Snag Proof has had a reputation for manufacturing quality, affordable products over the years and this year at ICAST they debuted the Bobby’s Perfect Buzz Frog. This floating, hollow body frog has a buzzin’ blade on the front, a double hook on the body of the frog and uses kicking legs on the back as opposed to the standard living rubber legs of most of the hollow body frogs out there. [Read more…]
ICAST 2011: Snag Proof
July 20, 2011 by ·
ICAST 2011: River2Sea
July 19, 2011 by ·
Let’s take a look at some lures from River2Sea that were introduced at ICAST. River2Sea has had a relationship with Larry Dahlberg which has resulted in several new lures for the company over the past few years. This year the big news is that most of these baits are getting downsized. No, not being eliminated but rather, made smaller. [Read more…]
ICAST 2011: Airrus
July 19, 2011 by ·
Airrus is known for manufacturing quality rods and this year they are showing some new offerings in their product line. The first is the Airrus Co-Matrix 2.0. This rod is essentially a reworking of the original Co-Matrix 457 that a lot of folks have fished since it’s introduction in 2002. [Read more…]
ICAST 2011: Gamakatsu
July 19, 2011 by ·
Gamakatsu has long been known for their hooks and this year they are introducing a few new products to their catalog. The first is the Mini Heavy Cover Hook which is a medium wire hook that has a built in bait keeper designed for finesse applications in and around cover. They will be available in several sizes to address a wide range of baits that the angler might want to throw. [Read more…]
ICAST 2011: Shimano
July 19, 2011 by ·
Shimano is another company that has done a lot of revamping for the new year. The new Curado 200 G starts with a new green color and three spool colors depending on the gear ratio you choose.
Besides the cosmetic changes to the Curado, there are some changes that devotees will appreciate including a new 1/8 turn, Easy Access Attached sideplate for adjusting the braking system. The new reel will come in both right and left hand retrieve models, three different gear ratios, weigh 6.9 ounces and is a five bearing system. [Read more…]
ICAST 2011: Daiwa
July 18, 2011 by ·
For those Daiwa fans out there, you will be happy to know that there are several new products for this year led by the T3 Casting Reel. The T3 uses a Zaion Carbon frame and sideplate which is said to be rival the rigidity and strength of magnesium but doesn’t corrode. The biggest news with this reel is the new level-wind mechanism. Daiwa calls it the T-Wing. This piece of hardware significantly increases the free space that line has to pass through when casting, thereby reducing friction. [Read more…]
ICAST 2011: Abu Garcia
July 18, 2011 by ·
Next on our ICAST list is Abu Garcia. Their newest reel is the Revo MGX which incidentally, won the “Best of Show for Freshwater Reels”. This reel utilizes a magnesium alloy frame called X-mag and side-plates that are made of a lighter than aluminum C-6 carbon. [Read more…]
ICAST 2011: Quantum
July 18, 2011 by ·
It’s that time of year again for ICAST and we here at MVF are going to try to take you through the show one manufacturer at a time and give you the highlights of the new gear that has been showcased.
Let’s start with Quantum who once again, have managed to debut a totally new product without a lot of pre-show publicity. Last year they debuted the Smoke baitcasting series with the Smoke rods.
This year they are adding a spinning reel and rods to the Smoke lineup. The spinning reel will be available in two sizes. A 25 series and a 30 series. These reels utilize porting everywhere they are able to reduce weight but maintain structural rigidity throughout the reel. Both are 10 bearing systems and both weight less than 8 ounces. [Read more…]
Dirty Jigs California Swim Jig
July 15, 2011 by ·
Dirty Jigs California Swim Jig
I know that at this time of year a lot of folks are concentrating on fishing deep and slow or using finesse baits because the fish can be so sluggish from the heat. Today we’re going to take a look at the Dirty Jigs California Swim Jig. We’ve reviewed the Dirty Jigs finesse swim jig but this is a whole different animal.
The California Swim Jig is a big, beefy full bodied bait that is designed to be used in front of swim baits. I prefer four inch baits but you can stick a five inch or so behind this head and be perfectly fine. Now why would anyone want a jig like this? To give the fish a different look. It’s that simple and in the case of the California Swim Jig, gives them a bait that is designed to catch big fish. [Read more…]
Strike King Pro Model 6XD
July 12, 2011 by ·
Let’s look at another summer time bait that has the potential to put a bunch of fish in the boat for you, Strike Kings 6XD crankbait. Yes, this is another collaboration between Strike King and Kevin VanDam and one that KVD used en route to another Angler of the Year title last year.
The 6XD is designed to go deep and elicit the reaction bite. For a long time, the big name in the deep diving crankbait world was the Norman DD22. Will this offering from Strike King supplant the Norman? Who knows. However, it’s another very good tool that is available to anglers for these hot summer months to get down where the fish are and tempt them into striking.
So let’s look at the Strike King 6XD and see what if anything makes this bait unique. [Read more…]