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

Great Finds: The 2014 Toronto Sportsman Show

As you know I had the opportunity to work the Toronto Sportsman show this year, and while there I took opportunity to nose around a bit, and I came away with three new products that i can't wait to try out on the water…

BioEdge Fish Attracting Scents

Although you may not have heard of BioEdge they have quietly going about the business of making all natural and very power fish attractants since 2007. Their line-up includes over 30 different scent options in  both potions (oil) and a Wands (semi-solids). As mentioned previously these scents are all natural and are made from  concentrated oils, the wand (kinda like a glue stick) is filled with the same concentrated oil as the potion only with a solidifying agent added in. I love the variety provided by BioEdge and that fact that the wand will help me keep the stink off my fingers

I will be giving the Frog and Crawfish scents a serious work out this coming season, and plan to use the Frog potion on all of my soft plastic frogs, and the Frog wand on the bellies of my hollow body frogs. As for the crawfish potion it will spice up some of my jig trailers and I may even soak up some jigs.

To learn more be sure to check out the BioEdge site, but leave your self some time, there is a serious amount of scents to browse through,

AR-Frog by AR Lures

As a die-hard frog fisherman I will admit I have had my eyes on these frogs for awhile now. They always sat in my shopping cart while placing orders with Land Big Fish or TackleWarehouse and when the cost of the order got out of hand they usually end up getting bumped off.. but while at the sportsman show there was not shopping cart and I finally pulled the trigger on one.

all AR-Lures baits are hand carved, hand painted and high quality… they are made of wood, and are durable with some great action in the water. I'm really looking forward to working this frog in the sparse cover this coming season and feel that the design will offer up great movement and a good hook-up ratio. You can find AR-Lures quite easily in both the US and Canada, check out their website for a list of distributors.. HERE 

MegaBass Pop-Max

Another bait Ive had my eye on for awhile now the MegaBass Pop-Max is a mean looking popper with 6.. count 'em 6 chambers that allow water to move through the bait and gills making this one of the most unique poppers on the market today.

Pricey yes,  the Pop-Max  comes in at a hefty $19 a bait, but that's what sportsman shows are for.. finding and buying baits you can't get at your local shop. In my opinion this bait is worth every penny of its $19 price tag in looks alone, and if it produces half as well as I expect it will.. I'm a happy man.

ask me again when I lose my first bait and I may have a different response  

Kamooki Lures

A Canadian company to watch, Kamooki blew the roof off the show with their line of currently unavailable baits aptly names "The Smart Fish". These killer baits will be great in place of standard blade baits when fishing smallies or even better as an ice fishing jig for walleye

Smartfish are designed as a head down, hook up bait  weighing in at only 2/5oz it  sinks incredibly fast for its size and moves well in water. The part that really blew me away was how well they move while dead-sticked, even the smallest current will keep the Smartfish moving, side to side.. these baits will get eaten!

Check out this short video I shot of the smart lure in action at the sportsman show, HERE. To learn more on Kamooki and the smart fish, check out their website HERE

If your on your way to the Spring Fishing and Boat Show this weekend, be sure to search these baits out, you will be happy you did.. Other then the Kamooki Smartfish all these products can be found at Pro J Tackles booth along with a full one up of Dobyns rods, Daiwa reels, and a brand new shipment of Bull Shad Swimbaits from the master Triton Mike Bucca

Great Finds @ The Quinte Sportsman Show

This past weekend I swung by the city of Belleville, picked up my father and headed over to the Quinte Sportsman show. This has sort of become an annual thing since he moved to the city of Belleville a couple years ago and we have since watched as the show has become larger and larger each year.. except in one area.. Fishing

Yes I have to say that I find it very odd that no more then 4 booths in the entire show carried fishing gear, 1 of which only carried discontinued products or job lots (although for some reason they thought they could ask $5 a pack for Berkley Havoc when it sells for under $4 from most retailers. A second booth offered a very small collection of gear that was not really worth routing through to find gems and then the final two booths were both owned by local tackle shops.

