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How Does a Budget, Value, Rod Dubbed Offshore
Dominate the Search for One?
Ark Rods continues to make a name for themselves in the bass rod market. By all accounts, their Randall Tharp Honey Badger series of signature rods has only served to help them gain a stronger foothold in a very hotly contested market. Today, we take a look at one of Tharp's favorite sticks in the lineup, his TS76MHFC Offshore Special.
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Trika's Candidate in The Search for One, Their C73MHF
Setting out with the goal of
delivering some of the best fishing rods on the planet, Trika leveraged their
highly technical approach to deliver a full line of bass fishing rods.
Introducing Trika's Search for One candidate, the C73MHF casting rod.
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Fishing Favors the Bold. Trika’s 7 Foot+ Casting Rods
Trika launched their brand at the end of last
season with a market changing mentality. Chances are you have seen the brand’s
bold performance claims when it comes to outperforming competitors retailing for
much more in both casting distance and sensitivity and we were eager to see just
how these rods would stack up. |
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JDM Calcutta Conquest
for
Finesse - The Calcutta Conquest BFS
Shimano Japan has been busy this season updating their
Calcutta Conquest platforms on both ends of the spectrum. In addition to
launching the new MD reels for big bait anglers the company is also introducing
a new BFS reel with the proven Finesse Tune Braking system which is designed to
deliver lures as light as a single gram.
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TT Interview: Behind the Threads
of Bad News Bass. Talking to B.N.B. Founder Erik Yamamoto
Bad News Bass has deep roots in Northern California and works closely
with local tackle shops, guides, and custom bait manufacturers to offer
exclusive swimbaits and soft goods. We sit down with B.N.B. founder Erik Akira
Yamamoto to learn more about the brand's origins, their exclusive offerings, and
what's coming next.
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The Gold Standard for Round
Reels Gets Dual Cast Control System: The Calcutta Conquest MD
This season Shimano launches new 300 and 400 sized Calcutta Conquest MD
series reels which feature a number of major advancements including a SVS MD hybrid cast control system and interlocking levelwind
feature, and is specifically designed for fishing swimbaits and other giant
lures.
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Daiwa Embraces IoT With New
Bluetooth Equipped IM Z LIMITBREAKER Baitcaster
Daiwa Japan has launched a new generation of the Z series
reels with the IM Z LIMITBREAKER. More than just an update in styling and
refinement the IM Z is a Smart Reel that makes use of Daiwa's new bluetooth and
app controlled "Connecting System" to control, track, and update the new
Intelligent Magforce braking system. |
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The Search For One : Phenix's Re-Imagined MAX-73MH
It's been over seven years
since our introduction to Phenix's Maxim series of rods, and as we shared with
our review of the MAXS-610L, the company revamped the series in 2020 updating
both the series' look and components. Today, we take a look at the most likely
stick within the series to be dubbed "the One" in our continual search for that
singular stick to rule them all. |
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The Impressive Middle Child : Abu Garcia's Zenon MG-X Casting Reel
Abu's Zenon line of casting reels replaces
Premier, MGX, and MGXtreme at the top of their low profile reel hierarchy. Aside
from the Premier, we hadn't fished these platforms in some time, so Zenon comes
to us like a fresh new platform. |
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Turn That Blank Around : A Rainshadow Wrap for BFS Techniques
As reel manufacturers rush to get their take on the BFS
movement to market, it seems rod manufacturers have a little catching up to do.
The selection of available casting rods to support the light line movement just
isn’t quite there, so what’s an enthusiast to do? Well, although the built rod
options may be few and far between, blanks to enable the movement already exist. |
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Designed for Sending Big Baits - Shimano’s Curado 200 DC
The Shimano Curado family has grown once again and
the company’s latest baitcaster, the Curado 200 DC, is designed specifically to
address applications where thicker lines and larger lures require both casting
distance and a robust retrieve. While fishing swimbaits seems like a natural fit
for this reel there are other power-oriented applications that are also well
suited for this new larger Curado DC baitcaster. |
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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.
