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Fishing
with Tackle
Warehouse and BASS
Elite Angler Jared
Lintner
The day after we toured
Tackle Warehouse’s operation we head out for a day on the water with Rich, the
TW team, and professional Bass Elite Series angler Jared Lintner. We head out to
Lake Nacimiento just north of the company’s headquarters in San Luis Obispo, CA. |
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A behind the scenes
look inside Tackle Warehouse
Over the course of the
last five years Tackle Warehouse has grown to become one of the most respected
tackle e-tailers on the internet. Recently we
were invited to take a behind the scenes look at what makes Tackle Warehouse one
of the fastest growing tackle outfitters out there. |
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An Ice Fishing Primer from Northwestern Ontario
TackleTour Gear Crew Member Matt Davis of Otterods, shares with us, some tips, techniques, and most importantly, gear, on his long overdue reintroduction into ice fishing. |
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Don Moorman's Double Hudd Rig
in Action
Don Moorman is a
self taught trophy
bass hunter in
Northern California
who, in just a few
short years has
built quite the
reputation among the
big bait throwing
community as a very
humble,
approachable, down
to earth fisherman
willing to share all
he has learned,
including unique
rigging techniques,
and today he shows
us his Double Hudd
Rig. |
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Fred Hall Long Beach Show: Part 2 - Saltwater Coverage
While most shows in
California sport a
majority of bass
fishing tackle, the
Fred Hall Long Beach
show is split almost
50-50 on freshwater
and saltwater
tackle. This second
part of the show
coverage will
concentrate on the
Saltwater side of
the Fred Hall show. |
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Fred Hall Long Beach Show: Part 1 - Freshwater Coverage
Fred Hall Long Beach is the largest fishing and tackle show on the West Coast,
and manufacturers turn it up a notch both in the quality of their displays and
their product offering. This year there was enough at the show to break up our
coverage into fresh and saltwater separately. |
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Pete Robbins
Highlights Baits from the 2008 Bassmaster Classic Consumer Expo
Judging solely from
this past weekend’s
crowds at the
Carolina First
Center in
Greenville, South
Carolina, the
purported recession
has not yet hit the
fishing industry.
While some vendors
claimed that the
large numbers of
spectators did not
translate into
exuberant spending,
at times the endless
sea of humanity made
it difficult to move
within the building. |
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Japan's International Sportfishing Show 2008
Perhaps a sign of the slowing international economy,
Japan's International Sportfishing Show was less exciting this year than in years past. There were fewer manufacturers on display. Still, the stalwarts of the industry had quite a few things to show and the Shimano and Daiwa booths, in particular were the busiest of the lot.
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Central California Rockfishing: Locations, Tackle, and tips
on how to catch
While many freshwater anglers are gearing up for spring bass fishing saltwater
anglers are already beginning to anticipate the upcoming rockcod season, and
while its still may be months away many West Coast anglers are starting to prep
there boats and gear. |
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Rain or Shine the
Smallies come out for the Pros on Pardee Lake
Winter fishing can
be tough at times,
but when the water
is still cold it can
be a great time to
change your focus
from largemouth to
smallies. Lucky for
us in NorCal there
are some lakes that
don't require
anglers to make the
tough choice between
one or the other.
Lake Pardee is one
such lake... |
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The ISE
Sacremento show
continues the rise
of the big bait
trend with bigger
sticks
Each of the many International Sportsmen Expositions have a
slightly different flavor, as they showcase region specific tackle offerings.
