DOA PT-7 Weedless Topwater Lure Review [VIDEO]
- By: Joseph Simonds
- on
- Found In: Fishing Tips, Inshore Fishing, Lure Reviews, Topwater Lures
Have you seen this new weedless topwater lure by DOA?
Here at Salt Strong, we are always in search of the best topwater lure out there…
There is just nothing like seeing a fish explode on a topwater plug!
In fact, fishing with topwater lures is one of my favorite ways to target fish in the early morning and/or late evening hours as the sun is going down.
Less light penetrating the water at these times allows for better topwater fishing.
When the sun is too bright, fish are reluctant to strike a topwater as they are literally blinded by the sun if they were to attack something at the surface.
There are some areas where fish will hold, such as docks, mangroves, and thick grass that they would be willing to strike a bait at the surface at any time. The only problem is that these structures do not play well with exposed hooks, which the majority of topwater lures have.
The DOA Lure company has brought back their own twist of a rather old school topwater lure that they call the PT7 Weedless Topwater. It is simply a rubber plug rigged on a single wide gap hook.
The best part is that this topwater lure is weedless!
You can throw this thing just about anywhere without the worry of getting snagged (however, having your line wrap around a tree branch is a different story).
I was able to get out on the water and test this lure out, so let’s go ahead and talk about the pros and cons of the DOA PT7.
PROS Of The DOA PT-7 Topwater Lure
- Weedless
- Casts very far and has a good amount of weight to it
- Has a built-in rattle which helps attract fish
- Skips very well to cast under low hanging structure such as docks, trees, etc.
- Hard rubber and durable
CONS Of The DOA PT-7 Topwater Lure
- Has a somewhat sloppy action. Takes a little while to fine tune your retrieve
- Tends to “submarine” if retrieved too fast.
- Because of the weight, it creates a large splash which can spook fish nearby
- Be sure not to bury the hook too much into the lure as the rubber is very thick and can hinder your ability to get a good hookset.
- Runs about the same price as a standard topwater lure – $8 to $10 depending on where you purchase. The real “con” here is that they are rubber and not as durable as a hard bait.
*Note: it does come with one spare rubber lure, but only one hook.
Rigging Tips For This DOA PT-7
When rigging this lure, I prefer to tie it to my leader using a loop knot (pictured below).
This allows the lure to move freely and give it the most action as possible.
The slot on the bottom of the lure where the hook runs through is a great place to add some scent, such as procure, to help attract fish to the lure.
See below.
Be sure not to bury the hook too deep into the body of the lure.
This will reduce your chances of hooking the fish since the rubber is pretty tough. Just barely skin-hook the point of the hook into the lure.
In the following video, I will be reviewing the DOA PT7 topwater lure and showing you how it performs out on the water.
Enjoy.
DOA PT-7 Independent Review [VIDEO]
Conclusion
Overall, this is a cool topwater lure.
The fact that it is weedless and that I can skip it better than most other topwater plugs is the reason I’ll keep one in my tackle box.
I doubt it will ever be my “go-to” topwater plug, but certainly some use here with the DOA PT-7.
Thoughts?
Have you used it yet?
Let me know in the comments.
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Related Post: 7 Essential Fishing Lures That Can Catch Fish Pretty Much Anywhere!
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Great report on it Tony, I can see it being great on grass flats. Mybe even for bass in those tough strike zones with tall grass.
Hey Tony I think you will love this I found a seedless topwater that will blow away the do a pt-7 it’s from savage gear its called the toe mudminnow its awesome it comes in about 4 maybe 5 colors don’t know why they call it a mudminnow though mudminnow stay on the bottom and are very small this lure is slim about same diameter as the spook Jr about 3.33 inches long it looks very enticing it has a very sharp about a 3 to 4 ott hook ( I know I didn’t spell that right) and there is a groove at the top of the bait to make it totally seedless and at the end of the bait are feathers try it I just bought 2 today gonna try them soon if the water is still warm for topwater it comes in a 2 rigged park each with a hook about 10 bucks not bad for a topwater the only thing I wish it had was a rattle but that’s ok I’m sure the action will make up for it talk to you later????
Sorry I spelled it wrong a weedless tpe mudd minnow from savage gear
Do you think that for those who want a more rugged connection and the ability to quickly change lures, a #3 or #4 split ring tied directly to the leader using a Palomar knot might be okay?
Tony, have you tried his new Snak Koil yet that came out the same time? Haven’t tried it inshore yet, But it’s a killer on Bass.
I tried the PT-7 in NC around Wilmington, on vacation. The pencil grass flats are everywhere & the lure worked well ,never a hang up & like you said Tony, the casts are amazing distance. I could cover a lot of water. The Walk the Dog action worked pretty well for me as i kept the rod tip pointed down toward the water. I had a few strikes but no hook up. I think Ill try the Pro Cure idea next time as it might keep the fish a bit more interested. I can’t judge the lure as it turned out not the best of days as far as the fishing went south.
Use it in the grass on the flats
I watched a show with Capt CA Richards. He said that using mono imparts better action for top water lures. He said mono sinks slower that fluoro or braid and that it doesn’t push the nose of the lure down. Also he uses 10 inches of mono leader with a loop knot. What are your thoughts on this?
I can see how mono would work better since flourocarbon sinks faster and would pull the nose of the lure down. For this lure particularly i think it would work best to use mono leader. However, I never have any issues using other topwater lures when using fluorocarbon leader. I think the small compact size of this lure really hinders it’s action a bit. I would like to see them come out with a longer version but not any heavier than this one.
Thanks, Tony……your lure reviews are really helpful. I’ve tried the PT-7, and don’t really care for it for the reasons you stated. Mostly, it’s just too heavy for the lighter gear I use. There’s much better topwater weedless lures out there. I agree with you, however, on how well it can skip under docks, etc.
Thanks for the feedback Gary!
After I took a quick gander at this lure, I was sure that it was a big kosher dill pickle!
Haha. That should be our next test… can we catch a snook using a dill pickle and hook!
When you talk about retrieving the lure, by walking the dog or etc , could you show in video how fast you are bringing in the lure?
It’s a very slow retrieve to give the lure the right action. As I stated in the article you have to fine tune your presentation. Factors that come into play are type of line, leader, and the action of the rod. I was using a medium heavy rod which may have been too much for this lure. I would go with a medium action rod to get a little more control of the action. However, you can retrieve the lure fast at the surface with a steady reel as I was doing when I had the strike on it.