Both these booths were loaded with a great selection of gear, but for some reason they were charging full pop.. no deals not even a tax break.  I only mention this because most people walking the show paid an $8 admission to get in (unless you know a guy who knows a guy..wink,wink). So technically customers shopping from these local vendors are actually paying more for product then if they had just swung by the shop on Monday after the show.. confused?, i know I was

Other then that I would have to say the show appeared to be a success, the crowd on Saturday was large, and parking was at a premium (no fee thank god). Each room was laid out well and loaded with Boats, RV's, Bikes and tons of info about local camping spots and lodges.

I did not get time to check out any of the seminars, but having seen both Big Jim and Dave Chong speak on several occasions I will state without concern that the seminars would have been worth the price of admission.

For the Kids, a popular stop was the trout pond, although kinda pricey at $5 for 5 minutes of fishing time,  kids got to toss small baits on bamboo poles at a pool filled with Trout from a local farm. I sat around to watch for a bit, and can report that the kids had a blast, fish were caught (and that the 5 minute rule was not strictly enforced)

Great Finds

What I like about fishing and sportsman shows is walking around, shooting the shit with friends and of course looking for good deals. This year the best finds of the show for me have to go to "Pro Advantage" not only were they rocking the all new larger Live Target Field mouse (I guess I was not the only one who complained about the old size options) but they also gave a nice portion of their booth to "The Perfect Jig" a Canadian Jig company that has been knocking out quality jigs and trailers for a few years now.

I personally made a couple purchases, the first was 3 packs of Trigger X baits that were in the Pro Advantage grab bin. Three packs for $12 is not bad (unless you paid an $8 cover) and since this year I will be spending more and more time focusing on jig fishing and flipping, I though these were a great pick-up...

The second purchase was some Perfect Jig trailers, they had a very cool assortment on display including some fairly new "tipped" versions. I personally stuck with my old standbys like "green pumpkin" and "junebug". If you have not checked out the Perfect Jig line, believe me it is worth your time!

Lastly I picked up something I have long been waiting for.. an Accu-Cull tag system. I personally have struggled through the last 2 tournament seasons with inferior culling tags, and my hands are still store.

I have heard nothing but good things about the Acc-Cull and so far it lives up to the Hype.

Well that wraps up another year of the Quinte Sportsman show, no matter the price of admission, no matter the crowds, it is always good to get out and doing something fishing related in March, and more importantly.. score some great finds!

Great Finds: Frabill Ice Gear Hits the Shelves

If the product reviews and local tackle shop shelves are any sign then I think we will be seeing a lot  more yellow on this ice this season... Frabill yellow (not yellow snow)

Over the past couple seasons Frabill has quietly made a move to become "thee" major player in the ice fishing equipment scene. Don't get me wrong they have always been a player, just not "thee player" that spot was always held by Clam who was (lets face it) the industry leader in portable Huts, Ice suits and off the shelf rods. Not only has Frabill stepped up to the plate to steal their portable hut crown , but that have also made a significant move in the rod/reel and Ice suit markets.. To this day I proudly wear my bright blue clam Ice Armour suit, but after seeing the recent offerings by Frabill I think I you may find me in a Black and yellow suit in the near future.

As you know Im not the only guy in blue that has made the jump to Frabill, Brian "Bro" Brosdahl also  traded in his Ice Armour and Genz sticks to join the Frabill family. His line of Frabill rods and reels that were introduced last season are top quality and have made this "Thorne bros" rod user a believer in off the shelf rods again.

Not taking anything for granted Frabill jumped into the fast growing rod market with both feet, introducing standard rod/reel combos as well as hitting the straight line market with their Bro series quick tip rod, a very sensitive rod blank that reminded me of the Jason Mitchell quick tip (now owned by Clam). This season they have upped the stakes again by adding an $80 version of their original straight liner called the Bro Series 241. The rod shows signs of improvement from last season and the reel is a giant step up from it's little brother. I dont know if it's price tag will effect it's overall sales, but I do know that it looks great and feels good in your hands. (Funny the former Industry leader.. Clam.. is now following, they released their first straight line combo this year, One full season after Frabill)

If you are looking for something completely different, then check out the 'jigglier" a stand-up length panfish rod designed to slay pannies on your local lake. The Jigglers super sensitive design has your line traveling through the rod blank and into a reel attached the butt of the rod (similar to smaller palm rods). This keeps it ice free and out of wind. The length of the rod makes it perfect for hole hoppers fishing shallow water, you can easily "dink and dunk"from hole to hole without the aggravations we are use to facing.  It might be a tight squeeze for those of you who like to stay holed up in your portable, but if you keep moving in search of panfish, this rod will be a great aid.

