ICAST Day 3: Quantum Feature, Line, Accessories and More!

My day 3 report is a little delayed due to technical difficulties. Now that I am back I can get it posted. I will focus this report on what I felt was the best new product(s) of the show. The new Quantum 150 sized baitcasters. More reports to come in the next several days on other products of interest from ICAST and what we will be planning


Quantum: Leader of the Pack



I'd like to spend a little time discussing Quantum because of all the reel manufacturers I felt like Quantum took major steps to jump to the head of the pack this year. Amongst the reel manufacturers, there was very little change. Reels are the most complex piece of equipment we use next to electronics, so it is no surprise with the state of the economy many manufacturers stuck to simple line extensions or upgrades rather than complex projects. That was not the case at Quantum. They have extended their lineup of freshwater baitcast reels to 13 models with the addition of 1 budget starter reel and 5 completely new Performance Tuned (PT) reels. Combine that with 10 spinning models and Quantum has the most complete offering of reels for the bass market. Only time will tell if this bold move in a year where most choose to cut back in the R&D department will payoff. Below you will find a complete list of Quantum's baitcast reels by price with extended descriptions on their new models.

• TOUR EDITION KVD $299.95 (new for '10)


• TOUR EDITION PT VI $259.95 (new lower price)


• ENERGY PT SS $229.95 (new for '10)


• ENERGY PT $189.95


• REAX PT $169.95 (new for '10)


• CATALYST PT $139.95 (new lower price)


• KINETIC PT $119.95 (new for '10)


• ACURIST PT $99.95 (new for '10)


• CODE $89.95


• BURST $69.95


• RESPONSE $49.95


• ULTRA $39.95


• AURA $39.95

At the top of the list is the new TOUR EDITION KVD reel. I was fortunate enough to have KVD himself take me through the new features and the thought process behind the new reel. I could tell after a few moments that every ounce of this reel is KVD. Everything from the gearing to the drag to the handle is precisely what he demands of a reel. Those of you that follow professional bass fishing know that Kevin's style of fishing is very aggressive and high speed. He flat out covers water. This puts extreme pressure on his gear, especially his reels. The new KVD reel is designed to withstand this pressure. Here are the highlights of this finely tuned machine.

• Size: New 150 size designed to increase capacity with very little impact on the overall size of the reel. I have had customers mention to me the very same thing the Kevin did when going over the reason for the new size. The 100 size reels cast so well that you could often throw all the way down to the knot. The new size increases capacity to ensure you never out cast the reel. This feature is also available in the new Energy PT SS and Reax PT series.


• ACS3 Breaking: A revolutionary new breaking system designed to reduce if not completely eliminate backlashing. The ACS3 breaks sense when additional pressure is needed to slow the spool and avoid backlashing. It also senses when it is not needed such as when pitching and flipping. This feature is also available in the new Energy PT SS and Reax PT series.


• Gear Ratio: The gearing of the new KVD reels is setup to cover all types of fishing. Kevin wanted specific line retrieval rates 24 on the slow speed, 34 on the high speed and 28 in the middle. Quantum achieved that with a 5.4:1, 6.6:1 and 7.3:1 ratios in the KVD. In the REAX they offer a 7:1 and 7.3:1. In the Energy PT SS a 6.6:1 and a 7.3:1.


• Drag: KVD needed a drag that could completely lockdown. The addition of 3 carbon discs to Quantum's ceramic drag system makes this possible. This reel can be completely locked down or precisely tuned to the needs of the application you are fishing. This feature is also available in Reax PT and Energy PT SS.


• Handle: The KVD has the Tour Edition Carbon Fiber handle but has been slightly increased in size for a more comfortable feel. Again, this reel doesn't just say KVD on it. Everything is exactly how he feels it needs to be.


• Magnetic Breaking: In the new KVD, gone is the standard 3 position break that has been standard on Quantum reels. Now a more precise 180 degree breaking system allows you to really dial in.

In Summary, the new Quantum 150 sized reels are very impressive. The KVD, Energy SS and Reax are the best new reels of the show in my opinion.

ICAST Day 2: New Baits for 2010

Two days down and one to go. Today I will focus on baits. Lots of exciting new stuff coming as usual. Here are my picks that you will most likely see on the Castaway shelves soon.

