Kevkel baits "cuts in" to put a new spin on blades

Date: |
10/23/07 |
Tackle type: |
Lures |
Manufacturer: |
Kevkel |
Reviewer: |
Cal & Zander |
Introduction:
Finally something new in
blade design! Kevkel
Baits introduces new, slow roll enabled double willow leaf spinnerbaits.
Attention slow roll spinnerbait fishermen! Kevkel Baits out of San Jose,
California debuts a next generation spinnerbait with a patented blade design.
 |
Introducing the new Kevkel
Louvered Blade Double Willow |
About Kevkel Baits: Have you heard of
Kevkel baits? Didn't think so. This boutique manufacturer has been gaining steam
in the Bay Area and sells their jigs and spinnerbaits regionally through custom
orders, though they are starting to now work with dealers.
 |
These cut louvers enable the blades to spin
even at super slow, crawling speeds |
So what's new?
Featuring other top end characteristics like custom hand tied
silicone skirts, crinkled mylar trailer and a variety of blade configurations,
what makes these new spinnerbaits from Kevkel special is their patented,
louvered blade design.
 |
Each skirt
is tied by hand |
Double willow blades have been the norm out
west when waters warm and fish get active, but now, thanks to the louvered
blades on these new Kevkel Spinnerbaits, double willows aren’t just about speed
anymore. The blades on these baits feature cut louvers that enable the blades to
turn no matter if your retrieve is fast or slow.
 |
A closer
look at the louvered design
The louvered blades look like open fish gills
over the blade, and when water passes through them they assist in rotation
at any speed. The gaps are a semicircle and not a sharp edge so that they
shouldn't hang up in structure any more than a normal blade.
|
 |
Kevkel
spinnerbaits feature super-sharp Gamakatsu hooks
On the business end of the bait Kevkel uses
a long-shank Gamakatsu hook
which is both extremely sharp and durable. The blades are attached to high
quality swivels and painted heads to match the skirts.
|
 |
The baits
come in individual clamshells
All in all the baits have a
custom feel too them, and the company builds them to the exact color and
weight specifications requested by customers who are looking for a new way
to slow roll spinnerbaits. Retrieve the baits quickly and they still can be
burned, and the louvered blades will spin and flash just like normal blades
at high speed.
|
 |
Shown here
with a painted blue head and a firetiger skirt
It remains to be seen if
the water flowing through the blades has the added benefit in terms of
adding another positive strike inducing element to the bait, after all fish
do sense minor disturbances in the water, but we will reserve judgment on
this for our actual tests.
|
 |
Quality
hardware throughout |
Conclusion:
So often we see new patterns, head designs, and colors...the Kevkel design is
none of the above. Instead the company studied basic hydrodynamics to see how
they could fundamentally change the way blades ran in the water.
The Kevkel louvered design focuses on altering the
swim rate of traditional spinnerbaits, but in doing so allow anglers to mix up
the way they would normally fish these baits. We have a feeling that with the
recently granted patent Kevkel is going to have to expand beyond their current
custom build to order operation. The company is now accepting dealer inquiries
but RMD (Kevkel partner) can still be contacted directly for orders in the meantime at (408)
988-1785. Stay tuned as we put the blades through the paces in a full blown
review.
