First Look - Dobyns Fury Series Rods

Last weekend at the 2015 BassMaster Classic the Dobyns team started people talking with the teaser style introduction of their forthcoming  Fury series rod. Not expected to hit the shelves until May 2015, the Fury series will run anglers $109.99, and let me tell you this entry level rod is anything but ordinary.

The Fury series was designed and built to meet the high standards of Gary Dobyns, which includes using quality components (including a split handle with cork grip and EVA butt) as well as being perfectly balanced and of course looking good in green.

The Fury Series will initially be launched with 10 hand picked models, including a 7ft crankbait rod, a pair of spinning rods including my favorite the 703.  The line will also include a 765 Flipping stick to round things out, and just to keep us on our toes Gary promises a swimbait rod will also be made available soon after launch. I dont know about you, but news like this already has me making room in my rod rack for a couple new toys.

I can honestly say its been a while since a $100 rod has had me excited, but don't take my word for it.. here's the man Gary Dobyns giving us a brief introduction on what we can expect from the Fury Series

 

Coming to a DOBYNS DEALER NEAR YOU.. MAY 2015

to saty informed on Dobyns products and updates Like their Facebook page HERE

How Crowd-funding can help you and your fishing dreams

Crowd-funding is a relatively new term that has taking the investing world by storm and it has allowed even the smallest of companies/individuals to grow with the support of like minded individuals,  fellow inventors, friends, family and enthusiasts alike. And even though this new method of fund raising is big in many markets, it still hasn't seen much growth in the fishing industry.

What is crowd-funding?  

Crowd-funding is the practise of funding a project or venture with a large number of investors via an intranet campaign. I would also add that a good portion of these investors are not typical in the fact that they are not looking to make large sums of money off their investment but in turn they are looking to support a small business or project in hopes that it will succeed that they the investor will get to share in the success by using the product, or being offered a small reward for their support.

Great examples of this have been seen in both the movie and music industry, many investors support projects they want to see created, not to get rich, but so that they can actually use and enjoy the final project. In turn, for their support investors are often given credits at the end of the movie, or on the liner notes of a CD. When the product gets made the investor usually gets a copy to enjoy and share with friends

How could Crowd-funding benefit Anglers and the Fishing Industry 

Like it or not fishing is big business, and more often then not the big boys control most of the market and get to make the decision on what products see the light of day. This can hurt small more regional baits, lures or equipment that may sell well in your area, but don't have a global enough appeal to make these big boys take notice.. Crowd-funding gives the smaller bait designer, rod builders or even fishing guide an outlet and way to get their works created and sponsored. Many inventors have the idea but not the means to get their product created, this is where crowd-funding comes in.

Example of Current campaigns

There are many reasons that an angler may want to start a crowd funding campaign, above I mainly focused on inventions and business related ideas. But this is not the only way a crowd funder campaign can be used. Charities also use this new method of raising money in order to reach a wider audience and gain a wider knowledge of their cause. A quick look through the various crowd funding sites will provide you with an extremely long list of worth while causes, including Fishing for wounded warriors, Send a Solider Fishing and even anglers looking for support to fulfil their dream of fishing in a Bass Master Open event. All of these are great causes and ways that you can get involved in supporting other anglers within the industry.

I will personally be starting a crowd funding campaign later this season to help a Solider fish in the Kingston Canadian Open.. i lived my dream last year and this year it is someone else's turn, stay tuned for more details

If you have a crowdfunder project underway, let us know about it !

Great Finds - The Toronto Spring Fishing and Boat Show 2015

Today wraps up the 2015 Spring Fishing and Boat show that takes place at the International Centre in Mississauga Ontario.  This past weekend I made the annual 3 hour journey in order to take in the show as well as a seminar being held by Kevin VanDam. While at the show I of course did some snooping and came away with a few cool new finds,  that you really need to check out for your self

 

The Perect Jig - Elite Jig

The team at the perfect Jig has taken the opportunity to release their new Elite Jig at this years show. Featuring an all new, unique, exclusive mold  the Elite Jig comes in both Big (5/0) and a Mini (3/0) sizes. Prior to the show this bait was on the hush hush, but word spread quick once Brendan and the team started showing it off, and if you were at the show this weekend you already know if was damn near impossible to get anywhere near the Perfect Jig booth. 

