Fighting the Elements: Gloves

As a weekend warrior fisherman I have the choice to look out my window each morning and decide whether or not I will venture out onto the lake. High winds or heavy rain may keep me at home. But if you are a tournament angler you don’t really have that choice to stay home. You are expected to brave the elements and put in your 8 hours on the water, hopefully coming home with a check for your efforts.

Two things get cold quick on the water.. your feet an d your hands. Today I’m going to give you some options on how to keep you hands warm while on the water.

Lets face it, your hands are important part of fishing, not only are you holding a rod all day, and cranking the reel, but it is also important to be able to use your hands to feel the subtle taps that represent a fish bite, or changes to structure or bottom type. You want a product that will keep the elements off your hands but still allow you to feel those subtle taps and changes. You also need the ability to use your fingertips. Currently there are no gloves designed for fishing that give you all these options… here are some that will

Option #1: Golf Gloves

In a recent episode of Classic Patters Alton Jones can been seen fishing in a heavy rain suit and with a snow covered boat. On his hands.. A pair of Foot Joy golf gloves! These gloves are designed to allow hand and finger movement while protecting the hand. They are line or provide any additional warmth, but when used as a windbreak they will help y our hands stay warm while out in the elements. They also provide some water resistance. They will not keep you dry all day, but will repel light rain and keep you hands dry.

Option #2: Running GlovesRunning gloves

a nice light weight glove that provide additional hand warm to runners, so why not fisherman? Most running gloves are a light weight material designed to fit tight to the hands and allow dexterity. Most running gloves are not as resistant to wind or water as a golf glove would be, but they will provide you with more motion and you will be able to fell the subtle taps better then with a golf glove

Option #3: BaseBall (Batter’s) Glove

This glove is similar in style to the golf glove. Batters gloves are usually a bit thicker and contain more padding then the golf glove. This may give you more warmth, but the bulkiness will make the glove heavier and make them less sensitive. Looking for thinner batters gloves will be better, you wont be swinging a club or stealing any bases with these so you don’t need the extra protection

Option #4: Utility Gloves

Under Armour makes a great utility glove, it is fairly thin but still offers some protection from the elements. They give you great hand motion and free movement of the fingers and the finger tips. As with the golf and batters gloves a Velcro strap allows you to tighten them to fit your hand.



Maybe some day we will see a glove designed for fishing, but for now we can look to other sports to fill this void for us.. try one of these options our the next time you hit the water on a cold day.

Tungsten Anyone?

The market for Tungsten weights has grown rapidly over the past few years. A product that was made by one or two manufacturers (mainly Tru-Tungsten) is now being made by most major weight companies. Companies like Strike King and Gambler have entered a market that is being saturated with tungsten punching weights.

Every angler is by now aware of the perks that Tungsten offers, it is heavier and stronger then lead, and Tungsten weights can be found in sizes ranging from 3/16 to jumbos at a whopping 2oz. It allows you to use smaller sized profile weights and still load up on weight. These smaller profiles are also slimmer and will help the weight slide through cover easily. Tungsten is also known for being louder in the water when it bangs off structure

With new options available each season, the popularity of Tungsten can only grow. Options like the insert free version, that ensures the weight is always in contact with your line so you can feel every little structure or bottom change, or the ever popular screw version that keeps the weight tight to your bait for less adjustments.

The only down fall that tungsten brings to the market is price. At times it can be as high as $7 a weight. but with more and more companies jumping on board this should help lower the hefty price tag, soon they all will begin to compete for your business. I have already seen a new company that calls their product "Affordable Tungsten", ...music to my pocket book..

If you have not already got on the Tungsten band wagon now is the time. It is worth a shot and you will quickly see what all the hype is about. Start small, by buying a size or two of your fav weight and fish away. I recommend giving the insert free a shot. There has also been a big boom in pegging choices and options that make this technique much easier then the old tooth pick option.

News: Dobyn's Rod Pro Staff Member

Im proud to say that as of yesterday afternoon, I will now be representing Dobyns Rods as a member of their growing Pro Staff. I would like to thank them for the opportunity to fish and learn along with a great group of guys as well as help spread awareness of Dobyns rods.

Watch for updates on some future events I will be attending with the Dobyns team as well as honest reviews of Dobyns products. As you know Im a gear junky and I cant wait to get started !

For those of you who have not heard of Dobyns, you will soon enough.. but until then i have included a link to their site along with some basic info to get you started.

http://www.dobynsrods.com/

About Dobyns: (from their website)

Dobyns Rods is the brain child of Gary Dobyns who has honed his skills through decades of tournament fishing. Gary 's knowledge of all fishing techniques has led to his over 100 major tournament victories, this same knowledge is built into every Dobyns rod. Yet, it is Gary's insistence on adhering to strict design principles and minimal manufacturing tolerances that has raised the level of rod performance and quality throughout the fishing industry.

