PRODUCT TESTS
-During 2007 we tested some great new products with the results listed below.
Check Back for more and If You Wish To See Other Products Tested, Let Us Know
or if you have a new, useful, or unique product you want featured on our site,
Contact us with your product to be considered for our Product Tests sections.
During 2008 we will field test and make review of:
- Lowrance handheld GPS..
- NAVIONICS HotMaps chips for your GPS, Check back to see what we think about these & the company..
- Further review of FISHGILLZ Floating Polarized Sunglasses
- Jimbo's Jigs Walleye Chasers
- American Premier Rods
- Watch for our review of the New American Spirit Lures including the Double Dancer that is back..
- How those Red Hooks produce..
- Maybe more on Sunset Amnesia Line
-along with other various fishing lures & jigs
FISHING RODS and REELS
-- Since I had an original Mitchell 300 Reel for about 30 years, we made a test of the New Mitchell 300X Reel. It is not the reel the old one was but it is lighter and
somewhat smoother. This one has some play in it and the handle does not stay tight. The cast seems better and smoother but the bail it tight to close with the turn of the handle.
All in all, it seems to handle the work OK, but I am still an Old Mitchell Reel guy.
-- We tested the Guide Series Pro Select Graphite Rod from Gander Mountain that is constructed of IM8 Graphite and has New Concept Fuji Guides making for a real sensitive and very smooth casting rod. The Med-Light and Medium are great rods and we would recommend you see the guys in the Fishing Dept. at the Peoria Gander Mountain Store for their help in selecting the right rod for your fishing.
-- For your Hands-Free rod carrying, we found the River Quiver a unique product which allows a wader or bank angler to carry an extra fishing rod totally hands-free behind our back and out of the way. We recommend you check them out at www.riverquiver.com
FISHING LINES
--Our friend and angler Toby has this to say about his latest product test:
"I want to let your visitors know about the new spiderwire that is on the market.
It is called Ultracast Invisibraid. It is the best line that I have ever bought.
It casts so smooth, and the hook set is super. It casts just as good into the wind as it does with no wind.
It has very low memory. But the draw back is that I spent 18 dollars on 125 yards of 20 lbs test with 6 lbs diameter.
I will never buy another line again."
-- Recently we were sent some Sunset Amnesia Line that is claimed to be "MEMORY FREE" Shooting Line.
Our first experience with the 12# Black started with me wondering, but after a few cast it did seem to lose some memory and made some good hook sets.
We will cotinue to use this along with some 8# Red and 10# Char. & Clear so check back to see how these go..
-- We use Berkley FireLine a fiber MicroDyneema line with ultra-low stretch, for most of our plastic worm fishing.
It has greater sensitivity in feeling fish better, awesome hook-setting power, holds up against abrasion and is stronger.
In continued use, we find it a great line for trolling, and maybe not as good for light jigging.
This line is more difficult to knot tightly and firmly, SO USE the PALOMAR KNOT.
This line performs well on spinning reels and may not be right for all anglers, so try it and you'll either dislike it instantly or it may
grow on you with use.
-- In the past we tested SENSOR Line by Stern, and found it to hold the coil on a spinning reel in time and had to be replaced.
On our baitcasters it was OK, but did not perform as well as expected. SENSOR is tough line and was sensitive, but did have too much memory.
-- Our test of P-Line Fluorocarbons, the CX Premium was real tough and has a smaller diameter, the 6# we tested had same
diameter as our 4# Trilene. This line is also super clear and worked very well on our spinning reels. I have found it to be little less flexible for Ice conditions. We have also tested the 8# and 10# P-Line and had same good results.
LURES and HOOKS
-- The American Spirit Double Dancer Lure a versatile spoon that can be cast, trolled or jigged. We had good success trout fishing and will be putting to use more. Check them on the web at www.americanpremiercorp.com and look over their catalog and check back for more of our review.
-- Markey's Lure Company has some unique lures all of quality componets and hand painted. We are testing the Belly Dancer, a small spinnerbait with bottom spinner. It has producted some Crappie and small Bass but we have used it little and plan to put to the test more next year. We also have one of their Backlash Buster tools that is also great to de-paint those jig hook eyes.. We will have more later but you can find them on-line at www.basscatcher.com , by calling 949-632-9824 or email..
