Teckel Sprinkler Frog - Test Drive (pre-release)

I was honoured and privileged to get my hands on a pre-release version of Teckel's all new Sprinkler frog, a bait that may just prove to bring your frog fishing in 2017 to a whole new level!

You know those times when you hit the lake and the conditions are just perfect for top water, but you're just not sure if you should throw a frog, a buzz bait or maybe even a whopper plopper? That's the exact time you should pick up a Sprinkler frog, here's why:

Off the Shelf

Being that this frog is not yet available I cant really tell you what its shelf presence was like. I can tell you that videos speak louder then images.. meaning that watching this frog in action sold me quicker then any other frog I've purchased. (and you know Ive got a tackle junkie in me)

I  use Teckel baits on a fairly regular basis, so I knew what to expect quality and material wise. The body and hooks are top notch and the sprinkler foot is also more robust then I expected. I'm fearing a pike attack, but other then that this frog should hold up well.

My main concern here is the ability to replace the foot when it becomes damaged or completely ripped off the bait. Sure I could Frankenstein something up, but once you see this frog swim you are going to want to keep the same action with a replacement foot. At this time I cant confirm or deny if Teckel will be offering replacement feet. (please do!)

Teckel has always offered a wide selection of colour options for each of their frogs, I would expect the Sprinkler to be no different. You can see some of the colour options on their Facebook page (HERE) where they have been sneak peeking the frog since late 2016. The Video at the end of this article also shows off the 8 color choices that should be available at launch.

On The Water

It been awhile since I was as impressed with a frogs on the water performance as I was with the Sprinkler frog. From the very first cast I saw incredible potential in this bait and it has officially made it into my #1 Frog box for the 2017 season.

As an angler that loves to frog fish but is not a huge fan of popper frogs, I'm always looking for that perfect crossover bait that can bring the noise in calm and windy situations alike. The Sprinkler Frog is that bait. If you love the noise and the look of a whopper plopper coming your way, this is frog is for you!

It's important to me that you can work a frog at various speeds and that it still performs, the Sprinkler frog runs straight and true, when run at high speeds it  kicks up a rooster tail like the ones you see at tournament blast off and at slower speeds you get that sweet, sweet gurgle of the perfect buzz bait.

Unlike a traditional buzz bait or the Whopper Plopper the Sprinkler frog can be fished in pretty much any situation, meaning it be climbed over structure, and that it glides over pads, and any loose debris in the water that would consistently foul up a treble hooks ruining your retrieve. Unlike other Buzz-Frogs the use of a kicker foot in place of a blade ensures it fishes like a frog in the areas you actually want to throw a frog.

Although I stressed it above, I will do so again, anytime you add a soft plastic appendage to a bait there is the chance (a good one) that the soft plastic will get ripped up, or ripped off. At this time I don't know if Teckel plans to offer replacement Sprinkler feet, and if they don't this could be a short lived frog.

The Sprinkler frog pairs well with a Dobyns Sierra Series 735 which provides enough tip to make accurate casts all while still having the backbone needed to haul fish out of the nastiest of cover. As always I paired it with a Daiwa Tatula, this time a CT model.

At first glance you way want to write this frog off as gimmicky or a novelty item. Do you self a favor and don't let your first impressions fool you, this frog is legit,

Check out BassJunkies Frog Pond for a full review HERE

Test Drive - Live Target Hollow Body Sunfish

I don't tend to review or test drive too many frogs on this site, that's what the Frog Pond is for, but when a bait has a much hype behind it as the Live Target Hollow Body Sunfish does.. it's worth a second look. 

Off the Shelf

Live Target makes pretty baits, its what they do, but the Hollow Body Sunfish seems to have a little more bling in it then the rest of their hollow body line-up. This is a good looking bait and many anglers will be sold before they even  handle one. 

As for sizing, I find the two size options to be a little deceiving, the smaller size looked "ok" to me on the shelf but once out of the box it was small, so back I went to add the larger model. I was surprised to hear from one tackle that they would only be stocking the one size, but I guess with 12 color options this could get out of control quickly. Not many stored have room for 24 options of one product..My advice.. go big., don't worry about colour.

When first handling the frog.. er fish, it has all the traits you love from other Live Target lures, high quality imagery and hooks, along with an ultra soft body for improved hooksets.

Sticker shock may be an issue for Canadian Anglers, with the drop in CAD/USD exchange this bait was retailing for as high as $18.99CAD and on average ranged from $14.99 to $16.99. I picked up mine at an early season show and paid $13.99. Again this is an exchange rate issue more then a pricing issue. 

On the Water

By now you have all seen the countless videos of this bait doing its thing in open water and sparse cover situations. There is no denying that this bait walks, swims, and flutters incredibly well, when working in these situations you can pretty much make this bait do whatever you want it to do.. as long as you have the right rod that is.

