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Strike King Report
Strike King Adds Fry-Style Bait to Finesse Lineup
The all-new KVD Supa Fry has been added to the Strike King finesse soft plastics lineup.
“The 4.5-inch, ringed Supa Fry has a floating action, good for wacky rigging or on Carolina rigs and is designed to get bites when times are tough,” says Elite Pro Todd Faircloth.
The 4.5” KVD Supa Fry comes in 17 Open Pour Technology (OPT) colors.
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Strike King Report
Hack Attack Fluorocarbon Flipping Jig
Greg Hackney has made a career as one of the most consistent anglers in the history of the sport of tournament bass fishing.
Most of his success has come by targeting fish in and around shallow cover. Strike King has added a special jig for that application, the Hack Attack Fluorocarbon Flipping Jig.
“Our existing Hack Attack Flipping Jig features a monster hook that basically requires the use of braid,” says Hackney, 14-Time Bassmaster Classic Qualifier. “There are times when I need a flipping jig for use in clearer water where I would prefer fluorocarbon over braided line. This new jig is ideal for that situation.”
Hackney said he and the Strike King team made countless modifications to get this jig to where it needed to be. The compact jig has a zero-degree line tie to increase the hookup percentage. It is extremely weedless, and it’s built around a 4.5/0 custom siwash hook.
The Hack Attack Fluorocarbon Flipping Jig is available in 3/8, ½ and ¾ sizes and 12 Hackney-approved colors.
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Provided by Shimano
Conquest Rods by G. Loomis
Bringing together G. Loomis design expertise and proven rod actions with Shimano’s core blank technology provides bass anglers with Conquest – a premium 12-rod line-up created by a joint collaboration between G. Loomis and Shimano product development staffs.
First shown at the 2017 ICAST Show, the rods have started to shipping to tackle dealers in the U.S. and Canada, and more are on their way. The new Conquest series includes eight casting rods with G. Loomis’ original ‘Mag Bass’ fast action tapers, and four ‘Spin/Jig’ fast action spinning rods.
With blanks rolled to exact G. Loomis specifications by Shimano incorporating its proprietary Spiral X and Hi-Power X processes, and then hand-finished at the G. Loomis facility in Woodland, Wash., G. Loomis’ rod engineer David Brinkerhoff calls Conquest “the most technologically advanced bass rods on the water. Depending on the model, these rods are up to 10-percent lighter than even our NRX rods, and due to the Shimano Spiral X and Hi-Power X blank manufacturing, anglers will experience a whole new set of performance standards in a bass rod.”
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Provided by Daiwa
Daiwa and Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits have teamed up to create exclusive soft plastic baits designed for the Neko-rig technique, a finesse technique that utilizes a wacky-rigged soft plastic bait with a nail weight inserted into just one end to create a unique fall and lively action at the bottom.
The line of baits features the 5” Neko Fat and 5.8” and 6.5” Neko Straight.
The collaboration between leading brands is not new for Daiwa, who also distributes Japanese lure brand Evergreen in the United States. Brand Manager Curt Arakawa feels the project made sense as both brands share several United States pro-staff members including Brent Ehrler, Randy Howell, and Takahiro Omori.
“These baits were designed in part by these Team Daiwa pros,” says Arkawa. “With our new Tatula Elite rods and Tatula SV reels that were designed to cast lightweight lures further, we have the whole package for the Neko-rig.”
Daiwa and Yamamoto Collaboration Neko-Rig PlasticsBrent Ehrler, a noted finesse angler, uses each of the new baits in different situations. “The Fat version is more like a Senko with a bulkier profile that has a unique fall and appeals to big fish,” he says. “The Straight is a true finesse approach, with a slim design and excellent action designed specifically for Neko-rigging, but it also works great on a shaky-head, Carolina-rig, drop-shot or Texas-rig.”
Ehrler’s signature series Daiwa Tatula Elite finesse baitcast rod is ideal for the Neko-rig. The 701MMHXB-AGS is a 7’ medium/medium heavy model that he pairs with the Tatula SV.
Manufactured exclusively for Daiwa by Yamamoto in the United States, they feature the same proven soft plastic formula that Yamamoto is known for. They will retail for the same price as a Yamamoto Senko in a comparable size. They are available in the ten most popular Senko colors and are available now at Daiwa dealers starting at $7.49 per pack. They are available in most popular Senko colors.
