Guiding You In Your Quest For More And Bigger Fish
As most of you know, fishing for trout in lakes is not unlike targeting other species in terms of identifying what depth they are most active in.
There are several ways to do this without the use of any equipment with one of those being using a lure as a search bait that is capable of controlled depth fishing.
We’ve been testing some of the new line of Ice Jigs from Rapala. Today we’re going to focus on the Pro Series Tungsten Wax Tail in 1/16.
With the cold weather months here, we like to supplement our bass fishing by breaking out the ultra-light gear for the purpose of catching some assorted panfish. Trout, crappie, bluegill along with other panfish are a blast to cast miniatures to.
Our friends at Rapala sent us a sampling of their new line of ice jigs so we figured why not? Let’s see how our local panfish react to them.
Rapala know fishing in the snow and below the ice. They have through the years been at the forefront of innovation for everything from tools and clothing, to baits designed for use under the ice. With a resume like that, who wouldn’t put their new products to the test.
Choosing a new fishing rod comes down to defining what you are wanting from that specific tool as narrowly as possible.
The reason for this is that when you are comparing different models, you can compare apples to apples.
You may want to have a rod that will allow you the greatest range of lure weights or, one that is to be used for a very narrow range of baits but nothing else.
The new KastKing Perigee rods from Eposeidon have models that can accommodate either way of thinking. 19 models in all; all built with quality components and offered at a retail price of $99.98.
The model that we have been testing over the course of the last several months is the PE-C760XF. This is a 7’6” extra-heavy powered stick with a fast tip, guide train of 9 plus the tip, a split AAA cork grip with a composite cork butt, a closed loop hook hanger that is large enough for any sized hook, rated for 3/8 – 2oz and features KastKing’s exclusive blank technology. [Read more…]
One of the most satisfying aspects of doing what we do is having the opportunity to see new products come to the market that may not have been given much press.
Be it small companies or manufacturers who have chosen to conduct business in a different way, or simply don’t have the deep pockets to mount a national marketing campaign, we are always looking for innovation within this industry that we enjoy so much.
Eposeidon is one of those new companies that was formed in 2013 that was determined to do things a different way. Using their factory direct model of doing business, they launched KastKing.
We were sent one of their flagship reels, the KastKing Royale Legend RS1000HL. This low-profile casting reel boasts a 12 bearing system (11 + 1), weighs 7.6 ounces, has a gear ratio of 7.0:1, EVA flat-sided foam grips, brass gears, a ported aluminum spool, a dual braking system with a four-pin internal centrifugal brake plus a 10 position externally adjustable magnetic brake, line capacity of 12/165, a swept handle and drag star, 12 lbs of drag and carries a retail price of $57.85.
The Royale Legend is mainly black with chrome and red highlights on the spool tension know, the star drag collar and on edges of the ported aluminum spool. It is available in both right and left hand retrieve but as of this writing comes in only the 7.0:1 gear ratio. [Read more…]
There are certainly times when you get on the water and just can’t seem to buy a bite. You throw everything you’ve got, including the kitchen sink, but you would swear that the water you’re fishing is completely barren of any bass.
When this happens, you need to have something in your tackle box to wipe the white skunk stripe off your back.
Recently we’ve been fishing the Z-Man Ned Rig under the worst conditions we could find, just to see how it would perform. [Read more…]
In the tackle industry, it’s not uncommon to see lure manufacturers either upsize or downsize a popular bait.
The question is always the same. Will the new size be as effective as the original?
We’ve fished the original Jackall Pompadour for over a year now with excellent results. So when the Pompadour Jr. was introduced, naturally we just couldn’t wait to get it on the water to see if it could fill the considerable shoes of it’s larger sibling.
As is our habit when making these kinds of comparisons, the first order of business is to see what if any modifications have been made to accommodate the difference in size.
Oh yeah, frog fishing is an absolute blast! Really, what’s not to like about it?
The reason there are so many hollow body frogs available is that they are, as a bait class, very efficient at drawing strikes from bass that are hiding out in the thick stuff.
Not only do they get lots of attention, they are the quintessential weedless topwater tool that can be thrown on and through just about anything that you can encounter.
So you would think that the market is saturated to the point that there is no room for another iteration in this genre? Not so fast. There is a new kid on the block, the Terminator Walking Frog.
Yes, once again, our curiosity got the best of us and we just had to get some to see for ourselves what the buzz was about.
There are times when we all get in a hurry. We lose our focus and default to those baits that have become a staple in our arsenal or to a new comer that we can’t wait to try.
We have confidence in them so we will continue to throw them until our arms begin to ache from fatigue. It seems as though we must reach this point before we begin to think of alternatives.
Then in a moment of lucidity or desperation, we reach for a bait that we haven’t spent much time with, know little about its action or effectiveness and decide that we’re going to spend our remaining time on the water to test this one plug in the hopes of discovering a bait whose action is different enough to open the seemingly locked jaws of the bass that have ignored our offerings all day. [Read more…]
We are catch and release guys. We like fishing, we like catching, we enjoy a good picture or two, and we like letting them go.
Let ’em go, let ’em grow—as they say.
Maybe you’re a catch and release guy too. We hope so (if not, that’s cool too, just be responsible), and we want to give you a few tips to make sure the fish you are releasing live.
There’s nothing worse than putting a fish back and seeing him swim off half-sideways struggling to find gravity’s pull.
With these tips, more of your fish will go on to live productive lives as members of fish society, telling war stories to their grandkids. [Read more…]
One of the most productive styles of topwater lures is the good ol’ stick bait.
These baits have caught so many fish for so many anglers for so long, it’s hard to imagine any bass fisherman without at least a couple of these in their tackle box.
You probably have your favorites, like we do, but there is always room for more players.
The Storm Arashi Top Walker 11 is the new kid that we’ve been putting to the test recently.