Tournament News Powered By Lake Drive Marine
Friday, October 10, 2025
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Abu Garcia Report
New Garcia Revo EXD
Some extra distance on a cast can put a bait that much further from the fish-spooking boat, get a lure to run a bit deeper or give a bait a touch more time in the strike zone. The new Abu Garcia® Revo® EXD reel delivers these benefits as it promises supreme casting distances thanks to a bevy of special design features.
Designed to provide anglers with maximum casting capabilities with any bait in their arsenal, the Abu Garcia Revo EXD Baitcasting Reels deliver unmatched casting distance. The EXD has a total of eleven high-performance bearings, including two custom EXD bearings on the spool shaft, along with an extremely lightweight machined EXD finesse spool providing low start up inertia making it easier to cast lighter weight baits.
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GILL Report
Gill Brings Anglers New Jacket in Foul Weather Wear
Wind, waves, rain, sleet, and snow… There’s nothing more miserable than getting wet, cold, and clammy on the water. And while there is a myriad of rain suits on the market, few live up to their advertised comfort and protection.
Welcome GILL’s new Pro Tournament 3L Jacket, which represents years of product development and the greatest innovation in fishing jacket design in company history.
The jacket is the result of feedback from GILL’s distinguished team of pros and other trusted product testers across the globe – apparel designed and constructed to the most serious standards on the water. The 3-Layer jacket comes complete with kill cord attachment loops, adjustable Vortex® Hood System and reflective accents.
First introduced as part of their original Tournament Jacket series, Gill’s imaginative Vortex Hood solves several issues faced by anglers and boaters. “Originally, we engaged with our team of pros who shared their issues. Many of them wear a baseball or trucker style cap, hoodie, and then the waterproof shell with the hood up. Hoods inflate, caps fly off, so, we got to work on developing a solution,” says Matt Clark, Product Development Director, GILL.
After designing numbers of different hood configurations in their U.K. product development office and shipping to the U.S. for testing, Gill ultimately settled on the current and incomparable Vortex Hood.
“The Vortex Hood has a three-channeled construction with air chutes built into the hood itself. One goes over the top of the head and exits at the rear of the collar, and two vents down the side of the hood and out through the collar. You get a slipstream effect, allowing air to enter the front and exit out the back.
“Look at it in aerospace terms. With an airplane wing you get the vortex effect when wind travels faster over the top of the curved surface. So, over the top of the Vortex Hood wind speed accelerates and the air is sucked out the back of the hood.”
Another significant feature of the new Pro Tournament 3L Jacket is its revolutionary fabric design, guaranteed to keep anglers dry no matter what harsh conditions they face.
“We’re introducing a new three-layer, all-in-one fabric system to sportfishing,” said Clark. “The system features a durable outer face that can put up with abrasions, scuffs and being worn in some tough conditions. And water just beads and rolls off it…
“The inner layer features the waterproof, breathable technology; the barrier that stops water coming in from the outside, which is very important as it allows the fabric to breathe and transport moisture away from the skin. When you’re out all day on the water, conditions can turn warm and humid, but it’s still wet enough where you need a waterproof jacket. So, breathability makes all the difference.”
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Strike King Report
Strike King Punch Bug Slides Through Grass with Lots of Action
Strike King’s new Rage Punch Bug was designed for punching through matted grass and heavy cover. When punching grass you need a bait that will not only go through the thick stuff but imparts action That’s what this baits was designed to do.
“The Rage Tail action along with the ribbed body makes this a perfect bait to punch through a mat.” Says BPT Pro Greg Hackney. “ The ribbed body allows me to hide the hook but also provides vibration as it comes throught the water.”
The new Rage Punch Bug comes in six colors with a MSRP of $6.99 per package.
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By Louie Stout
VMC Brings Back Mojo-style Sinkers with Tungsten Slider Weights
Remember the old mojo-style, cylinder-shaped sinkers - the ones that were ideal for Carolina rigging or split-shotting but have since been discontinued?
Well, VMC brought those style sinkers back in 2020 and made them better than ever. Because they are made of Tungsten, VMC’s new Slider Weight is smaller than the former lead version of equal weight, giving you a more compact package.
They were designed for a variety of uses, including the company’s Tokyo Rig. The sleeker sinker provides a more weedless presentation when dunking plastics into heavy vegetation.
But they also work great for Carolina rigging. The lead-free weights have a hole running through the center making them easy to peg to your line.
They come in eight sizes from 1/8 ounce to 1 ounce and are available through your favorite tackle dealer.
For more information, visit www.rapala.com/vmc-fish-hooks.
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Rapala Report
Walleye Trollers Can Get Deeper with Larger Down Deep Husky Jerk
The hottest trolling bait on the best big walleye waters just got better with Rapala’s® release of a larger Down Deep Husky Jerk® that will run straight and true at 20-plus feet.
Anglers who frequent big-fish waters where their quarry feeds on deep-dwelling forage – like the Great Lakes, Lake of the Woods, Sturgeon Bay, etc. – will love the new No.14 Down Deep Husky Jerk, which will run 25 percent deeper when trolled than a No. 12.
“This is going to be an instant classic among walleye anglers," says in-demand fishing guide Tony Roach. “With the overwhelming popularity of the Husky Jerk 10 and 12, there’s been a big calling from walleye anglers for an even bigger bait. So, if you’re into big fish, you’re going to want to try the new Husky Jerk 14.”