When fishing in heavier cover situations I found the bait fished a bit dead. You might think that's a good thing considering it is suppose to imitate a dying or injured bait fish, but in this case I'm using the term dead to signify its complete lack of action and even feel. When pulling the Sunfish over pads and structure it has no real action and just kind of bumps along . when paused there are no legs to flair and if your fishing the smaller size the profile is almost non existent. 

Casting this bait on a calm day is a dream, but if you are dealing with even a breeze this bait quickly turns into an R.A Dickey Knuckle ball and neither you nor the catcher know where it will end up. Its crescent or moon shape makes it susceptible to knuckling or curving in the wind. Keep that in mind if you are a target oriented fishing hoping to drop this bait on a dime.

Now, while casting can be a bitch, landing is another story. I love the gentle "thwack" the sunfish makes when it hits the water. its really sounds like a fish breaking the surface and if they were not already paying attention they are now!

If you read the frog pond review (HERE) you know whats coming next. The hollow body Sunfish takes on water... fast. I found myself emptying on nearly every retrieve which after awhile gets pretty old. I'm not sure why this is an issue in the Sunfish as it is not an issue I had with other live target hollow body baits. I do know that when speaking to other anglers this topic seems to be hit and miss, Ive had a few guys tell me they did not experience this issue while other did. Lets hope it was an early production run issue and chalk it up to that. 

The Results

I have and I will continued to fish the Live Target Hollow body Sunfish, but it has become more of an condition specific bait then  an all around frog. To continue with my baseball analogy above, this bait is like the middle relief pitcher, once I get into a situation that I know it can excel in, I pick up the phone and call the bull pen. But it;s never going to be a starter, its just doesn't have the talent.

All testing was done on a Dobyns DX746 paired with a Daiwa Tatula HD reel. The DX746 is an amazing frog rod in situations in which you could use a little more tip. It imparts great action to frogs that do a ton of walking and it improves you short distance and skipping accuracy when casting. The Tatula HD is a beast of a reel and I never leave home without it.

Top Water Test Drive - The River2Sea Whopper Plopper Review

 The River2Sea Whopper Plopper is one of those baits that sat in my TackleWarehouse shopping cart on more then one occasion prior to actually being purchased. It was a bait I had a hard time wrapping my head around and I just couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger on this $12.99 lure.. and since as you know I'm Canadian that $13 quickly turned into $17 after the exchange!

But the more I read about the bait the more I was intrigued by it. Every angler that I know that had used a WP was ecstatic about, and wouldn't hesitate to tell you how much they enjoyed fishing with it. The term "big fish bait" was often thrown around, and once I'd heard that from multiple sources, this perennial shopping cart bait finally made it to checkout. 

Before we get to the Pro's and Con's section, I will say that I believe I made a grievous ordering mistake by choosing the 90F size, what seemed like it would be an Ok sized bait, ended up looking tiny when out of the package. Sure it still caused some serious commotion on the water, but the smaller profile doesn't scream "big fish bait" to me.. Ok on with the review 

PROS

First and foremost the Whopper Plopper stirs up water like no other bait Ive tied on. Its not a walking bait, and its not a buzz bait, its the perfect marriage of the two, and that says a lot. The stream of bubbles that this bait churns up is truly awesome, the tail offers up a mix of plop/clacker sound when retrieved that might as well be the theme from Jaws, it causes so much tension that I'm on edge for every crank of the reel... you know its just a matter of time before things go sideways (in a good way)

The 90F is the smallest size available and still casts fairly well. the larger sizes will get you some added distance and visibility in those times in which both are needed. again go big, don't make the same mistake i did.

We all know what its like to constantly untangle the front and back trebles on smaller walking and popping baits, this is rarely if ever and issue with the Whopper Popper as the fat spinning tail seems to get in the way just enough to keep things tangle-free which is a huge plus in my books.

As a guy that likes to add some flash and motion to my top water baits, I really appreciated the fact that the rear treble could be removed easily to allow me to switch it out and add a custom feathered treble in it's place. This was not the case with a certain Jackall top water bait I also tested this season.

With 3 sizes and 15 colour options there are not many other baits that can compete with the level of choice offered by the Whopper Plopper. Again avoid the toy model 90F

CONS:

Lets start with the obvious, this is a pricey bait, and in all honesty although they fish well, nothing about most River2Sea baits screams high quality components to me. meaning what am I paying for? This really should be an $8.99 bait (and up) but when it works as well as it does, any complaints about price are quickly silenced.

Availability is a tough one here as well. Many of my local shops carry some River2Sea products (mainly Frogs and Spinnerbaits) but I was not able to pick this up locally and had the choice to drive 2+ hours to the BPS or order on line from TackleWarehouse.

Size does matter, and this style bait performs much higher in a larger size, Im not sure the 90F shouldn't be listed as a panfish bait in order to avoid anglers like me making the poor decision on going small. But with that said, I liked the bait enough that I went out and purchased the larger size.

