HISTORY OF THE SCROUNGER SWIMBAIT
The
Scrounger swimbait has a 35 year history, beginning in Southern
California in the early 1970’s. John Waters, the inventor of the
Scrounger swimbait, created it to be an inshore saltwater swimbait.
In the creation of the Scrounger, John used what he believed to be one
of the most effective fishing lures of all time, a simple jighead.
Because of its upright single hook system, compared to the treble hook
system. The Scrounger would provide a much higher hook-to-set ratio and
hook-to-catch ratio. He redesigned the jighead to a round jighead with
an indention for a plastic bill to fit right the eye of the hook. The
Scrounger’s bill is set up right and cupped around the now round
jighead. Allowing the water to pass over the jighead in a complete 360
degrees, this forces the jighead to oscillate back and forth. To
control the oscillation, John tied a round nose snap to the line, and
for the first time the jighead worked in tandem with the soft plastic
trailer. John had accomplished his mission creating the Scrounger
swimbait which produced an oscillating action, unlike anything ever
seen before. In addition to the improved swimming action, the
Scrounger’s soft plastic bill also improves the odds of freeing the
Scrounger when it becomes wedged in rock or rubble and acts as a weed
guard allowing the Scrounger to be fished in and through heavy cover or
over weed beds.
The old style jighead swimbait’s action is governed by the soft plastic
trailer rigged on it. Currently in 2007, fisherman even go to the
extent of rigging a jighead with a soft plastic trailer sideways in
attempt to increase the swimming action.
Almost instantly, John knew he had accomplished his mission. He formed
a company called North American Waters and with his son Tom, produced
and sold over 500,000 Scroungers in the first ten years.
The Scrounger could be fished at any depth in the water column from the
bottom to the surface, while keeping the Scrounger in the desired
strike zone. Even the inexperienced angler could fish the Scrounger
with ease and catch fish. Being produced in numerous sizes, any
saltwater species of fish could be caught on the Scrounger, Sand Bass,
Calico Bass, Halibut, Cods, Yellowtail, Dorado, Pargo, Albacore, Wahoo,
Yellow Fin Tuna, Sailfish, etc. All species of fish reacted to the
Scrounger the same way. It was like the Scrounger’s oscillating action
affected the fish’s’ hard drive. They simply could not resist it!
Saltwater fisherman in California rigged the Scrounger with live bait
and an array of soft plastic trailers matching the forage. The
Scrounger quickly became a great multi-species saltwater lure.
Over the next 20 years, the Scrounger had been produced by a least
three, possibly four, other lure manufactures, all producing it for a
relatively short period of time. By the turn of the century, it became
very hard to find the old Scrounger, especially a good one.
In 2006, Aaron Martens Lures LLC opened for business, a partnership
including Aaron Martens, Joshua and Scott Kolbinsky. Each lived and
fished both salt and freshwater in California until 2000, at which
time, all moved east. The partners had fond memories of the Scrounger,
having fished it from the Channel Islands off of California to Cabo San
Lucas Mexico over a period of fifteen years. Producing some of the best
catches of their lives, time and time again, we would never go fishing
without our box of Scroungers. The partners decided the Scrounger would
be the first lure that Aaron Martens Lures would manufacture. But this
time, the Scrounger jighead would be redesigned so it would have a
greater horizontal presentation, develop multiple bill sizes in various
thicknesses, this would permit the Scrounger to be casted or trolled
from a slow to a fast retrieve. The Scrounger would be fitted with a
Gamakatsu O’shaughnessy jig hook for improved penetration. One year
later, Aaron Martens Lures produced the new Scrounger, now offered in
thirteen sizes and bill combinations and for the first time for both
salt and freshwater fisherman.
Since the Scrounger’s debut at the Bassmasters Classic in February
2007, the Scrounger has not only worked exceptionally well for the
saltwater species of fish mentioned above but also Redfish, Tarpon,
Striped Bass, and Speckled Trout.
As for the freshwater fisherman for the first time, the Scrounger has
excelled in its ability to produce most freshwater game fish species
including Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass, Peacock Bass,
Striped Bass, White Bass, Walleye, Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Northern
Pike, Catfish, Perch, Crappie, and Bluegill.
Aaron Martens Lures believe that the Scrounger’s action, simplicity,
and wide range of plastics, or live bait that can be rigged on it, has
and will continue to earn the Scrounger, a place in every fisherman’s
tackle box, as one of the best multi-species lure of all time, for both
the salt and freshwater fisherman alike.
