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p>Berkley Report
Berkley Hit Stick Jerkbait
While it’s true that balsa baits have long been favored by lure makers and anglers for their ability to deliver a desirable action, they lack in durability and consistency due to the imperfections that are inherent in natural materials.
After extensive research, Berkley scientists developed the new Hit Stick, a durable, polycarbonate, floating minnow-style bait that delivers the large, rolling action of a balsa bait.
The Hit Stick achieves the unique, high-speed rolling action of balsa baits by using FlashDisc™ technology. The integrated FlashDisc weighting in the Hit Stick also means every bait has consistent action and tracking. The construction also allows the Hit Stick exceptional durability to withstand toothy bites and keep the bait swimming consistently.
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Big Bite Baits Report
Big Bite Best Flipper Ever (BFE)
New Big Bite Baits and jigheads for 2021 are as follows:
BFE: The Best Flipper Ever(BFE) was designed by Bradley Hallman to be the best flipping bait for any condition, anywhere in the country. It has the profile of a tube style bait, but a solid body with rings. The goal was to have the glide and fall of a tube style bait, but to have a more durable product with a higher hook up ratio. The rings give the bait a larger appearance, without the bulk to impact hooking ratios. The tail section is also thin to glide and wiggle for a subtle movement. It can be used around grass, wood, rocks or docks with a wide gap or straight shank worm hook. MSRP $3.99
Magnum Worm Head: Our staff has been using prototypes of this new jighead with great success in tournaments. The arrowhead design of the head helps it stay in contact with the bottom and comes thru rocks or brush. It is molded with a 6/0 Gamakatsu heavy wire hook to stand up to hard hooksets, big fish and heavy line. It is great when rigged with our 8” Finesse Worm. MSRP $5.99.
2.5” Baby Kamikaze Swimon: The Kamikaze Swimon has a new baby brother. We now have a 2.5” Swimon which is the perfect size for crappie. It features a vertical profile with forked tails to look just like a baitfish. The tails feature a series of ridges and holes that make the tails swim with the slightest motion and leave a bubble trail fish can follow. It has a solid ringed body to rig perfectly on any jighead and comes in 17 colors. MSRP $2.49.
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Northland Report
Northland Tackle’s New Rumble Shad Crankbait
Northland Fishing Tackle enters the premium hardbait game with the new Rumble crankbait series for walleyes and bass, designed by chief lure designer Jarmo Rapala.
From a block of the finest balsa wood to welded, through-wire construction to the finished hand-painted and individually tank-tested bait, all Northland Rumble series baits are handmade with a unique heat compression molding process that ensures unmatched durability, and lures that run true on the troll and retrieve—as well as cast farther than the competition.
Here are the new editions:
RUMBLE SHAD
First on the list is the inimitable Rumble Shad crankbait. The #5 dives 5’ to 12’; the #7 dives 8’ to 16’; and the #8 dives 14’ to 21’. Designed to imitate shad, perch, and panfish, this midsized bait features a tight action and dramatic roll, whether cast and retrieved or trolled behind the boat.
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Terminator Report
Terminator’s new Pro Series Spinnerbait
Top tournament pros such as Ott DeFoe must imitate many species of forage to catch winning limits of bass, such as threadfin shad, gizzard shad, blueback herring, emerald shiners, golden shiners, silver shiners and alewives.
Terminator Lures makes it easier with its new lineup of Pro Series Spinnerbaits that offer vibrant, real-life looking patterns.
Not only are Terminator’s new Pro Series Spinnerbaits available with multiple forage-matching skirt color patterns, they come with several different blade colors and shape combinations. DeFoe provided input on all the color patterns and blade options needed to match bass forage species across the country.
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Abu Garcia Report
Abu Garcia’s new Zenon Spinning Reel
Abu Garcia’s new Zenon spinning reel is poised to reset the standards by which all ultra-premium fishing reels are judged.
The Zenon is the lightest spinning reel ever produced, tipping the scales at an unbelievably light 4.9 ounces for the Size 20 and 5.4 ounces for the Size 30. Paired with a light spinning rod, the result is a configuration that brings unparalleled sensitivity and all-day comfort to serious anglers.
Zenon was developed for those who desire the very best to complement their skills, regardless of whether anglers are fishing for fun or for a paycheck. Abu Garcia engineers worked with their Japanese design team to build the ultimate finesse-style spinning reel that would succeed in the sophisticated finesse-specific Japanese market and find a strong foothold in the competitive U.S. bass and walleye tournament scene.
At the heart of the Zenon’s weight-saving design and striking looks is the elimination of empty spaces commonly found in spinning reels. The Zenon body design is noticeably smaller than the spool and rotor; it features a one-piece gear box with no sideplate while the frame is integrated with the stem. Combined, these design features shrink the overall footprint and weight of the reel while providing a rigid system for the gears. The magnesium body is contoured to fit comfortably in hands and provides greater weight savings and durability than the advanced plastics commonly used in other spinning reels touted as “lightweight.”
Featuring a silky-smooth drag across all settings to make the most of light-line finesse presentations, the Zenon is equipped with low-inertia, silent-rotation rotors and an ultralight hybrid spool. Additional weight savings are found in the hollow, soft-touch handle knob. Both sizes of the Zenon feature a 6.2:1 gear ratio.
The new Abu Garcia Zenon will be available in March 2021 and will have an MSRP of $499.95 for both the Size 20 and Size 30 versions. For more information about the reel or the entire lineup of Abu Garcia products, visit AbuGarcia.com.