Daiwa Report
Daiwa offers an affordable way to have an array of technique-specific rods rigged and ready with the new Tatula XT bass rod series.
Available at select tackle shops for $99.99 (USD), the Tatula XT rods - designed for both savvy anglers and those just discovering the added thrill of tournament bass fishing – include nine casting and six spinning models for everything from using finesse baits in clear water to casting frogs with heavy braided line in thick cover.
The model lineup ranges from the Tatula XT731MHFB, a versatile 7-foot-3-inch casting rod, to the 7-foot-6-inch extra-heavy power Tatula XT76XHFB casting rod for flipping and pitching and for use with a heavy Carolina-rig. On the spinning side, Daiwa experts believe the 7-foot-1 Tatula XT711MLXS will find a home on many boat decks rigged with a drop-shot rig or to work a Neko bait. If the need calls for a bigger soft plastic or a wacky rig, check out the Tatula 7-foot XT701MHFS.
Ever Green Report
Where’s there’s shad, there’s gamefish—and once located, you better have on a bait that looks and acts like the predominant food.
Enter the Ever Green XV-5 crossover, a shad-bait unlike anything on the market.
Again, designed in Japan to service bass anglers used to difficult, discerning bass on waters like famed Lake Biwa, the XV-5 was painstakingly designed and tested to catch fish when other methods fail—even $30 artisan-painted jerkbaits, which Japan is also known for. The bait does not feature a knocker or internal rattle—also a plus for targeting clear, water pressured fish. The tight wobbled produces all the vibration and sound necessary to draw the lateral line detection of bass, stripers, wipers, white bass, walleyes, and trout.
Berkley Report
Berkley has announced its version of a bladed jig for 2023.
The Berkley Slobberknocker features an innovative through-head design that is completely unique from other bladed jigs. After countless hours spent testing on and off the water, Berkley Labs scientists fine-tuned this unique design that not only delivers a consistent vibration but is also perfectly suited to come through heavy cover while staying engaged.
It features a hand-tied Berkley silicone skirt infused with PowerBait flavor to help ensure that every fish that bites will hold on longer, it also features a chip-resistant paint finish and sticky sharp Fusion19 hook. And, to match the hatch, it's available in 12 premium forage matching colorways.
Suggested retail is $13.99.
Gamakatsu Report
Gamakatsu's G-Finesse Drop Shot hooks are now available in the popular size 4.
Gamakatsu developed the G-Finesse Drop Shot Hook with help from the late, great Aaron Martens. G-Finesse results from endless hours of product testing from some of the world's leading pro anglers. Martens' product testing showed using the Drop Shot hook improved his hook-ups by 30 to 40%, and he was rarely missing a fish.