Sebile Soft Magic Swimmer-A new soft plastic version of the highly successful Sebile Magic Swimmer in a 4" and 5" lengths will be available around September. They will come 3 to a pack and include an EWG hook and several (I think 6) 1/32oz ring weights that can slide onto the hook to vary your depth. Now before you just move on and say something like "I never catch anything on swimbaits," keep reading. Being soft plastic and rigging with the EWG hook, this is a weedless version of the magic swimmer. Its got the same exact swimming action that you already know. We also had the pleasure of seeing Patrick Sebile rig this bait up in a very unconventional way for a swimbait, a carolina rig. Rigged this way, the Soft Magic Swimmer is the has the most realistic dieing baitfish action I have ever seen. This is going to be a big hit for summertime deep water carolina rigging.

SPRO Little John DD- The newest and deepest version of the widely popular Little John crankbait series designed by pro John Crews. This is a monster of a crankbait weighing in at 1oz that can get down to 20 feet deep. Another must have for any North Carolina summertime deep water fisherman. Comes in all the perfect deep colors, Chartruese Blue, Home Boy (Homer) and Citrus Shad as well as several others that have done very well in the Little John shallow in mid divers.

Big Bite Cane Stick-Been hearing about this one for a while and finally got to see it in action. Another Dean Rojas designed bait from Big Bite (Fighting Frog came out earlier this year), the Cane Stick is probably the first stick bait that I immediately thought had the potential to work as well, if not better than the original Senko. I know no one will buy that without seeing it, so watch for it to come in soon and check it out in our demo tank. It can be fished anyway you fish a senko and also looked really good on a flickshake style wacky jighead.

Strike King Baby King Shad- This looks like the perfect size shallow running swimbait. Its a small 3" inches and will dive 5 feet. Its jointed like the king shad and should give off tons of vibration.

Tru Tungsten Wacky Worm-Didn't get the exact name or any literature on it as it is just a prototype, but it's basically a finesse worm with a metal ring molded inside the middle of it for wacky rigging. I think it may have also been waited with tungsten on each end like their worms are now. Not much for details on this one yet, but more to come for sure.

Black Dog Small Cracker and 6" Lunker Punker- You might be familiar with this California based company as we have stocked their original shellcracker and lunker punker baits. The first offerings from this small independent bait company were premium, hot quality, high dollar "California" swimbaits. The Shellcracker was a big ol' bream patterned jointed bait that had a great action whether swimming or topwater twitchin. The lunker punker is a sammy or spook on steroids at 9inchs long and about 2 inches thick. Both were made of wood and retailed for about $50. Well the Black Dog guys have now come out with a couple of baits that might appeal more to our region in both size and price. The new Small Shellcracker is a lipped diving, double hinged bait (joint in middle and a hinged tail) that is about the most realistic looking bream bait you'll ever see. The new 6" lunker punker is still a big bait, but is in the range of some of the larger sammy's and super spooks. Both are made from an injection process and are a plastic material rather than wood. They will retail at a much easier on the wallet price of $19.99.

Strike King Rage Tail Eeliminator- Several new models in the very popular rage tail series but the one that stood out to me is this "eel" type bait. I have a DVD, so will try to get the video on the site soon, you'll have to see it to fully understand.

Basstar D20F and Dredger- Another small California based company with some new deep diving crankbaits. Both are essentially the same bait in size and look, but the dredger has a weighted lip which allows you to fish it at any depth. The D20F is a 20ft diving crankbait. The body style is similar to that of the Rapala DT series, but is made of a plastic and is dimpled (like a golf ball). The guys from Basstar say they have fished that dredger in 40 or so feet of water with success. Another interesting feature of these baits are there hook. It is a basstar exclusive which is called Spintech. These trebles actually rotate around the middle shaft, which means less chance of throwing the fish. The hooks will be available separately as well.

Reins Large Cross Swamp- A finesse bait that has been pretty hot lately is the Reins Cross Swamp. The current version which we have in the store is a 3" model that is in the shape of a cross. Reins also offers a larger approx. 5" version of this worm which will probably be even better. Saw several other good bait from them but do to some language barriers, it was hard to get alot of details. Look for more from this company at Castaway's soon.

Koppers Live Target- Several new baits from Koppers include a Blueill and Pumpkinseed diving crankbait series, a Largemouth Bass diving crankbait series, a lipless craw bait and a Blueback Herring jointed swimbait. They also added a deep diver (17-20ft) in the current craw series. If you are not familiar with Koppers, they specialize in making baits that perfectly mimic live fish species not just in color, but in size, shape and action as well. They are definitely the prettiest baits out there.

