Tournament News Powered By Lake Drive Marine
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Rapala Report
In search of gold (as in trophy walleye!) in them thar deep waters?
If you love to plumb the depths of the Great Lakes and other big deep freshwater lakes, Rapala has the answer to getting down deep and waking up them up.
The Gold Miner quickly dives to depths of 30 feet. Made from durable plastic construction, the Gold Miner features a distinct rattle and a wide tail action to entice fish to bite in a variety of conditions.
The Gold Miner runs true whether being trolled slow of fast. It features a wide swinging action that will attract a range of freshwater fish, including lake trout, walleye, salmon, brown trout, muskie and northern pike.
The Gold Miner is available in 20 colors, including: Antifreeze, Antrifreeze Hot Steel, Blue Eyes, Chrome Blue Hot Tail, Clear, Firetiger, Gold, Headspin, Ice Breaker, Moldy Fruit, Pure Chrome, Purpledescent, Purple Meat Market, Rave, Silver, Silver Blue, Spendy Shades, Voodoo Haze, Whiskey Sour, and Wonder Tiger (Glow).
The Gold Miner is being introduced with a body length of 4-3/4 inches and a weight of ¾ oz.
The Gold Miner has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of US $12.99.
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Z-Man Report
While we’re not ready to unmask the enigmas of Z-Man’s proprietary ElaZtech material, suffice to say the new TRD FattyZ possesses some legit softbait superpowers.
Watch as the tail rises, ripples and breathes in the underwater currents. It’s an impressive action to behold, and as anglers are discovering, it’s especially enticing to selective bass.
The same naturally buoyant formula that elevated the original Finesse TRD™ to epic status now breathes life into Z-Man’s freshest new fish catcher.
Perhaps finesse fishing pioneer and Z-Man insider Drew Reese said it best: “ElaZtech baits like the TRD FattyZ exhibit the underwater angle all lure companies have been trying to achieve since the early 1900s . . . to create a bait that doesn’t lie flat on bottom, but that rises up on its own and moves like something truly alive.”
The 3.25-inch TRD FattyZ’ features a slinky silhouette. Anglers have aptly described the TRD FattyZ’ action as squirrelly, nervous, twitchy—all great descriptors for such a versatile finesse bait, equally energetic no matter how you rig it: Ned, Neko, dropshot, wacky, you name it.
Z-Man pro Luke Clausen believes it’s one of the more coveted, yet least talked-about tournament softbaits today—and a perennial winner on national kayak-bass circuits. Clausen, who has won the Bassmaster Classic and Forrest Wood (FLW) Cup, recalls the thinking that propelled the FattyZ profile into bass fishing stardom.
“For years, while everyone was throwing skinny worms, I knew anglers would benefit from a fatter profile bait with more tail action,” notes Clausen. “ElaZtech was the perfect vehicle to bring the bait to life.”
Amplifying both the original FattyZ and the new finesse sized TRD FattyZ, Clausen calls out the bait’s meatier head and torso section, which accommodate a traditional Finesse ShroomZ™, a slightly larger NedlockZ™ EWG (Clausen’s favorite) or 2/0 Pro ShroomZ™ jighead.
“The TRD FattyZ differentiates itself with a slender waist (midsection), which then transitions back to a bulbous, always-active tail,” continues Clausen. “That slim midsection acts like a door hinge, freeing the TRD FattyZ material to swing and undulate freely. Try it as a finesse wacky rig or shaky head.”
Laying the TRD FattyZ flush in his palm, Clausen nods at its smooth, flat underside, sculpted and shaped to “spiral and glide” on the fall.
“I’m a big believer in baits that spiral on the fall. The TRD FattyZ’ flat underside produces a cool circular spiraling and gliding motion that becomes even more effective around pressured bass. Give the bait a twitch or two to make it hunt randomly before its spiraling action kicks in. And, for dropshot fishing, this same flat underbelly stabilizes the bait when you nose hook it but still gives it that mesmerizing gliding action between rod shakes.”
Available now at outdoor retailers nationwide or at zmanfishing.com, the new 3.25” TRD FattyZ features ten potent finesse patterns, including laminate colors like PB&J and Goby Bryant.
Suggested retail is $4.99 per 8-pack.
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Rapala Report
On the heels of its successful launch of the PXR Mavrik jerkbait, Rapala is introducing the PXR Deep Mavrik 110, a new deep-diving suspending jerkbait.
Developed with some of the most meticulous bass pros in the industry, the PXR Deep Mavrik features a long, premium bill that lets the bait dive to a depth of 10 feet – perfect for bass hanging on the edges of weedlines.
PXR stands for Precision, Xtreme®, Redline. The first in a series of elite, professional-grade lures to be introduced by Rapala, the PXR Mavrik is a suspending jerkbait made with the finest construction and unrivaled technical qualities demanded by Rapala’s pro staff.
“Deep diving jerkbaits have become a staple of what we do as bass anglers,” said Rapala pro Ott Defoe “It has all of the features we love in the PXR Mavrik 110, but with a deeper bill. We need a bait like this to get down quick to the desired depth (9 to 11 feet), but stay suspending, right there in their faces to tempt them.”
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Lowrance Report
Lowrance offers Eagle Eye™, the world’s most accessible all-in-one live sonar solution, combining CHIRP & DownScan in one transducer, along with detailed C-MAP® charting on a crystal clear IPS display for only $999.
“We are excited to bring anglers easy and affordable live sonar technology with the new Eagle Eye,” said Jermiah Clark, VP and General Manager, Fishing Systems at Navico Group. “Live sonar is not just for the professionals. Anglers of any level can now take advantage of this complete, high-quality live sonar solution to improve their technique by watching fish react to the lure in real-time. From four different sonar views to detailed C-MAP charts, the all-in-one package provides everything you need for a great day out on the water.”
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Seaguar Report
One of the most significant breakthroughs in fishing over the past few decades has been the substantial improvement of fishing lines.
Specialized lines like ultra-strong and micro-thin braided lines and virtually invisible fluorocarbon lines have allowed all anglers to experience better performance and get more fish to bite. Combining braid with a fluorocarbon leader has become the standard in fresh and saltwater environments, blending the strength from braid with a host of benefits from fluorocarbon.
It is possible to use any line as a leader, whether fluorocarbon or monofilament. Still, a dedicated leader line possesses characteristics that help anglers get the best performance from their bait or lure. The proper leader allows anglers to get more bites and land more fish.
So, what makes a leader a leader?
Put simply, specialized leader materials are designed to withstand shock in short pieces while maintaining strength and abrasion resistance. Longer lengths of fluorocarbon line were developed as mainlines - to be spooled onto a reel to make casts which requires a softer feel for better manageability. Also, unique formulations of different resins allow Seaguar to develop fluorocarbon lines with characteristics that work well in short pieces, according to Seaguar General Manager Gerry Benedicto.
"In general, fluorocarbon lines, made for use as a leader, have a stiffer body and are less supple than mainline fluorocarbon lines," he said. “These characteristics translate into better overall knot strength and better sensitivity. This has been true since 1971 when we introduced the first fluorocarbon leader for saltwater anglers.”