The ISE Sacramento show tends to be bigger than the San Mateo show due to
the venue itself, which is located at the Cal Expo grounds which is also home to
the state fair. |
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Kicking off the Season with the 2008 International Sportsmen's Expo San Mateo
We kick off the show season officially with the
first International Sportsmen's Show. The 32nd ISE continues to bring fans of
the outdoors
exhibitors
representing tackle
manufacturers and
fishing and hunting
lodges, plus
adventure outfitters
from around the
world. |
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The Return of the Show, looking forward to this season's outdoor events &
tackle introductions
Happy New Year to
everyone, it seems
like just yesterday
we were covering all
the latest tackle
from the 07 season,
many of which made
their debut at
regional events and
shows. |
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TackleTour
Introduces Updated
Rating System
On
January 1st, 2008,
TackleTour is
updating the way we
score tackle in our
reviews. For years
readers have been
asking for a more
detailed, more
accurate, more
representative
rating system. That
is why this year we
are retooling with a
brand new appraisal
system.
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Guest Author Tsuyoshi Matsumura Shares With Us Fishing Adventures in Japan: Sea Bass
Fishing for sea bass in Japan’s
Tokyo Bay is a favorite
endeavor amongst
local anglers.
Action can be fast
and furious during
the months of
October to late
November when the
fish can be found in
relatively shallow
water (ten to
sixteen feet). |
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Fishing
the
Klamath River for Salmon and Steelhead with Gary Hix
The Klamath river, still a prime
destination for both fly and drift bait anglers looking to hook into both King
Salmon and Steelhead. We take a trip to this legendary river with the hopes of
testing some of the latest tackle and hoping to land a trophy steelhead in the
process. |
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Raising Awareness and Fishing for a Cause: ICAST 2007 -
ForHer
There was a definite undercurrent at this year’s ICAST and that was the message
that fishing isn’t just for boys anymore. In this industry of specialized
products, there have been few products developed specifically tailored to the
needs of the female angler. That is, until now... |
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The El Salto Experience –
Inside the Anglers Inn
We received
so many emails after our initial beta test at El Salto with Shimano that we
realized the mystique of this lake truly transcends country borders. We take a
closer look at the El Salto experience, with an inside look at the legendary
lake and the Anglers Inn. |
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Evaluating new rods at Clear Lake with Gary Dobyns
We head over to Clear Lake
with professional angler Gary Dobyns to test Gary’s new signature line of
fishing rods, and get an inside scoop on a lake that Gary has won on so many
times. What ensues is a rock and roll of a good time filled with talk of fishing
rods, big fish, and plenty of laughs.
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ICAST 2007 Special (Lures) - Berkley baits with winning
formulas PowerBait and Gulp!
Last year Pure
Fishing introduced
over 1000 new bait
and lure SKUs and it
appears that this
season they are at
it yet again. It
would be impossible
to cover all of
these baits, so
instead we decided to focus on the ones that
we believe are definite winners... |
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ICAST Coverage Day 4 (Lures) - Swimbaits
Reign Supreme
Want big fish, use a
big bait…..want big
sales, introduce a
big bait. While
there were a number
of other lure
introductions this
ICAST the recurring
theme was the
introduction of yet
another swimbait by
another
manufacturer.
Everywhere we turned
there was yet
another mammoth bait
to consider.
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ICAST Coverage Day 3 (Rods) - Let the Rod Wars Begin!
It was here in the
rod category that
the battle lines
were really drawn.
The players here are
as different as can
be, with well
established
companies like G.Loomis and Lamiglas representing the "old guard," and brands
like Dobyns and e21 that are up and coming contenders. |
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ICAST Coverage Day 2 (Best of Show) - Ken Whiting powers E21 to the front of
the pack
The
votes are in for the
50th annual ICAST
and the man with the
golden touch proved
once again that when
it comes to rod
innovation he is the
one to beat. Ken
Whiting helps power newcomer E21 into the limelight with a sweep of the rod categories
and taking home the "Overall Best of Show." |
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ICAST Coverage
Day 1 (Reels) -
Better, Lighter,
Faster, Cheaper
(UPDATED 7/15/07)
All ICAST shows are
exciting on their
own, but this year
ICAST is celebrating
50 years of uniting
the world’s
sportfishing gear
and accessories
under one roof. Like
kids in a candy
store our editorial
team was cut loose
to report on the
latest reel
offerings from all
the manufacturers. |
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Fishing El Salto with pre-release Shimano Tackle and Jimmy Houston
We were invited to
famous lake El Salto
in Mexico by Shimano
to field test their
brand new
pre-release reels
and rods. El Salto
is on the short list
of top lakes, and it
seemed like a
fitting location to
see if the latest
crop of Shimano
reels and rods was
truly ready for
their upcoming debut
at ICAST. |
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Introducing Black Dog Bait Company...
