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