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JDM Calcutta Conquest for Finesse - The Calcutta Conquest BFS

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Time for Another Build or Two: Point Blank Rods's PB731HXF
Rods fascinate me. The number of ways in which they can be assembled, and the different materials used to build the blanks represent a world of intrigue and mystery that never ceases to intrigue. The very core of a fishing rod, it's soul - that blank, is where it all begins yet it is often shrouded in a build that makes the task of extracting its character difficult.

Defying the Status Quo : ARK Fishing Creates Their Own Gravity Baitcasters

Given the number of rod and lure manufacturers delving into the reel segment it's easy to assume ARK is leveraging the same or similar resources as the majority of these other upstarts. Well, I'm pleased to say, to make such an assumption about ARK's new Gravity 7 (G7) would be in error.

Accessible, Affordable, and More Importantly, Effective : Molix's GlideBait 140 SS
Begrudgingly, time once dedicated to slinging something exclusive gives way to the less exciting prospect of fishing something more accessible. However, on the rare occasion, these circumstances can reveal something unexpected. Here's our experience with Molix's latest entry big bait craze, their GlideBait 140 SS.

Even More Versatile Than Its Name Suggests, Big Bite Bait's Swimming Mama
How do you improve upon an already popular soft plastic bait profile? How about if you take that popular bait and add to it, a dimension not easily achieved by the original? In the case of Big Bite Bait's popular flipping bait, the Yomama, you streamline the bait and add twintail grub like appendages to transform it into a bait intended to be fished in constant motion.

Another Standout Build from Legit Design, the SOC70H
Encouraged by my experience with my first StandOut series rod from Legit Design, the SOC66L+ BFS stick, I wanted to see if that positive experience would translate to a more conventional specification. This curiosity coincided with my need for a stick to probe some weedbeds with some good ole fashioned, one ounce bullet weighted Texas rigged soft plastics.

 
 

	A Different Approach : The New Player - Trika Rods Chances are you haven't heard of Trika rods before as the brand is a new entry into the highly competitive rod market, but the team behind the new brand have actually been developing products for outdoor enthusiasts for over two decades.
	The Myth Lives and Has Transformed : 22nd Century's Nezzuma V-Cut Well, you know we couldn't go a full season reviewing rat baits without dubbing one our R.O.U.S. - Rat Of Unusual Size. 22nd Century is one of the original big bait companies and their Triple Trout swimbait remains one of our all time favorites.
	Evoking the Spirit of A Legendary Creature, Evergreen's Dire Wolf Wild 7 The Dire Wolf is actually offered in two configurations. There's a cork handle variant with a longer rear handle, the RS, and the subject of today's review, the GT-R, featuring an EVA handle that measures a short, nine and a half inches (9.5"). Both come with a recommended lure rating of three eighths to three full ounces (3/8-3oz).
	Toxic Baits Suck! TXC's Impertinent Little Wake Bait, the Whippersnapper 2.0 Ceaser Chavez out of Northern California, almost literally on the shores of the California Delta has been making baits for big bait enthusiasts going on close to ten years. He's one of the rare builders who've taken it to the next level by opening up a shop with a retail wing you can actually visit and hand pick baits fresh off the drying rack.
	What Took So Long? Megabass's P5 Bait Finesse Stick In various descriptions of their P5 F3-610X Bait Finesse stick, Megabass references their classic Hien. Why they chose a different name for it in this series confuses me and frankly delayed my interest in acquiring it, but as soon as I discovered the connection, I ordered one.
	ARK Fishing Provides the Catalyst for Value Ark's brand new Catalyzer series takes a blank normally associated with a rod series priced somewhere in the one hundred fifty dollar range and chops that cost to acquire in half. Here's our look at the Catalyzer CTL73MHFC.
	Testing a Phenix Blank - A Simple Build, Potential for Lore, Phenix's Ultra Swimbait B-USB-C 790H Phenix's Ultra Swimbait B-USB-C 790H blank has a very nice strength (lure rating) to weight ratio that intrigued me enough to give building one a whirl.
	Sunline's New Marboroshi FC Leader Sunline's Maboroshi FC Leader comes in typical, small spool sizes of fifty yards. It's available in a variety of strengths from five through twenty pound test. The line is not precision wound onto the filler spools, but when a sample length is pulled out, you can feel how smooth and consistent the surface is.
	A Rod that Not Only Stands Out, but Surprises : Legit Design's Bait Finesse Special Despite the series' name, the Stand Out series is a little more low key and much more affordable with roughly ten models from which to choose including three models designed for travel. We acquired a couple sticks from this new-to-us series for a closer look. The first of those two sticks is the Legit Design Stand Out SO66L+
	Such a Large Bounty for a Small Package – The Daiwa Exist Crafted with exotic materials and a slew of new features that are designed to improve everything from the feel of the retrieve to the way the drag delivers pressure, Daiwa’s new Exist redefines what a flagship spinning reel should be, in more ways than one.
	Fishing Abu Garcia's New Pro Series Rods with Elite Series Pro Angler Hunter Shryrock Abu Garcia introduced a lot of new tackle this ICAST including their completely revamped Revo spinning reel series, lightweight Zenon baitcasters, and a new Pro Series Rod lineup that was designed to meet the favorite techniques, actions, and styling of their tournament pros.
	DUO Launches A New Wakebait and Dock Skipping T-Hog Bug DUO International was not at ICAST this year but some other many manufacturers they launched a few new products that will be making their way to retailers in the coming weeks. These include a new wakebait, plastic creature, and even a new bladed treble designed to add some extra flash to DUO's small cranks and shad style lures.

Fenwick Blends Modern Materials with Traditional Design in New Elite Series
Fenwick has a long storied rod history and this ICAST the company is looking to write the next chapter with the introduction of their new Elite Series which makes use of modern materials while still managing to honor the tradition of the brand.

13 Fishing Launches Completely Revamped Spinning Lineup
13 Fishing launched a slew of new reels 24 hours ago at ICAST including completely new spinning reel platforms designed to significantly up the brand's game in both fresh and saltwater spinning. The new AL13, Axum, and Aerios spinning reels feature a number of proprietary 13 Fishing features and all come in under the $200 dollar price point.