We join Black Dog Bait Company on a field
testing trip so we could experience, first hand, some of the trials and
tribulations they went through bringing their new baits to market |
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An Inside Update from Team Daiwa…and the first look at the new “A” model
Steez rods!
It isn’t everyday you have the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes at a
Tier 1 reel manufacturer like Daiwa. Some of these products are designed
specifically for the US market, others are being tested and considered... |
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A Peek into Japan's International Sportfishing Show 2007
No event in the Western world, gets those of us interested in tackle more excited than ICAST, THE event in North America where manufacturers showcase their latest products for the coming year. But before ICAST,
at the beginning of each year, in Japan, a similar debut takes place... |
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If you only can make it to one ISE show take a trip to Sacramento
Hosted in the state capital of California the Sac ISE is proving to be the biggest show on the tour. The
Sac show grew this year
and offered outdoor enthusiasts a little bit of everything. Whether you enjoy
fishing, hunting, off-roading, or simply introducing the kids to nature the show
had plenty to offer. |
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The Swimbait Craze was in full effect as
new baits were showcased at the Sacramento ISE
The swimbait craze is upon us with manufacturers offering up their
interpretation of big fish baits left and right, but those in the know realize
that the truly innovative and most sought after baits are coming out of the West
Coast, and at the Sacramento ISE, the swimbait
party was right here... |
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New products at the 2007 International Sportsmen's Exhibition, San Mateo, CA
We have had some abnormally cold weather for this time of year, but that didn't
stop anglers from coming out to the 2007 San Mateo International Sportsmen's
Exposition. This was the first show of the year for consumers to see the latest
tackle firsthand, much of which was first unveiled at ICAST |
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TackleTour Holiday Gift Guide 2006
This year before you hit the
stores, check out our Editor’s picks for the best products in each of the
following categories: Reels, Rods, Lures, Apparel, Fly, and Enthusiast tackle.
Whether it’s a gift for your fishing buddy or a well deserved toy for yourself
these products are sure to usher in a little more color and excitement into your
holiday season |
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ICAST Coverage (Innovations) - Everything from clever new storage to
transforming watercrafts
This is our final bout of ICAST
coverage, and an
opportunity to
take a look at
an assortment of
exciting new
tackle offerings
ranging from
storage, to
optics, to new
watercraft
solutions. |
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ICAST Coverage (Lines) - A Line for every Occasion
There were a lot
of exciting new
lines at ICAST,
and
manufacturers
exhibited
everything from
fancy new braids
to advanced new
fluorocarbon
based lines.
Perhaps the most
talked and asked
about type of
fishing line
today is
fluorocarbon. |
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ICAST Special - Daiwa Wajima Specials,
functional works
of Art
At car shows
many auto
manufacturers
showcase
concepts that
may or may not
actually make it
to final
production,
others create
these prototypes
to highlight
their
capabilities,
and unique
technologies.
Daiwa did
something very
similar when
they brought a
complete
“Wajima”
showcase to
ICAST 2006. |
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ICAST Special (Lures) - Pure Fishing trucks in a boat-load of baits
Pure Fishing has always had a big booth at ICAST, but this year
it looked even more impressive with the boat-load of baits they introduced all
at once, so
many new baits
were released that we have to feature a special ICAST lure report just on Pure fishing
baits alone. |
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ICAST Coverage Day
3 (Lures) -
Who's the Mac
Daddy of fishing
lures?
