The very first Mr Twister baits were made in a small northern Louisiana town using a pressure cooker to melt plastic that was then poured into book molds. Those humble beginnings produced a recipe for success that continues today. After almost 25 years, Mister Twister continues to lead the soft plastic fishing lure business, each year becoming more and more innovative. Innovation has been the key to Mister Twister's success. After all, these are the same folks that developed the Curly Tail concept way back in 1972. Up to that time, rubber or plastic lures were stiff and lifeless with little or no action. The Curly Tail certainly changed all that. Mister Twister sales soared, the company sold millions of lures a year, and anglers everywhere were catching more fish. Sheldons', Inc., makers of the world famous Mepps Spinner bought Mister Twister in 1982. And when the Sassy Shad was introduced in the 1980's, sales sky rocketed again. Today's innovative new products from Mr Twister include lures like the Top Prop series, Hawg Frawg, Fightin' Crawdad; the Jerk Rat, Super Lizard™ II, Mister Twister grubs, Phenom, Poc'It Phenom, and the list goes on and on. And what fisherman worth his salt hasn't heard of the Mister Twister Electric Fisherman fillet knife? Twenty five years of innovation has been an inspiration to the folks at Mister Twister but it has definitely given them an attitude. And that attitude is a real positive that shouts out, "We're Mister Twister and you ain't seen nothin' yet!" As Mister Twister General Manager Chuck Byrd states, "Our new product offerings are the best they've ever been, and as we speak, a new Mister Twister lure is in its final testing stages; a Mister Twister product so different it will, once again revolutionize soft plastics. So what makes the Mr twister baits so effective? Well one factor is Exude. Drop any Exude lure in water, pull it out and feel it. It's slimy... just like a bait fish. That slime coat is the Exude process releasing a scent trail in the water. Research has proven that Exude lures release up to 100 times more scent and feeding stimulants than any other soft plastic lure on the market. While the Exude formula is complex, the concept is simple. Exude lures are made with fish food. That's right... fish food. The baits offer several feeding stimulants including natural oils, complex minerals and protein. In fact, Exude+ Extreme lures are 40% protein. Game fish immediately recognize, and are drawn to the "food" trail left by the lure's dissolving salts and minerals. Exude lures begin releasing this food as soon as they entered the water. This scent trail represents a huge breakthrough in fishing tackle technology and in fact, it has defined the next generation of soft plastic lures. As if this weren't enough, Mister Twister chemists have also discovered a very special blend of salts that enhance the fish attracting capabilities of these lures. They call this blend, "Micro-salt". Exude Lures made with Micro-salt are labeled Exude+ Extreme. Mister Twister chemists discovered that the addition of Micro salt to Exude+ Extreme lures increases the lure's absorption of water. This allows the lure to release a greater amount of its protein which game fish immediately recognize as food. In addition, salt, dissolving in water, produces a positive electrical charge, and feeding game fish positively react to weak electrical charges in the water. Mister Twister has boosted this reaction tremendously by adding five-times the salt as any other salted lure. Not only do Exude+ Extreme lures contain five times more salt than any other salted lure, Micro Salt dissolves seven-times faster than normal table salt. Here is an age old question. Should soft plastic lures be soft or tough? Mister Twister has answered this question with Tuff-Flex, a breakthrough in soft plastic technology that allows Exude lures to be both. Mister Twister General Manager Chuck Byrd comments, "This huge innovation in soft plastic lure technology means fishermen finally can fish with lures that have a soft and natural texture, yet they are tough enough to stay on the hook cast after cast." All Exude lures now feature Mister Twister's Tuff-Flex Technology. With the Exude formula perfected, Mister Twister didn't rest on their laurels but began working on an Exude Hook. It seems that the same slime coating that was so effective attracting fish caused the lure to slip off conventional bayonet hooks. Mister Twister responded with the GrabbeR Hook, a hook that holds Exude products securely regardless of the amount of slime they create. So what kind of product line does Mr Twister offer us anglers for 2005? Well let's take a look at some of the very latest to hit the market. The long streamlined body of the Exude Crystal Slug sinks slowly and erratically, simulating the natural action of an injured bait fish. Rigged on a jerk bait hook, it can be fished in almost any kind of water. The Crystal Slug's holographic colors make this lure effective for a wide variety of game fish in both freshwater and saltwater. When you need to lighten up, load up with the 4" Drop Shot Worm. This meaty 4" worm is the perfect slow presentation lure. It features a soft, natural texture and a small, easy-meal profile. In addition, it features a gliding slow-fall action and responds instantly to the slightest twitch of the rod tip. For best results rig it with a 1/0 Exude GrabbeR Hook, or with a Mister Twister jighead. The Exude+ Extreme Poc'it Fry with Micro-salt features a "double whammy"; a deadly combination of both scent and bubbles. If you like versatile fishing lures, you'll love the Poc'it Fry. It can be fished just about any way you wish. Rig it as a whacky worm... rig it drop shot style... fish it with split shot, or dead stick it. Regardless of the type of presentation, trophy bass will eat it up. The Super Lizard is so feature rich, you really have to fish it to appreciate it. The bait works especially well when rigged with a weighted Mister Twister Keeper Hook. The Super Lizard's head and neck are sized for perfect rigging every time. Twitch it just off the bottom, fish it over the top of weeds or grass, or let it squirm tantalizingly through the heavy structure. When rigged weedless, the Exude slime coat allows the Super Lizard to slip over logs, stumps, rocks and rip-rap with ease. This is a bait that big bass will suck in and won't let go! Mr Twister's NEW Exude Micro Crawfish is another great trout, crappie and bream lure that can fool even the most cautious fish. It's a perfect duplication of a baby crawfish. Designed to mimic Mother Nature, the Exude Crawfish comes in five proven fish-catching colors. Best of all, these innovative little panfish lures are all formulated with Exude so they not only have the feel and taste fish love, they begin oozing a scent trail as soon as they enter the water. In addition, the Exude Micro Crawfish features Mister Twister's Tuff-Flex Technology, so it feels soft and natural to the fish, but will stay on your hook cast after cast. Well there you are, a quick look at some great new baits from one of the premier lure manufacturing companies in the world. To see the entire line-up of Mister Twister products, or to get your current Mister Twister catalog visit: www.mistertwister.com or write: Mister Twister, PO Drawer 1152, Minden, LA, 71058-1152. Be sure to drop the Sam Rayburn Guide a photo of that big one that you catch .. JB