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St. Croix Report
St. Croix PHYSYX Series Rods
St. Croix will introduce a new line of Phsyx rods at the 2024 Bassmaster Classic Outdoor Show in Tulsa, Ok.
The all-new series consists of 25 technique-focused freshwater rods, conceived in science to evolve and advance the angling experience.
What Makes PHYSYX Unique?
SCIV+ Carbon Fiber Blanks – You know SCIV+ from our 2023 Legend Tournament rods; they are among the lightest and best-balanced blanks ever produced in Park Falls. These hybrid carbon fiber blanks feature a distinct and exotic blend of SCIV and SCVI material on every different length, power, and action to create blanks that are exceptionally refined, balanced, light, strong, sensitive, and optimized for their intended techniques and presentations. Select moderate-action reaction-bait models have iACT Glass blanks, which are a hybrid layup of our SCIV+ and 100% linear S-glass materials.
Titanium Guides – All PHYSYX models receive premium, rigid titanium guides with silicon carbide rings. These advanced guide trains support maximum performance with all line types and further promote PHYSYX’s supreme balance.
High-Tactile TPU Grip Lines – Angler grip is enhanced in all weather conditions via strategically placed TPU grip lines that are molded into (not surface applied) PHYSYX’s handle. TPU is a unique thermoplastic polyurethane material featuring elasticity, transparency, and resistance to oils, grease, and abrasion. These TPU grip lines have been rigorously tested with respect to sunscreens, bug sprays, and other common chemical substances anglers come in contact with to ensure durability.
Molded Carbon Fiber TRIGON Handle – This is an evolution of the wildly popular and successful agglomerated cork TRIGON handle introduced last year on Mojo Bass. This rigid, molded carbon fiber version takes TRIGON’s benefits of dramatically increased comfort and control to all-new levels, offering superior energy transmission that has not been seen in a St. Croix handle since Gen-2 Xtreme Skin in the current-generation Legend Xtreme Series.
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Mercury Report
You see a huge fish boil on the surface, cock back your fishing rod and let that lure fly … only to see it plop down well short of the mark. Don’t feel bad. We’ve all been there before. Sometimes, cast after cast goes smooth as silk and you’re rewarded with a big bend in the rod, but other times you need just a little more range to reach the target zone. The good news is, it’s not hard to gain a little more distance in most situations. Put these five tips for farther casting to use, and you’ll be hitting the bull’s-eye the next time that big boil draws your attention.
1. Respool with fresh line, completely filling the reel. One of the biggest reasons people don’t reach their full potential casting range is because they’re using a reel that’s only partially filled. As spool size shrinks, the amount of friction created by line hitting the spool (with spinning reels) or the number of rotations it requires to let out any specific length of line (with casting reels) goes up. So, if you haven’t re-spooled since the beginning of the season and you’ve broken off or re-tied a bunch of times since then, no matter how hard you fling that lure you’ll never get it to go as far as it did when the spool was freshly filled. Likewise, if your line is old, it’s likely developed some memory – those annoying coils that remain in the line – which increases drag as the line passes through the guides. If you haven’t spooled up since last season, change it out to reduce line memory issues. One final note: Swap out that old line for one of a thinner diameter and your casting distance will increase even more.
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Daiwa Report
Daiwa’s D-BOX
When the technological leader in rod and reel manufacturing introduces a commodity product, you can safely wager it’s better than the others. Such is the case with DAIWA’s new D-BOX Tackle System.
Available in two sizes (3600 and 3700) and six total configurations, DAIWA’s new D-Boxes feature clear weathertight lids with four robust, tight-snapping latches to keep everything in check. Internal tabs are cut clean for instant organizing of each slot, with a total of 12 compartments in the 3600-size and 20 compartments in the 3700-size. Available in shallow, regular, and deep models.
And doing its part for the environment, DAIWA’s new D-BOX Tackle System boxes are made from 100% recycled plastic.
SIZES:
- DAIWA D-BOX MS-MEDIUM SHALLOW (12C/3600 Shallow Equivalent)
- DAIWA D-BOX MR-MEDIUM REGULAR (12C/3600 Regular Equivalent)
- DAIWA D-BOX MD -MEDIUM DEEP (12C/3600 Deep Equivalent)
- DAIWA D-BOX LS -LARGE SHALLOW (20C/3700 Shallow Equivalent)
- DAIWA D-BOX LR-LARGE REGULAR (20C/3700 Regular Equivalent)
- DAIWA D-BOX LD-LARGE DEEP (20C/3700 Deep Equivalent)
MSRP $11.99 to $18.99
For Daiwa’s latest color catalog and/or information on Daiwa dealers in your area, call Daiwa’s Customer Service Department at 562-375-6800 or e-mail inquiries to: CSR@Daiwa.com. The URL for Daiwa’s web site is daiwa.us.
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Flambeau Report
Flambeau Fully Divided Slim Tuff Tainer
Flambeau Outdoors’s new Slim Waterproof Tuff Tainer series features the same 5000/3700 length and width dimensions for prevailing bag and boat compartment compatibility but now with a slimmer box and 50% more compartments for maximized utilization.
The Fully Divided “FD” model features 28 compartments with 24 dividers for increased storage customization capabilities versus the standard WP5005 model with 28 compartments and 24 dividers. Additional features include anti-migration ribbing, waterproof construction, 3 Drawtite™ cam-over latches, and Zerust®-infused dividers for anti-corrosion protection.
For more information, visit https://www.flambeauoutdoors.com/Fishing.
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By Louie Stout
Which braid should you choose?
If you’re like me, trying to discern differences in fishing lines is not only overwhelming at times, but also very confusing.
That’s why I called Brian Evans, marketing manager at Seaguar, a guy with whom I have known and shared a boat while bass fishing on the Niagara River a few years ago.
The big question in my mind, and probably in the mind of other weekend anglers, is what is the difference between 4 strand and 8 strand braid?
You can see the smoothness of 8-strand braid in this photo of Smackdown tied to a leader. (Seaguar photo)
Evans says you should think of 8 strand, such as Seaguar’s Smackdown, as a performance braid that is smooth, casts well and is thin. It’s ideal for finesse applications.
The four-strand braid, on the other hand, can be equated to the forerunners to performance braids. It’s very strong, sensitive and more textured than 8 strand. It’s best suited for pitching into grass or wood and for frogging.
Four-strand braid like this close-up of Seaguar TactX offer a more textured feel and more stiff which anglers prefer for frogging and flipping. (Seaguar photo)