-- Warrior Jigs has been our latest test product while early spring fishing at Kentucky Lake. We plan to further test these handgrafted jigs and float-n-fly jigs
throughout the year, but now find them to be super for panfish. They held up well and you can view some of them Here
These jigs had Great success with float-n-fly on panfish..
In addition to jigs, they Custom Paint lures and the few crankbaits we had painted to match our favorite colors have impressed us... Check back for more on these..
-- Custom made Shaky Head Chatterbaits by Jack at High Ridge Resort are awesome and at such a low price..
I have had Great success on a couple of the 1/4 oz baits catching Bass when little else worked. These baits have wide range of blades and skirt colors.
The action makes it hard for fish to overlook. He has 1/4oz , 3/8oz and 1/2oz sizes and can put together some custom combination too.
You can get yours by calling Jack at High Ridge Resort on Kentucky Lake at 1-800-684-8989... A must for your Bass tackle box..
-- The Berkley Blade Dancer is their new weedless Power Bait that is a real versatile lure.
The hook runs upwards behind a spoon shaped contoured weighted blade with a scented 3-D eyed soft plastic Power Bait Tail body.
Some also have a shirt (or you could add your own) and we have found and tried them in size from 1/4 oz to 3/8 and 3 of the 12 or more colors.
I have seen it stated "There is no wrong way to fish it" and I really believe this is close to ture.
The bait has a tremendous amount of action no matter what it or you are is doing. If you cast out and let fall it has a wobble flutter, swim it and the blade gives it wobble
while the tail has swimming action. You can drop it and it will swim and even jig this bait or just walk it on top or along any depth. Our best results were by casting out
and giving couple seconds to fall, reel up slowly (and as you reel the bait will work upwards due to the blade or spoon facing upwards) and pause letting
fall back down some, reel up, pause and keep repeating this. If you reel fast it will stay high in the water for working over shallow weeds.
I feel this bait could make a great vertical presentation and maybe even for ice fishing.
We feel these make a great addition to our tackle and they catch fish too.
-- We have been field testing the T.N.T. Shad Slabs (Jigging Spoons) by Trolling Nolan’s Tackle Company and find them to be made from quality components with an awesome finish and halo-graphics. I like the realistic shape and the red hooks and found the 1 oz slab to work will for Bass, WhiteBass and Walleye along breaks off flats and along ledges. These T.N.T. Slabs would be great for Stripers and one day I found shad being pushed up to a bluff and casting a 3/4oz slab I hooked a nice Walleye. Check Bryon Nolan’s website for other slabs items, ordering info, tips for using and current specials offered at www.trollingnolanstackle.com or call 580-477-1391 and check back for further test results of these shad slabs or jigging spoons.
-- Jimbo’s Jigs may be the best hand-tied hair jigs we have found and even better they are made right here in Illinois.
They have a wide variety of multi-color jigs like the Crappie Knocker, the Bass Knocker with or without sparkle tail and the Bass Dazzler with tinsel attractant.
In fact, Jim and Carol’s Hand-tied Calftail Hair jigs seem to breathe in the water and are irresistible to fish.
Here is what Crappie USA Pro fisherman Ben & Vicki Short of Illinois say, “we are really impressed with Jimbo's Jigs which were the only things working around cold fronts and tough fishing conditions a couple months ago”.
CONGRATS on finishing the 2004 year in 1st place in points for Region 3 and 4th overall in the U.S. for Crappie USA and they believe it is due to using Jimbo’s Jigs.
Save yourself the frustration of poorly tied jigs that will not hold up, get the best by visiting www.jimbosjigs.com or call 618-452-3536 to take advantage of their Pre-Spring Sale. They say “try our jigs and it will be love at first bite”.
-- The Charlie Brewer Sliders Co. has been manufacturing 4-inch finesse since the 1970's.
Their newer Crappie soft grubs with a vibro-tail and a Slider jig head really caught our interest.
