Hello HOMIEZ, in this article, I will try to examine the EIGHT TRAP in the most technical way possible, without the presumption of creating something complete and definitive. I am the first to want to learn from it and to recognize that I still have a lot to learn. Therefore, I see this article only as a starting point to stimulate constructive discussions and improve our results. With HOMIEZ, we want to push ourselves beyond the limits and achieve extraordinary results. The goal is to break everything! Are you with me? Then let's get started!
What is the EIGHT TRAP?
Also called “FIGURE 8” or “8 TRAP” is a “non-retrieval of the bait” technique, usually used to continue the fishing action when the bait has almost reached the end of the recovery. With the rod low, continue the recovery of the bait until it reaches the last cm of line outside the tip, stop the recovery of the reel and continue the recovery moving the rod as if to draw an “8” with the bait. This technique is famous for being used mainly towards two predators in particular, the pike and the black bass. At this point I would like to make an important, and personal, clarification, I believe that towards these two predators this technique is effective for different reasons and different precautions are needed to maximize the effectiveness of this technique.

EIGHT TRAP for Pike
Towards the Pike I believe that the 8 continues to be a presentation technique, in which we give the follower the possibility to continue chasing the bait, keeping it more in the water and in action. For this reason towards the pike it can, in my experience, be more effective to continue the recovery at the same speed, and only after, based on your own experience, begin to experiment with possible very short stops and changes in speed, also by virtue of what is the activity shown by the predator and based on the conditions in which we fish. Personally towards the pike I have always found the stops, even short ones, in proximity to the end of the recovery and during the “figure 8” (the most used name for the 8 action towards the pike or the Muskie) to be fruitless.
ODB: Of course I am curious to know your experiences! So leave your feedback at the end of the article! It will be useful for shared ideas and will integrate this article!!
ACTION: the 8 that will be drawn must be wide, not so much to facilitate the predator in changing direction given the important size, but rather to move the bait easily given that we will certainly have 40 to 50 centimeters of anti-razor cable. The wide rotation radius for the change of direction allows us to avoid sinking the bait or stopping it before the change of direction, in favor of maintaining a constant speed of recovery and making it pass the bait slightly to the side (probable strike point!)

SPOT: from the boat, almost anywhere it is stationed, the 8 TRAP can be done. The width of the 8 to be done and the presence of the cable makes it almost impossible to do it from a belly boat, kayak or from the foot, but nothing prevents you from trying to do it in the presence of a follower, indeed if you have the possibility, DO IT!

LURES: in the presence of a follower I would not miss the opportunity to make a figure 8 with almost any lure capable of moving with a low rod movement and without retrieval, so hard swimbaits (floating and sinking), spinnerbaits and rotantons, various muoses, soft swimbaits and top water baits.
TIPS: don't forget to give value to every cm of recovery, don't give up the recovery too soon because we could have a follower behind the bait and we could manage to finalize the capture with this technique, so, keep your eyes on the bait when it gets closer!
Firm two-handed grip on the stock and hand grip of the barrel and get ready for the headbutts!!
EIGHT TRAP for BASS
Towards the Bass, instead, the 8 becomes a pure reaction technique, in which we induce the predator to attack by trying to trigger an almost instinctive predatory REACTION, like when a crank quickly hits an obstacle or a buzzfrog passes abruptly over the leaf of the nymphaeum under which the bass is positioned. This makes it clear that speed becomes a key factor and unlike with the pike the bait must generally move quickly and

ACTION: without the cable as a terminal we can reduce the line between the tip and the bait to a few cm, in this way we will have more control over the bait and we will be able to tighten the curves of the 8, tighten it until we can do an 888 or a pure back and forth of the bait. The bait breaks the surface, and the movement, which must be continuous and frenetic, must almost make the bait jump out

