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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. |
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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. |
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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+ |
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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.
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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.
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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. |
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13 Fishing Hits New Price Points
with Modus Series Baitcasters
In addition to refreshing their spinning reel lineup 13 Fishing also
introduced a new addition to their baitcasting lineup slotted in right between
the Inception and Concept reels. Offered at a new 120-150 dollar price point the
Modus Series consists of three new baitcasters. |
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Lew's
Enters Enthusiast Segment With New Elite Series
Once a manufacturer with a somewhat modest catalog of product, Lew's suite of casting reels alone now amounts to over two dozen models. The majority of which can be considered quite accessible. That's part of the reason for the popularity of the brand - they offer anglers a host of reliable options without breaking the bank. For 2023, Lew's speeds things up and reaches out into the Enthusiast space.
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Versatility and Value - Shimano's
New Miravel Spinning Reel
While the Stella FK took home top freshwater reel honors in the ICAST
Best of Show showcase Shimano also stealthily launched a brand new spinning reel
designed for versatility and value called the Miravel.
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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.
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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.
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Strike King Continues to Refine Their Family of Baits
One of the more popular bait
brands, Strike King, continues to refine and expand their product offering for
2023. Most notable for me is their new tungsten head Thunder Cricket bladed jig. |
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For
the Love of Big Baits – Shimano’s Curado 200 DC
Shimano’s DC system is already popular among big bait anglers that employ
the company’s numerous DC equipped reels for tossing big baits. With the growth
in the swimbait market there has also been increased demand for affordable DC
reels with more line capacity. Shimano’s biggest baitcaster launch this ICAST is
the introduction of the new Curado 200 DC. |
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G.loomis Addresses Light-Duty
Spinning with GCX LITE
The G.Loomis GCX Series has successfully filled the mainstream niche for the
brand which is best known for their premium rod offerings. Positioned right
below IMX-Pro the GCX rods make use of SeaGuide components and are still
manufactured in the G.Loomis factory in Woodland Washington. |
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The Ever Green XV-5 is a Stealthy Shad Profiled Jerkbait
Crossover
Ever Green continues to design some of the most
refined JDM style baits and this season the company is introducing the XV-5, a
shad profiled jerkbait crossover that is specifically designed for targeting shy
fish in both crystal clear and highly pressured waters. |
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Controlling Gravity - ARK Fishing's New Family of Casting Reels
ARK Fishing
is rounding out their rod and lure product lines with a full line of casting
reels. The popular expectation would be these are just rubber stamped, OEM
copies assembled from a buffet line of available components. However, Ark
Fishing has actually gone through the effort to design these reels with their
own, patented braking system. |
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Collapse to Cast -
Shimano’s ARMAJOINT Swimbait
Shimano’s new ARMAJOINT swimbait is designed with an innovative dual
jointed system that is magnet loaded to enable improved casting distance and
accuracy by collapsing and maintaining a more compact and stable shape during
flight. In the water the ARMAJOINT can be swam a variety of ways and behaves
like traditional S-glide action... |
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Kistler Custom Rods' Slew of Offerings for 2023
The last time we saw Kistler Rods at ICAST, they introduced their Feel and Reel S2 KLX rods to the world. This year, they're hitting the convention floor with a slew of new introductions from a new lightweight, rod and reel combo to a new rod designed for the youth made of premium graphite. Let's take a look.
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Daiwa Overhauls the Tatula
XT Value-Oriented Rod Lineup
Daiwa is set to introduce several new products
today at ICAST including technique specific Tatula XT rods that have been
overhauled with new proprietary components and will still retail for the very
aggressive price of only $99.99. |
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The Ever Green XV-5 is a Stealthy Shad Profiled Jerkbait
Crossover
Ever Green continues to design some of the most
refined JDM style baits and this season the company is introducing the XV-5, a
shad profiled jerkbait crossover that is specifically designed for targeting shy
fish in both crystal clear and highly pressured waters. |
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Big Bite Baits
Scentsation Lures... "It Really Stinks!"
