NEW Heddon Surface Lure Offers Finesse Topwater Appeal

Learn about the Heddon Spin’n Image, which offers far more appeals to bass and other gamefish than you might imagine.

If you’re like me, you have been barraged by the tons of new lures that were released at ICAST 2024. Don’t get me wrong. I’m as giddy as any angler when the pictures and videos start to roll across my Facebook feed. This year, I’m even giddier than normal thanks to a new topwater lure I helped design, with the team at Heddon lures.

This new lure has been dubbed the Spin’n Image because it takes its shape from the iconic Spit’n Image, and without hyperbole I can recommend you add it to your topwater arsenal. At first glance, it might look like just another rotating tail topwater, a lure that simply is saying, “me too.” However, it is far more than that, and I know that from personal experience over the past few months! Let me share details of a surprising trip I had with this new lure – a trip that taught me a lot more about how I should be using the Spin’n Image.

Early Testing Trip

We seldom receive our first round of production samples at the peak time to throw said lures, but with this one we did, miraculously, which allowed for some prime testing on the clear waters of Lake Ouachita in Central Arkansas.

I received a set of colors for the Spin’n Image in early May, and I knew it was going to be perfect timing for testing this lure’s reliability on the water. I left work on a Thursday evening and checked the weather for Saturday. A gloomy cloud-filled morning was forecast!

The night before I tied up a few of my favorite Spooks, along with a Bone Spin’n Image, because there’s not a better color to test than the classic that has boated more bass than any other. Just as the weatherman predicted, Saturday morning was a wonderful cloud-filled morning with a light breathe of wind at our backs and the spotted bass were showing out!

I had my whole day mapped out – from fishing ultra-deep at first and then shallow to test out my new topwater lure. The first location I homed in on was a personal summertime favorite – a steep rocky point that leads out to deep water, with a few scattered brush piles left behind by night fishermen. I sat behind the wheel silently for a moment and waited for the bass to reveal themselves at the surface, chasing a ball of bait. After a few minutes the surface erupted with spotted bass and stripers feeding on small threadfin shad, and I quickly stumbled to the trolling motor to race after them.

Initially, I grabbed my favorite Nickel Super Spook Jr and launched it into the pile of shad-hungry bass. To my surprise, the bass didn’t go for my usual suspect, so I tied on a clear model, and received the same cold-shoulder treatment. After about an hour of chasing these stubborn bass, I was ready to head up the river to toss my new Spin’n Image along some shallow banks, as I typically do with lures of this variety.

Spin’n Image Time

Before I left my stubborn schoolers, I decided to toss the new Spin’n Image near some standing timber in 40 feet of water. I engaged the reel and began to slowly bring the lure back, figuring they would not respond to this offering either, and really just wanting to watch it in action before making my move.

As the lure crossed the timber a nice largemouth hopped right over the top of the Spin’n Image, and I jerked it nearly back to the boat. As I did, I noticed several bass racing with it back to the boat! The next several casts produced enormous blow-ups from spotted bass and largemouth that wouldn’t touch my Super Spook Jr!

I deduced that the strikes were coming from the finesse bubbling action of the Spin’n Image that looks so natural in the ultra-clear water – just like a wounded threadfin fleeing from the hordes of bass. I never thought that a lure such as this would be a schooling bass snatcher, but now I have one tied on every opportunity I get to chase after deep water bass.

To make a long story short, never pigeonhole a certain lure for this situation or that situation and always be willing to change up to figure out their mood. Like me, you could end up pleasantly surprised! Now, go pick up a few Spin’n Images to complement your walking topwaters, poppers, and wake baits so you have the entire gamut for stubborn schooling fish.

Heddon Spin’n Image