Jackall Sasuteki Craw- A new flipping craw bait to compliment the cover craw from Jackall. This bait has a similar body as the cover craw but comes with some large claws designed to give off alot of vibe as a jig trailer or texas rigged.

Jackall Super Pintails- New High Definition finish soft plastic dropshot bait from Jackall which may put their crosstail shad out. These baits are specifically designed for dropshotting and are available in some pretty unique colors.

Lucky Craft Redemption Spinnerbaits- These spinnerbaits came out earlier this year but Lucky Craft has added a 1/2oz size as well as the actual color pattern used by Skeet to help win the 2009 Bassmaster Classic, aptly named Classic Shad, it has the American Shad holographic head with a white skirt.

Lucky Craft Silent Pointer 95- Sure to be a hit with the early spring jerkbait fishermen. This is a Pointer in the 95 size that has not rattles or beads making it silent.

Lucky Craft XD Pointers- Extra Deep pointers in the 65 and 78 sizes that will dive to 8 feet deep. Another great addition for jerkbait season.

Sebile Tail Spinner and Jigging Bait- I don't think I have ever talked about a spoon type bait after visiting an ICAST show in reference to new and hot products, but Sebile has come out with a couple of pretty unique offerings in this category. The tail spin has two sections, a thick shad styled front section with a spoon type back. The thing that makes it kind of unique is that it has two trebles on it, rather than the standard one on other tail spinners. same with the jigging spoon. It has a treble on each end and the line tie is in the middle of the bait.

Buckeye Mop Football Jig- Buckeye has put its popular Mop style jig on their football style heads giving you that rock or deep water jig with the full pulsating Mop style skirt.

V&M Mr. Mean Double Arm Spinnerbait- Bassmaster Elite Pro Cliff Pace is behind this new double armed spinnerbait. Essentially, where the smaller blade would be attached to the shaft, another shaft arm comes out. This not only gives the bait more vibration, but also gives the skirt a pulsating action upon the retrieve.

Those are the baits that have stood out thus far. More to come tomorrow including a breakdown on the new Quantum PT reels especially their new top of the line KVD model which I was fortunate enough to get all my info right from the man behind the reel, KVD himself! Check back tomorrow for that as well as details on new line, accessories and clothing products from ICAST!

Thanks,

Corey

ICAST Day 1: First Impressions

Day 1 at ICAST is about the most exciting (tackle shop related) day for me each year. Even though I have been to several of these shows now, it still impresses me when I walk through the doors for the first time. For as far as you can clearly see, its booth after booth after booth of nothing but fishing products. To give you an idea of the size, picture the Raleigh Bass & Saltwater Expo held at the NC State Fairgrounds each year. You could probably fit that entire expo (both buildings) in about 4 aisles of ICAST. There are more than 20 aisles in total. Thats not even counting the adjoining marine after market accessories show that is now attached to the ICAST show. All your major brands are here; Shimano, Daiwa, Quantum, Yum, Bomber and so on. Each of which continue to pump out newer, better, prettier products year after year. However, the most exciting thing for me is not so much those big "household" names, but the little guys. The companies that often time lead the market trends, but sometimes you never get to really know, whether it be because they get quickly bought out by the big names, or, unfortunately too often, knocked off and put under. As a tackle enthusiast, this is what really gets me pumped for ICAST. I want to find that cool new company whether they are making some simple new plastics with just a little improvement that goes a long way, or some new innovative rod concept, or even just some cool tshirts. I am here to find the new and different so I can bring it back to our shop for you, our customers to enjoy. Below you will find my first impressions from ICAST on new rods and reels. I have not been by every booth yet, so if you don't see a manufacturer you were expecting to read about, please check back tomorrow or the next day. Pictures and more info will follow in the upcoming days (tough to get pics at ICAST). Check it out and please feel free to comment back or email me at corey@castawayfishingsupply.com.

Rods....
Several new rod models from existing manufacturers this year but no new manufactures themselves which is a reversal in the trends from the past two years which seemed to be a rod "boom" era. This years trends seems to be economy driven as many manufacturers are trying to deliver more value at a better price point. More specifically, most of the new rods offerings are in the $100 and under category. But I must say, several are quite impressive for being at that price. Here is my take on a few...

