Tournament News Powered By Lake Drive Marine
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Seaguar Report
Seaguar R18 Fluorocarbon mainline
Seaguar, the brand that invented fluorocarbon fishing line in Japan in 1971, has announced that three products previously only available in Japan will now be available to North American anglers - R18 Fluorocarbon mainline, PEX8 Lure Edition Braid and Grand Max Fluorocarbon Leader. They will be available at retail stores soon.
This decision came, in part, at the request of enthusiast anglers. "Many of these products are known to North American anglers who follow the Japanese bass scene," said Seaguar General Manager Gerry Benedicto. "These are existing products that have been designed to get the best performance out of lures in highly pressured fisheries in Japan. Now, anglers here can fish these unique JDM lines and experience them firsthand."
Two-time Bassmaster Elite Series Angler of the Year Brandon Palaniuk has aligned himself with several Japanese-based brands. He has also spent time fishing in Japan and learning about the fishing culture, and he's excited that American anglers will have a chance to see these innovative lines.
"The biggest thing about the products that originate in Japan is the attention to detail and how they make small changes to get big results," shared Palaniuk. "There are quite a few bass anglers in Japan and not as much access to fisheries as we have here, so their bass are extremely pressured. Their product designs are out of necessity; they are very forward-thinking to enable them to catch more fish in those situations, and that's what you see when you fish these three lines."
R18 fluorocarbon is a line designed for excellent casting and performance and with Seaguar's exclusive double-structure process with two custom Seaguar 100% fluorocarbon resins to create a line with exceptional knot and tensile strength. It's incredibly soft and supple for excellent casting distances. R18 is offered on 100-meter spools, which is 109 yards and available in 4 through 20 lb. tests, including nontraditional sizes: 5, 7, and 14 lb. tests.
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Northland Report
Northland ELITE PRO SUNNY B DEEP
Northland Fishing Tackle has released their Elite Series Hardbaits that includes seven shapes and six colors, all handpicked by Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson.
While some are like Northland’s sister brand, Bagley Baits, new Northland Elite Series Hardbaits include new designs, improved components, and out-of-the-package, tournament-ready performance.
New Northland Elite Series Hardbait Models Include:
- PRO Sunny B Deep (NEW)
- Sunny B Deep (NEW)
- PRO Sunny B
- Sunny B
- Shallow Sunny B
- Sunny B Twin Spin
- Bang O Lure Twin Spin
The new Northland ELITE PRO SUNNY B DEEP features all the beneficial characteristics of balsa with a modern body design. Constructed using Northland’s Heat-Compression Molding (HCM) manufacturing process, this lure has all the unique benefits of balsa but with more consistency. Its hand-tuned, deep-diving lip makes it perfect for chasing bass as they transition into (or out of) deeper waters. The PRO SUNNY B DEEP weighs a mere ½-ounce and measures only 3 inches long from its balsa nose to tail, making it a particularly appealing cold-water or pressured situation presentation.
“This crankbait takes the popular Pro Sunny B to new depths of 10 -to 12-feet,” says Northland Marketing Manager and club tournament bass angler, Charlie Peterson.
Peterson continues: “With its unique lip design, the new Northland PRO SUNNY B DEEP starts diving the moment you turn the reel handle with a nice, tight action, but in a smaller balsa crankbait profile than most hardbaits available in this depth range. Plus, we added premium #4 Gamakatsu treble hooks to make the bait tournament-ready, right-out-of-the-box—and six, must-have colors for bass through the seasons.”
THE CLASSIC CHAMP’S HAND SELECTION
“When it comes to cranks, the Bagley Sunny B family has always been a favorite,” says Gussy. “They’ve caught fish for a long time. I’ve done well with them up north for smallies, cold-water largemouths in the south, and spotted bass, too.
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BFHOF Report
Limited Edition Jitterbug
The Jitterbug was among Fred Arbogast’s signature creations and now a few iconic anglers are putting their signature on the Jitterbug as part of a collaborative effort to mark Arbogast’s election this year to the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.
To commemorate Arbogast’s induction, PRADCO, which took ownership of the Arbogast brand in 1997, will produce a limited-edition version of the Arbogast Jitterbug with proceeds from their sale to benefit the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame. Approximately 1,200 lures will be produced in four custom colors. There will be a series of 300 baits autographed by Hall of Famer Bill Dance, 300 baits autographed by current Elite Series angler Jason Christie and 300 baits autographed by Hall of Famer Kevin VanDam. Another 300 baits will feature the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame logo.
The majority of lures will be sold through PRADCO’s online store at Lurenet.com while several sets will be auctioned off as part of Celebrate Bass Fishing Week in September, which culminates with the annual Hall of Fame induction banquet on Sept. 26 at Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Aquarium and Wildlife Museum in Springfield, Mo. Arbogast will be inducted along with Mike McKinnis, Skeet Reese, Alfred Williams and Mark Zona.
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Missile Baits Report
Hover Missle Jig Head
Missile Baits has introduced the Hover Missile Jig Head to capitalize on the red-hot mid-strolling technique for catching suspended bass.
Available in three hook sizes with multiple weights to choose from, the missile shaped weight is centered on the hook shank for an erratic horizontal fall.
“FFS techniques are really taking off and the tackle use is just now evolving,” says John Crews, Missile Baits owner and professional bass angler.
The Hover Missile addresses a tricky technique with a functionally designed jig head. The high quality 90-degree jig hook helps the bait have the erratic and drifting action when paired with the missile shaped weight along the hook shank. A patented anchoring hole in the top fin of the missile weight allows a toothpick to be inserted through your bait and the hole, so your bait does not twist. Simply clip off the exposed part of the toothpick and the bait is locked into place. The #1 size hook comes in 1/32, 1/16, and 1/8 ounce sizes. The 2/0 hook comes in 1/16, 1/8, and 3/16 ounce sizes. 2/0 and #1 hook sizes come in three packs for a retail price of $5.99. The 4/0 hook comes in 1/4 and 3/8 ounce sizes, which come in two packs for a $5.69 retail price.
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Rapala Report
Rapala CrushCity Mayor Swimbait
Jacob Wheeler set out to develop a new swimbait with the product engineers at Rapala, but he didn’t want a situational tool – he wanted a soft swimbait that would catch fish from coast to coast, 12 months out of the year.
Hence, the development of The Mayor. It’s one of five new soft baits in the new CrushCity soft bait line by Rapala, developed by a world-class pro angler for other tournament anglers.
“The biggest thing, more than anything, is subtlety,” Wheeler said. “When you look at a shad swim, or a perch, or a baitfish, when they swim the tail does not move that much.”
Accordingly, The Mayor’s tail does not kick super-hard, but instead steadily and naturally swings from side-to-side. But that’s not where the differences from the competition stop. Rapala’s engineers also integrated a level of body roll that is noticeable but not too aggressive. It tracks true through and across cover.