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An Extended Look at Sunline's FX2 Braided Line
Braided lines are a mainstay of anglers around the world and over the last several years, these lines have become more sophisticated and specialized. Sure there are braids made for general purpose applications, but now there are braids made for finesse fishing, braids with a special formulation so they actually sink, braids for flipping and pitching and so on. Today, we take a look at a line especially developed for the latter... |
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Spro's Fat Papa Squarebill Backfield of #55 & #70
With each passing year, it
seems to grow more difficult to find those good old fashioned balsa wood
crankbaits. They take longer to make, generally cost more than injection molded
cranks, and are prone to breaking. What most people don't mention too is often
times, you have to buy five in order to find two or three that actually catch
fish. |
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ARK Rods Strikes at Value with their Viper VIP72MHXC
If the higher end series help to build a company's mystique, it's really the more value driven lines that builds the following. Anglers want a fishing rod they can put their hands on and fish, rather than one they can only admire at the tackle store, or perhaps more frustrating, only through pictures in
reviews. Ok, maybe we're being a little extreme here, but there's no denying the
allure of a nice, affordable fishing rod... |
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The Plano Z-Series Wrap is a Mixed
Bag
Wraps are a good solution for hard to store baits because of their
ability to stow
lures of varying
shapes and sizes.
Plano, a leader in
tackle storage, has
introduced a variety
of new offerings in
their Z-Series which
makes use of quality
materials and are
made even more
attractive with
Kryptek patterns.
These Z-Series
offerings include
tackle bags,
backpacks, and a new
wrap... |
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More than Just Finesse with Fenwick's HMG70ML-FS
We've taken a look at Fenwick's HMG series of rods before, but to date, our tests have always been with their casting gear. Naturally there's more to the HMG line than just the casting rods, so this year, for Fenwick's newly refreshed HMG line, we finally take a look at one of their spinning rods. Here now is our take on Fenwick's HMG70ML-FS spinning rod.
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A Signature Whine: Shimano’s Curado 150 DC Feels Both
New and Familiar at the Same Time
A Shimano DC reel for only $249 dollars? I’m not sure
I ever thought that we would see the day that this feature would finally become
mainstream, let alone be introduced in a Curado Series reel. Yet here we are,
and the Curado Series enters a new chapter, serving as the launch platform for
Shimano’s new and easier to operate I-DC4 system.
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Let's Talk About SX, Revo4 SX
There's a magical price point
in bass fishing circles where value meets high end. At TackleTour, we refer to
this as the shadeline. Like a shadeline, this price point can move, and is
different depending on the product (body of water), sun angle (state of the
economy), and depth you are fishing (your own personal budget), but with low
profile baitcasters, this line is typically from $150 - $175. |
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TWB : Molix's Hollow Bodied Walker
There's little doubt the topwater hollow body frog is a favorite bait amongst bass fishermen for its extreme weedless presentation and the ease by which you can cast, pitch, or skip it into the tightest of spaces. In recent years, we've seen a few variations on the frog theme from shad profile baits to poppers - all with the same basic hollow body construction. Today, we take a look at yet another variation on this theme.
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Megabass Valkyrie Rods Take
Flight with New Shielz Hybrid Construction
Almost as if it was a stealth launch the Megabass
Valkyrie rods are now available to domestic anglers, but just what are these
rods, and how are they positioned? We spend a day on the water with Megabass
Prostaffer and Big Bass hunter Oliver Ngy to fish and learn more about this new
lineup of "adjustable" rods.
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Down Under Optics: Seeing Clearly with Mako’s Polarized Sunglasses
Australia is known for some of the harshest conditions so it really is no
surprise that it is in the Down Under that Mako Polarized Sunglasses was born.
This Australian brand has now come to the United States and offers anglers a
line of premium polarized sunglasses that are designed to offer the ultimate in
comfort and clarity for outdoor enthusiasts.
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A REVO Four, Two Worlds - the Inshore
Freshwater lakes and waterways
are not the only destinations for anglers seeking to wet a line. Inshore and
brackish water species are just as fun to catch, but these environments are much
more harsh on our equipment. Manufacturers have responded with increasing
amounts of tackle built specifically for these situations. |
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Evergreen International's Next Generation Super Stallion
While traveling in Japan in
2013, I came across a variant of this stick in Evergreen's new Kaleido Inspirare
series. It was a stick with the same name and ratings only with a different,
more aggressive handle design. Here now is our look at Evergreen International's
Inspire Super Stallion Black! |
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Basic Yet Custom at the Same Time : CLU's Live Wire BzB8t
For all its timeless effectiveness, the buzzbait seems to get little fan fare when it comes the discussion of favorite topwater
baits. Its basic design has gone unchanged since inception, yet there are
certainly little tweaks and refinements from bait to bait that set each apart...
