First impressions of the new Thunder Tail spinnerbait from Kingston lures was just how thick the main wire was.
There's not a great deal of innovation left in a spinnerbait design but Jeff Kingston has added something that cod anglers have been seeking for a while and that is stronger lures.

At 1.27mm thickness and a rating of 227kg, there will definitely be less deformation of the wire for small to medium fish, but larger fish may still bend it a bit. This is however, a massive improvement over the current crop of spinnerbaits using wire thicknesses around 0.77mm to 1.00mm

Even very small cod and bass can bend most spinnerbaits totally out of wack and although they do not need much tuning, they can be more prone to snags and silicon skirts can interfere with blade rotation when the main wire is askew.

A good feature is the twist in the apex of the 'coat hanger' (where you attach your line or snap swivel) rather than just a bend. This eliminates the line or snap swivel travelling down the arms of the wire when you cast rendering the lure useless on the retrieve.

Another nice touch was a free set of blades and stinger hook to customize your lure.
The rotating blades on the lure can easily be removed and replaced with one of the spare blades to alter the speed and appearance of the lure.

I gave them a good swim at the 2007 Yamaha Cod Classic at Lake Mulwala on the 1st and 2nd of December.
Although I did not give the leader board a real shake, I gave the Thundertails one on a few small cod and they held up a treat.

The come in three sizes (3/8 oz, ½ oz and 5/8 oz) and 6 colours (See website) with the smallest size using a 5/0 main hook and the other two sizes going with 6/0 hooks.

Lure hardware includes Mustad needle point hooks, 44 strand Sil-A-Chrome skirt that has more flash than Liberace's jacket, a quality ball bearing swivel by Worth, a pair of rattles on the lure head and one in the willow blade itself.

Personally, I believe these to be one of the best value for money spinnerbaits available today with these quality components and included freebies.

For more info, head to http://www.kingstonlures.com.au

Neil Slater