Big Bite Baits recently hired
the services of a 30 year PhD Chemist to develop a new, soft plastic formula
infused with proprietary fish attractant. Over the last season the manufacturer distributed prototypes through their pro angling team for testing in the rigorous pro circuits and continued through the off season. Once everyone was confident they had the right recipe, work began on new, bait profiles.
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What in the HellraiZer? Z-Man’s Unconventional Topwater Chatterbait
Ron Davis of Chatterbait® fame is at it once again
with the introduction of a new take on the chatterbait design, this time
bringing the vibration bait to the surface. The HellaiZer is designed to harness
the sound and action of the ChatterBait bladed jig and adapt it for topwater
applications. |
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Sunline Introduces More JDM Leader Options
Bass angling is a game of
adjustments. Whether it's your rod, reel, line, bait, terminal tackle, boat
position, or other, to be successful, you have to be able and adapt. The latest
area where anglers are fine tuning their plan to catch more fish? Leaders. |
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The Highest Example – The Edge Epitome Rods from Gary
Loomis
Gary Loomis is known globally as a wizard
when it comes to the alchemy of carbon fiber and resin materials and pushing the
envelope in rod manufacturing, and most recently with his new company Edge Rods,
and is looking to shake things up this ICAST with the introduction of his
lightest and most advanced rod series to date, the Epitome. |
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New from AFTCO for ICAST 2022 - Bibs,
Bags, and Boardshorts
Since their decision to venture into the freshwater market circa 2018, AFTCO has been steadily filling out their catalog with technical wear that's not only comfortable, but performs extremely well. Their sunshirts, in particular, have become a staple amongst TT Editors. At this year's ICAST, the brand had several introductions. Here are a few that caught our eye. |
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Z-Man Takes Finesse a Step
Further with Micro Baits
The crown jewel in the Z-Man plastic arsenal is the brand’s ElaZtech
thermoplastic material which is ultra-tough, buoyant, and able to be molded in
very detailed bait profiles. This season the company is taking finesse to the
next phase with the introduction of five micro-sized lures, each of which is
designed to be fished with an equally small micro finesse ShroomZ jighead. |
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FishLab’s First Topwater BBZ
Swimbait – The Bio-Rat
Last ICAST FishLab announced they were getting into the BBZ business as
Bill joined the team, and this year at ICAST 2022 the company readies the launch
of the first FishLab BBZ products, starting with the BBZ Bio-Rat. |
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Abu Garcia Refreshes Revo
Spinning Lineup and Brings the Speed with a New Rocket Reel
Abu Garcia's biggest launch at this upcoming ICAST show will be a complete refresh of
their entire Revo spinning lineup, leveraging technologies and design elements
from the flagship Zenon reel and putting them in a compact one piece aluminum
frame. Perhaps most exciting in this refreshed Revo lineup is a new Rocket spinning reel... |
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Big Bite Bait's Stealthy Little Limit Maker
Big Bite Bait's
Limit Maker is a small, three and three quarter inch (3 3/4") soft plastic bait
with a tapered, stick body ending in a pointed little tail. It's one of those
do-nothing, looks-like-nothing, little baits that's easily taken for granted. |
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Souped Up : Aftermarket Bolt-On Reel Handles from Gomexus
Aftermarket reel replacement handles have been
around for quite some time, and are a popular piece of kit for swimbait
enthusiasts. Gomexus is a popular brand in Asia and has jumped into the upgrade
scene here in the Americas, partnering with several e-tailers and communities to
make their aggressively priced handle and knob kits available to the masses. |
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A Stick Without A Name : Megabass's VKC-78H-4
The VKC-78H-4 is one of nine sticks offered in
Megabass's Valkyrie World Expedition series of travel rods. Each model breaks
down into four pieces and is built from a blank rolled with, in Megabass's
words, four layers of lightweight, high sensitivity carbon, and high elasticity
glass fiber. |
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St. Croix's All Purpose Victory
Series Rod
The VTC73MHF is built from a blank rolled with a specific blend
of St. Croix's SCVI and SCIII graphite. It is a seven foot, three inch (7'-3")
casting rod rated up to a full ounce (1oz) in lure weight and finished with Fuji
Concept O guides... |
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Spro Enters the Line Market with Their Finesse Braid 8x
With our returned focus to
finesse applications this year, I was investigating finesse braid options and
discovered SPRO had recently introduced their take with an eight strand line manufactured in Japan. Here's our look at SPRO's Finesse 8x Braided Line.
