BB180-SF
The BB180-SF is the slow-floating version of Babyface's original BB180-MSS lure.
It sinks some thirty centimetres below the surface, and its density causes it to rise very gently, even to the point of suspending.
This well-mastered density allows you to reel it in continuously, to pause for long periods, to stop and go, or to strike with scions to animate it energetically. With the last two animations, you can practically tread water, with the lure turning 90°, and even more to go backwards.
This practice, followed by an acceleration, is very good on follower fish, not really inclined to attack, to force them into action.
The S-shaped swimming action of this lure is fairly narrow and fast when reeled in continuously. What I mean by fast is that the lure changes direction quickly, without making a nice curve like we're used to seeing with two-section hard swimbaits. On the other hand, every time you stop grinding and let it go, it shifts sharply to one side or the other. This lure really excels at stop and go, and that's the use to prioritize.
It comes with a spare tail and is fitted with good quality treble hooks. The fact that the hooks are not mounted on rolling swivels makes it easy to replace them with single hooks. For your information, I used a 4/0 forward and a 3/0 reverse.
The finish is very good, but this SF version has fewer colors than the MSS version.
Among them, I must particularly mention color 33, which is a yellow bordering on chartreuse, clearly the lure of the series to own for pike research. This color is versatile and works in any weather, especially overcast and tinted water.
Alongside this yellow, we find a classic white, as well as more original colors that are just as relevant, such as black, pink and green.
Use
At 80 grams for 18 centimetres, this is a good-sized lure that doesn't require too much power to work. An XH or XXH casting set is all you need to tackle big pike, its main target in France.
Abroad, thanks to its integral through-frame, it can be used on powerful fish weighing up to 15 kg, such as barramundi, muskellunge or papuan bass.
My opinion
The BB180-SF is a good glide-bait, with an aggressive, very convincing swimming action. Given its good build quality, it comes at a very reasonable price and deserves to be talked about more!
In my eyes, it's an improved version of the BB180-MSS, not in terms of its stroke, which is similar, but in its density, which is more interesting and versatile.
From floating, it can be transformed into suspending or sinking with the addition of a lead clip, whereas the opposite is not possible with the BB180-MSS. It's simply perfect for slow fishing in shallow waters and luring even the most wary fish.
