crushing.

4. It Pounds the Bottom — On Purpose

This is where most deep divers fail and the Wild Thing succeeds.

When it hits the bottom in 5–12 feet of water, it:

• kicks up silt

• bangs off structure

• makes low-frequency thumps

• sends vibration out through the whole area

• and rattles like crazy

Stripers aren’t just visual predators.They hunt with their lateral line, and this lure screams for attention.

It’s a triple-threat: sight + vibration + sound.

Why Stripers Find the Wild Thing Irresistible

Stripers love pikeminnow, split tails, and juvenile baitfish that dart erratically and stay near the bottom.

This lure:

• mimics their swim

• matches their profile

• and stays in the exact feeding zone stripers patrol

The combination of the skirt, the split-tail trailer, the color contrast, the deep rattle, and that bill-driven dive gives stripers exactly what they’re looking for.

This is pure match-the-hatch engineering - but tuned for power fishing.

Can You Cast the Wild Thing? Absolutely.

While the lure is designed for trolling, a lot of customers buy it specifically to cast.

Here’s the deal:

• It casts great, especially on medium-fast rods.

• It dives deep quickly, even from shore.

• It will snag if your bottom is full of branches, rocks, or debris - because the lure must run tight to the bottom to be effective.

High risk, high reward. Yes, you may lose one here and there, but you’ll catch fish you wouldn’t otherwise reach.

Recommended Casting Setup

In the video, I’m using:

• Rod: Ugly Stik Carbon USCBSP702M

  • 7'0"

  • Medium Fast

  • 3/16–5/8 oz lure rating

  • 6–12 lb line

• Reel: Daiwa Laguna LT 4000

• Line: Braid mainline

• Leader: Fluorocarbon (optional) - or a tiny swivel if you don’t want to mess with tying braid to mono

This setup balances perfectly with the Wild Thing. It’s light, responsive, and can manage the diving bill without wearing you out.

Where and How to Fish It

Wild Thing Lures shine in:

• Ideally in 5–15 feet of water

• Edges, banks, and transition zones

• Muddy bottoms that create silt clouds

• Shallow flats leading to deeper holes

• Ambush points

Avoid places jammed with:

• deadfall

• boulders

• submerged trees

• old dock rubble

Because this lure digs, it will find structure - sometimes too well.

But if you’re fishing open-bottom river flats or rolling lake contours, nothing covers water faster or more effectively.

Get Your Wild Thing Lures

We carry 20+ custom colors, built right here at Sweeney’s Sports in Napa.

You can get them:

👉 Online at: https://catchhappy.co👉 In-store at Sweeney’s Sports in Napa, CA

If you’re visiting Napa, swing by — we’re right next to one of the best striper fisheries in Northern California. We’re always happy to help you pick colors, dial in your setup, and show you what’s working right now.

Thanks for watching and reading — and tight lines out there.

Tight lines, Mr. Sweeney

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