Their secret is in the proven specially designed jig head and hook shaped to allow it to
slide over brush and sunken tree-tops for snag free fishing when rigged weedless.
I know what you are thinking, "Can you really set a weedless rigged hook on a crappie?"
and the answer is YES.
During our spring crappie trip to Bull Shoals Lake we field tested these baits with good
success, and the best thing was the bigger fish are buried in the brush so you can catch those slabs.
Less hang-ups on brush and trees meant more time spent fishing and not tying on jigs,
which in turn was a cost savings by not losing tackle. Crappie Guide Bob Largent of the
Brass Bell Cottages told us the other advantage of not hooking into the brush is less disturbance,
which means more fish caught at each location.
The Sliders come in great colors and they have great Bass baits too and we caught
Smallmouth on the 4 inch Bass Grubs in watermelon. We recommend you get a brochure and
try these great baits.
We have also used the 4 inch Slider Worms with their Slider Head Hooks (snagless) and find we caught more numbers of
fish and have now made these a permanent part of our presentation and HIGHLY RECOMMEND them, so visit them on the web at
www.sliderfishing.com or call Charlie or Linda at 1-800-762-4701 ( tell them Larry & Linda said HI ).
-- We have found what may be the Best Jigging Spoon we have ever used, it is the FLE-FLY Minnow Slab from FLE-FLY Mfg. Inc.
It has the best flash and is made of a material that allows you to put some bend in it to get the Best Wobble. We had Great success for Walleye and Huge White Bass out of deep water from 20 - 40 foot.
I had a day when fishing a 1oz Chartreuse Fle-Fly on points in 14-16 foot water right next to someone using a jig and minnow and the Fle-Fly out
fished the jig/minnow 5-1 walleye..
They have a Great color selection, various sizes from 1/2 oz to 2 oz and Fle-Fly has a great crappie-walleye jig selection too.
If you want to catch cool weather fish, or fish in negative moods, nothing does it like vertical spoons and the FLE-FLY Minnow Slab is the best we have used
so call toll free, 1-800-598-1100.
In Fact, We Think They Are So Great, We Have Them FOR SALE On Our Site. CHECK THEM OUT
BOATS, MOTORS & Access.
--We recently purchased the Navionics HotMaps Premium Lake Map card for our Lowrance handheld GPS.
I spent some time with it at home and contacted the company with questions and concerns.
They were courteous in answering all my concerns, I received great advice and assistance on how to update the software on our GPS.
Navionics is a company that has shown me they truly value customer service.
During my review at home of the Lake Map feature, I saved a few way-points for some real interesting structure spots on Kentucky Lake.
We started our field test on Kentucky Lake in mid April, we were able to find those submerged points, breaks and humps previously saved.
As we drifted over areas in the lake we knew should have features, the Navionics Lake Map showed us deep structure and much more. This Navionics HotMaps Premium Lake Map cards are an effective and valuable tool for anglers to locate those off shore hot spots.
Now that we have spent time using these maps in the real world, we will have it with us at all times on the water. We have recently received Cash Back offers from Navionincs for Trade-Ins and in fact, we are seriously looking at upgrading our GPS system, now that we see the benefits of Lake Maps.
Navionics has been the pioneer in electronic charting and navigation for 24 years and we recommend you seriously consider the Navionics HotMaps Lake Maps for your GPS system.
Check back as we will put this product to future use and testing..
--With our shift more towards multi-species fishing, we were real excited to see TRITON Boats build a Big Water Deep-V All-Welded Aluminum Boat. We ordered a DV 186 DC-F Mag as soon as they became available and after
2 years we remain real impressed with the exceptional riding comfort and the fishability of this boat. It performs better than I had expected not to mention how fast it gets up on the water with a 150HP (with a kicker motor hanging on it too)
even though it is rated for a 200HP. Our model has a full windshield and we soon will order the optional top to give us the maximum protection from the elements.
We fished a walleye tournament last November on a miserable day with wind, rough water and some rain but this boat was awesome.
They have a large baitwell and a huge 50 inch aerated livewell, center rod locker for even the 8 footers and lots of other storage.
