From the bench / Pre-launch testing
PAD BUG IS GETTING COLOR.
The first color runs are on the bench. We’re comparing pours and dialing in Pad Bug ahead of launch. Final launch colors are still in development.
CBC Lures
Purpose-built bass fishing lures.
From the bench: Pad Bug prototype, mold, and workshop photos
Real workshop photos of the current prototype. Final colors and production details are still in development.
Built for Heavy cover · Weedless heavy-cover creature bait
Pad Bug
Ride the cover. Hide the point. Clear it on the bite.
A 4-inch weedless soft-plastic creature bait designed to travel across lily pads and heavy vegetation, then come alive when it reaches an opening.
Development update
Prototype baits are on the bench. Follow the testing and final launch preparation.
Get the first-pour updateDevelopment · Injection Testing
- ✓ Design
- ✓ CAD
- ✓ Prototype Mold
- Injection Testing
- Water Testing
- Production Mold
- Launch
Coming Soon
Follow this bait
Get confirmed testing and release updates. Pricing and availability will be announced when they are set.
01 / The fishing situation
THE PROBLEM.
Lily pads, grass mats, and shallow wood hold bass, but exposed hooks snag and bulky baits often lose their action before they reach an opening.
02 / The purpose-built response
THE CBC ANSWER.
Pad Bug pairs a wide cover-riding body with layered fins, legs, and free rear tubes. Two soft dorsal guards protect the point through vegetation, then clear away under bite pressure so the hook gap can work.
Why it works
The benefit behind the build
WHY IT WORKS.
Pad Bug is a pre-production weedless creature bait built around a wide, flat body that rides across pads and vegetation. Two tailward-swept side fins add displacement, four thin beaded legs add secondary flicker, and eight independent rear tubes pulse and quiver on the fall, pause, and crawl.
The hook point sits between two soft dorsal guards rather than beneath a membrane or separate weed guard. The intent is to protect the point while moving through cover, then let the guards collapse away under bite pressure so the hook gap remains available.
- Wide, flat cover-riding body
- Two bluegill-style side fins
- Four thin beaded legs
- Eight independent rear tubes
- Dual soft dorsal guards
- Reinforced nose for repeat rigging
When to throw it and how to rig it
Situation guide
WHEN TO THROW IT.
- Lily-pad fields and edges
- Grass mats and lanes
- Laydowns and shaded wood
- Shallow-cover openings
- Slow falls, pauses, and crawls
Hook and presentation
HOW TO RIG IT.
Enter through the reinforced nose, seat the hook wire in the belly relief, and center the point between the two dorsal guards. Keep the hook eye, gap, and barb clear. Fish it weightless over pads, grass, and wood; add only enough weight to reach the target depth.
Hook reference: Designed around a VMC 7317 size 3/0 EWG hook. Final hook fit and guard behavior remain subject to physical production testing.
How to fish it
Put it together
HOW TO FISH
THE Pad Bug.
- 01
Rig it clean
Texas-rig the bait weightless and center the hook point between the two soft dorsal guards.
- 02
Ride the cover
Pull the flat body across lily pads, grass mats, and shallow wood without burying the hook point.
- 03
Work the openings
Pause at holes, lanes, and edges so the fins, legs, and rear tubes can move as the bait falls.
- 04
Hop or crawl
Use short movements around isolated cover, then pause again before moving to the next target.
Specs and design references
Engineering behind the fishing benefit
THE SPECS.
Reference dimensions, material targets, rigging fit, and model details for anglers who want the complete build card.
- Status
- Prototype baits on the bench — testing and launch preparation.
- Length
- 4.00 in
- Body
- 1.30 in wide × 0.70 in high
- Material
- High-tear soft plastisol target
- Appendages
- 2 side fins + 4 beaded legs + 8 rear tubes
- Hook reference
- VMC 7317 size 3/0 EWG
- Primary rig
- Weightless Texas rig
Initial color concepts
Color direction
INITIAL COLOR CONCEPTS
Green Pumpkin
Initial concept
Watermelon Red
Initial concept
Black / Blue
Initial concept
Junebug
Initial concept
Okeechobee Craw
Initial concept
Molten Craw
Initial concept
Toxic Gill
Initial concept
Ghost Pearl
Initial concept
Full product sheet
Features, rigging, and color direction
FULL PRODUCT SHEET
Straight answers
Pad Bug
FAQ.
Is the Pad Bug a topwater lure?
No. Pad Bug is a weedless soft-plastic creature bait for heavy vegetation and shallow cover. It can travel across the surface of pads or grass, then fall through openings in the cover.
How should I rig the Pad Bug?
The current design is built around a weightless Texas rig. Enter through the reinforced nose, seat the hook wire in the belly relief, and center the point between the two soft dorsal guards.
What hook is recommended for the Pad Bug?
The design reference is a VMC 7317 size 3/0 EWG hook. Final production fit will be confirmed through physical testing before release.
Where is the Pad Bug designed to be fished?
Pad Bug is intended for lily-pad fields and edges, grass mats and lanes, laydowns, shaded wood, and other shallow-cover openings.
When will Pad Bug be available?
Pad Bug is still in pre-production. Pricing, pack quantity, final colors, and a release date have not been announced. Join the CBC launch list for confirmed development and release updates.
Fish the situation
RIGGING & TECHNIQUE GUIDES.
Read pad fields, rig cleanly, cross vegetation, and control the fall through openings.
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