It should come to no surprise to anyone that on top of their portables Frabill has also always been know for their quality tip-ups. I personally use the Frabill Classic model  almost exclusively when pike fishing, they are sturdy, strong and need little to no maintenance. For 2013 Frabill aded to thwir tip-up family by introducing the "Calibrator Line Counter Tip-up", and believe me it is like nothing else on the market today. The CLC Tip-up comes with an digital LCD that will provide you with some pretty valuable insight such as.. the depth your bait is set at, the time of the bite, the time between bites, as well as how much line the fish took when it ran. Yes, some of you believe this i overkill, and maybe it is, but for me I love the idea of knowing that my bait is set to the exact same place I got my last bite, and how long it has been between bites.. we all lose track of time, this will help make the decision to move or not  move an easy one (and it will help you keep your fish journal/log if you are into that.)


I have ordered all three of the Frabill Products discussed above, and will be sure to give them all a review once they get some time on the ice. I also picked up the 13 Fishing Black Betty as well as the new Dave Genz Ice Spooler, yes it is going to be a busy season..(I hope)

The pics seen on this post were all taken this past weekend at Gagnons sports in Oshawa, Ontario. They always have an incredible selection of ice gear and as you can see here, they are loaded up and ready for 2013.. are you?

Great Finds @ the BPS, Gagnons & Sail

Im on the road allot, traveling for fun, fishing and work, so I get to spend time visiting sports stores all over Ontario as well as a few other provinces. I think it is only fair that I share my finds with you, not all of these finds will be "rare" or "unusual" but they all will be cool baits that should help you chase down Bass of all sizes


Find #1: Trokar Tube Hooks


We all know about Lazer Trokar hooks, and love or hate'em we all seem to have an opinion. Personally Im still on the fence, my tournament partner he loves them and uses them almost exclusively, me, I weave a couple in here and there.

This season one Lazer Trokar product I will be adding to my arsenal is the new Tube hook




This is not your average tube hook, built with the same surgically sharp hook point  as all other Trokar products, the Tube hook also takes on some of the characteristics of the popular Trokar flipping hook (another product I use). This strange looking wide gap hook has an advanced bait keeper that holds the head of the tube perfectly in place and ensures it stays there.



Not to be confused with standard Tube jig heads, this is a flipping tube hook, and there is where it will excell. If you are use to fishing tubes a bit heavy, there is some room to add insert weihts (or scent). These hooks can be bought at most major retailers, i picked mine up at the Bass Pro Shop

Great find #2 on this trip through the Durham and GTA region is a very cool worm from Sebile Lures. The A.T worm (A.T stands for All-Terrain)  actually made me stop dead in my tracks, this very unique finesse worm is available in both sinking and floating models (so read the packs) and has a vey cool design that is 100% Sebile.

With a hollow V-shaped body cavity and a hollow split tail, this worm looks cool in the water and can be fished in many ways, including Texas rigged, carolina rigged and even on a swimbait hook. It is also deisgned to be fished in open water and cover, the worms body glides on the drop and would also be a great dock fishing worm. Pre-rigged with hook slots this bait is a complete no-brainer, and can be easily rigged properly by amature and pro alike.

This photo does not do this worm justice, be sure to check out the pics and illustraitions on the Sebile website found HERE

Again this was the first and only time I have laid eyes on the this worm (although I now know you can get it at a few of the big boy on-line retailers). If you are in the Oshawa area be sure to stop by Gagnons sports to check out this worm, you will be glad you did.