These Triton DV - Mag Series are an absolute ultimate tournament boat. However they are changing this line some - Check Back -
Check back for further details as we continue using this boat...
--With the above boat, we went total 4-stroke and total Yamaha, the in-line F150hp and for the kicker motor the T8hp High Trust. Both of these are so super quiet and real fuel efficient.
The F150 seemed sluggish as we broke it in after coming from a 2-stroke, but once we had about 8 hours on it we could feel an increase in acceleration. It performs so well I find it hard to believe how much longer it will run
on a tank of fuel and I mean only fuel with No oil.. The first thing I noticed is a click of the key and it is running just like starting your car. The hole shot is plenty to get our 18 1/2 foot boat on plane in about 3-4 seconds with so little vibration or noise and so smooth it is a pleasure to run.
I have changed the oil, found all parts to be convenient and it has a freshwater flush device for more convenience.
The T8hp kicker motor has electric start, power trim & tilt and again is so quiet, smooth, fuel efficient and clean burning which was not the case with out 2-stoke kicker that would all but smoke us off the water when trolling. This motor seems the deliver more power than other
9hp motor we have used but the high trust prop seems to not be as powerful in reverse. This motor will run at idle and troll all day long with no trouble and I like how all the controls are at your finger tip.
-Both these motors provide outstanding performance, are so dependable and will have a long trouble-free life.
--We are now running a MinnKota Maxxum 80 trolling motor which has the smooth start at any speed so not to throw you out of the boat when you hit the button. It has the Weedless Wedge prop that get you through weeds effortlessly with no loss of battery power.
The indestructible composite shaft is stronger than steel and flexes when we run into stumps and will not rust or corrode.
I find the Bowguard 360^ breakaway mount will reset itself automatically after impact for super protection of the motor. As mentioned above, we have been in some really rough water and I feel I have good control of the boat even in the choppy water.
The only down side is with the long shaft it takes some effort to put in and out of the water, but the good news is that MinnKota now has a Maxxum Pro series with a Heavy-duty gas-charged spring lift-assist reducing your effort by 50%.....
AND we have now upgraded to the Maxxum Pro series and OH YEAH this thing is AWESOME..! There is so little effort now to set it in the water or to lift it out. I would never go back and recommend this for any set-ups over 42 inch.
One other good thing I have found is even after a long day of running the batteries appear to still have plenty of power so these motor does not drain our batteries as other motors have. I have had 5 other trolling motors and strongly feel this MinnKota Maxxum would be my first choice...
--We have also put the New MinnKota VANTAGE 80 transom mount motor into use and will be using for trolling and more..
So far the power Up & Down works smoothly with the push-button controls not to mention the quiet & smoothness of the motor with more than enough power. It has also run for hours trolling and not run our
batteries down that much. The best part is the ease of the 4:1 articulated steering, just move the Tiller handle (which Tilts and Extends) only 45 degrees will change the lower unit a full 180..
Check back as we use this New MinnKota VANTAGE 80 more.....--
-During a walleye tournament in late November 07, we trolled crankbaits much of the tournament we did not use our kicker motor but used only this MinnKota VANTAGE 80 . It performed as we wanted and took us to within the finally hour before showing a drain on the batteries..
We turly enjoy using this trolling motor.
Check back as we use this New MinnKota VANTAGE 80 more.....--
--We have tested and still using the MINNKOTA MK220 & MK330 CHARGERS
These Minn Kota on-board chargers take all the guesswork out of recharging your boat batteries.
No more dragging out chargers, hooking up to one then watching to switch to next battery.
They are fully automatic with Multi-Stage Charging to recharge batteries faster and will safely maintain them while in storage.
After a full day of running our trolling motors, I have experienced a full charge in 4 hours.
These charger are so fully automatic it is as they say ?set it and forget it? proper charge every time.
We have tried and used several chargers over the years and suggest you
Do Not waste your time or risk your batteries with portable or other charges, get a MinnKota on-board.
