Inside FLW headquarters I have an office. And in my stark-white office there is a book shelf. And on that book shelf there are … remarkably few books. But there is also one particular shelf. And on that particular shelf are piles and piles of lures, many of which that will make their way into the pages of FLW Outdoors Magazine, and hopefully my tackle box.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to cram all these lures into next month’s issue, or the next few issues for that matter. I mean, I guess we could, but the magazine would basically be a lure catalog at that point. And as much as I enjoy leafing through those, I don’t really learn much other than Reaction Innovations has some of the oddest names for baits.

So anyways, back to my point, I want to start showcasing one of these lures a week. Really, any lure is fair game if I find it on my shelf for whatever reason. So be prepared to see lures that are old stand bys, or sneak peeks of lures that haven’t even hit the shelves yet. Either way, it forces me to clean off my shelf a little, and that’s never a bad thing. I hope you enjoy it.

Some things are too beautiful to put into words. Like a Costa Rican sunset over the Pacific Ocean. Or the way that first sip of chicken noodle soup makes your lips tingle after a cold day on the water. Or the zigzag cadence of an ima Skimmer … What?! Too much of a stretch? Sorry. I just can’t help it. I have a serious crush on this bait!

Alright, now that I’ve taken my relationship with a lure to an unhealthy level, let’s talk about this little gift from Japan. The Skimmer is 5 inches of topwater bliss. I was first introduced to it by ima pro team member and FLW pro Michael Murphy when I was down in South Carolina a few months ago fishing Lake Wylie. Murphy uses left hand-retrieve reels and I was STILL able to make the lure dance like a pro. Actually, dance is probably the wrong term. It’s more of a back-and-forth glide, and man is it beautiful. Plus, it’s just so easy to work. I mean, it’s the Cadillac of surface lures.

Because this lure will be featured in the ‘Tackle Test’ section of our January-February Bass issue I don’t want to go into too much detail and spoil the magazine, but trust me when I say this skinny lure is the real deal. The lure sits very low in the water and makes a unique noise with every twitch, something us here at the office don’t think bass have seen before. Of course, being from Japan, the price is a little large, but for serious topwater anglers, it’s very worth it. Check out the magazine if you want more a more in-depth perspective!

Now if you don’t mind, I’m sneaking this bad boy into my bag.

Slam the hooks!