Find #3: PowerPro Super 8 Slick

Over the course of the past 6+ years, i have got my hands on a pretty extensive collection of braided lines, ive tried everything including FireLine, Suffix, SpiderWire, Spider Thread, Stren and more, but I always come back to PowerPro, to this day I have yet to find a stronger yet smoother line.

This year  PowerPro introduced Super 8 Slick, a softer rounded version of  traditional PowerPro line. You will notice the difference immediatly, this line truly feels like silk, yet has that same old powerpro strenght that we have grown to love... not avilable in the standard Moss green this new version comes in a great down and a higher vis green. (not sold on the green, but love the brown)

One thing to remember.. when you ask for silk, you pay for silk, and Super 8 Slick comes  with a hefty price increase (about $3 a spool more then the original Power Pro). I was lucky enought to come across it at the Sail Store in Oshawa and they had a great sale price of $19.99. (sorry guys I dont believe this is still the case)

Find #5 is a frog that I had never seen before, and better yet, I have never heard of it. So this is where you can really see my addiction/compulsion to frog fishing really kick in... nothing about this frog really grabbed me.. but I had never seen it before.. nothing about this frog made me think, "Oh, i know a great spot to throw this".. but I had never seen it before.. nothing about this frog made me say "wow thats a unique concept, or "thats a interesting color".. but again, I had never seen it before.. So I bought it.

Yep, thats how the mind works some times, and this little frog found its way into my arsenal, and will probably see very little water after it's initial use.. but you never know, and thats why I just had to have it, you dont know until you tired it.. maybe this frog has a super power Im not aware of yet

All in all my last trip thru Durahm and the GTA was loaded with some great finds, as I tell my wife, true fisherman can always find something they need to try or test out, that new product that may give them the edge over their buddies, so if you are in the area and have some time to kill, be sure to make the Gagnons, SAIL and Bass Pro Shop run, between the three,  you can find all you need.

P.S I didn't event touch on the reel pictured at the top of this post, that my friends is a Daiwa Advantage reel and it is quickly becoming one if not my favorite baitcasting reel. This little guy is built slightly larger then other low profile reels, but fits incredibly well in your hands, and still gives you the confidence of a much larger reel. Super smooth drag and some nice cranking power, make this reel a great all around baitcaster.. not to mention this baby comes in under $200... I bought mine at Gagnons, they were offering 20% off reel in Feb so I snapped up a couple for about $150.. thats a steal

Great Finds @ The Quinte Sportsman show

It has been a couple weeks since my stint at the Toronto Spring Fishing and Boat show, and the Toronto Sportsman Show is not until next weekend.. so what is a guy to do when he needs to get his fix? take in a local show of course! This past Saturday I decided to give my dad a call and see if he was interested in heading down to the Quinte Sportsman, Boat & RV show.. he was, so off we went. 

This show is celebrating it's 14th year and it was my 3rd time taking it in. I'll be honest I stopped attending about 3 years ago because the show was so small and with only one real fishing booth it was not worth the price of admission (or the 45 minute drive).. this year the event expanded and filled 4 buildings (rinks) way more then the single rink event I had attended in the past. With multiple fishing shops taking part, and a booth that looked to be filled with clearance or "buy outs" from Canadian and US retailers like Cabela's I knew there was deals to be found, or new gear to test.. here is what I found

Zoom Z Nail Worm

Part of the Zoom trick worm series, the Z nail is a bait I have never seen up close and personal prior to this weekend. With a long tapered body that is slightly segmented, this worm will definitely do some tricks in the water. Defined as a stick bait, Im looking forward to trying to fish this worm wacky, as well as breaking out the "J" rig. 

with a show price of under $3 a pack, I snagged a few 

Strike King Shadalicious 

This monster swim-bait has been on my radar for quite some time now, but not being an avid swim-bait guy, I was reluctant to shell out the $9.99 to $12.99 a pack these baits could be found for in many Ontario retailers.. but a show price of $5 persuaded me to take the plunge.  Time will tell if these see any use this coming season, but Im glad I got to strike them off my list without blowing the bank

Bass Magnet Lures

If you read this blog at all on a regular basis, you will have noticed that Im a fan of Bass Magnet lures. So I was excited to see a local retailer (Pro Advantage) had a bin full of BML product that they were selling for a price I could not refuse.. 3 packs for $10, I love a good bargin so scooping up some discontinued colors at a great price is just what I look for when attending a show. 