--Also we are testing Scotty Rod Holders with flush deck mounts with the Power Lock open style that have been very resilient and reliable. They were tight to put into mounts at first but are fairly smooth now with the versatility we need and are holding up better than others we have used in past. They have a variety of designs and configurations to fit your needs and we would recommend Scotty Rod Holders for all types of fishing.
MISC
-- FISHGILLZ Floating Polarized Sunglasses have been AWESOME..
Light Weight, Super Comfortable and they Float too. Watch for a full review soon from member (Dale) of our field test team..
You can check them out at www.FishGillz.com
--The Zoom Dye Markers are Great for adding color to your baits without the mess of liquid dyes.
We keep them in our two favorite colors, Chartreuse and Hot Pink.
We now only need to purchase twistertails, roadrunners and jigs in White and add color to fit each days fishing conditions.
Not to mention saving space. These marker are permanent and even scented to help catch more fish.
Try it, you will like it too..!
--We have used and tested many slip bobbers, several our line would cut into the ends causing our line to get snagged, not allowing your bait to reach your intended depth, and worse, enough damage to our line causing us to lose fish through break offs.
Others were difficult to cast into wind or would not support much weight and were hard to see not to mention most would just last for a season.
Well, with all these slip floats, we have used and found the Hand Made in USA "Cast Away Bobber" to be the only one we need. Due to its weight the Cast Away Bobber casts further and more accurately, is not affected by winds, last longer and requires no bead at the slip knot (there is one built into top of bobber).
Because it has an off center of gravity, the Cast Away Bobber can be cast without any added weights and because of this it is easier for the fish to tip up with very little resistance. The components of this bobber will not wear out over time; the body is bonded to the stem so it is made to last years not a fishing season or two.
It has a glass bead that will not wear out even if braided line is used, like we see with a majority of other bobbers. In fact this bobber can be stepped on and will come back to its original shape.
It comes in different sizes and is bright colored to see above water but is black on bottom and is excellent for the shore angler. We really like the Cast Away Bobber and recommend you can get yours
by calling Jim at 574-259-7794.
-- Frogg Toggs Outerwear that are Guaranteed Waterproof, Breathable and at a good price. We have tested different suits and are pleased with them- They are great light weight outerwear and we have replaced all other rainwear in our boat and vehicles.
-- Hoss´s Hawg Bait has been one of the most fun test products we have had. The Catfish just can´t seem to get enough of the Hoss´s Hawg Bait. We found this bait to hold to the dip worms better then any others we have tried and it is just as they say on the label "The Dip Bait that’s easy on the Nose and second to None!" If you enjoy catching Catfish, we highly recommend you call Russ & Janice at 309-565-3241 for locations near you to find their bait ! or check them on the web at www.hosshawgbait.com. We do know these locations have it : Peoria Gander Mountain Store, South Side Worm Ranch, 3405 SW Adams St. in Peoria and most Farm King Stores.
-- AEROBAIT Aerated Minnow Buckets from Magic Products is a self-contained insulated minnow bucket helped prolong the life and liveliness of our minnows for two weeks with only a loss of four minnows. We kept it running round the clock and the “D” cell battery lasted about 4-days at a time. This aerated minnow bucket was a Big money saver not to mention providing better fishing, and we just completed our second full year and still using this bucket, check them out on the web at www.magicproducts.com
-- We have tested and used Magic Worm Bedding from Magic Products, INC. This worm bedding is made of organic materials making it fairly clean and odorless while being real absorbent and easy to work with. This bedding remains loose and moist to keep worms healthier, longer living and they keep a natural rich dark color. After a few months when it gets black just replace with fresh and use the old for plotting soil. We find Magic Worm Bedding to be a real time and money saver for us. We just pick up a few after a rain and dump in our un-used worms each outing and we always have good worms on hand at all times. We recommend you look into keeping your own worms in Magic Worm Bedding and check their site at www.magicproducts.com.