1. Skeet Reese Signature Series from Wright & McGill- I never would have guessed that one of the best, if not the best bass fisherman in the world would be designing rods with Wright & McGill. Wright & McGill is a name that has been around fishing for a very very long time. Otherwise known as Eagle Claw. Now most of us bass guys would never put in Eagle Claw rod in our hand and think we actually had something. Well, W&M is looking to change that image. They have brought Skeet Reese on board this year to design a lineup of technique specific rods, all with split grip handles, zirconium guides and W&Ms Exclusive S Curve Technology. Whats all that mean? It means you get a really good rod for a very good price. Starting at just $89.99, the Skeet Reese rods are available in nine technique specific models, 2 spinning, 7 casting (including 1 glass crank bait rod) and they are all backed by a limited lifetime warranty. And of course, since they are Skeet's, they are yellow. I got a chance to talk with Skeet about them today and he was very excitied and hopes that they will be well received by the bass fishing public. We have 36 of these bad boys ordered and they should arrive in the shop by October.
2. Falcon Bucoo-Falcon is known in bass circles as one of the best all around rod manufacturer's out there. They have always built solid, durable, high performing rods since day 1. Castaway has signed up to become a Falcon dealer and will have our first rods in stock before the end of July. We will be stocking several models in the Lowrider and Cara series, most of which have been redesigned this year to be in the split grip handle design. But I will focus my talk on Bucoo as this is their newest model. Bucoo is again, sticking with my theme, a value priced bass rod at $100. These rods are made with all Fuji components and believe it or not, are made in the USA (yes even the blanks). Falcon is known for their rod actions. They have power ratings for each of their rods which break down the actions beyond the traditional med/mh/hvy ratings. We are exciting to be stocking the BuCoo as well as the Lowrider and Cara rods from Falcon.
3. Shimano Cumara Reaction-The Cumara has been Shimano's high end offering in bass rods for several years but has been a limited lineup as they mainly just offered worm and jig rods in the past. Shimano has expanded Cumara to include several "moving" bait rods (crank, spin, jerk, etc) including crankbait actions that can handle those really deep (16-20) big baits like the new SPRO DD Little John. Cumara's are backed by Shimano's over the counter warranty and retail in the $220-$240 range. If you would like to feel a sweet combo, match up the Cumara rods with the Shimano Core series baitcasters and Shimano Stradic C14 Spinning reels and the heaviest combo you will have will be 10.5 ozs. Most (all but 2 of the bigger rods) will come in under 10ozs. Just to clarify, thats the rod and reel combined, not just the reel.
4. G.Loomis- Loomis has added several new rods to its technique specific lineup including a new swimbait rod for us east coast guys not throughing big 5oz 10" swimbaits, but more your 1-2oz 4-6" swimbaits. Also new Frog rods, jerkbait rods, topwater rods...I think that about covers it. Loomis may join Falcon and W&M as additions to Castaway's lineup of premium rods soon. Stand by for more on that in the upcoming months.

Reels....

More to come on reels as I have yet to go through Quantum or Daiwa. Here is what I have seen so far...

1. Ardent Denny Braur Signature series Flip N Pitch- Ardent has made some upgrades to Denny Braur's specs on their Flip N Pitch reel. If you haven't seen the original as of yet, look for both models at Castaway's in the next couple of months.
2. Shimano Core 50- The Core Magnesium reels are not for everyone with a $370 retail. But those of you familiar with the reel know it to be one of the lighest, smoothest casting reels on the market. A new size this year Core 50 in both right and lest hand retrieve, similar in size to the old Chronarch 50, this is sure to be a hit, if you don't mind the price tag.
3. Shimano Stradic C14-Borrowing from Shimano's cycling business, this new Stradic Spinning reel is constructed from a Carbon fiber, dubbed CI4. Whats that mean? Light, light, light....but also, longer last. This material actually contains no metal, so it will not rust and can stand up to salt water. Did I mention it was light...the 2500 is just 7ozs. The Stella which retails for $649 is over 8 ozs. The CI4 is basically positioned as a companion to the Core baitcast series, but comes in at a lower price point, $199.99. Cosmetically, it matches the Core with a black frame and red spool and trime.
4. More to come on new Quantums and Daiwas tomorrow!

That's all for now, check back tomorrow for more on rods and reels, as well as soft and hard baits, clothing and accessories, line and more! Let me know if you have any questions thus far that I can try to get answered for you at the show.

