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Z-Man Report
After taking home the Best Freshwater Soft Lure category at ICAST 2025, the Z-Man SWAG LT swimbait has officially hit retailers nationwide—arriving just in time for one of the most important big-bass windows of the year: the prespawn.
Built around Z-Man’s optimized Over/Under Line-Through Harness and powered by its proprietary hybrid SWAG tail, the SWAG LT delivers the wide, natural swimming action and stability anglers demand from a premium harnessed swimbait. Whether slow-rolled in cold water or burned high in the column, the bait maintains its signature tail wag and tracks true at all speeds.
“From day one, the goal was to create the most versatile, user-friendly harnessed swimbait on the market,” says Product Manager Richard Dunham. “The SWAG LT expands the retrieve-speed window, boosts hookup and landing ratios, and pairs that performance with 10X Tough ElaZtech durability. It exceeded every benchmark we set.”
Bassmaster Classic and Forrest Wood Cup champion and co-designer Luke Clausen adds that the bait’s tuning and hook options make it a natural fit for the prespawn, when big bass feed aggressively and swimbaits shine. “This is the time of year when a big, realistic profile gets you the right bites,” Clausen says. “The SWAG LT swims perfectly out of the package, skips great around cover, and gives you the confidence to fish it shallow, deep, or anywhere in between.”
The SWAG LT features:
- Hybrid wedge/T-tail design for consistent, wide-swinging action at all speeds
- Dorsal single or belly double hook options for maximum hookup efficiency
- Line-through harness that slides on the strike to reduce thrown hooks
- Hand-painted and photo-printed finishes for unmatched realism
- 10X Tough ElaZtech® construction for extreme durability
- Rear chamber for scent, rattles, or weight customization
It’s available in 5-inch and 6-inch sizes and eight ultra-realistic baitfish patterns.
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G. Loomis Report
G. Loomis announces the expanded and redesigned IMX-PRO BASS Bottom Contact lineup, engineered for anglers who demand unwavering performance and precisely tuned tools for bottom-oriented techniques.
Now expanded to 25 technique-focused models, including the nine additions, the IMX-PRO BASS lineup now delivers a complete set of Bottom Contact options built for experienced anglers and tournament competitors who rely on dialed-in equipment to execute winning patterns.
“We expanded the IMX-PRO BASS lineup to give anglers more of the exact tools they’ve been asking for,” said Kade Gewanter, Freshwater Marketing Manager for Shimano North America Fishing. “Bottom contact techniques are all about feel and control, so we refined the tapers and actions to make each model more dialed in and technique-specific than ever.”
Driven by G. Loomis’ proprietary TaperTec rod-building philosophy, the revamped IMX-PRO BASS lineup utilizes a new high-modulus graphite construction to optimize strength and weight without unnecessary material. Designed and rolled entirely at the G. Loomis facility in Woodland, Washington, the result is a lighter, more responsive rod that delivers heightened sensitivity and consistent performance across techniques.
Each model is equipped with tangle-free Fuji Alconite guides featuring refined spacing to promote smoother line flow, reduce line-to-blank contact, and improve casting efficiency. The lineup now features split-grip handles across all models except MBR, providing a lighter, more ergonomic feel for long days on the water. A custom carbon-infused CI4+ reel seat enhances the hand-to-blank connection, increasing responsiveness and feedback.
Spinning models feature uplocking reel seats with a custom cork palm swell foregrip for improved comfort and control, while casting models utilize cigar-shaped grip profiles to reduce pressure points and enhance ergonomics during high-intensity fishing. Finished with gunmetal-anodized hardware, composite accent bands, and a clean matte-black blank with black wraps and gunmetal trim, the IMX-PRO BASS lineup delivers premium performance with a refined aesthetic.
