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Shimano Report
Anglers in northern climates have always known the fishing doesn’t stop when temperatures dip below freezing and the water gets hard.
Ice fishing continues to attract anglers to their favorite lakes for everything from panfish and perch, to walleye and northern pike, and Shimano is addressing their tackle needs. Now available - or soon to be at selected tackle dealers - Shimano introduces a new line-up of cork grip Convergence ice rods, along with a selection of Sienna combos featuring EVA grip rods matched with Sienna 500 spinning reels.
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Shimano Report
Utilizing a, Shimano brings its digital control technology (I-DC4) to a new series of Curado baitcasting reels that includes a microcomputer to control braking at every moment of the cast.
The new Shimano Curado DC reels will quickly allow all anglers - from the most to avid to those who are intimidated by baitcasting reels and the backlashes that can happen - to cast smarter by allowing the DC’s microcomputer to monitor spool speed 1,000 times every second, prevent backlashes and maximize distance.
The DC series includes the Curado DC150 and left-hand retrieve DC151 with 6.2:1 gear ratios, the Curado DC150HG and DC151HG with 7.4:1 gear ratios, and the even higher speed Curado DC150XG and DC151XG with 8.5:1 gear ratios.
They will retail for $249.99 and become available in August, 2018.
With the I-DC4 braking technology, anglers can fish a variety of lures and in any weather conditions, with limited or no adjustments to the reel. There are four external adjustable brake settings depending on fishing situations. The settings are a ‘max distance mode’ for ultra-long casts in calmer conditions; a ‘braid/mono mode’ for general all-around use of those types of lines; a ‘fluorocarbon mode’ that is best when using these stiffer lines; and a ‘skipping mode’ for challenging casts (under docks and piers) or extreme conditions.
“The Curado DC reels appeal to skill levels among anglers,” said Shimano product planning manager Trey Epich. “While everyone will appreciate how the reel curtails backlashes, anglers who already are accomplished with a baitcast reel will be able to skip docks without overruns and to bomb out longer casts.
"Tech-head anglers will focus on the DC technology and that cool noise the reels makes with each cast," added Epich.
Anglers will notice the overall lightweight feel from the aluminum frame, along with other key Shimano features including MicroModule gears, rigid HAGANE body, CI4+ material sideplates, X-Ship and A-RB anti-rust bearings. For smoother and sensitive rotation, Shimano’s MicroModule gearing provides more gear engagement between the drive gear and pinion gear.
The DC reels will hold from l50 yards of 20-pound PowerPro braid, or up to 120 yards of 10-pound 14-pound mono. The DC 150/151 cranks in 26 inches of line per rotation, while the DC150HG/151HG reels in 31-inches per crank.
The DC150XG/151XG, with a longer handle, blisters in 36 inches of line per crank.
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Z-man Report
Anyone who’s fished the progressive softbait material figures it out pretty much after the very first bite: Z-Man’s ElaZtech® softbaits are different. Are they better? Do they catch more fish? Plenty of anglers would argue an affirmative “yes.” But facts are facts:
- ElaZtech baits are significantly softer than traditional PVC baits.
- The material is at least ten times tougher—a single Z-Man® softbait can hold up to several dozen fish catches, or more.
- ElaZtech is significantly more buoyant than PVC baits, translating to more action and more realism in the water.
- The material is non-toxic, both to the fish and within the aquatic environment.