When To Fish The Mayor Versus The Heavy Hitter

Since the launch of CrushCity soft baits last summer, anglers have been asking when it’s best to fish with The Mayor versus the Heavy Hitter given each of these swimbaits come in a 4 inch size. This blog sheds light on this question, along with examples of how Canadian anglers are using these baits to catch walleye, smallmouth and largemouth bass, striped bass, northern pike and lake trout.

Despite looking alike and being interchangeable in a lot of scenarios — a key difference between these two CrushCity swimbaits is The Mayor is made of PVC (Plastisol) and the Heavy Hitter is Super TPE. These two different materials give each swimbait several unique features. 

When to choose one of these two equally awesome swimbaits really comes down to how an angler envisions their presentation, and how the bait needs to act. 

PVC is a more traditional soft plastic, and Rapala’s CrushCity formula is non-toxic (phthalate-free), impressively durable and dense. Due to its PVC composition and salt content, The Mayor sinks, making it excellent for maintaining a deeper-running presentation. 

Anglers fond of premium soft plastics will immediately appreciate The Mayor’s softness, precise colours and salt placement. The Mayor has a natural, subtle side-to-side tail kick and noticeable, but not overly aggressive, body roll. These were just a few must-have features identified and perfected by the Rapala’s R&D team and bait designer, Jacob Wheeler.

• Rigged on an unweighted EWG hook, The Mayor’s salt and density keeps it beneath the surface, a key feature, at times, when targeting bass, walleye and other predators.  
• Shines for accessing deep strike zones fished on a Boxer Jig, VMC Heavy Duty Weighted Swimbait Hook or an A-Rig.
• Makes an excellent spinnerbait and swim jig trailer, adding strike-triggering action without unwanted lift.
• Fished on a jig and paused on bottom, The Mayor’s tail adopts a more neutral and horizontal orientation, which predators prefer at times.
• Rapala’s CrushCity PVC formula compresses well and, as such, The Mayor doesn’t “ball up” or impede the hook-set when rigged Texas and Tex-posed.
• Subtle action, softness and detailed colours make it excellent for clear water fishing scenarios.

The Heavy Hitter has a slightly wider, bulkier profile than The Mayor, along with a custom paddletail, specifically designed by the team at Rapala VMC Canada to give the Heavy Hitter its powerful kicking action with just the right amount of belly roll. Super TPE makes the Heavy Hitter ultra-durable, buoyant and tolerant of extreme temperatures.

• Super TPE makes the Heavy Hitter extremely long-lasting and hard-wearing, and a natural choice for targeting pike, walleye, lake trout, striped bass and other aggressive, big predators.
• It’s not just about taking abuse from trophy fish; when the bites are coming fast from fish of all sizes within a school, the Heavy Hitter’s no-quit durability keeps you in fish-catching game as long as possible.
• The Heavy Hitter’s long lifespan and staggering bait-to-fish-caught ratio make it well suited for anglers with gear constraints (e.g., remote camping trips and fly-in destinations), as well as for those looking to stretch their dollar.
• Buoyancy makes the Heavy Hitter excellent for keeping a bait higher in the water column (e.g., used as a trailer on a buzzbait or to get a higher running depth from a bladed swim jig).
• On a Boxer Jig, the Heavy Hitter’s buoyancy gives it a natural, horizontal baitfish orientation that’s perfect for vertical jigging and “hanging” fishing techniques for suspending lake trout, walleye and bass.
• Super TPE’s tolerance of extreme temperatures ensures the Heavy Hitter maintains its shape and fish-catching action in blazing summer heat as well as in the freezing temps.

To sum up, the Canadian CrushCity collection includes both The Mayor and the Heavy Hitter 4-inch swimbaits to give anglers more options on the water. Choosing one instead of the other will boil down to what bait embodies the right features for the fishing scenario.