For those who did not get the chance to hold and drool over the Elite jig, keep your eyes peel, rumour has it this bad boy will be hitting the shelves (and on-line stores) in the coming month. Check out  the Perfect Jig Facebook page for more details 

We jig fishermen have to stick together 

EZ Cam Post

As an angler who spends a good deal of time fishing solo, I'm always in the market for a new (and easier) way to shoot the best quality pictures of my catches while out in the boat. The team at Ez Cam post seems to have this covered.. by developing a a universal camera mount that will allow me to do just that and more.  

This light weight mono pod can be secured to objects up to 3" in diameter (insert joke here) and is perfect for attaching to pedestal seats as well as trolling motors. The Ez Cam Post can telescope from 27" up to 6' in height, this is an impressive amount of adjustment that will allow you to capture images from various heights and angles all while fishing with or without a partner. The mounting plate provide also allows you to accessorize your Ez cam post by adding various style camera mounts, like a GoPro Mount, a Glif mount as well as various ball and pan/tilt mounts. The EZ Cam really brings advanced photography equipment out of the studio and into the boat with you.

Check out their booth while you still have time.. or if you've  missed out, you can find them on FB as well as at http://ezcampost.com/

I see one of these in my immediate future

 

Tandem Stand-up Angler Kayak by Fronteier

Ill be honest, I'm a canoe and boat guy and have never spent as much time as I would like to fishing from a Kayak. But while wandering the Boat show floor this thing of beauty jumped out at me and had me second guessing my time in a canoe.

The Tandem Stand-Up Angler Kayak has a swivel seat and stand up casting bar that would make any bass angler feel at home. It may not be equipped with some of the bells and whistles that other Kayaks are now coming with (like built in trolling motors) but it does add a whole new level of comfort that is key when spending 8+ hours a day on the water.

Ventana Tear Shot - Drop Shot Weight

Each season like many anglers I seem to find myself spending more and more time dropping shotting, and because this technique is still growing in popularity companies are continuing to innovate and develop new products in support of drop-shotting. The Tear Shot weigh by Team Davies Ventanan is a great example of these innovations. The tear drop shape allows you to fish a drop shot in almost any condition, its pointed head will drive through top cover, and its long thin design will not get caught up as easily in rocks or logs while dragging. Last but not least an inserted rattle will provide you with even more fish calling noise to drive those big fish crazy.

If you want to check these our head on over to the Pro J booth or visit their Scarborough based location. The team at Pro J are die hard anglers and focus on brining us products that are otherwise hard to find. Trust me, if you haven't  checked out Pro J's selection of gear you have not clue what your missing our on 

Mann's Bait Goliath Frog

I seem to be a sucker for Mann's baits, their past success drives me to buy and test out new products, even though the past few years I have been nothing but disappointed.. so here we are again, the new Goliath Frog. Its big, and looks like a frog, but once in the hand the parts feel cheap and poorly constructed. I will perform a test drive on this bait once the ice melts, and for now I will give it the benefit of the doubt (again). I have a thing for large frogs.. what can I say?

 

Obviously the best find at the 2015 Spring fishing and boat show was Kevin VanDam, I arrived earlier in the day hoping to get a chance to shake his hand and of course pose for a picture. I knew by the time his seminar rolled around things would be getting crazy.. luckily enough I ran in to him at the Minn Kotta both and got this quick photo opportunity. It always amazes me how this angler has a rock star like appeal. The only hard part was asking Mercer to step out of the shot (joking)

If you didn't take the time to check out the 2015 Spring Fishing and boat this year, I would suggest you add it to your calendar for 2016. Its not the biggest or flashiest show, but many companies here are home grown and showing off the newest in innovation. We as anglers owe it to ourselves and our sport to continue to grow, learn and improve, and support the companies that help us do so.

See ya next year