REPORT CARD:

Quality: B+

Popping:  N/A

Walking:  B

Casting:  A

Options: A+

Price: C

Where to purchase:

Tackle Warehouse ($12.99-$20.99)

River2Sea ($13.74 - $17.39)

Bass Pro Shop ($12.99 - $16.99) 

Topwater Test Drive - Jackall Binksy

Looking for a small profile topwater bait that makes more noise than a National Lampoons frat party? then look not further then Jackalls "Blinksy"a popper that brings way more to the table then any popper Ive ever seen.

PROs:

The Binksy is the swiss army knife of top water baits. It can be fished as a popper, and flutter bait or a hack and slash walking bait with a nice flutter spoon on its belly. This bait is perfect for all those times you want to make as mush noise a possible..  but it's not exactly stealthy.

 For a bait with this many body modifications the Binksy casts like extremely well. You can easily get some serious distance with both casting and spinning set-ups.

The Binksy feels nice and solid in your hands and performs well overall. Its seems to have been built with quality parts, nice strong hooks and a solid finish. My only issue with the baits design is that I would have liked to have seen a deeper mouth on the popper. The flat surface pushes water well but I'd like more gurgle. 

CONs:

The Binksy feels like it has a bit of an identity crisis on its hands. Is it a popper? a prop-bait? or flutter and slash walking bait? the answer is all of thee above but with so much going on its not exactly the best at of these techniques.. but then again its far from the worst. 

Some guys will complain about price, yes most Jackall hard baits are pricey (even more so in Canada) but the Binksy is on the lower side of Jackall's scale, so although it ain't cheap it won't break the bank like many of their other hard baits.

This bait was designed to utilize it's 3 key features when retrieving, but the issue I came across was that at times I had to over work the popper in order to get the rear prop to spin which defeated the purpose of having this "everything but the kitchen sink"style bait.

REPORT CARD:

Quality: B+

Popping:  B

Walking:  B

Casting:  A

Options: B

Price: C

Where to Buy:

Tackle Warehouse ($14.99)

Outdoor ProShop ($14.99)

Land Big Fish ($14.99)

Test Drive - BombShell Turtle

Its been a crazy summer, and between breaking in a new boat and a tone of new products, I haven't had much time to set down and write. But as the fall hits and the boat gets wrapped (insert sad face) I can now catch up on many on the product reviews I have been working on this season.

Lets kick it off with the BombShell Turtle

PROs:

The BombShell Turtle is a fairly versatile plastic bait and can be fished with both power and finesse techniques. I had more success with the finesse techniques nose hooking the turtle and letting it flutter fall next to docks and various other structure. If you want to power rig this bait I recommend trying it Carolina rigged or Texas rigged without pegging your weight. The turtle performs better when given the ability to do it's thing. Using heavier weights speed up the fall making it more a reaction bait then it needs to be. 

Your final hook option is belly weighted hook smaller swim bait hooks. This option gives the Turtle the same flutter/fall that the nose hook offers. This is another solid option that may help avoid short stoked you can experience with a nose hook.

Although the legs of these bait can be ripped from the body easily, the large profile body is fairly durable and will hold up for multiple fish. 

All 13 colour options blend well with the baits design. 8 of the 13 are natural turtle variant colours and the others are fish catching colours that work well on almost any bait you can through.

CONs: 

Availability and Price are common issues for baits not made by the big boys of the industry. The Bombshell Turtle suffers from both of these issues, and although they can be found at the Bass Pro Shop, most local shops will look at you sideways when you ask about them or share you a days wage to buy them.

As mentioned above the legs and arms are pretty flimsy, and although this is needed to give the bait its action, it also means it will quickly become and amputee once you get into a few fish. This isn't an issue if the front legs are the first to go, but once you start loosing the back legs its time to switch up baits. 

If your looking to flip the BombShell into heavy cover you will need to play around with your weigh sizes. If you go to light the wide body will catch up on the matting or slop making it hard to slide through. Too heavy and your not utilizing the baits best features (those back legs are awesome). 

Last point here.. I was not a huge fan of how a WG or EWG hook sits on the baits back when Texas rigged. It's awkward to properly rig and the hook point has no place to hide. A slight back slot or guard would make a huge difference in the Bombshells performance.  

Where to Buy:

As mention this is a hard(ish) bait to find, but the below on-line retails should be able to hook you up if your looking to give the Bombshell your own test drive


BombShell Lures - Learn More

Bass Pro Shop - $5.99

Cabela's - $5.39

FleetFarm - $5.49

Test Drive - Molix SV Craw Magnum

If there is one thing that Molix has proven to me over the past few years, its that when they put their mind to it, they can design one hell of a bait, sure sometimes they miss, but when you swing for the fences eventually your going to hit a home run.. the Molix SV Craw is the perfect example of this theory in practice.