By the looks of it, I was not the only BML fan at the show, as it was a "use your elbows" event while trying to get in close to the bin. I picked up some tubes and some quiver sticks, both in colors I had never seen before. Im hoping the one is not a discontinued color as it sure is pretty

Well the damage was done, and I burnt through some cash. All in all it was a pretty good show, with a little something for everyone. I did not find anything mind blowing, but I did get to add two new products I have never tried (at show prices). And It was great to see how much the Quinte Sportsman show has grown, In past years I would spend 15-25 minutes at the show and this year we walked around for close to 2 hours.,  this time it wont be 3 more years till my next visit.

Great Finds from the Toronto Spring Fishing & Boat Show 2012

(Rob Edwards, Dustin Lemmon, Jim Van Ryn)

Well, thus ends another year for the Toronto Spring fishing and Boat show. Im not privy to how well the event does, but I will tell you that there was some great traffic moving through that building, and some great purchases to be had.. If you know where to look.

If you attended the show I hope you got the chance to drop by the VRX/Dobyns booth, if not you missed the chance to handle some serious rods, and of course pick of some great Rod Glove products to protect your gear. Us Dobyns guys were kept pretty busy, these rods are really building a reputation in the market, and this show really proved that. I got to meet a lot of great people this weekend,  there was a ton of interest in not only the Dobyns series of Rods but of course, Numa Optics,  tuff as nails sunglasses really built for Anglers and Hunters. If you missed your chance to see them up close and personal this past weekend, be sure to drop by a local retailer and check them out. .. In the GTA head over to Pro J's and/or Fishing World, and if you are in the Ottawa Market be sure to check out Paddletales.

When not working in the booth my focus was on finding some killer deals and steals.. new frogs, and some gear to help me on a Lake Erie Trip coming up this May were also on the top of my mind. 

One booth that caught my eye right off the bat was Vok fishing, set up with the Ultra Tungsten team, VOk fishing had a very cool selection of Frogs on display. With super soft bodies and some crazy color options, I had to pick a few up (review to follow). These frogs are priced right at $6.99 and $7.99, they come in 3 sizes including a tiny frog even smaller then the one made by Live Target. These frogs come in two styles, the Croaker and the Samurai. I love the croaker color selection, but for some reason the hooks are set a bit to far in for my liking. So In my opinion the Samurai is the way to go.

(the Croaker Frog & The Samurai Frog)

Next up was a mouse I had been eyeing on a couple of my last orders with Tackle Warehouse, and when I saw in up close and personal at the show, I could not resist. The MLT Rat N Rat, caught my eye due to the tiny blades that have been adding in place of rubber strands for feet. It comes in some great color options and will do battles with my Live Target mice for time on the water. These little blades will improve the baits ability when fishing pads and open water alike. They are small enough to not get in the way when the fish takes it, but big enough to give some flash in the water.

OSP is a company that I know very little about, it is not readily available in my market so it is hard to get a gauge for the product quality and selection. At the show I was able to handle some of their unique soft plastics and fell in love with the "Do Live" stick (or Olive stick as I was calling it. This thick worm/senko style bait has a large profile and a great finesse tail.. when the package is open you get the very familiar scent of what one can only call "power bait". Im hoping this is one of my secret weapons this season (although the color selection was a bit lacking)

These are just some of the cool finds I had while walking the floor at the Toronto Fishing and Boat show, many other companies were releasing some great products and product lines at the show.

 I spent most of my money at the Bass Magnet lure booth, a great bunch of guys and some very cool new products on the shelf. Be sure to check out their new alabama rig, and swim-bait series called "Shift'r Shad. They also launched a great drop shot bait called the "twitch". Like always I fell in love  with their tube selection, some great new colors added again this season.

I had a blast at the show this year, if you missed it, be sure to mark the date on your calendar for next year. There are some great buys to be had, and a ton to learn at the vaious seminars and booths.