-- TAKE ONE Minnow Trap by Pangrcic Products that eliminated us sticking our hands in the water and trying to catch a minnow or using a net to scoop up several minnows when we only need one. The “Take One” not only cut down time getting bait but reduced the number of dead minnows because of abuse, but it gave us ONE minnow most every time. A great tool for every fisherman so check it out at www.pangrcicproducts.com
--Our testing of the SE Sport 300 Hydrofoil from Sport Marine Technologies, Inc. really impressed us with how it assists in getting our boat on plane much quicker, even with the added weight of a kicker motor. In addition, we noted the boat stayed on plane at low speeds, it seemed to smooth it out and improved handling. We contacted the company with what we thought was a loose bolt problem, they were impressively quick to respond and send replacements and gave good advice. As it turns out we had not tightened the bolts enough which must compress a rubber washer and needs to come through the locking nut. Not only are we pleased with support and help this company gave, but this is only product they manufacture, which I find is a plus since they concentrate all their effects into making the SE Sport Hydrofoil the best product possible. We have been reluctant to try one of these, but now see the benefit and recommend this product for your boat. You can find them in most outdoor stores or on the web at: www.sesport.com for answers to all your questions.
-- The Sportsman's Connection Lake Maps has two books of Illinois Lakes (Northern and Southern). We find ourselves just looking for lakes we have not been to. The books list info on each lake such as location, size any regulations, stocking reports and bait shops in area. The layout of the lake is shown with depths and known structures in lake. We find these very helpful and one of the most useful booklets we have. You will find them on the web at www.sportsmansconnection.com where they have other states.
-- The GERBER Fisherman Tool has been great, with the one handed opening pliers. The needle-nose pliers are a true fisherman´s tool as are the Fiskers scissors. The pliers have a cutter that would even cut fishing line, but when I cut a hook out of a fish´s mouth, they got a small nick which I was surprised..? However, they are handy with all the other tools such as a saw, hook sharpener, serrated blade, opener and two screen drivers all work good and have a locking feature.
-- Our test of the "Hydro Glow Fishing Light" (4' model) during July of 2001 we found the fish to be real attracted to the green glow. We had minnows within 10 minutes, then some shad and larger fish right after, including Walleye. It effectively brought fish to the surface and was best at the outer edges of the light or fishing deeper under the light. We would recommend catching some of the native bait fish to use as bait. The green glow of the light did not attract bugs to us and we could see most of our tackle. This worked better during the summer nights, and was FUN. The light has a long cord, is all self contained, floats great and has a case for storage and travel. Go to www.hydroglow.com for more info on this.
-- "Herbie's" Magic Dust has been a fun way to spend the winters.
No more messy paints or long curing times, you can do this anywhere with a lighter, small propane torch, can of sterno, gas burner or a heat gun and you can change colors to suit your fishing needs now.
Just heat the jig (or what ever) for about 6 seconds, dip it in the "Herbie's" Magic Dust and in 1-minute it is ready to use.
I had fun experimenting with multi-colors, coloring spinner blades and jigging spoons. I also repainted some of our spinner bait heads.
Do Not do as I 1st did, and that was use a candle, which puts black carbon on jigs.
You can get a virtually indestructible finish with "Herbie's" Magic Dust, so get some of this dust, it is great.
Check out their website: www.herbiesmagicdust.com
-- We are still using the HOLDZIT products, the Holdzit Tool Saver, and the Holdzit Comfort Grip.
Linda is still enjoying the comfort of the Holdzit Comfort Grip on one of her Spinning Rod.
You can check out their products or order from the WebSite : www.holdzit.com
-- Our testing of the Kick'nBass Fish attractant produced some nice catches. This spray is made of 100% oils, no water or filler and it stays with
your bait the longest of any we have tried. We sprayed it on all plastics, jigs, spinners and crankbait with good success. The Garlic scent worked best for us during our Bass Tournaments.
Walleye Pro John Phillips tells us the Kick'nWalleye proved to work very good in his tournaments. We have used and talked to others who have tried these products and
really like them, so we recommend you give them a try. Check out the KicknBass WebSite: www.kicknbass.com
-- Out testing or AQUA-VU Underwater Camera was several years ago and there are many new models out. If we get chance to review, we will report back..
----Also, we have done a lot of camping so let us know if you would be interested in hearing about Camping products too.
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