With countless natural and artificial offerings available to Florida anglers, and numerous different baits effective for various species across a wide array of venues, we wanted to take a closer look at the options and share the benefits of each offering in a head‑to‑head competition. As Bait Wars progresses, readers may be surprised to learn there are scenarios when an artificial lure is favored over natural bait for its versatility and availability, while on other occasions nothing seals the deal like the real thing.
Fire Tailz
Length: 14 in.
Weight: N/A
MSRP: $18.00/ea.
Website: firetailz.com
Overall Rating: 9 / 10
Best Rigging Method
– Single or double-tier dredge teaser baits
– Fire Tailz can be enhanced with the addition of a skirt and/or chin weight
– Large Fire Tailz can be presented as individual teasers
Standout Features
– Grommet provides extreme durability
– Catch and dump technology in hinged tail creates unrivaled swimming action at any speed
– Simple, yet realistic fish shape
– Baits are easy to store and take up less space than competitor’s soft plastic dredge baits
– Combines beneficial properties of mud flap style silhouette teasers and plastic fish imitations
Durability
– Heavy-duty vinyl/neoprene sandwich construction and nylon stitching ensures even the most aggressive game fish won’t rip this teaser
from your dredge.
– Crews report Fire Tailz survive wahoo strikes
Availability
– Three sizes: 11 in., 14 in. and 18 in.
– Six color patterns: black, blue, purple, red, silver and teal
– As Fire Tailz begin to infiltrate billfish circles worldwide, look for these primo fakes to become staples at local tackle shops both international and domestic, as well as online retailers and mail order catalogs.
Fishability
– After multiple seasons of testing in Isla Mujeras, top captains agree that Fire Tailz teaser baits are the real deal and make dredge fishing easier and more effective than ever before.
– Unlike daisy chains and spreader bars that swim and flash along the surface, weighted dredge teasers are designed to run deeper in the water column and require teaser reels with adequate drag capabilities.
– Dredges adorned with artificial Fish Tailz teaser baits require significant less time to prepare and maintain compared to dredges outfitted with a dozen or more natural baits.
Mold Craft Squid
Length: 9 in.
Weight: 3.1 oz.
MSRP: $5.99/ea.
Website: moldcraftproducts.com
Overall Rating: 10 / 10
Best Rigging Method: 6-foot daisy chain teaser with 5 squid spaced at even intervals on 300 lb. monofilament
Standout Features
– Proven soft plastic squid bodies are now available with exterior scale pattern and interior tints.
– Translucent coloration creates realistic v of pulsating squid
– Made in the U.S.A.
– Soft, but extremely tough
Durability
– Credited for countless billfish raises across prolific fisheries worldwide, Mold Craft Squid Chains are legendary and withstand abuse from unruly game fish.
Availability
– Four sizes: 6 in., 9 in., 12 in. and 16 in.
– With available scale patterns in pink, red, orange, blue, green, purple and black, and interior tints in red, blue, green, orange, and purple, anglers can choose between 35 different color combinations.
– Mold Craft Squid are available at all major retailers, local tackle shops, online and mail order catalogs.
Fishability
– Can be enhanced with the addition of a large chugger or natural bait at the tail-end to complete the predator chain.
– Best fished as a bridge teaser out of the outrigger
– Mold Craft Squid can be purchased in ready-to-fish daisy chains, or as unrigged baits in bulk packages.
The Winner: Mold Craft Squid
Although squid and baitfish teasers both excel and enhance the appeal of any trolling spread, your choice of pulling a dredge teaser or squid daisy chain will likely be based on the conditions, local waters, prevalent forage, and amount of help on deck. Dredges are much more elaborate and create a larger illusion in the water that is hard to beat. A properly deployed Fire Tailz dredge fished under ideal conditions definitely raises billfish and more, but they aren’t as simple to fish as a squid chain, which requires little more than tossing overboard. For their simple rigging and trouble-free use with a proven track record across big game fisheries worldwide, Mold Craft Squid take the crown in this big game teaser showdown.