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The Ultimate
Abu Garcia Reel for BFS? The Limited Run LX992Z
Abu Garcia Japan partners with founder of Imakatsu, Katsutake Imae, to deliver a custom tuned reel for the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) worthy of attention.
Today, we take a closer look at one such reel that sits atop Abu Garcia's BFS division, the 2020 limited edition LX992Z. |
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The Search for One : ARK Fishing's Essence ESS73MHFC
One Ark's recent introductions
was the new Essence series of rods featuring a full lineup of three spinning and
fourteen casting rods. We got our hands on some of these sticks during the early
part of 2022 and here now is our look at their Search for One candidate, the
ESS73MHFC casting rod. |
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Built to Brawl - Shimano's
Curado BFS XG Baitcaster
Manufacturers are now designing new BFS reels with
the goal of making the technique more accessible to all anglers. The Shimano
Curado BFS takes the brands most popular baitcaster series in the Americas and
offers a compact reel with casting and drag systems designed specifically for
finesse presentations.
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The Search for One : Leviathan Rods's All Purpose Bass Breaker
What many might not know is
that Leviathan has a series of sticks for bass fishermen who enjoy more
conventional techniques. The company's Trinity series has undergone several transformations but earlier this year, we got hold of a model that promises to set the stage for a 2022 rebirth. Introducing Leviathan Rod's Trinity All Purpose Bass Breaker.
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There's Finesse and Then There's Daiwa's Gekka Bijin Air TW PE Special
If there's one thing Daiwa, especially Daiwa
Japan, does well it's limited edition reels. With its black and red color
scheme, the Gekka Bijin is impressive out of the box but it has a shape and
profile that reminds me of the Alphas 800 TW SV... |
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The Elusive Gizzard Glide by High Powered Swimbaits
The Gizzard Glide, by High Powered Swimbaits is more commonly
referred to as the "HPH". HPH stands for High Powered Herring referring to owner
Randall Kirkpatrick's first swimbait product, a four piece herring profiled
swimmer that has since been discontinued... |
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Ready to Level Up Your Finesse Braid Game? Introducing Varivas
Our "insight" articles are more
detailed than a preview not as action packed and full of carnage as an autopsy,
but not considered a review because there is no score involved.
Today is such an occasion. With our unofficial, official focus on bait finesse tackle this year,
here is a look at some premium finesse braid by Varivas Japan. |
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Sneaky Good : St. Croix's BassX BAC710HF
St. Croix's BassX BAC710HF has a very interesting spec. It is a seven foot, ten inch (7'-10") stick built with a fourteen inch (14") handle and a fast taper rated up to three ounces (3oz) in lure weight. Part of this rod's specification makes me think of it as a swimbait
rod, but another part of it makes me think of it as a rod for heavy cover. |
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Soft Steel's Manageable Fluorocarbon Line, Instinct FC
Established in 1992, Soft Steel
is a sister company of Okuma and was originally established in support of
saltwater anglers, and now offers a full array of fishing line product. Today,
we take a look at Soft Steel's fluorocarbon mainline, Instinct. |
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ARK Fishing Updates
the Viper Series Rods to Classic Status
With everything that is new
with ARK Fishing International each year, it's easy to overlook some of the
brands that got them where they are today. Actually, a few of the series that
debuted with the manufacturer back in 2017 have been replaced, but one that was
the foundation of their emergence has endured...
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Shimano Japan Renews Their Shining Star : The 2022 Aldebaran BFS
Making its debut in 2009, the original Aldebaran
was positioned as Shimano Japan's answer to Daiwa Japan's little purple wonder,
the Alphas (debuted in 2004). Since that time, Shimano's compact casting wonder
has slowly evolved into a finesse casting specialist. |
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