About Dobyns Rods (from their website)

Dobyns Rods offers three full lines of rods a Champion Series, Champion Extreme Series and the newest Savvy Series. Included within these three series' of rods are multiple rods for every bass fishing technique from the lightest split shotting rod to the super powerful mag topwater and swimbait rods. However, these aren't just rods for a particular technique, they are rods built for improving and maximizing your effectiveness with that technique. Each Dobyns line of rods has superior components and material to other rods in that price range from any other manufacturer. Take your fishing to the next level - use a Dobyns Rod.

Black Angel Jigs: Review

As I have mentioned a few times, I’m in no way a high-level jig fisherman. This is a technique that I’m just starting to play with but I have had some success.

Over the past couple season I have begun to build up a jig arsenal. I was buying jigs in all colors, shapes and sizes from all the big name manufactures. Then I came across a company that is not widely know in Canada called “Black Angel Jigs”. They had a very unique look to their jig with what they call “ trailer enhancer”. What it really is , is some extra long strands that give the jig just a few more seconds of motion in the water.

I bough a few of their Jigs, and fell in love with them, they quickly became a confidence bait in my arsenal and I have been growing my collection over the past couple seasons. Here is a review of the company and the products they carry.

Company & Ordering:

Black Angel Jigs is stationed in Texas, and have an on-line site that ships all over the US and Canada. They do have some distributors, the largest being Tackle Warehouse. But if you want to see their full line of Jigs you have to go right to the sourse at http://www.blackangeljigs.com/

There site is easy to navigate but is not the prettiest thing to look at. The site’s shopping cart is attached to PayPal so it is very easy to use and is safe.

Product Selection:

This is an area that I feel Black Angel Jigs excels. Not only do they have 8 different styles of jigs, but they have some very cool color combinations. Here is a breakdown of their selection….
Finesse Jig:
This jig only comes in a 5/16 size, but has a whopping 10 color variations. Each of which contain the trailer enhancer. I love to use these with finesse worms or with small craws like the Netbait tiny Peca



Football Jigs:
In the football jig section you have two options, standard or Heavy, the standard jigs come in weights of 1/4oz up to 1/2oz. The Heavy’s come in at the 3/4oz to 1oz mark. These jigs are available in 19 different color options.. if you cant find one you like, I think you have a problem



Combat Flipping Jigs:

This jig is made to fish in heavy cover, kit comes in a 1/2oz size with 9 color options. It has a super strong 6o hook and a bait keeper to keep your trailer in place even when fishing the heaviest mess of grass, or timber. It has a head very similar to swim jig but with a flat bottom. This is one my favorite jigs made by Black Angel



Magician Swim Jig:
this really is a magic jig, easily my favorite jig made by Black Angel. This jig comes in either 3/8 or 1/2oz. It has 9 color options and a very unique head design. As with other swim jigs, this has a wedged shapes head, but the line tie is tuned flat. This gig pulls with easy over and around structure. It is also equipped with a long shank hook, Black Angel compare it to a spinner bait body without the arm and blades.







Hitman Football Jig:

This is one of two jigs designed by tournament pros (Jeremy Starks) for Black Angel. The Hitman jig comes in 3 size options and 6 colors. The hook is bent up to help allow the bait the stand straighter and give it a more traditionally crawfish look while in the water. Because it stands up so well, this jig makes it easier for a fish to pick it up off the bottom. This jig is designed to be fished with larger craw bodies, so put your chunks away and break out the craw baits.


Grass Bomb:this is the newest jig in my arsenal. The Grass bomb was also designed by a tournament pro (Lance Vick)and is a mix between a standard jig and a punching jig. The oversized head, and super strong hook are perfect for fishing the heaviest of cover. Currently the Grass Bomb is only available in 1 1/4oz sizes. But a bigger and smaller size is on the way





Texas Finesse Jig:
this is a stronger and tougher version of a standard Finesse jig. It still weighs in at 1/4oz but with a stronger hook and a flat bottomed head, it fishes like a flipping jig (or shaky head). It is great for times when the smaller presentation is key, but you still require some additional strength



Rattle System:
Black Angel has a very cool rattle system that allows you to add one or two rattles to a jig and easily remove them. The rubber band style system slides on to most jigs on the market today and you can add one or two rattles depending on conditions. Im a big fan of this concept as it allows me to change rattle without changing jigs.











Product Quality:

The jigs are very high quality, with chip resistant heads and Ultra Point Mustad hooks (some jigs have Gamakatsu hooks). All skirts are hand tied and have the enhanced trailer.

Pricing & Shipping:

Jigs average in price around $3.50 per jig, some come in two packs and others are sold individually. Shipping is free on orders over $30. As a Canadian customer there was a lengthly delivery time on my order arriving, close to 3 weeks. It was shipped USPS which save me the charges that USP is known for hitting you with, so again, no issues or complaints, it was worth the wait

Customer Service: My order was received and shipped with no concerns. Not allot of email correspondance, but I had no issues or concerns with my order

Recommended: Yes, I would recommend trying these products. If you want the best selection go right to the source, but for those who just want to test out one or two, Tackle Warehouse will fill your needs and ship faster then Black Angel

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue!