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Creature Fever : Big Bite Bait's Hybrid Soft Plastic Craw Tube
The bait's main
body is a tube, but with rings on the outside all leading to the traditional
tube bait skirt. However, out from the sides, just before the bait transitions
to the skirt, protrude two claw like appendages. |
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UFO 6” Gill Swimbait – Abducting Bass Night and
Day
UFO Bait Co. is a custom swimbait builder that creates some
of the most sought-after gill baits in the game. These include the immense
Mothership and the smaller 6” gill, both of which are coveted by swimbait
enthusiasts that have witnessed, or heard about, the many bass abductions that
these renowned baits are responsible for. |
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A Worthy Tribute : Costa’s Versatile Ferg Series
The Costa Ferg frames
pay tribute to the company’s founder, Ray Ferguson, and includes some of the
brand’s newest sport-oriented elements including high quality 580G glass lenses
and vented adjustable nose pads, but also features styling that doesn’t look out
of place off the water.
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Abu Garcia's BFS Flex : The Revo Ultracast BF8
Following on the heels of my
very positive experience with Abu Garcia Japan's Limited Edition LX992Z BFS
casting reel, I was on the hunt for another reel to sample only this time,
hopefully, in left hand retrieve. I came across a second candidate from the same
manufacturer with a very familiar look... |
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Could It Be Magic? Megabass's US P5 F5.5-76X Mark-56
The new US P5 F7.5-76X Mark-56 invokes the name of one of these previous models, the F8-78X Mark-48
introduced in 2019 during the former US Destroyer line's extension. It's only
natural to assume they are the same, or at least similar sticks, but such an
assumption would actually be a mistake. |
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The Surprisingly Versatile Steez AGS
"The Sensor" Casting Rod
Daiwa's Steez AGS "The Sensor," is a seven foot (7'-0") stick
built on the manufacturer's updated SVF Compile-X graphite blank featuring
Nanoplus resin. Guides for this stick are Daiwa's latest, proprietary AGS guides
featuring carbon fiber frames. |
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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.
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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.
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Lew's Shifts It into High Gear (Ratio) with Their HyperSpeed LFS
Equipped with a 9.5:1 retrieve ratio on a 34 mm spool (33mm to inside of beveled edge), Lew's new HyperSpeed LFS
casting reel is their fastest to date. It features a is one-piece aluminum
frame, 95m handle, and a very comfortable shape and profile. |
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The Megabass P5 Destroyers
are Coming! A First Look at the US P5 Rod Launch Lineup
The much anticipated Megabass America Destroyer P5 USA lineup of rods is
right around the corner and the first run rods just landed here at the
TackleTour lab today. As we begin a deeper dive into the new rods here is a
preview of the launch lineup and what US anglers can expect from the new series. |
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Function Meets Fashion,
Daiwa's Silver Creek AIR TW
With the expanse of BFS fishing in the last few years, Daiwa dove into a
niche within a niche with BFS trout fishing, releasing the Silver Creek Air TW.
This proves that BFS fishing is on the rise, and for good reason. Being a
majority of my BFS fishing is stream fishing for trout, it was only natural for
me to run the Silver Creek AIR TW through the paces. |
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Baitsanity’s Most Technical Glidebait Yet – The Antidote
TUG
Baitsanity’s newest glidebait, the Antidote TUG,
is also the company’s new halo swimbait and comes with a laundry list of
innovative features which also make it a highly technical bait to master.
Designed for big bait enthusiasts the TUG can achieve some remarkably diverse
glide actions but with somewhat of a steep learning curve is this a big bait for
everyone? |
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A Measure of Consistency, Kistler's New KLX
Last year, Kistler Custom Rods refreshed their
Helium series of rods with a new blank the company is having made overseas. I
found that new KC9 blank crisp, lively, and powerful. Since that introduction,
the company has been busy refreshing their entire family of rods with new
blanks. |
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Berkley’s PowerBait Infused Spinnerbaits – The Power Blade
Series
The Berkley Power Blade spinnerbaits are designed
with numerous custom elements including signature blades, sleek heads molded
around sharp Fusion 19 hooks, and perhaps most importantly, hand tied PowerBait
infused skirting material designed to attract fish. |
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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. |
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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). |
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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. |
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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. |
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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.
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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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