Lure's are
always fun to
cover at ICAST,
as the category
has the most
room for
innovation. You
never know what
will be that
next "hot" lure.
This year as we
prepared to soak
in all that the
lure
manufacturers
had to offer we
asked ourselves
who would be the
"MacDaddy" of
all fishing
lures this time
around? |
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ICAST Special (Rods) - I want a "STEEZ" now...
After posting our initial ICAST rod coverage
we received questions ranging from "Tell me more about the
Air-Beam reel seats" to "I want a Steez now, where can I buy one?!" To help
satisfy your thirst we decided to follow up our initial
coverage with a second dose of of these new enthusiast level rods. |
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ICAST Coverage Day
2 (Rods) -
Perfectly
matching reels
in application,
balance, & style
More reel
companies are
solidifying
their position
in the rod
market, and many
are now
introducing rods
specifically
designed to
match up with
their premium
reels. In turn
custom rod
manufacturers
have had to
improve their
rods, and focus
on
differentiation
and innovation
to attract
consumers. |
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ICAST Coverage Day 1 (Reels) - Paradise for Reel Enthusiasts in Las Vegas
Precision
engineering,
innovative
designs, and
improved
ergonomics are
all
characteristics
of the reels we
have observed
here in Las
Vegas at day one
of ICAST 2006.
It quickly
became evident
to us that this
year the reel
offerings are a
reel
enthusiast's
dream come true. |
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ICAST Coverage (Best of Show) -
The votes are in
and the winners
are...
In all nearly
200 companies
entered more
than 600 tackle
products and accessories
into the
Showcase. The
votes are in for
the 49th annual
ICAST and the
winners are... |
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A Day on the Water with Andy "Cooch" Cuccia... Fish On!
What happens when a fishing enthusiast teams up with a tackle enthusiast? Cal
spends a day on the water with Andy 'Cooch' Cuccia and shares with us, their
catch of the day. |
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The ISE celebrates its 30 year anniversary in
style by showcasing new tackle in San Mateo
Whether you are a devoted bass angler, die hard saltwater fisherman, or dabble
in the fine art of flyfishing,
the 2006 San Mateo ISE has plenty of tackle offerings to see and play with
firsthand, lots of great deals to take advantage of, and even a few
surprises.... |
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The New Year
brings new &
exciting events and tackle to the 2006 Fred Hall San Francisco Show
Yes folks, it’s that
time of year again and first on our plate, in its third year since partnering
with the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), is the San Francisco Fred Hall
Fishing Tackle & Boat Show. Come see all the exciting new gear. |
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TT Editors
make their Holiday Gift Picks for 2005
It is once again that time of
the year. Time to find that picture perfect gift for your angling buddy, or
perhaps treat yourself to the product that you have been drooling over ever
since the first time you laid your eyes on it. We asked three TT editors to make
their top holiday picks when it came to four tackle categories and here's what
they had to say... |
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ICAST Coverage Special Report - There's more to the story...