PRO's:

The Molix SV Magnum offers up a jig style profile in a body design that will allow you to work in heavier cover situations that often required a Texas rigged bait. The body is thick and made of a durable plastic that holds up incredibly well. Believe me when I tell you the arms of this bait will be long gone before the body is rendered useless.

With that said the arms are not exactly a weak point when it comes to performance. They may look short and stubby but they give off an incredible motion in the water and look  lifelike on the  fall (check out the below video and you will quickly see what I mean). 

One of the best features of this bait is that it comes equipped with belly slots on both the top and bottom. This makes it extremely easy to rig and hide the hook point for improved fishability. I don't know why more baits arnt made this way, it makes a huge difference when fishing heavy cover for a long period of time.

The SV Craw is available is 2 sizes, the standard (2.75") and the Magnum (3.5"). Of the two I prefer the Magnum not only for its size but also for the additional color options. There is not a single color I wouldn't use but I quickly feel in love with the "Marron Glace" and "Blue Notte". 

Note: The smaller size is the perfect jig trailer size and I have also seen it fished lightly weighted on wacky or nose jig hook. Both of these hooks offer the bait a slower realistic.

CON's:

I have been fishing the Molix SV craw for nearly two months, and there are only three con's I will touch on. The first being the most obvious and that price point. The SV Craw comes in at a hefty $6.99 per pack, and with only 5 baits per pack the math hurts my head and wallet... yet I have still re-ordered them twice already this season.

Con #2 is the light weight arms, I get it, then need to me made this flimsy in order to give off the amazing action they are known for, but they are also very easily ripped off and your $1.25 bait can quickly become an amputee. You will learn to live with this and fish the baits one armed.. until the second arm goes!

The last con is also a pro, and that's the baits overall girth. The body of the SV craw is thick so you need to ensure you pair it with the right hook choice.. EWG is a must in order to ensure there is room between the hook and your bait.

The Video Store: 

The Video store is a new feature in the test drive section, but I think you'll find its worth your time. If you like what you saw from the Molix SV craw but want to see more.. here are some videos with the inside scoop and some live on water action

Note: The first video is not in English, so feel free to turn the volume down. It is a must watch that truly shows off what the Molix Craw can do in the water

Where to Buy:

Tackle Warehouse

Land Big Fish

Bass Mafia

Test Drive - BassTEK Tungsten Jigs and Slings

This past weekend I got the opportunity to test drive a few jigs from a company called BassTEK. Although you may not have heard of them (yet) they are an US company owned and operated by two long time anglers. Their vision for BassTEK was to provide quality baits at prices that all anglers can afford. So far I believe they have met that goal, on top of introducing come unique new products to the industry.

This test drive will be 2 fold, starting out with a review of their skirted Jig line-up and then followed by a product I'm very excited about called the Jig Sling.. here we go

Tungsten Jigs:

BassTEK currently offers up both a flipping and a football jig in their skirted line-up. I gave both styles a serious workout this past weekend while flipping docks, timber as well as  dragging rock and gravel shoals.

Pros

Lets start off at the top shall we.. BassTEK jigs are made with Tungsten, a material that is getting used more and more in the fishing industry, and for good reason. Tungsten allows you to downsize the overall size of the jig head while still offering up the same weight. It is also a louder and more sensitive material making you feel every little bump, nick and thump.

The enamel painting used on these baits is quality, I spent a good deal of time dragging these jigs over rocks and gravel and by the end of the day the jig only shows minor signs of wear and tear

The shirts on all BassTEK jigs are 100% silicone and in my opinion are cut to the perfect length. I had no need to alter/trim either style and was able to fish them straight out of the package. I like a medium to short skirt (insert joke here) that allows my trailer to impart some additional action. Longer skirts can cover this up, and it makes me wonder why guys use a trailer at all?

BassTEK has a pretty nice colour selection available. I usually stick to one or two colours focusing on darker more natural choices, but I have to admit after seeing their Missouri craw colour, I just have to have one

Hooks on these baits are crazy sticky and I never once had a fish come un-stuck. I did from time to time  bury one in a submerged piece of wood, but at the end of the weekend the hook point was still sharp. I actually passed one BassTEK jig to my partner to use, and thought it was pretty damn funny to listen to him say "ouch" over and over as he would stick his hand while prepping to flip. It was his first time using a Jig in 10 years! but seeing the success I was having he quickly tied one on.


Cons

There is not really anything that stands out as a con. I would like to see more colour and size options, but then again as mentioned above I only fish 1-2 sizes (3 max) and a usually throw a couple standard colours, so I'm not sure this would deter me from buying in any way, we just seem to be pampered with colour choices nowadays

Jig Slings:

The jig sling has to be one of the more simple but extremely useful pieces of  fishing gear that I have come across in the past while. When I first looked at them I was confused, I though they were a jig rattle holder missing the rattles, but one quick google search later and I was saying.. "Why has nobody thought of this earlier!"