ICAST 2009 Sneak Peak

Mid July is one of the most exciting times of the year for me. Being in the fishing tackle industry is a real pleasure for me, as like most of you, shopping for fishing tackle is a true passion of mine. Its almost as much fun for me to search for that perfect new bait as it is to actually be out on the water fishing, at least a very close second. Thats why I look forward to the biggest industry trade show of the year, ICAST. Each July, manufacturers both big and small gather to put forth their best, most innovative ideas in hopes to have created that hot new bait that just everyone has to have! This is one of the big perks of being in this industry and I want to share that with you, Castaway's loyal customers. I appreciate everything you all do, whether you just occasionally visit the store or site, or if you are in every week buying something else you just can't do without, each and everyone of you are important to me. I will come to this blog at the end of each day at ICAST and let you know what I saw, what I think will be a big hit next year and even what I think might not be worth your time. This blog is not here to sell product or promote a manufacturer just because they throw some money or discounts our way. Its here to help educate and give you an inside look at the fishing tackle industry. Please check it out daily starting the night of July 15th for updates.

If you have any additional comments, questions or feedback, please feel free to leave your comments on this blog by clicking the comments link or email me at: corey@castawayfishingsupply.com.

Here is a little sneak peak of some of the products that have already started advertising and sending us emails before the show. I'll be checking these and many others out in person starting Wednesday July 15th, 2009, so check back often!

Pure Fishing- If you don't know that name, you probably know these....Berkley, Stren, Spiderwire, Penn, Shakespeare, Pflueger, Mitchell, Abu Garcia, Johnson...lets see...I think that covers it. Those are the brands that make up PURE FISHING. With all those brands, there is no doubt that the Pure Fishing booth at ICAST will have some pretty neat new products on display. Their booth is flat out huge and will probably take a good 3 hours for me to explore. I did get a sneak peak at some of their new products already announced, and you may have already started to see a few ads on these as well....

• Berkley- Transoptic Line- A co-polymer version of Berkley Vanish-Hi Vis above water, low vis in water. (see photo)


• Berkley- Tools- Berkley has greatly expanded their tools and accesories offering. They will offer just about any type of tools, scale, weigh in equipment and accessory there is in reference to fishing. One noticable change is the dropping of the blue and green Xtool pliers which have been rolled into Berkley and will be in their colors, black and red.


• Abu Garcia- Vendetta and Vengeance Rods- Not alot of specifics as I have just seen these in print but they look pretty slick. Will be priced at $79.99 for the Vendetta and $49.99 for the Vengeance. (see photo)


• Abu Garcia- Revo Series Upgrades- I got a little nervous when my rep was going over new product and have a couple of revo boxes with them. The REVO series has been the most well received low profile baitcasters in the last several years, at least by our customers. So I was hoping they didn't go and mess with a good thing. From what I can tell, the made some minor improvements, but overall, its the same reel. The changed the handle from a straight bar to a swept handle and made some cosmetic changes, to spice up their look with some red accents. Other than that, same ol' REVO, which is a good thing.


• PENN- Some new spinning reels from PENN for the saltwater crowd. One is a very high deep jigging reel (Torque), not my cup of tea, another is a more moderately priced spinning reel (Conquer) which will have a fold down casing (EAS-Easy Access System) to allow for easy cleaning. Sounds like a great idea for the weekend saltwater angler that doesn't have time of knowledge enough to be taking apart his reels after every trip. (see photo)

PRADCO- Another large conglomorate, PRADCO is Bomber, Rebel, Cotton Cordell, Heddon, Booyah, YUM, Silver Thread, Arbogast and XCalibur.

• Heddon-New Rattlin Spook and One Knocker Spooks from Heddon, adding some new options in the classic top water bait. (see photo)


• Yum- Money Hound is a soft plastic, weedless version of the Zara Spook, interesting concept, we'll have to see how it works... (see photo)

Eagle Claw/Wright & McGill- Eagle Claw is not a name that most of us in the bass fishing world usually flock to. But, we may have to start paying more attention. They have two big name bass elite pros signed up, Gerald Swindle and Skeet Reese, in an attempt to reinvent themselves in the bass fishing market. LazerTrokar hooks and W&G Skeet Reese Rods are two products I am anxious to learn more about. Visit http://www.lazertrokar.com/ on July 15th for info about this new lineup of hooks. I will let you know whats up once I get by their booth as well. W&G's Skeet Reese Tessera rods will feature 9 technique specific rods designed to the specifications of one of the world's best (some may say the best) bass fisherman. They will have combine modern split grip design with Skeet's signature colors...black and yellow...looks like lots of yellow.(see photo)

