Ready to check out some hot new fishing gear? Here are our top picks of the month.
Game On Big Occhi
There are lots of soft plastics out there but few really set themselves apart from the crowd. One that does is the Game On Big Occhi. These tails (available in seven- and 10-inch sizes and pearl white, pink, natural eel, and black/purple color patterns) are triangular in shape, with a rounded nose and a tapered tail. They have an excellent swimming action moving through the water, and the plastic is thoroughly rugged. Since there weren’t any blues around when we tested these lures we had to give them the chew test on our own, and found the Big Occhi impervious to human molars (though interestingly they dent) and difficult to get through with your eye-teeth. So they’re not quite as bite-proof as a Z-Man, which is nearly impossible to bite through – yes we have tried – but significantly more tooth-proof than your average plastic. They also have a recess molded into the head for stick-on reflective eyes, which looks great in the tackle shop but when paired with the usual jig head, presents a four-eyed bait. Not that we think the fish will care, just as long as you’re not casting in the shadow of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. Price: $9/seven-inch five-pack, $11/10-inch three-pack. For more information visit gameonlures.com.
R&R Tackle Titanium Leaders
Chumming for stripers with regular mono leader is an exercise in futility when there are packs of blues roving around. Rigging up a wire leader takes time and it a pain in the you-know-what, so we were happy to see that R&R has come out with a line of pre-rigged titanium leaders with a swivel at one end, and 36-inches later, a 4/0 to 7/0 Mustad circle or J hook. Rigs with trebles are also available, though these are really intended for kingfish and we don’t condone their use where stripers may be present. Price: $9.99. You’ll find ‘em at randrtackle.com.
Abu Garcia Veritas VTSC70-6
The Abu Garcia Veritas VTSC70-6 is a seven-foot, six-inch medium-heavy fast-action casting rod rated for lures up to an ounce and line from 12- to 20-pound test. The Veritas line overall covers most of the conventional casting bases, with 27 different models in varying lengths and sizes, and the VTSC70-6 is the latest pick which Abu sent us to try out with a Revo SX. The new features include a different butt and “improved weight and balance,” according to the manufacturer. The balance is certainly nice, and sensitivity is extremely good for a medium-heavy rod. We also like the ratcheting reel seat – ever-loosening reel seats are a perpetual problem – and the high-density EVA grips. Only five or 10 years on the water will tell the full story, but the high-density EVA certainly seems more rugged than the usual foam. On the flip side, they’re way too hard to jam your hooks into, if you’re one of those anglers who perforates their rod grips in this way. The guides are micro-style, titanium alloy with Zirconium inserts. These may cut on weight, but they’re really tight and make rigging a bit tough for those of us with old eyes. Price: $100 - $120. Visit abugarcia.com to get the manufacturer’s take.
Power-Pole Charge
If you fish a bass boat or a light tackle saltwater machine with an electric trolling motor, there’s a good chance you’re constantly worried about tapping out the batteries. Power-Pole has moved beyond their core business of building shallow water anchors by creating the Charge, a new type of battery charger that is bi-directional and would more accurately be termed a charging management system. It can actually shuffle power around between batteries, including both deep-cycles and starting batteries and 12-volt and 36-volt systems, as needed. You control where the power goes via an app or on Power-Pole’s Vision tablet, and you can preset different power levels for each battery or battery bank. When the motor is running the Charge can feed the juice wherever you like, defaulting by first topping off the starting battery and then trolling motor batteries. And when the boat’s plugged in, naturally, the Charge keeps the batteries fully filled with a 40/25 amp charger. Price: $1295. Check out power-pole.com for more details and to find out when the Charge becomes available.
Spro BBZ-1
The Spro BBZ-1 is about as high-tech a swimbait as you’ll find. It has a very realistic mackerel pattern (four to six other color patterns are also available, depending on size), four separate body segments are jointed and hinged, flexible fins keep it running upright, and a pair of Gamakatsu trebles instantaneously pierce anything that comes within a mile. The swimming action is unbeatable, and models are available in floaters, slow sinkers (one foot of sink every three seconds), and fast sinkers (one foot of sink for every second). Along with the fins the tail segment is also flexible plastic, and replacement packs are available for these parts. So, what’s not to like? The price is… how do we say this politely… OUCH! Price: $23/six-inch, $41/eight-inch (we warned you). Visit spro.com, for more info.
Yamaha V MAX SHO 90
The new V MAX SHO 90 is the smallest Yamaha V MAX SHO yet (a distinction previously held by the 115), bringing the kick-in-the-pants acceleration of the SHO line down to an engine appropriate for small skiffs, center consoles, and bass boats. It offers more torque than other 90’s and enjoys all the advantages we’ve come to expect in a four-stroke like quiet, vibration-free operation and good fuel economy. It has a 35 amp alternator, is compatible with SDS shift-dampening props, and variable-speed trolling control is an option. Yamaha hadn’t announced a weight spec yet when we went to press, but the SHO line in generally weight-sensitive (the 115 is 10 pounds lighter than a comparable two-stroke) so we expect this engine will be on the svelte side. Price: TBD. For more information try visiting yamahaoutboards.com, but as of this writing this new engine was not yet listed on the site.
Just click the link, to see what we reviewed in the last Hot New Fishing Gear.