In the final chapter to our ICAST 2005 coverage we take a peek at some
new-fangled electronics, optics, watercraft, and a few enthusiast supertuning
upgrades. |
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ICAST Coverage Day 3 - Lures and the
boxes and bags to put them all in
Like kids in a
candy store we made a mad dash to soak up as much as we could when it comes to
all the new lure products and the novel tackle bags and boxes anglers use to
manage them in. |
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ICAST Coverage Day 2 - Its getting hot
in the Rod Market
It was in fact a near record temperature day in Las Vegas with the thermometer
tipping out near 100 degrees, but we had no idea that the temperature wasn't the
hottest thing in Vegas that day, it would be the competition in the highly
contested rod market. |
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ICAST Coverage Day 1 - Exciting Reels all across the show floor
What happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas....but with so many exciting reel
solutions we're breaking that rule today. On this first day we focused our
attention on identifying the most exciting reels at the show. |
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A rare
opportunity...fishing For Humboldt Squid in Northern California
When most of us
dream about catching big game we see visions of leaping marlin, majestic
sailfish, and hard hitting tuna. But the ocean is full of other predators that
are more than capable of putting up impressive fights, the mysterious Humboldt
Squid is one such creature. |
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The International Sportsmen Expo is back in
town, and so are the crowds
The ISE show is back in town, and with it come many of the latest angling
products and innovations that are either available now, or soon will be offered
at your local tackle shop. This year anglers and sportsmen came out in droves to
see, learn, and take advantage of great show deals. |
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Japan's International
Sportfishing Show 2005
This year, TackleTour, in Association with Jun Sonoda of JapanTackle is proud to
bring you coverage of Japan’s International Sportfishing Show. Jun reports that
there were many brilliant, new offerings amongst the array of 130 booths by
tackle manufacturers and other associated businesses, and the show did not
disappoint. |
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Welcome back to Fred Hall San Francisco,
bigger and better than before
Half of our editorial staff attended the show and what we found were plenty of
activities for both fresh and saltwater anglers, an assortment of exciting new
boats, and some very enthusiastic manufacturers eager to highlight their latest
2005 tackle offerings |
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Five to be enshrined into the IGFA
Hall of Fame
Have you ever stopped and wondered about the people that make it possible to
continue to pursue trophy gamefish, or transformed a pastime into a hugely
popular sport and multi-million dollar industry? This Fall the International
Game Fish Association Hall of Fame is inducting five such men into the Hall of
Fame. |
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Going to backing at the Rainbow
Lodge, on the renowned San Juan River
It isn't everyday that we have the prospect of fly fishing for trophy rainbows
in renowned waters, so when TackleTour had the opportunity to experience some
San Juan flyfishing we jumped at the chance. |
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Hooked on Tackle at the 2004 International
Sportsmen's Expo
The alarm clock sounds and we briskly jump out of bed, put on our well worn
jeans and lucky cap, hop in the truck with keen anticipation, not to go fishing,
but rather to drive to this year’s ISE show. |
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The first Fred Hall Fishing Tackle & Boat Show for 2004 arrives
in San Francisco (Coverage and Best of Show)
Now anglers from the Northern region can take a look at a variety of watercraft
and also get a peek at what some of what some of the top tackle manufacturers
have to offer as well. |
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ICAST 2003 Best of
Show, a bounty of innovation
Let's all get to
the real reason why TackleTour is here...it's the tackle. This year's best of
show products were among the most innovative we have seen to date. From reels
with microelectronics to Spongebob combos, this year's ICAST offered plenty of
surprises. |
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ICAST 2003 A sure bet, plenty of new
and exciting solutions (Part 1)
TackleTour once again travels to Las Vegas for ICAST 2003, to report on the
industry, and the exciting products and innovations that will be hitting the
streets at years end. |
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TackleTour's "Best of Show" products from Fred Hall 2003
The
task to pick the "Best of Show" products is always a tough decision
for TackleTour, especially when it comes to the 2003 Fred Hall show where each
year more and more worthy manufacturers set up booths to display their countless
offerings...these are
the cream of the crop products that turned the most heads. |
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Fred Hall Fishing Tackle & Boat
Show (Part 1-Overview)
The
arrival of the Fred Hall show in Southern California marks the 57th time this
huge event comes to the West Coast. Aside from the exciting new reels, rods, watercrafts,
and lures, you have the opportunity to learn many new things from professionals,
manufacturers, and also to share fish stories with fellow anglers. |
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TackleTour's "Best of Show: Fly Fishing" products from ISE 2003
There
were many new cool and innovative products to hit this year’s San Mateo’s
Sportsmen’s Expo. Some products took last year’s successes and made
them a little better, while others took on a whole new look, style, and feel.
Some of the best innovations could be seen in the Fly section of the
expo.