PRE-ACTION: if we are already retrieving the bait quickly (e.g. burn retrieval, fast continuous retrieval or fast twitches) we will continue the retrieval until we make the figure 8, if otherwise we are retrieving the bait more slowly (e.g. dead walk, medium/medium-slow retrieval or jerks) it is important to be ready to start accelerating progressively starting from 2-5 meters before where we will start the figure 8 (depending on the spot and the clarity of the water). Generally in bass fishing this technique is applied when we have a follower on a swimbait.
SPOT: from the boat you have the opportunity to try a Shimada Satan style figure 8, that is, approaching the spot parallel to the structure or cover where the fish is staying and performing the figure 8 parallel to it (often a rock face). From the shore without a cable we could equally effectively perform the figure 8 parallel to the shore or to semi-submerged or emerging covers (logs, piers, boats, walls, etc.).

BAITS: all the big baits anchored without a blade can be used to make a figure of 8, the blade is an encumbrance and an obstacle to carrying out the technique effectively and at the correct speed as well as deflecting the bait too much causing it to bulge upwards and therefore receive attacks without hooking.
The absence of a blade will also allow you to perform the figure 8 for long periods of time, the fish could spend minutes studying the bait before attacking it or we could arouse the interest of a fish that is stationed at a distance and in depth.
I want to make a very important mention to the Balam by Shimada Satan, a bait that I personally love, designed to be able to manage these ultra fast recoveries (burn retrive), a bait with which Mr. Satan has perfected this technique, making it famous and collecting many Monster Bass in Japan and around the world!
We can understand that the number and design of the lure's joints becomes important to improve its balance, so the multi-jointed ones with a narrow joint (which allows few degrees of movement) will lend themselves more to this technique and to a fast swimming (e.g. the Rachet and Shift by Gan Craft or a Gantarel).
360 ° BABY
The world of lures never stands still, bringing innovations in the field of design, materials and swimming actions! The 360 ° is a “jerk accompanied upwards” that makes the bait travel in a circular trajectory, drawing a real 360 °! It is an action that not all swimbaits are capable of doing, to name a couple, the MIR by Double H and the Wild Beat by Wild Lures (two very different baits).
It's not so much a new action, but rather, little used and known! In this context I felt like mentioning it parallel to the EIGHT TRAP because watching it in videos and trying it (only occasionally) I see several points in common!
ODB: Not having enough direct experience to speak about it I want to leave space for someone else to contribute their own opinion on the matter!
ODB: I can't wait to meet a new friend and HOMIEZ (TWB) who can share some tips and anecdotes about it if he wants!

Guys, I know this was long, but I'm sure some of you will be able to get some tips from this to get closer and closer to making your dream catch!
I'm sending you a super BIG UP, and I hope you have fun, get excited about fishing and smash everything!
Please remember to leave your feedback, opinions, experiences and anecdotes in the comments section below! They will be useful to anyone else reading the article and can be used to enrich it with quotes and observations.
CLICKING HERE you will find the Instagram post where you can collaborate by uploading your videos (if the app still allows collaboration within the same post, otherwise publish and tag @homiez_outdoor! Come on, you'll really excite us!).
I say goodbye again, see you in the water! Beautiful HOMIEZ
Alessio Pettinato aka OlDirtyBasstard
1 comment
Wella bomber bhe io di base non ne so molto e sono qui apposta per imparare,ma di lucci un po’ di cose strane ne ho viste!
Vero che quando il Luccio ti segue fino alla barca e non mangia pure a me è capitato di buttare giù la canna e continuare a muovere L esca e la mangiata al 80% arriva sempre!
Stop e go funziona bene con i jerk suspending sopratutto nel momento della ripartenza dopo il breve stop faccia scattare al luccio lo stimolo di predare!
Mentre lo stop su un hard swim a lucci lo sto trovando inutile per ora(ma ho ancora poca esperienza di hard swim)ho trovato uno stimolo in più nel momento che accelero l esca!
Bel progetto comunque Petty bellissima iniziativa spero la gente possa capire la potenza di questo gruppo di amici!🤙🏽🫶🏻