Long name, small lure. The Lucky Craft Real California 130 premium is 5.5" long and weighs 1.25oz. There are at least 13 colors available, with several trout and shad variations. This is one of those rare baits that come in a brown trout and a brook trout pattern.

The baits float but are almost neutrally buoyant, and the action on this lure is one of the strangest I have ever seen. If you straight wind the bait it will porpoise up and down with no side-to-side movement. So as you reel it it dives 6-12", then dimples the surface, then dives again. I can't decide if that seems good or not. We'll have to see what the fish think.

If you jerk and twitch this lure it has a fast, darting action - making sharp S turns and shooting toward the surface occasionally.

http://www.calfishing.com/reviews/small_swimbaits/lucky_craft_real_california_130_premium/index.html
http://www.calfishing.com/files/Images/lures/small_swimbaits/lucky_craft_real_california_130_premium/lucky_craft_real_california_130_premium_side.jpg

To add your own review for this bait:

http://www.calfishing.com/reviews/comment.html?product_id=1357

"The baits float but are almost nuetrally bouyant"

Its probably simple but can you explain the difference from "float" to "nuetrally bouyant"?

Thank!

Well... Floating means floating on the surface. Neutrally buoyant means that when the lure hits the water, the downward force causes the bait to go under water, then stabilize and sit perfectly still.

Many of the lucky craft jerk baits are neutrally buoyant. This Real California 130 Premium bait is almost neutrally buoyant, but it just barely floats.

Hope that makes sense.

That's what I thought but wasn't sure. Thanks for that.

The action you describe, it don't seem like it would make a good trolling lure.
Because when you mentioned the colors it came in, rainbow and brown trout, I thought trolling in the Sierras.
What do you think?
Thanks!

I had that same thought about using the lure for brown trout when I saw the bait. After seeing it in the water, I would not be inclined to use it for trolling. The action is very strange, you have to see it to understand it.

You might pick one up if you like casting for browns. When you jerk the lure it moves with erratic action and I could see browns getting in to that. I'm not a brown trout expert or anything, but when I've caught them on lures in the past it's always been on a very fast, erratic retrieve.

crazy...sounds like they haven't fixed the action still. I hope the bigger 8" premium that's supposed to be coming doesn't have that same action.

here's a link to some of the different flavors
http://www.luckycraft.co.jp/products/2007/200705/trout.pdf

Ide rather cast than troll. I wouldn't mind casting that bait early in the mornings when the browns come out and cruise the shorelines.
Brook and brown color, might be worth a try.

The 130 premium is last years model. The new one is the 4" 110 Supreme and 8" 200 Supreme.

I can't speak towards any new releases, but the 130 peremium from last year is a nightmare in my opinion. The porpoise like swim action that Rob described had me laughing when I first pool tested the bait. After working with the joints and a couple of exploratory trips I gave it away and chalked my $30 or whatever it was to a lesson learned. I'm still kind of shocked that Lucky Crafts attempt on that bait ended up being so poor.

The only positive I can possibly think of is that maybe it's designed for a jerk, pause and then very slow wind. I would have been fine with that, but still didn't like it and it wasn't a bait I felt would be used with confidence for me. Maybe the new ones or the bigger ones they come out with will be better, but they looked the same to me at the Bass A Thon in just a bigger size.

My 2 cents...

8 inch Real California Supreme Swimbait (Real Skin)
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o314/TritonMike/luckycraftswimmy2.jpg

At least, the new 8" versions look a bit more promising, especially the real skin style.

T-

That new Real Skin pattern is unreal! Have you tested out the swim and or action yet? I'll be curious to see if some improvements have been made with respect to the action and if the porpoise swim has been corrected. Please let us know because the bait in your hand looks amazing.

-Mitch

Sorry Mitch, that's not my hand or bait :P

I've been very skeptical of buying any new baits for awhile now and just replace ones I lose for the most part.

I'm am interested to to hear how this new version performs though, the real skin idea looks killer.

I noticed they moved the joints to what most of the hard swimbaits have them. It looks amazing, but I would wait for the Tru Tungsten which looks just as good.

I hear you T. The only bait I pre-ordered recently is the Tru Tungsten Bluegill. You need to hit up Jeff or I and come chuck some big baits with us soon. That real skin bait does seem to have better joint placement and obviously the look is killer. I'll wait to see what others have to say this time.

Yo Mitchy,

The real skin bait is NOT going to be released. When I saw those pics earlier this year I was going to make it a mission to get on a couple of em. Unfortunately according to the LC staffer at the bass-a-thon they were going to be too expensive to produce and that he doubted they'd be released anytime soon if at all.

O well, that was one of the most promising baits I'd ever seen... (look wise that is.)

Cool review on the LC premium, I heard the same stuff about it from a friend. A shame, given it looks so good.

Sidney-

Glad you liked the review. Just trying to save some people some $ and or hoping someone shows me a better way to produce fish on that bait. Bummer on the real skin not going into production. I liked the look and the extra space for the joints. We need to go chuck the big baits just so we can compare the Rogue to the Dobyns. I think you'll be shocked at how easy the 806ML Heavy handles the bigger baits despite it's modest rating.

:-)