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Live Target Report
Live Target Spinner Rig Offers Unique A-rig Presentation
The Alabama Rig (A-Rig) exploded onto the bass fishing scene in 2011. Downsized versions of umbrella rigs (aka spreader rigs) used for eons trolling pelagic saltwater and freshwater predators, these wire baits are designed to emulate a school of baitfish on-the-run. Their use sometimes controversial, A-Rigs have played dominant roles in many competitive bass fishing events.
Yet, for most anglers who compete against their best buddies for pride or pocket change, multi-wire baits are simply another effective tool in the toolbox. Inspired by the possibilities that a multi-wire lure configuration provides under a truly diverse array of conditions, LIVETARGET recently introduced the versatile, customizable BaitBall Spinner Rig.
Garnering massive recognition at ICAST 2017 and a recent "Best Freshwater Lure" award at Big Rock West distributor show, the LIVETARGET BaitBall Spinner Rig is poised to make a tremendous impact on your fishing success.
No simple umbrella rig, the LIVETARGET BaitBall Spinner Rig boasts a radical design bristling with unique elements. The multi-wire lure incorporates hookless, soft-plastic "teaser" fish on three arms, a single willow-leaf spinner blade for flash in the center, and a specially designed "target" fish armed with a single sturdy black nickel hook riding, vulnerably, below the spinner. Anglers can quickly replace or customize any of the soft plastic target and teaser fish via the BaitBall Spinner Rig's unique Interchange System.
Thoroughly steeped in the LIVETARGET philosophy, the teaser and target fish in the BaitBall Spinner Rig feature anatomically-accurate, three-dimensional details like scales, fins, and eyes, and are available in a full spectrum of color patterns ranging from ultra-realistic to attention-grabbing. The unique geometry of the wires supporting the teaser and target fish protect the lure's single hook configuration, allowing the LIVETARGET BaitBall Spinner Rig to be fished effectively around and through cover, like docks, submerged wood and rocks, without worrying about snags and lost baits. And unlike traditional, heavyweight castable umbrella rigs, the LIVETARGET BaitBall Spinner Rig doesn't require specialized rods and reels - or super-human musculature - to fish effectively.
Available in four weights ranging from º oz to æ oz, the LIVETARGET BaitBall Spinner Rig will feel right-at-home with the baitcasting combos typically used for spinnerbaits and deep-diving crankbaits.
The LIVETARGET BaitBall Spinner Rig is also perfect for searching on the slow-troll. Progressive bassers and striper aficionados often troll at painstakingly slow speeds - 1.5 to 2 MPH - through schools of marked, suspended fish. Locate an active school, put on the breaks, and let the casting begin.
The LIVETARGET BaitBall Spinner Rig Interchange System packs allows the angler to customize the profile and appearance of their BaitBall Spinner Rig. Providing a collection of three teaser fish and two target fish, each set of Interchange components provides a cost-effective pathway for changing the colors or sizes for any of the BaitBall Spinner Rig's soft plastic bodies. By doing so, anglers can use their on-the-water observations to quickly personalize their BaitBall Spinner Rig, helping them to catch fish faster on combinations of their own creation.
The integrated action of the teaser bodies, the flash of the spinner blade, and the tuned vibration of the target fish give the LIVETARGET BaitBall Spinner Rig a unique blend of strike-triggering sensory inputs. Grant Koppers, founder and President of LIVETARGET, commented that the BaitBall Spinner Rig is, "one of the most innovative and unique products we have ever designed. In fact, we've been working on this concept for several years. Every variable to make this lure function and trigger strikes has been meticulously considered. The flash and vibration are unlike any lure ever created."
Available now, the LIVETARGET BaitBall Spinner Rig (MSRP $13.49-$15.49) is provided in three frame sizes, each with two weight options, making it simple to pick the right BaitBall Spinner Rig for shallow or deep-water applications. The award-winning bait is available in a spectrum of eight color patterns for effectiveness in a variety of water conditions, from gin-clear to murky mocha. These same colors and sizes are also available in the versatile Interchange Systems (MSRP $7.99).
Visit www.livetargetlures.com for more information.