We have all heard this age old wedding quote that is meant to bring a bride luck on her wedding day. But to be honest I apply the same logic to a daily fishing trip to help bring me luck

Something Old

My tackle bag is filled with goodies that would be considered something old. They are the classic stand by baits that are just as relevant today as they were 30 years (or more )ago, the classic Rapala or a Hula popper are lures that fit this description. Even more recent baits such as the senko can now be classed in the something old category.

These items are your go to baits, or confidence baits, when nothing else is working, go to something old, and you will usually find success. Dont cheat, bringing along your Grandfather does not count as something old!


Something New

This is hard for a lot of anglers, they dont like to drop their confidence baits and try something new. I fish with a few guys that use the same 2 to 4 baits on every trip and refuse to join in on new trends or technique. This is a mistake, I take time each season to test out new lures or techniques to help improve my knowledge as a fisherman. I may not do it in a tournament setting, but when on the water for a casual day of fishing Im also apt to try something new. Wether that was joining in on the drop shot craze that stuck a few years back or even something as minor as trying out a new lure that you dont usually throw.

An old bait can become new again when it is in your hands for the first time. For me, Jig fishing is a new thing, I have made a conscious decision to learn to throw jigs this year. I feel it will help make me a become a better angler

Something Borrowed

To me something borrowed is knowledge. As Anglers it is up to us to grow this sport and by sharing knowledge with your fellow angler you are doing just that. There are many ways to share knowledge, reading and writing blogs on this site is one of those ways. Joining a local club, taking a kid fishing. These are all ways you can give or get something borrowed. We all learned for someone, so make sure you continue that learning process and pass it along.

Something Blue

Really it comes down to just getting out on the water. Like with any sport practice is required. You need to be out on the water and keep your line wet. Sounds easy, doesn't it.

I wear my passion on my sleeve

Over the past 11 months I have been making the drive to Toronto every other month to get some work done on a Bass half sleeve tattoo. On saturday I sat for the last two hours of a 22 hour process, now it is all done, and I could not be happier with the results.Just over a year ago I had the idea for a Bass tattoo that took a tradition Koi fish and lotus flower design and changed it to Bass and lilly pads. I approached a Tattoo Artist that I admired and explained to him my idea. He was super exicted about the idea and booked me in. Here is the break down of the whole process from start to finishFirst things first, the artist that did my work is David Glantz the ower and main artist at Archive Tattoo in Toronto, Ontario. He started by sketching out my idea and adding a little color to give me an idea of what the fish would look like.
This pic is of David and the sketch he did of my arm. The photo is from a Toronto Star story on David and the tattooers for Japan event

Once the Drawing was done I had my first sitting, it was a 4 hour sitting in which David completed the lining of the entire tatoo. He also completed some shading and did some minor color work.

Once the linging hd some time to hear, I was back in to start on the color. The color span out over many months. David took his time to ensure all the deatils were perfect. He completed the first bass and lilly pad during a 4 hour sitting and did the second lilly pad, the Smallmouth and some water during another 4 (almost 5) hour sitting.

Ok, now we start to get to the painfull stuff. I have a few tattoo's so im not exactly new to the process. But i will tell you one thing, an hour or more on the inside of the wrist and I was calling "uncle" same goes for the inside of the armpit (also know as the ditch. My second to last appointment was spent almost entirly in these areas.. I apologize to David now for being a bit squirmyhere are some wrist and other detailed pics

Alright so now we are all caught up to my appointment this past weekend. It was my final 2 hours (that became 3) He was able to put on the finishing touched by bolding up some of the lines, we added the cat tails and did some touches ups in areas that I did not heal well (Im a notoriously bad healer).So when all is said and done here is the final tattoo. It is a thing of beauty and the photos really dont do it justice. Im extremely happy with the final product and was happy to spent 20+ hours with David talking movies,music, fishing and all the other important things in life

Check out David's site for more of his work http://archivetattoo.com/

Why I buy Shimano!

the amount of new rod and reel companies entering the fishing industry every season is a testament to popularity and growth of the sport. But no matter how many rods or reels I test each season, I keep going back to the old standby... Shimano


One of the big reasons I have supported shimano all this time comes down to the fact that they support the industry and stand behind their products. I swung by the Shimano Canada Headquarters this morning to drop off a Curado reel to be repaired . Unlike other manufactures shimano has an open door repairs policy and any customer can pull up the the Head Quarters building, (Peterborough, Ontario) look for the blue door and walk in to drop off a reel or rod. You then have the option to pick-up the product when the repair is complete or then will ship it to you

Today I took a curado Reel that seemed to have a little bit of back play , I wanted to get it looked at and repaired in necessary. When I walked in the guys working the repairs desk looked over the reel and explained to me that the small amount of play I was experiencing was to be expected and even if I paid to have then adjust it, it would not make a huge difference. He even pulled out the same Curado reel to show me that it had the same "play" as mine.

walked out satisfied that my reel was working and happy to know that they could have taken my reel, did some work and then charged me for a minor repair that was not needed.

I buy Shimano because I trust them as a company, I know I'm getting top quality products and If and when I have a problem with a product, I know that Shimano will stand behind it. If you have had issues getting products repaired, calls not being returned or are sick of paying shipping charges (both ways) for a repair.. give Shimano a call.. I know I would