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A Dominating Combination - Ish
Monroe's Tatula Elite AGS Equipped Frog Rod
Daiwa's Tatula Elite Signature Series rods cover the entire range of bass
fishing applications and are designed by the very pro anglers which the
individual rods are named and branded after. The company brings some of their
top-end technologies and components into play in the series, including Bias
graphite construction and AGS carbon guides. |
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A Gem Hidden Within Abu Garcia's Veritas Lineup - the VTSS70-4
As fancy, high performing, and desirable higher end rods can get, there will always be an interest! in sticks right around that magical $99 price point. To many anglers on a budget, and at one point in time even for me, this WAS high end. Abu Garcia has been making a name for themselves with good performing value priced sticks...
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The Down Low Knuckle LD by Megabass
We shared with you our long overdue thoughts on Megabass of America's eccentric little squarebill, the Knuckle FX, but did you know the Knuckle has a less well know little brother? This brother only comes in one size and instead of the
adjustable lexan lip, comes with a standard, fixed lip made of circuit board material. Introducing Megabass of America's Knuckle LD. |
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Time to Spool Them Up and String Them Out... Which Reel Is Best (part two)?
When we left our four contestants at the conclusion of part one, they were a disassembled collection of gears, drag washers, sideplates, frames, and handles. Shortly after completing the previous installment, our three additional St. Croix Legend Elite EC70MFs arrived, so
we reassembled the contestants with earnest and began the strategy of our continued tests. Time to spool them up and string them out. |
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4 Techs, 3 Countries of Origin, 2 Price Points, One Goal... Which Reel Is Best?
- 2018 Low Profile Baitcaster Shootout (part one)
Low profile baitcasting reels are the weapon of choice amongst
serious bass anglers. With close to a dozen manufacturers, there are so many
reels to choose from that it's often difficult to make heads or tails out of one
product as compared to the next.
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Creature Fever Feature : Damiki's Air Craw
Back in the Fall of 2014, we spent some time on the water with Damiki's FLW pro Brian Thrift where we fished a variety of baits with one in particular, catching our attention for the way it stands up on the bottom as a crawfish imitator. Here, finally, is our take on Damiki's Air Craw soft plastic bait.
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An Entire Combo for the Weight of One Reel Begins with Phenix's FTX-71MH
The FTX-71MH is a seven foot, one inch (7'-1") casting rod
wrapped on a blank made of a blend of thirty and forty ton graphite bonded
together with Phenix's own, proprietary nanolite resin. It is outfitted with
Essex T-Ring guides with carbide inserts and features a reel seat that looks
like a split version of Fuji's ACS reel seat.
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Molix Making Some Noise With Their New Sculpo XD Rattlin' Crankbait
Exotic cars, mouthwatering meals, great, historic architecture are among the many things that come to mind when thinking of the wonderful country of Italy. Thanks to a continually aggressive and innovative manufacturer out of this same country, Molix
is now adding fishing tackle to this list. |
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ARK Rods Pierces the Sub $100 Stigma with their Lancer Bass Rods
At ICAST 2018, the company
introduced a new entry level series of rods built from an IM8 blank with a
retail price set at just under ninety dollars ($90)! Can a sub $100 rod really
perform? Today, we take a look at the search for one candidate within this
series, the Lancer LAC73MHFC to find out. |
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What the Finesse : Missile Bait's Drop Craw
Missile Bait's Drop Craw is a diminutive little bait measuring three inches (3") in length but really feels as if it's more like 2". It has a somewhat nondescript main body capped with two, tiny appendages that are actually claws. You have to look closely to see, but there is an actual split of the plastic at the end of each appendage.
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Breaking Free of Middle Child Syndrome, Abu Garcia's Revo4 STX
I've fished all the reels from
the X through the Premier, but the one reel I was most excited to sample, once I
discovered its improvement, is the subject of today's review. Introducing Abu
Garcia's 4th Generation Revo STX.
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SOLID! - The Shimano Bantam MGL Baitcaster
It has become increasingly difficult to differentiate, and in many respects
while baitcasters continue to push the refinement envelope the basic formula for
these low profile reels remains vastly unchanged. The new
Bantam is something new, something quite unlike anything else in the Shimano
lineup, and bridges the gap between low profile baitcasters and aluminum round
reels. |
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Reins Taps Into a Fish's Instinctual Memory With Their New C-Pod Creature Bait
One manufacturer has introduced a new bait
product that is offered on the theory we can tap into a bass's memory banks and
offer an up-sized version of something they would have fed on in their infancy.
The Reins C-Pod Creature is a monster sized version of a plankton-like creature
the copepod. Is it effective? We tried some out for ourselves to find out. |
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Megabass of America is on Target Once Again : The '17 Destroyer Javelin
We first shared with you our general impressions of Megabass
of America's 2017 Destroyer Lineup in June of that year. Since that time we've been busy testing, fishing, and evaluating other sticks from that series. Today, we take a closer look at the one stick that stood out to me during our first day on the water... |
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Spro's Dean Rojas Bronzeye Poppin Frog
That so called secret is long
spoiled but now, the next iteration of the topwater frog craze is taking that same bait and throwing a popping mouth on it. Spro's Dean Rojas has been aware of this trend for several years and now we're finally taking a look at his bait of choice in these situations. Here now is our look at Spro's Dean Rojas Bronzeye Poppin Frog.
