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I've been fishing the Connecticut River's annual Herring/Striper run for about 12 years now. I can most honestly say that since the ban on the taking of Herring I have found that Bliz's Slammers, BY FAR, are the most effective Striper lure on the market today. Fishing the Connecticut requires a lure that is natural in color, size and movement. It also requires a lure that runs shallow, as the CT is full of rocks and snags that will quickly deplete your tackle box if you're using the wrong stuff. The CT current runs strong in the Spring and the Slammer's slim body doesn't drag on retreive like other lures, reducing fatigue and giving you more casts (more casts = more chances at Stripers). I have found these lures to be almost, if not, as effective, as using the real thing. The lure is also aptly named, because the stripers dont mess around when they commit to grabbing this bait. They literally SLAM it!!
I use a 10' St Croix Ben Doerr Surf System rod with a Penn 850SSm spooled with about 300 yards of Cajun red line in 20 lb test. Usually, I make a cast either directly perpendicular to the current or slightly down current. Sometimes, because of the lure's flat profile, it will actually skip like a stone 1 or 2 times. I believe when this happens, usually with a loud slap, it alerts any Stripers in the area that there is a fleeing or wounded bait fish in the water. I've had Stripers clobber the bait even before the retreive starts. For that reason, I will let the lure float a few feet before starting the retreive. If there are no takers, then the retreive consists of taking up the slack line and then making the lure dive with a pull of the rod tip from 10:00 to 12:00, then reeling in the slack as I drop the tip. Then, I pump the rod sharply two or three times to get the lure to dive in short, erratic bursts. I never reel as I impart action to the lure with the rod. I try to mix it up a little, trying to impart the action of a spooked or wounded Herring. The reason for this is because the Connecticut River is full of rocks and other snags. This technique of pumping and jerking the rod tip then reeling in the slack keeps the bait diving no more than a foot below the surface. I repeat this action all the way back to my wading position. You'll be surprised how close they are when they pounce on your offering, so always be ready. The strike usually comes when you drop the rod tip to take up the slack.
Last year my Brother and I were wading a favorite haunt on Mother's Day (yes we saw Mom first). I had caught back to back 30+ inch Bass within minutes of arriving there. My brother was farther up current from me and as he retrieved a black and gold Slammer past me, a huge Bass of 40+ inches literally blew up on his lure not more than 6 feet from me! That fish managed to throw the hook and I nearly soiled my waders!
Have faith in this lure. It is as convincing as it is effective. In fact I have so much faith in this lure, I believe if I work an area well without a strike, there is simply not a fish in the area and I move on until I make contact.
I used to envy the people who were fishing the area in boats. However, I notice that many of them race up the river to drift with the current. They do this for hours on end and I rarely see them catch anything. I feel when you are wading, you can work an area thoroughly, without spooking fish. I believe you can even capitalize on hooking up with fish that are being spooked closer to shore by boats that race upriver, then drift directly over their lies. It's a real nice feeling fighting a big Bass while a guy in a fancy boat drifts past you for the eleventh time.
It all boils down to confidence though. For me, it is primarily because of the Bliz Slammer that I can fish an area thoroughly and have the confidence to move on, because I know that if there was a fish there, it would be all over that lure. Now with the advent of the Bliz Grand Slam lure, with its photo image finish of an actual Herring, I think a great lure is going to acheive phenominal status.
I've been using the slammers from Harpswell, Maine to the Cape and here in my own state of Connecticut. These are great products and I encourage everyone to try out the Slammer. It is my confidence go-to lure that I know would become other's too… give it a try! Thanks Don, for an amazing product. Anyone who would like some advice or would like to try wading the Connecticut River Spring striper run can PM me anytime.

Scup

Never heard of the lure! When I get serious about putting bass in the boat its usually ends up being a bucktail, crankbait, chunking, or live eels. However, you did a real nice writeup about the blitz grand slam lure and I am willing to give it a go. However, after trying to Google the lure I ended up getting hits for $250 electric guitar. Where can I see a picture of it, and who is the supplier?

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"Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go" by William Feather

piscator

Just go right to the Bliz Blog link on the home page of NBS and go to Bliz's on-line store and you're in!!!