Frabill- A new net concept from frabill to solve the problem of having some big ol bulky net laying on your deck getting in the way. The Hiber-Net can collapse down inside the handle, which looks like a long tube. With one slide of the handle, the net comes out and you are "open for business" (Frabill's tag line for this net apparently). (see photo)

Castalia Outdoors- Not a name I am currently familiar with but they are promoting a braided line that is supposed to cast as well as monofilament. Definately worth checking out. (see photo)

Strike King- New rage tail plastics including the smokin rooster, baby craw, thumper worm, hawg and eeliminater (this one looks pretty cool). Also will officially launch the Sexy Swimmer (like Sebile Magic Swimmer) although we already have those in stock. Will also have a new deep diving crankbait, 6XD. (see photo)

Rapala- Last year, Rapala launched the DT20 deep diving crank. Then they ran into some problems and the baits have just now started to trickle out. Hopefully their new DT Thug won't go the same way. The new addition to the DT lineup is designed to fish cover, with a bent lip to bump your way through wood. (see photo)

SPRO- SPRO will introduce several new sizes within current offerings. A 6" BBZ swimbait to sit in between the 4" from last year and the 8" from the year prior. A king daddy frog, which looks to be a much larger frog than the bronzeye. Then one that I am really excited about, a deep diving little john. (see photo)

FethaStyx- A good company from the the left coast that has been producing rods for the northwest and canadian fisheries for a while. They have a very unique lineup of rods being offered called TRUE HERO. Only one Bass model, a 7' MH casting rod available in Police or Fire. What does that mean? Whenever you buy a True Hero rod, $10 is donated to either a police or fire family fund for those families who loose someone in the line of duty. (see photo)

Check back Wednesday night for more info on these products and many many more!

Thanks and keep fishin',

Corey

PLEASE NOTE: Just because we write about something here does not mean we will definately be stocking it, so if you see something you like, or think is just crap, please click comments below and let us know what you think!

Big Bite Bait Co. Keeps Producing Winners!

Many of you may not have heard of Big Bite yet, but you will soon. Earlier this year they came out with a new bait called the Fighting Frog, designed by Dean Rojas. This is my favorite new plastic to come out in a while. You'll read more about that below. They will also be coming out with a very unique worm called the Squirrel Tail, designed by Jeff Kreit. This worm is designed to be fished on a shakey head, but believe me, it is totally different then any other worm out there. Look for that one to be available at Castaway's in the upcoming weeks. Jeff also designed the Kreit Tail worm last year in a 6" or 10" size. These are going to be HOT when the weather warms up for the summer. Its basically a trick stick body (senko) with a long wide ribbon tail. Later this summer, the Cane Stick by Dean Rojas will be unveiled at ICAST.


Along with these new, very original designs, Big Bite makes a full lineup of plastics such as trick sticks (like a senko), finesse worms, creature baits, yomama's (like a beaver) and several others that are available at Castaway's in 10 or 100 count packs. They provide a very good product at a very good price. You can buy a 100 count bag of trick sticks for just $19.99. Compare that to $60-$70 for 100 Gary Yamamoto Senkos.


Back to the Fighting Frog...

The Dean Rojas Fighting Frog from Big Bite is my favorite new plastic bait. It is a very versatile bait and slighty deceiving in name. I've been throwing it in place of a Reaction Innovation Sweet Beaver on a texas rig (3/8oz to 1/2oz Tru Tungsten Weight with 4/0 Gamakatsu EWG Hook). I like the action you get out of the claws on the fall. They are slightly ridged on the outside edge, creating a very tight, highly reflective, quick vibration. Along with the action, I like the design as it relates to the hook set. The bait is slit deep in the belly and on the sides which keeps it from balling up on the hook, and results in a much better hook up ratio. As its name would indicate, the Fighting Frog can also be fished like a swimming frog with a weighted Gamakatsu EWG Hook (weight molded on the shaft of the hook). I'll be swimming it threw the pads at the Roanoke this weekend to see if it will produce as well down east as it did as a flipping bait in the local lakes and ponds around Raleigh. Started fishing these at Jordan earlier in the year. First day out we had over 17lbs on our best five. It comes in a bunch of different colors (14 in total). Check out our site for more info.

Click here to purchase the Dean Rojas Fighting Frog


Watch for more updates on new Big Bite products in our site!

Thanks and keep fishin,
Corey