A long-standing powerhouse in the saltwater market, Nomad Design has spent the last few years developing and launching a freshwater lineup of lures for bass fishing. The Dartwing is one of these early offerings and is very clearly at first sight different from anything else on the market.
The Nomad Design Dartwing is a unique topwater offering
The Nomad Design Dartwing is named based on its most unique characteristic—its winged head. But this feature isn’t just different for different’s sake. As you walk the bait along, the bait not only throws water forward with its popper-shaped mouth but also to each side thanks to the winged head. This combination delivers a very different and enticing splash profile compared to many other baits.
More on the mouth
This bait has carved out a little spot all its own; it has the mouth of a finesse popper with the elongated body of walking topwater. The closest genre it would likely get lumped into would be pencil poppers. But compared to most of those type of baits, the Dartwing definitely has more cup to the mouth and thus more of a chug when walked.
Walking topwater meets popper
This bait walks extremely well, while simultaneously throwing a good bit of water thanks to its winged head and cupped mouth.
The Dartwing is extremely easy to walk and has a great action for both walking along the shoreline where bass are chasing bluegill, as well as fishing in open-water scenarios when targeting fish relating to shad and herring.
Castability
The Dartwing weighs 5/8 ounce and casts like a bullet. Thanks to the narrow body and weighted belly, you can cast this bait a very long ways which is a huge deal with a topwater lure. But at the same time it’s not a super heavy and bulky bait. Being able to cast a topwater accurately and at a distance is critical, since often times schooling fish will surface just out of reach of many baits. If you fish around schooling fish in open water, this is a lure you’ll want to have handy.
Buoyancy
Even though the Dartwing is a fairly heavy topwater considering its slender profile, it still floats well and the whole body sits at the surface, as opposed to sitting tail-down and nose-up. This balanced buoyancy undoubtedly plays a large roll in the bait’s ability to walk so effortlessly.
Quality hooks and components
Equipped with a strong, sharp and corrosion-resistant set of BKK #4 Trebles, the Dartwing is ready for whatever fish comes calling. The bait’s body is also constructed of an extremely durable High Density ABS Plastic, one of the beneficial spillovers from Nomad’s decades of constructing baits that are able to stand up to the most ferocious predators of the sea.
The bottom line
New to the bass fishing game, Nomad likely kept the price of the Dartwing low (at $12.99) to encourage anglers to give their baits a shot. Companies can take one of several of approaches when entering into the bass fishing market. From simply knocking off the baits that already work, to being different for the sole purpose of being different.
Nomad lands in a sweet spot, bringing to life a bait that is truly different, but with the purpose of creating a bait that also works. If you’re intrigued by the idea of a durable and well-crafted walking-style topwater that spits water in all directions, then you can’t go wrong giving the new Dartwing from Nomad Design a shot.
