By Alex Julius

New from BMA’s Killalure brand are the 2 Easy and 2 Deep. Incorporating some tangible “new” concepts in lure design (the H20 HydroKeel and the Dynamic Interchange System), these bottom-hunting barra lures have been designed by one of Australia’s most-experienced barra guides, Lance Butler. Over the last couple of years, I’ve had occasion to fish alongside Lance and use his handcrafted timber lures which really have been great barra catchers. However, in 2010, Lance got together with John Millyard of BMA (Australia’s largest manufacturer/distributor of barra lures) and the result has been the production of some of his proven patterns into hard-bodies for the wider commercial market.
H2O HydroKeel
The Killalure H2O HydroKeel incorporates hydrodynamic principles to stabilise the action of a hard-body diving lure. The clever H2O HydroKeel concept amounts to a small hole incorporated into the centreline of the bib. Its location and size is very important as it serves two purposes: the first is to relieve pressure over the leading face of the bib, thus reducing resistance at a controlled rate; and the second is to stabilise the action of the lure by creating a theoretical track through the bib, making the lure track straight and run true. Lance reckons he stumbled onto this when he fiddled with the tow-point position of one of his lures in design. We checked out the HydroKeel concept in our lure-testing pond by taping over the bib hole on a 2 Deep and swimming it alongside an identical lure without tape over the bib hole. Frankly, we were buggered if we could tell the difference. These lures have arrived practically on deadline so we haven’t had a chance to test them in the field. However, I rang Lance and he told me that where you really notice the HydroKeel stabilisation effect is when the lure is being trolled and has reached its deep swimming depth where, clearly, water pressure is at its greatest. “You notice it especially when you jig troll,” he told me. Makes sense,
I suppose.
Dynamic Interchange System (DIS)
DIS incorporates a lateral cavity that is moulded into the shoulder region of the lure body and which accommodates three supplied matching cylindrical sealed chambers: one with eight small ball bearings (already slotted into the lure), one with a large single ball bearing (a one knocker, as they’re called in the USA), and one with an empty chamber. These chambers offer silent-to-different rattles, and different weights/lure buoyancies. Swapping the inserts varied from easy with the 2 Easy and a bit of a battle with the 2 Deep, and I think you’d need to be careful when  you’re pushing out a cylinder that you don’t hook yourself.
Killalure 2 Deep 20+
The Killalure 2 Deep sure does get down – fast – and we were impressed by its killer tight action as it scooted across the lure pond. We tested three lures and found one needed a pliers adjustment at the tow eyelet to make it swim straight and at maximum depth. You get that a lot with mass-produced lures, and it was no big deal. I rarely fish with any lure that hasn’t been swum to my satisfaction beside the boat first, then fine-tuned for maximum performance.
Killalure 2 Easy 10+ and 15+
Once again, both lures have an enticingly-tight swimming action, and the 15+ gives little away in the depth department to the 20+ 2 Deep. I also like the way they tracked at speed – I couldn’t get them to blow out no matter how fast I dragged them along by the rod tip…a good pointer to their potential on the bluewater.
Both the 2 Easy models are bib drawn and have the bib locked into the lure body by what appears to be a lateral locking pin, similar to the method employed on the popular Killalure River Rat and Flatz Rat lures.

Style:         Hard-body bibbed minnows
Size:         2 Deep 120mm, 2 Easy 125mm
Weight:        2 Deep - 24 gram, 2 Easy - 28 gram
Colours:         10
Retrieval 2 Deep:     Crank to depth can be steady retrieve with
     occasional pause. Ideal fast-diving lure on
     the cast and deep swimmer on the troll with
     good back-up properties for jig/pause action.
Retrieval 2 Easy:     Crank to depth can be steady wind retrieve         or twitch with rod tip and pause. Will handle
    speed as well for fast trolling. Exhibits
     good back-up properties.
RRP:         $16.95

Comments: These are impressively-well-finished minnow lures. They are
fitted with heavy-duty split rings, although serious barra anglers will upgrade
the 3X VMC trebles to 6X or to a stronger hook in another brand. The unique concept of the Dynamic Interchange System will let you play with noise, weight and buoyancy. There are some excellent colours in the range (Candy Man is Lance’s favourite). It’s not hard to predict that these lures are destined to explode upon Australia’s huge hard-body barra lure fishery.