Yes the Jig Sling is in a sense a simple bait keeper, but with that said it is the best bait keeper design I've seen and used. This past weekend I caught 10 fish on my first trailer without once having to adjust it after a cast.. the 10th fish ripped one of the trailer legs/arms off so I was forced to replace it, but all in all this little piece of rubber will take a lot of the frustration out of jig fishing with soft plastics.

(Photo from the BassTEK website)

There is not much I can say about how easy it is to apply a Bass Sling to your jigs. The above photo stolen from the BassTEK website shows you just how the Sling sits on your bait after being applied. As you can see the dense rubber slides over the hook point and up over the jigs natural bait keeper, once your trailer has been added you simply grab the tab end of the sling, pull it over your hook and your done.. the sling stays firmly in place applying pressure to your bait to ensure it stays just were you want it. These Slings are not a one time use either, chunks/trailers can be changed out simply by lifting the tab and sliding the back end of the sling back over the hook. I will be loading up on Jig Slings and applying them to my jigs prior to hitting the lake.

If you want to check out a short how to video, click on this Hyper link to see it in action: BassTek Jig Sling Demo Video


to learn more about BassTEK products check out their website (HERE) and swing on over to their Facebook page (HERE)  and click "Like" to follow them and be notified when new products become available.

Where to Find:

TackleWarehouse

TackleSmith

TackleTrap

Test Drive: Abu Garcia Veritas ice Rod & Reel Combo - Review

I can't believe it took me this long to get to my first "test drive" of the 2014 ice season. But as you know I don't take these things lightly and really wanted to put the Abu Garcia Ice Combo  through its paces prior to stepped up to my pedestal. 

Abu Garcia has enjoyed some great success with their line of Veritas rods, so much so that they decided to introduce an ice model. I was very intrigued by this combo when I first saw it, and even more so when i handled one in a local shop. I'm not a Abu guy, Ive never owned an Abu rod or reel prior to this combo, so you can believe me when I tell you that this review is truly my first impression .

Pro's:

The Abu Veritas Ice rod is build with some of the same characteristics that made its big brother popular, It's well built, highly flexible (move over uglystick) and has a great grip for jigging on ice. I like the weight, the length and the powers that this rod is available in (though I have no idea why they list the rod length in feet and not inches like every other ice rod maker) 

Available in Ultra Light, Medium Light and Medium powers the Abu has lined itself up as a great pan fish rod for perch, gills and even slab crappies. I put mine to the test on both pan fish and smaller walleye and have no concerns with it's performance.

The Reel that comes on this combo is better then most stock reels. For those that know me, you know I'm not one to buy combo's but instead pair a Tica Cetus reel with a nice rod, in this case I decided to give the combo a shot and I was impressed with the drag and overall performance.. that being said if I was to buy a second one, it would be a rod only.

In my use of the combo thus far I get the feeling that it is very durable, which is great for ice rods that get beat up slightly more then open water rods, this is even more important for an all white rod that may get stepped on from time to time (yep that happened) 

Cons:

In all honesty I didn't really come across all that many cons when it comes to this ice fishing combo other then the price.. coming in on average at $49 a combo Abu has priced themselves to compete with Frabill who in all honesty makes a better ice fishing combo.

The Vertias Ice combo is closer in comparison to the rods made by Clam, that retail between $19-$29 a combo. The reel on the Veritas is nicer then the ones that come with Clam ice rods, but not enough for me to shell out $49 (CDN) when I can take my pick of Frabill rods for similar money

I'm also not all that sold on a "white" ice fishing rod, check out the above pic of the walleye , if not for the black guides this rod is nearly invisible on snow and ice. It your a dead-stick angler or like to set up rods on a tip-down or slammer this rod is hard to see from any distance

Where to Buy:

Abu Garcia

Dicks

Test Drive: Daiwa Tatula Casting Reel

As our industry grows and expands I knew it would only be a matter of time before big name companies started to bang out high quality gear that would not only attract pro level anglers but would have a price tag that could make them affordable to the weekend warrior. Daiwa is at the forefront of this revolution bringing not one but two new series of reels to the table, both under the $200 mark

In need of some new reels earlier this season I picked up a couple of the Daiwa Lexa spinning and bait casting reels, both of which I quickly became a of, but little did I know, Dawia still had another trick up there sleeve, Project T aka Tatula, was introduced to the public back in May with a series of videos (found HERE) over a 10 week period leading up to ICAST 2013. During that time we got a few sneak peaks at a reel that took some of the best features from various other Daiwa models and combined them into a nearly perfect reel that wont break the bank. ($149)

The team at Daiwa was kind enough to give me the chance to test drive this reel prior to it being available to the Canadian market (scheduled for a November 2013 release), and here is what i found... 

