Fast-moving flash. Built for the chase.
The Paladin 425 covers water. Medium retrieve, rolling action, and a flash pattern that active bass and pike have no patience for. When the fish are moving, this is the lure you want in the water.
The Pikie-style lip is wider than the Rogue's, and that width creates a fundamentally different action. Where the Rogue swims with a tight, deliberate wobble, the Paladin rolls. It rocks side to side on every pull, throwing a flash pattern that looks like a panicked baitfish working hard not to get eaten.
That flash is what makes the 425 a reaction strike lure. You are not trying to convince a fish it's looking at something real. You are triggering an instinct. A largemouth that has ignored six other presentations will hit the Paladin 425 because the rolling action catches its attention in a way that slower, tighter-swimming lures don't.
Work it at medium speed and the action is consistent and wide. Slow it down and the roll becomes more deliberate, with the lure tipping side to side with a slight pause at each end. Both speeds work. The water and the fish dictate which one is right on any given morning.
The body is Danny-style — longer and more tapered than a traditional crankbait, which gives the 425 more water displacement per inch and a presence in the water that smaller lures don't have. Big fish are lazy. The Paladin gives them something worth moving for.
The Danny body carries its weight toward the tail, which loads on the cast and contributes to the rolling action on the retrieve. The Pikie lip is wider than a standard crankbait lip, which catches more water and creates the pronounced side-to-side roll. Together they produce a lure that covers water efficiently and is nearly impossible to retrieve without action.
The Danny body
Longer and more tapered than a standard crankbait. More water displacement, more presence, and tail-heavy weighting that loads on the cast and contributes to the lure's rolling balance on the retrieve.
The Pikie lip
Wider than the Rogue's metal lip, hand-bent to each individual body, and tuned to produce a consistent roll at medium retrieve speeds. The flash pattern it creates is what triggers reaction strikes from fish that have been sitting still all morning.
Everything in the Paladin 425 is chosen for a reason and built by hand.
Every body is hand-cut from northern white cedar. Light, naturally buoyant, and flexible in a way that changes how the lure moves on the pause and the rise. Plastic doesn't do this. Cedar does.
Color applied by hand, sealed under multiple coats of high-gloss lacquer. The finish is built to handle strikes, rocks, and a winter in the tackle box. It earns its marks gradually.
VMC #6 inline hooks. Spro swivels and stainless steel split rings. The hardware doesn't fail on a big fish. That matters most when it matters most.
The Paladin 425 is a covering lure. It works when fish are active and willing to move. These three situations describe most of the productive fishing in Berkshire County.
Early morning when bass are feeding on the weed edges, the Paladin 425 is the right tool. Work it parallel to the weed line at medium speed. The rolling action stays productive at the pace you need to cover ground before the bite shuts down.
Technique: parallel retrieve along weed edges, medium speed, no pause needed
When you don't know exactly where the pike are sitting, the 425 is your search tool. Fan cast systematically, cover the flat, and let the flash do the work. A pike that sees the roll from fifteen feet will move to investigate.
Technique: systematic fan casting, cover water, vary depth with retrieve speed
Smallmouth bass hold on current breaks off rocky points, and they are aggressive. The Paladin 425 works in this situation because smallmouth are reaction fish. The rolling action triggers strikes even from fish that are not actively feeding. Cast past the point and retrieve through the break.
Technique: cast past structure, retrieve through the break zone at medium-fast speed
Current availability is on the product page. Finishes rotate as stock moves, so check there before you decide.
Every Paladin 425 is handmade in Richmond, Massachusetts. Ten color options. Danny body, Pikie lip, and the same top-grade hardware that goes into every Lost Art lure. No factory. No shortcuts.
Questions about which finish works on your water? Reach out before you order.
