The Story Behind the "Screamin' Banshee"
The "Screamin' Banshee" was developed by Ron McVickar, a Cape Cod charter captain for 40 years. In 1972, after much experimenting, Ron developed his own lure. It's a version of a parachute jig, but with very specific properties. Ron wanted a lure that would drop into the swirling waters just behind the curl of the rips which dot the waters off Chatham, Monomoy Island, Nantucket Sound, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket Island off the Massachusetts coastline. Ron has successfully fished the lure for over 35 years, bringing in both quality and quanties of striped bass and bluefish.
Ron experimented with different head designs, eye placements, hook sizes, weights, and color patterns. He wanted to have a bait that would entice the bigger fish that tended to inhabit the deep dropoffs just behind the "rips" caused by tidal currents and changing bottom structure in the Atlantic Ocean and Nantucket Sound near Cape Cod. The color patterns he chose were intended to imitate the main foods the fish were eating - squid, menhaden, herring, pogies, whiting, and krill.
The baits that Ron developed were built with his own soap stone mold, painted, and hand tied by him. Each winter, Ron would build enough jigs for himself and a few friends for the coming June to October fishing season. Now, that same bait is available for the first time to recreational, charter, and commercial fishermen who want to catch more and bigger stripers, bluefish, and other sportfish. While it was developed to work in the rips, the "Screamin' Banshee" also works well trolled in deeper tidal currents, when the stripers are hugging the bottom or the bluefish are schooled up!
Now it's time for you to catch more and bigger fish with the "Screamin' Banshee"! It's available from tackle dealers. If they don't have it, tell them to contact us and we'll stock them up! Great fishing days to all .....
The Banshee Lure Co.