I am a tackle junkie. I probably own close to one of almost every lure out on the market. When I first saw Texas Tackle Factory’s new lure the Hackberry Hustler I was not impressed. It looked similar to other lures on the market but with small modifications to an old design or so I thought.
I love TTF’s lures and they have always been a standby in my tackle box. TTF always puts out quality products that are not only aesthetically appealing but incredibly durable for a lure with so much action, so I can’t say I wasn’t intrigued when I first heard they were producing a new lure.
As time wore on I saw a few videos about the new lure and had a few friends talk about having success with the Hustler. I was doing some last minute shopping at my favorite tackle store, Fishing Tackle Unlimited, right before I left for Port Aransas around mid-July to work Outdoor Texas Kayak and Saltwater Camps and I ran across the Hustler again. I decided to take few of the baits out of the package and check out the appearance of the bait in person. I still wasn’t very impressed, but I decided to buy a few packs to take with me on my trip south and give them a shot. My tackle collection (see picture below) is full of baits that I don’t use, so I figured worst case scenario I would at least add to my repertoire.
The first time I tried the Hustler out was in less than ideal conditions only a few days after I had purchased the lures. My old roommate, Austin, and I were faced with 20+ mph south winds and high water so we knew we were in for a challenging day on the water. We decided to paddle over to a cut that comes off a very deep channel and wade to keep from getting blown around by the wind. There was a strong outgoing tide that evening so we figured some fish would be funneling off the flats and through this particular cut. Right before dark and into the night we caught numerous trout and ladyfish on the Hustler that were getting pulled off the nearby flat and into the adjacent channel. We were throwing the Hustler in both Morning Glory and Who Dat with good success that night. I still wasn’t completely sold on the Hustler at this point but it was starting to win me over. I really liked the action of the lure in the water.
I used the Hustler off and on for the next few weeks catching a few fish here and there on it but the topwater bite was excellent so I didn’t use much else. The next time I really put the Hustler through its paces was in surf. During camp we took a few of the campers out to wade the beachfront on Mustang Island and had an epic day. Here’s the report to that trip… Wading the Surf I had a few of the campers bouncing the Hustler off the bottom in the second gut with great success. Some of the campers were using live bait with very little success right next to other campers who were reeling in fish after another while throwing the Hustler. After getting fed up with not catching fish, every camper soon had a Hustler tied on the end of their rod. Morning glory and opening night produced the most fish in the surf that day.
*EDIT – One thing I forgot to mention previously. I only have one issue with this lure. The bait is slightly less durable when compared to other lures that TTF produces. The Hustler is still more durable, like all TTF products, than most other plastics out there. The jointed tail section that gives this lure it’s action also creates a weak point where the bait can tear. Action and durability are always a trade-off and I believe that a good medium was chosen when the Hustler was designed. I usually catch several fish on each lure before durability becomes an issue.
I hadn’t used the Hustler for redfish much because topwaters have been so effective lately. I went out last Friday morning with the intent of trying it out on some redfish. This is a completely unbiased review. I have no affiliation with any of the companies whose products I used in this video. I think I’m really starting to like this lure, but I’ll let the video speak for itself…