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TackleTour's "Best of Show" products from ISE 2003
ISE 2003 was filled with hundreds of manufacturers, and
TackleTour had the daunting task of picking out the "Best of the Best" products out of many new and
innovative products and solutions. Here we showcase TackleTour's "Best of Show"
products that stood out from the entire crowd. |
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The Hottest Sportmen's Expo
(ISE
2003) returns to San Mateo, CA (Part 1-Overview)
Welcome
to the 28th annual International Sportsmen's Exposition (ISE) in San Mateo. The ISE located in San Mateo, CA is the largest
shows on the West Coast. Inside the many halls you will have the opportunity to
see and compare, put to test, and buy the latest in fishing, hunting, camping,
and boating gear. |
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Fishing both fresh and saltwater species in Taipei,
Taiwan
While Taipei is best known for its bustling city night life, it is good to see
that anglers can find plenty of action in local streams, reservoirs, and on the
coastline. |
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TackleTour finds the latest consumer electronics for
anglers at the 2003 International CES show
Welcome to CES 2003, an international show that highlights the direction in which the consumer electronics industry is headed. TackleTour
visits CES to discover what new products will soon
find their way into the hands of anglers. |
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Fishing for the Lingcod, the ugly king of all bottom fish
Lingcod are ferocious predators of the deep that have an appetite that is only
matched by their ugly appearance. These dwellers of the ocean bottom are prized
game fish that provide a great deal of action from the minute they hook up. |
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TackleTour tags a marlin in the 2002, 8th annual Baja Capers
fishing tournament
Big Game fishing can be one of the most exciting adventures of a lifetime. Which
is exactly what TackleTour's Editor, Buzz, discovered firsthand at the Baja
Capers 8th Annual Fishing Tournament. |
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High Altitude Trout Fishing in California High Country
TackleTour goes on a 3 day field test into Yosemite High
Country for some amazing trout fishing. What started out as a field test of some of the newest
rods and reels quickly turned into an expedition to land some extremely exotic
high altitude dwelling trout. |
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Fishing in Hong Kong: an informational overview about fishing in the big city
For people who fish, Hong Kong offers more than enjoying yourself in the city.
Fishing in Hong Kong can be very entertaining and I was able to experience and
learn some of the local hot spots and methods of HK sport-fishing. |
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TackleTour's "Best of Show" storage, lures, innovations, and watercraft
Our final day of ICAST 2002 coverage includes a wealth of
Best of Show products that include flexible storage solutions, new lures,
exciting innovations, and feature packed watercraft. |
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TackleTour's "Best of Show" reels and rods from ICAST 2002 (Top secret
products revealed!)
While hundreds of manufacturers displayed great offerings these 5 reel and
rod manufacturers presented products that really stood out and deserve a
closer look. |
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ICAST, the largest fishing trade show in the world comes to Las Vegas (Part 1-Overview)
Las Vegas, July 17th-19, 2002: ICAST returns, and is
a annual opportunity for manufacturers to present their latest and greatest new
products to the buyers and press. This year ICAST boasts even
greater industry representation, and TackleTour covers the show. |
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To relax after work go shrimp fishing in downtown Taipei, Taiwan
Reeling from sheer fishing deprivation, and desperate to feed our fishing
habits we stumbled in a back alley "shrimp fishing club" where the two of us
discovered that we were actually the fish out of water. |
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Park Place
Excursions takes Team TackleTour mooching for Salmon in Monterey, CA
Fishing for Salmon is a unique
experience every time, and here on the coast of California we have the
opportunity to fish for Kings as they run through Monterey Bay on their way
to the Sacramento River each year. |
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The West's
Largest Sportsman's Expo Comes to San Mateo (Part 2 -Best of show)
Hundreds of manufacturers displayed their latest offerings at the ISE show,
and picking the top ten "Best of Show" manufacturers was a daunting task,
but in the end, the following ten manufacturers really stood out with unique
and exciting products. |
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