Weight & Size:

Weighing in at 7.9 ounces the Tatula may not be the lightest reel on the market today, but I don't think there is a single feature I would tweak/change in order to shed a single ounce. Too many reel companies (and anglers) are putting the much focus on the weight of a reel over it's actual performance. If you don't make a durable high performing reel, does it matter how much it weighs? 

The one knock I have heard on the Tatula is its size. In other reviews I have heard it called "a tad wide" or "harder to palm". This may come down to personal preference, but for me it is the perfect size for my hand (see top image) which means its is comfortable, yet beefy enough to leave me with confidence in its fish handling power

Casting:

Daiwa is a company that does not rest of their laurels but in turn uses past success and failures to continue to move forward, the T-Wing system is the perfect example of this. Introduced a couple seasons back on the Ballistic series of reels the T-Wing had some positives and some downfalls, Daiwa took this feedback and improved upon the system using the new and improved T-Wing in the Tatula. I for one was a fan of the original T-Wing (and still use my ballistic reels), but Im much more impressed with the systems performance in the Tatula.

The big difference being that the T-Wing is engaged for casting, allowing for long smooth friction free casts with even the lightest of baits (yes even un-weighted soft plastics). Once your start the retrieve the T-wing disengages thus improving its ability to lay the line unilaterally back onto the spool... can you say best of both worlds? 

The below image shows you the T-Wing in both retrieve and casting mode. HERE is a link to an image published by Daiwa to help better explain the importance of the T-Wing system 

The Retrieve:

I think if there is one area that the Tatula impressed me the most (other then its casting ability) it has to be its incredibly smooth retrieve. Daiwa did not have to look far when naming it "Air Rotation" as there truly is no better way to describe the feeling then "air"... it feels weird at first, almost like there is nothing happening.. yes its that smooth

Another big perk to this reel is the oversized handle. coming in at 90mm the handle on the Tatula gives you more torque and leverage when battling big fish in heavy cover. The paddles or knobs are also oversized, they fit very well in your hand and don't put as much pressure on your finger tips as most reels. (I usually use reel grips on all my reels, but the Tatula does not require them, nor would they fit)

Strength & Durability

From the frame on up, every little detail that Daiwa put into the Tatula was done with strength and durability in  mind. Starting with the 2-pc aluminum body that offers rugged longterm durability, but still allows the reel to be light weight.

The Tatula is equipped with Daiwa's UTD or "Ultimate Tournament carbon drag", rated at just over 13lbs UTD offers more power then many other reels in ints price point (or higher).

The brake adjust range on the Tatula may cause many anglers some early confusion. Unlike most reels that offer adjustments from 1-10 the Tatula's brakes range from 1-20.  Once on the water and a few casts in, you should be able to quickly and easily find your personal sweet spot on the dial. I also really like that the brake dial is slightly recessed, on my own reels I find that the way I grip the reel puts my hand in position to accidentally adjust the dial while fighting a fish.. this is not the cause with the Tatula

So there you have it, and early test drive report on Daiwa's Tatula bait-casting reel. I know the minute these bad boys are available for sale in Canada I will be adding at-least two to my reel arsenal. I highly recommend you put your hands on one, but fair warning, you wont truly get a feel for what this reel can do unless you get it on the water

Test Drive: Rapala Scatter Rap

The Rapala Scatter Rap has to be one of if not thee most anticipated bait to hit the market in recent years. With the help of a well placed email and viral social media campaign the hype has been undeniable.. but like with all new products advertising can only go so far, and now it is time to see if the Scatter Rap can live up to the hype? 

PRO's:

There are a lot of pros to the Scatter Rap, and I would be remiss if I didn't start out with quality.. say what you will about Rapala (lover or hater) you cant say that they don't produce quality baits, from the hooks to the paint job this bait is well designed and well built (and if you ask my wife.."it looks pretty")

Originality and drive to create or invent new baits is very important for the sport of fishing and to anglers looking for an edge, and with the release of the Scatter Rap Rapala accomplishes this goal. There is not another crank bait on the market today that looks or moves like the Scatter Rap in the water. A Scatter Raps will quickly turn everyday anglers into knuckleball pitchers, you throw it out there not knowing exactly how and where it will go, only hoping that it will confuse and entice the fish into biting and like a knuckleballer you will have some good days and some bays, but as the saying goes.. "thats why they call it fishing and not....."

I found the Scatter rap to be a great small boat bait, if you have a tin-can or a canoe or even a kayak and like to troll baits, there is no better choice then the scatter rap, it moves and darts all around really calling those fish in. I know my Scatter raps will be with me in the canoe all season long

Cons:

First off one of the biggest cons on this bait is how hard it is to actually get your hands on one. Rapala did an absolutely amazing job marketing this product, and then completely fell down when it came to  getting it onto retailers shelves.. to this day many medium to large retailers still have not received their shipment or they received a partial shipment.. this sucks, and is frustrating to the consumer

Im not sure if it is the baits actual weight or the shape of the bill, but I found my Scatter Rap crank series bait very hard to cast for any distance. Both I and a buddy spent some serious time playing with various reels trying to get the right set-up for this bait.. and my findings are: the right set-up for a scatter rap is a spinning reel.