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Berkley Report
Berkley is announcing its first line of products under the banner of Lab Series - a clear homage to the place where the world’s most advanced fishing products are conceived and brought to life - Berkley Labs in Spirit Lake, Iowa. The first products revealed under this new series are soft baits born out of a decades-long project to combine the best of the company’s scientifically-proven technologies into one soft bait, the first to capitalize fully on a fish’s senses by delivering uncompromising color, action, scent and taste.
Lab Series baits are engineered to trigger bites from fish that have seen it all. Through a small-batch layered pouring process, Berkley combines a MaxScent layer, a proven PowerBait taste layer, and a MaxScent Rapid-Release Slime that provides an explosion of fish-attracting scent the moment it hits the water. This bait platform represents a breakthrough from the leader in scent and taste, as it is the first time MaxScent and PowerBait have been combined into a single bait, allowing for a myriad of translucent color options. The small batch pouring process allows for the delivery of technique-specific finesse actions. The result of this combination is a series of baits that is built to get more fish to commit, bite and hold onto the bait.
The new series includes a minnow, a flat worm and a finesse worm. They should be available at retail level in May.
The Berkley Lab Series Platform
At the core of the Lab Series soft bait platform is a multi-stage scent delivery approach that works both immediately and throughout the life of the bait. A rapid-release powder is applied to the bait at the end of the manufacturing process. This powder is derived from the same fish-attracting formula as the proven MaxScent material. The powder activates instantly when the bait hits the water, creating a scent-producing slime that begins dispersing scent immediately. As that slime wears off throughout use, the poured MaxScent layer takes over, providing sustained scent dispersion over time. The PowerBait layers deliver the taste that convinces fish to hold on longer.
Complementing the technology is a premium package designed specifically to protect bait integrity and maintain performance until the moment it hits the water. Every bait is hand placed in a form tray, ensuring baits stay perfectly formed, scent-rich, and ready to fish. The Lab Series platform launches with three technique-driven soft baits designed around some of the most effective presentations in modern finesse fishing - the minnow, the flat worm, and the finesse worm.
Berkley Lab Series Minnow
Designed for forward-facing sonar and modern baitfish presentations, the Lab Series Minnow, the bait used by Bassmaster Classic winner Dylan Nutt, delivers a highly realistic profile and movement pattern that closely mimics natural forage. An internal air pocket allows the bait to remain perfectly level regardless of line angle, maintaining a natural posture that triggers strikes when fish are following but hesitant to commit.
Key Features:
- Scientifically engineered to trigger bites: via the four primary proven feeding stimuli - Color. Action. Scent. Taste.
- Proven in the Lab for confidence on the water: small batch, precision layered construction fuses the best of our fish-proven formulas together in one bait.
- Unlimited Color and Action: Lab Series delivers scent dispersion and taste without compromising color and action.
- Rapid Release MaxScent Slime: coating activates on contact with water for immediate scent dispersion.
- Minnow profile with purpose-driven action: fast tail quiver, natural body roll, and an internal air pocket that keeps the bait perfectly level at any line angle.
- Sizes: 5.25” - 6 count | 6.5” - 5 count
Colors: Acid Shad • Electric Shad • Gizzard Shad • Highland Shad • Limestone • Phantom Herring • Platinum Shad • Silver Shad • Threadfin • Wakasagi<
MSRP: $14.99
Berkley Lab Series Flat Worm
A staple Berkley finesse profile, the Lab Series Flat Worm refines a proven bait shape with the added advantage of Berkley’s small-batch layered pouring process and proprietary Berkley Lab materials. This construction allows the bait to deliver scent, taste, color and action in a single presentation. The compact 3.6-inch profile imitates a wide range of forage species—from gobies to threadfin shad—making it an ideal option for pressured fish that have grown conditioned to traditional presentations. The bite-sized Flat Worm design paired with subtle movement creates an easy meal that fish can’t resist.
Key Features:
- Scientifically engineered to trigger bites: via the four primary proven feeding stimuli - Color. Action. Scent. Taste.