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Putting a Twist on Spiral Wrapped Rods and Making them
Affordable – The Riverside M2
Uribe Rods has not only fully embraced the spiral configuration but is
actively trying to drive adoption by making their Riverside Series rods premium
performers at a surprisingly aggressive price. Is it time for the masses to once
again consider “twisted” guide wraps? |
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G.Loomis's 820S DSR GLX : A Top Notch Performer, but...
Once upon a time, in a fishing life, long long ago, my primary
fishing pole of choice was a G.Loomis GL3 MagLite rod, so I was pretty anxious
to get my hands on this GLX model. |
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Higher End Affordability, Pflueger's Patriarch XT Spinning Reel
Of all the freshwater reel manufacturers out there, one that often gets overlooked is Pflueger and it's difficult to ascertain why. Afterall, if there is one reel manufacturer that consistently delivers solid performance at a reasonable price, it is Pflueger.
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Optimum's Shad That Goes Boom Boom Pow!
Sometimes when you're fishing, all you want is a bite, any kind of bite, just to get some action. Other times, you're in search of quality. In those instances, the hunt is on for that one big bite and out here in California that means it's swimbait time. Optimum
Bait Company, with the help of their BASS Elite Series Pro, Fred Roumbanis recently developed a soft plastic, paddletail swimbait
that's getting a lot of attention out west. |
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Fanatik Baits Serves up a Feeding Frenzy with
their Larva Plastics
Fishing is a global sport and there continues to be a trend of European
companies making their products more readily available in the Americas. One such
company is Fanatik, a lure brand that has roots in Europe and is known primarily
for their soft plastics and terminal tackle offerings designed for targeting
freshwater species including bass, pike, and walleye. |
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Taking Another Spin with Phenix's K2
Phenix's K2 TX-713S is a seven foot, one inch (7'-1") spinning rod made from Toray's T46 carbon material. It features a split rear grip made of EVA foam, a Fuji DNPS reel seat, Fuji titanium framed, Torzite guides, and decorative wood accent pieces throughout the grip. It is a minimal, but refined build worthy of a flagship product.
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Aldebaran is Next to Receive Shimano's MGL Upgrade
The Aldebaran MGL shares the same size and shape as the previously reviewed
2015 Aldebaran 50/51, but there are differences in the reel's finish as well as spool capacity. The
MEL
version features a kind of metallic steel blue paint scheme that looks either
grey or midnight silver depending on how bright the lighting conditions are.
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DUO International Introduces New Additions to
Popular Lures and Reveals Wild Prototypes
The recent partnership with Aaron Martens is already beginning to yield
results as the combination of President and Lead Designer, Mr. Adachi, and Aaron
has upped the company's design pipeline and introduced the brand to many more
anglers here in the US. This ICAST DUO didn't hold back, and launched both new
patterns and sizes in existing popular lines as well as gave anglers a peek into
the future
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Simms Broadens their Technical Garment
Portfolio for All Anglers
When it comes to apparel for all types of anglers Simms has solidified
itself as a leader. Gone are the days when anglers only associated the company
as a fly fishing brand. This season the company continued to expand their
offerings with new gear that helps anglers stay comfortable and protected in
both cold and warm environments, so that they can keep those lines wet longer.
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Accurate's First Star Drag Reel - The
Tern
Accurate pretty much built their entire brand on lever drag reels that
are capable to tangling with the toughest fish in the world. These reels are
designed to be strong, durable, and yet lighter and more compact than competing
reels in the same class. This year the company expanded their lineup with a star
drag reel called the Tern.
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Artistry at Work - Nishine's Chippawa
Crankbaits
Nishine Lure Works, a company that is based in Ontario Canada but has a
long history going all the way back to Lake Biwa in Japan, is ready to make a
big push in the U.S. with an enhanced product line including the refined
Chippawa Crankbait Series. |
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Buff Chills Out with
Coolnet UV+ Garments
Probably the most simple and now most widely utilized garment
by anglers is the Buff, a tubular garment that can be worn so many different
ways to protect anglers from the harsh sun on those long days out on the water.
This ICAST the company that pretty much created the category for these garments
introduced a new series called Coolnet UV+ that is designed to offer even more
technical advantages for anglers. |
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13 Fishing Enters the
Hardbait Market - Meet the Scamp
13 Fishing continues breaking into new categories by
introducing a series of new hardbaits designed for bass anglers. The team has
been working on these baits for quite some time and this ICAST they debuted
baits for use throughout the water column including a crankbait, lipless crank,
and topwater walk-the-dog style bait. |
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Aftco's Award Winning Debuts at ICAST 2018
Aftco has been outfitting anglers for sixty years, but before 2018, their concentration had primarily been with saltwater anglers. Based out of Santa Ana, California, outfitting saltwater anglers was a natural focus for the company. Aftco
now takes all the knowledge and experience from the past sixty years and has
decided to apply that to the freshwater angler. |
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