Like can be said with almost any bait the Scatter Rap will take some getting use to.  I personally had to continuously alter and slow down my retrieve for the first few casts, because I found that the speed I'm use to using with crank-baits was to fast and would cause the bait to spin.. It would start out well, but as your mind wanders a bit I found my speed picked up and the bait was off and spinning.. but once I nailed the proper speed I was happy with how the bait performed. Again frustration is at a high when learning this bait and it;s first time on the water I stopped using it after a few casts

Although this has not happened to me, I have heard rumours and seen on various boards some complaints about the bill cracking.. again, mine has had no issues, but I felt it worth mentioning.

The Wrap-Up

The Scatter Rap may not be for everyone or every situation, but all in all it is a nice addition to the Rapala family and I think it is worth giving one a test drive. It is unfortunate that the hype behind this bait was  larger then life, and I think that alone gave me almost unreasonable expectations of the Scatter Rap line of baits, so although I not quite ready crown it as a "best in show" I'm also not ready to throw in the towel.. give me a few more months then lets talk again

Test Drive: Daiwa Lexa Baitcaster review

This will be my third season using Daiwa reels, I made the switch from Shimano after becoming increasingly un-happy with the changes they were making to their bait casting line-up. So I dipped my toe in the water with a few Daiwa Advantage reels as well as the now defunct Daiwa Viento.  Once on the water with these reels I was quickly impressed with what they had to offer, and thus fully took the plunge by selling off my Curado collection and replacing it with Daiwa reels including  my first Daiwa Zillion (to this day the most I have ever spend on a reel, and yet worth every penny)

Skip ahead two years, to the hype surrounding an inexpensive new reel that looks, feels and fishes like a high end reel but that is priced under $200, The Daiwa Lexa hit the market to standing ovations from anglers on and off the water, and it's not hard to see why..  I personally love this reel, and I don't care who knows it

Pros:

Just like I did when reviewing the Lexa spinning  reel, I'm going to start the "pros" off with ascetics, simply put this reel is easy on the eyes without being flashy. If you like to co-ordinate your rods/reels (hey, some of us do) then this reel pairs incredibly well with a Dobyns Champion series rod (seen below)

Looks can be deceiving, the 100 series Lexa is a nice compact reel weighing in around 8.0oz, but it is much more powerful then its small frame would lead you to believe. With Drag strength of 11lbs this little reel will holds it's own as a finesse or a power reel (yes even frogs). I'm also a huge fan of the paddles on this reel, they are big and beefy and give you some serious cranking power.

Obviously it goes without saying that one perk that comes standard on all Daiwa bait casting reels is the external break adjustment. I for one am sick of fiddling with internal breaks, and and for me this is a big selling perk on all Daiwa reels

The last perk I will touch on is one that is very important to most anglers, and our wallets.. the PRICE. The Lexa reel gives you more bang for your buck then most other reels in it's weight class, coming in at $139/$199 respectively the Lexa offers you a light weight, high quality reel that is super smooth, and able to provide you with all around coverage for a variety of techniques 

Cons:

I'm a big fan of both the 100 and 300 series Lexa reel, but I will warn you that the 100 series reel is fairly small. It fits in my hand perfectly, but I know a few fellow anglers that feel it is a bit on the small size. If your in this boat, feel free to jump up to the 300 series, it will give you some added beef, but it is still a nice compact reel

Ill be honest I'm kinda struggling to find "cons" to this reel. In my review of the Lexa spinning reel I even had to resort to listing the availability as a con, but that is not the case anymore, as Daiwa is becoming more an more available to smaller retailers (a low price point high quality reel like the Lexa makes this easier)

The Wrap Up:

If you are looking for a great introduction into Daiwa reels, the Lexa is a great place to start. It is priced so that even novice anglers looking at their first bait caster wont shy away, and it's built tough so that a seasoned tournament pro's would want one (or two) on their boat. Once yet get your hands on a Lexa you will really start to appreciate what Daiwa has to offer, and remember, if they can do all this for under $200, then just imagine what it's like when you step up into a Zillion (insert heaven sound here)

To check out more info on the Daiwa Lexa 100 and 300 Series reel, click HERE

Don't just take my word for it, check out this review by the team at Tackle Tour, found HERE

Test Drive: The Daiwa Lexa 2000 Spinning Reel Review

I do a lot of product testing, everything from soft and hard baits, to lines to hooks and more, but there is nothing more satisfying then getting the opportunity to test drive a new rod or reel. I think this is due to the fact that although we may buy many new baits each season, we rarely add more then one new piece of equipment. And when we do add , often the new gear, no matter how expensive, does not live up to the hype, or more importantly our expectations. That being said this season, I had the opportunity to add a few new reels (and one rod) to my ever growing/changing arsenal. "What to choose, what to choose"...The Hype behind Daiwa's Lexa series of fishing reel is quite impressive and made it nearly impossible to not give one a test drive.