- Proven in the Lab for confidence on the water: small batch, precision layered construction fuses the best of our fish-proven formulas together in one bait.
- Unlimited Color and Action: Lab Series delivers scent dispersion and taste without compromising color and action.
- Rapid Release MaxScent Slime: coating activates on contact with water for immediate scent dispersion.
- Flat Worm profile with purpose-driven action: bite sized morsel that imitates forage bases from Goby to Threadfin Shad.
- Size: 3.6” - 10 count
Colors: Ember Jelly Fusion • Highland Shad • Obsidian Black • Oxblood Red Flake • Platinum Shad • Prism Shad • Tactical • Violet Morning Dawn • Wakasagi
MSRP: $14.99
Berkley Lab Series Finesse Worm
The Lab Series Finesse Worm was designed specifically for today’s finesse techniques where subtle action and scent can make the difference between a follow and a bite. Built using Berkley’s small-batch layered pouring process with proprietary Berkley Lab materials, the bait delivers precise scent, taste, color and action in a single presentation. The sleek body profile produces a slow wag on the fall, transitioning into sharp, snappy quivers when worked with the rod tip. This controlled movement gives anglers an advantage when targeting fish that have become conditioned to common bait presentations.
Key Features:
- Scientifically engineered to trigger bites: via the four primary proven feeding stimuli - Color. Action. Scent. Taste.
- Proven in the Lab for confidence on the water: small batch, precision layered construction fuses the best of our fish-proven formulas together in one bait.
- Unlimited Color and Action: Lab Series delivers scent dispersion and taste without compromising color and action.
- Rapid Release MaxScent Slime: coating activates on contact with water for immediate scent dispersion.
- Finesse Worm profile with purpose-driven action: sleek body profile, subtle slow wag on the fall that transitions into sharp snappy quivers when worked.
- Size: 6" - 10 count
Colors: Bold Bluegill • Ember Jelly Fusion • Morning Dawn Red Flake • Oxblood Red Flake • Payload • Platinum Shad • Prism Shad • Spectrum • Sunset • Violet Morning Dawn
MSRP: $14.99
To learn more about Berkley Lab Series, visit www.berkley-fishing.com/pages/berkley-lab-series.
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Newport Report
Newport has announced the launch of its NK HD Series, a next-generation evolution of its flagship electric kayak motors.
Built from years of customer feedback and informed by marine-grade engineering experience, the NK HD platform introduces meaningful upgrades across durability, electronics, functionality, and overall performance — delivering a smoother, more responsive, and more confident on-water experience.
Rather than a simple refresh, the NK HD Series represents a comprehensive refinement of the proven NK platform. Reinforced steering and retract architecture improve long-term resilience under load, oversized communication cable connectors ensure consistent power delivery, and upgraded internal electronics paired with precision bearing enhancements create noticeably smoother operation. The result is anglers have more intuitive, confident command of their vessels.
“The NK HD Series is the result of listening closely to our community and engineering every detail to perform better under real-world conditions,” said Howie Strech, Brand Marketing Manager at Newport. “From reinforced hardware to upgraded electronics, this platform is built to feel smoother, stronger, and more connected on the water.”
The NK HD Series launches with two purpose-built models designed specifically for kayak anglers, NK180 HD and NK300 HD:
The NK180 HD delivers 600W (1.8HP) of brushless direct-drive power in Newport’s most versatile HD configuration. Lightweight yet rugged, it combines reinforced construction, upgraded electronics, and flexible battery compatibility into a motor built for dependable everyday performance.
https://newportvessels.com/products/kayak-motor-nk180
The NK300 HD produces 1300W (3HP) of brushless direct-drive thrust for anglers demanding maximum speed and load-handling capability. Featuring the full HD durability architecture plus refined electronics geared toward hard use in salt or fresh water, it is Newport’s most powerful kayak motor.
https://newportvessels.com/products/nk300-kayak-motor