Paris, TN — Last week saw the a true legend of the sport bring home the trophy.
After a short turn around, the Elite Series pros were back on the water and it was first-year pro Wesley Strader taking the podium. [Read more…]
Rookie Wesley Strader Wins on Kentucky Lake
May 8, 2018 by ·
KVD Adds to his Greatest of all Time Status
April 29, 2018 by ·
Grove, OK — Every time Kevin VanDam boards a boat and casts a lure in a Bassmaster Elite Series event, he has the potential to add to a legacy that is already untouchable.
Every. Single. Time.
Over the weekend, he did just that, adding an impossible 25th Bassmaster win to his GOAT status resume on Oklahoma’s Grand Lake. [Read more…]
Favorite Fishing’s Phantom Spinning reel, hardly unnoticeable
April 17, 2018 by ·
We ran across a newer company last year that is producing rods and reels in the upper end of the value segment.
Favorite Fishing has a fairly expansive list of skews in both categories but the one that we’re going to focus on today is the Phantom Spinning Reel.
Let’s start by saying that as of this writing, these reels are only available on their website, but tacklewarehouse has begun to stock some of their rods. We’ve also seen a display of their products at Cabelas for those who are within range of one of their stores and would like to get a first hand look at them.
We obtained the PTM2000 spinning reel for our review process. This has 8 bearings + 1 roller bearing, 5.2:1 gear ratio, titanium nitride covered anti-twist line roller and spool lip, stainless steel main shaft, machined metal handle and an EVA knob all for $99.99 retail.
Jordan Lee Brings The Drama – Repeats As Bassmaster Classic Champ
March 19, 2018 by ·
Greenville, SC — There was plenty of drama to go around this weekend at the Bassmaster Classic, despite Lake Hartwell being stingy for all three days of the tournament. At the end of it all, the young Jordan Lee joined legends Rick Clunn and Kevin VanDam as the only anglers to go back-to-back as Classic champs. [Read more…]
Storm’s new Arashi Cover Pop – Big Mouth, Big Action
January 15, 2018 by ·
Popper’s are one genre of baits that don’t really get the kudos that they deserve.
These seemingly simple, chugging, blooping, walking, spitting, rattling baitfish imitators have caught fish for decades.
The trick for any new bait in this category is how to differentiate itself from the long list available to anglers in a way that will get you to try them.
The new Storm Arashi Cover Pop took on this challenge with specific performance characteristics in mind for their final production design.
The new Terminator Walking Frog Jr. – The Goldilocks Frog
December 6, 2017 by ·
We anticipate frogging season every year and this year has been no exception especially considering the number of new frogs available. It’s always interesting to see what changes the manufacturers come up with to make this genre of lures more productive.
Terminator followed their Walking Frog with the new Walking Frog Jr. A smaller, more compact hollow body frog that has borrowed all the best features from its larger sibling.
Jr. is 2-1/2 inches in length, 1/2 oz. as opposed to 3 inches, 11/16 oz. for the regular Walking Frog. It utilizes the same body proportions with the wide, deep head and narrow, shallow tail as the original. Jr. uses a slightly smaller VMC hook, the same round rubber leg strands and a down-sized version of the curved rear weight that sits flush with the body.
The Daiwa Tatula SV TW, the best Tatula yet?
November 14, 2017 by ·
We’ve been fishing the Daiwa Tatula since it was introduced three years ago and have been impressed with them from the beginning. Three years ago, the Tatula series was born with the Tatula 100 and the Tatula 100 Type R. This reel has proven to be a workhorse for us that continues to provide reliable performance no matter what we throw at it.
Last year we obtained the Tatula CT Type R which maintained all the technologies of the original but did so in a more compact and lighter weight package that was a major step forward. As of this writing our CT Type R is smoother than the day it came out of the box.
Daiwa chose the 2017 Bassmaster Classic to release the latest thoroughbred in the Tatula stable – the Tatula SV TW. While the CT was a major step forward, the SV is a quantum leap forward.
The Spro BBZ-1 Rat 25 – Mighty Mouse?
October 9, 2017 by ·
This time of year we are usually testing a bunch of new topwater offerings that debuted at ICAST.
This year has been no different and we have discovered that there are several gems.
Today we are looking at something that is truly special and has been putting fish in the boat since the first trip.
We’ve now thrown this plug on every subsequent trip and have never failed to catch fish with it. It’s a fish magnet, plain and simple. [Read more…]
The Jackall Firecracker High Impact Buzzbait – Compact Thunder
September 13, 2017 by ·
It’s often said, “Summertime is buzzbait time!” Yes, summertime can be a great time to throw a buzzer but don’t limit yourself to the dog days.
We’ve been using the Jackall Firecracker High Impact Buzzbait for a several months now and have caught fish with it from spring to fall. We still haven’t put it away because it’s still generating strikes.
The Firecracker has some interesting design features that give it a unique sound that seems to either goad bass into biting by irritating them or by drawing them in from a distance. Whatever the motivation is for hitting this bait, the result is the same—heart racing, explosive strikes. [Read more…]
Christie Takes Lake St Clair In A Very Unusual Way
August 30, 2017 by ·
Macomb County , Mi—Chumming isn’t allowed in the Bassmaster Elite series. Anglers cannot throw bait into the water to get the fish fired up and start feeding.
When it occurs naturally though, there are no provisions in the rules to keep an angler from taking advantage. Jason Christie did just that to grab his 5th trophy. [Read more…]