Unlike other quieter Daiwa reel releases, I have heard the Lexa talked-up on and off the water, on fishing boards and in chat rooms (do we still have these?) months prior to them hitting the store shelves.  It seems anglers everywhere are very excited about this new relatively inexpensive reel that can compete with reels many would consider  out of it's weight class.. so with that in mind I took the Daiwa Lexa 2000 for a test drive and pit it against one of the industries best.. the Shimano Stradic, and here is what I found...

PROS:

There is a lot to like in this spinning reel, but lets start off with the obvious.. it's sexy as hell. You cant look at this sleek design and tell me there is a better looking reel on the market today.. and it doesn't hurt that it  pairs really well with my rod of choice, the Dobyns Champion Extreme line of spinning rod (insert whistling sound here)

When it comes to spinning reels I'm always torn, I prefer to fish what most companies calls a  1000 series reel, but you don't get the same line capacity or drag strength as you would from a larger reel. That being said the Lexa comes in a 2000 series, and to me it fishes just as large as a standard 2500 series reel, without the added weight that comes with the large size. The line capacity is listed at 6/110, and I can confirm that it is slightly underrated as I spooled my Lexa 2000 up with 20lb Samurai braid and was able to fit the entire 150 meter spool on and still had room for my 4ft of leader. 

To me there is no better honor to bestow on reel then to compare it to an "old standby" or "personal fav" so I'm going to do just that. In my opinion the  Lexa spinning reel fishes like if not better then a Shimano Stradic, it is solid, yet light weight (8.1oz), it has a strong smooth drag (8lbs) and casts braid and mono line extremely well. All of these features rival if not approve upon what the Stradic has to offer, and yet the Lexa comes in on average $60 cheaper, across the board.. if that's not a pro, I don't know what is. 

I know I touched on it above, but I don't want to understate how impressed I was with the overall smoothness of this reel, from cast, to retrieve, and of course drag, the Lexa spinning reel  performs at a high level and really helps you fight the fish (instead of it fighting you)

Im no scientist, so I wont dive too deep into the full range of claims made about the Zaion carbonate Air rotor system on the Lexa, but to put it in angler speak: " it looks slick and gets the job done." And lets be honest, anytime you are able to reduce weight but improve strength, it is a good thing, and that is exactly what the Air rotor was designed to do.

The last thing I will touch on, is the size options available for the Lexa. As mentioned above I really like fishing with 1000 series spinning reels, but often they are too small, and in turn the most 2500 series is larger/heavier then Im looking for. Daiwa has this issue licked, as the launched the Lexa with a 1500, 2000, and 2500 series. I really like that the 1500, and 2000 come in at the same weight and strength, the only real difference being the line capacity. I can now do everything I want to do with a spinning reel without having to jump  up to a 2500 series

CONS:

Not really a con, but I will admit it took some getting use to the Daiwa "AirBail". This hollowed out light weight bail is common on Daiwa reels, but from a guy making the switch from Shimano I will admit it looked and felt a little large for the first few casts. That being said it feels very durable and should not bend, dent or deform as easily as the thinner "wire" bails, thus keeping your reel running smooth longer

I have heard anglers talk about this reel as being a bit heavy, and I don't think I understand? The Lexa 2000 weighs in at 8.1oz, and comparing that to a standard stradic that means it is .5oz heavier.. not exactly mind blowing. If they are comparing it to reels like the CI4, then that's not a fair comparison, as we are no longer looking at apples to apples.

The biggest con I can throw at this reel is availability,  In Ontario, it is not yet widely available, unless you are in a major market. I found myself making long treks to the few shops that carried Daiwa only to be told "soon".. but let me reiterate "it was worth the wait".

 The Wrap-Up

After this test drive I have to say, Im  impressed with the Daiwa Lexa spinning reel, so much so that I will be adding a second one to my arsenal very soon. This reel is built very well and is the perfect match for finesse techniques like Dropshotting, finesse jigs or even t-rig or wacky rigged soft plastics (you know, if your into that kind of stuff). 

I was  very happy with the 2000 series its has the slightly smaller frame that I want, but still feels tough and it could easily handle heavier techniques like dragging tubes, and the odd crank bait. These are things you would not usually be able to pull off on a 1000 series reel.

Weapons of Choice:

My Daiwa Lexa 2000, has been paired up with a Dobyns DX742SF rod. It will primarily be used for drop shot fishing.

I have plans to add a Lexa 2000 series reel to be paired up with my Dobyns 703SF, this combo will be used for texas ridges soft plastics, skipping up under docks and the occasional tube.