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Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
The Shark Tooth
Friday, May 27, 2011
New Fishing Lines for 2011 Part 2
PART 2
Another unique trend that was launched in 2009 but only now has caught on is coloured segmented line. Initially intended for trolling, metered line is becoming more excepted with anglers who cast. Trying to keep your jig 15 feet down over a school of walleye? Simply count off the coloured line segments to precisely fish that zone. Cabelas, Daiwa, Trilene, Sufix and Tuf-line offer a version of metered super lines. Even, ice fishing specific lines now come metered. A sure winner when targeting suspended fish this winter.
GORE has made a splash this year. More associated with clothing, it has many superior qualities ideal for line. According to Tom Mc Murray, Normark’s Marketing head guy, “GORE fibres improve abrasion resistance, increase casting distance & accuracy and reduce line vibration. It is also impervious to chemical and UV light.” Sufix’s new 832 Advanced Superline which uses GORE in its weave won ICAST’s “Best Line” category for 2011.
Another unique trend that was launched in 2009 but only now has caught on is coloured segmented line. Initially intended for trolling, metered line is becoming more excepted with anglers who cast. Trying to keep your jig 15 feet down over a school of walleye? Simply count off the coloured line segments to precisely fish that zone. Cabelas, Daiwa, Trilene, Sufix and Tuf-line offer a version of metered super lines. Even, ice fishing specific lines now come metered. A sure winner when targeting suspended fish this winter.
GORE has made a splash this year. More associated with clothing, it has many superior qualities ideal for line. According to Tom Mc Murray, Normark’s Marketing head guy, “GORE fibres improve abrasion resistance, increase casting distance & accuracy and reduce line vibration. It is also impervious to chemical and UV light.” Sufix’s new 832 Advanced Superline which uses GORE in its weave won ICAST’s “Best Line” category for 2011.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
New Fishing Lines for 2011 Part 1
What's new for 2011
By Luigi De Rose
This article might seem out of place in May but not really. Many of us rush out and buy line way before our first trip of the year. If you live where you can fish bass every day of the year, consider yourself lucky. Most of us in the northern states or in Canada have set bass fishing seasons that is just opening up now. So, spooling up with new line isn't as weird as it might seem.
Have you bought some new line that's not really working for you? I know I have. It might be time to peel off a few spools and replace it with something better. Here is a guide to what's new in fishing lines for 2011.
All fishing lines are not equal. Many exciting lines are waiting for you this year along with your old favourites. Find out what you’ll need to spool up with this year.
Over the last few seasons, line has become increasing more refined and technique specific. This trend is most evident with smaller line companies. With larger multinational corporations cater to the masses, smaller companies have flourished in developing niche lines. Catering to the needs of the very discerning, these companies, many from Japan, offer unique lines for very specialized techniques. Don’t expect to see these line in every local tackle shop though and be prepared to pay a premium when you do.
Fluorocarbon
Fluorocarbon’s popularity is still growing. Price has come down and quality has gone up. Anglers are now comfortable spooling up with it. Clear water smallmouth anglers, trout and salmon guys, fly fisherman and most anyone fishing clear water feel this line is the way to go. Its strong, sinks quickly but most of all, near invisible to the fish. Knotting it can be tricky. Experiment with the Trilene, Improved Clinch or San Diego Jam Knots. Make sure to slobber lots of spit or water on it to reduce friction.
Fluorocarbon is often used as a leader. “Top Shotting” a recent trend spawned in Japan involves spooling 25m of Fluorocarbon. This length of line reaps all the benefits of using Fluoro yet forgoes the problems of the leader knot whacking through the guides and high costs of spooling up an entirely reel. Currently, only Toray line specifically offers “Top Shot” spools but angler can either buy smaller leader spools or crank on line from larger filler spools.
By Luigi De Rose
This article might seem out of place in May but not really. Many of us rush out and buy line way before our first trip of the year. If you live where you can fish bass every day of the year, consider yourself lucky. Most of us in the northern states or in Canada have set bass fishing seasons that is just opening up now. So, spooling up with new line isn't as weird as it might seem.
Have you bought some new line that's not really working for you? I know I have. It might be time to peel off a few spools and replace it with something better. Here is a guide to what's new in fishing lines for 2011.
All fishing lines are not equal. Many exciting lines are waiting for you this year along with your old favourites. Find out what you’ll need to spool up with this year.
Over the last few seasons, line has become increasing more refined and technique specific. This trend is most evident with smaller line companies. With larger multinational corporations cater to the masses, smaller companies have flourished in developing niche lines. Catering to the needs of the very discerning, these companies, many from Japan, offer unique lines for very specialized techniques. Don’t expect to see these line in every local tackle shop though and be prepared to pay a premium when you do.
Fluorocarbon
Fluorocarbon’s popularity is still growing. Price has come down and quality has gone up. Anglers are now comfortable spooling up with it. Clear water smallmouth anglers, trout and salmon guys, fly fisherman and most anyone fishing clear water feel this line is the way to go. Its strong, sinks quickly but most of all, near invisible to the fish. Knotting it can be tricky. Experiment with the Trilene, Improved Clinch or San Diego Jam Knots. Make sure to slobber lots of spit or water on it to reduce friction.
Fluorocarbon is often used as a leader. “Top Shotting” a recent trend spawned in Japan involves spooling 25m of Fluorocarbon. This length of line reaps all the benefits of using Fluoro yet forgoes the problems of the leader knot whacking through the guides and high costs of spooling up an entirely reel. Currently, only Toray line specifically offers “Top Shot” spools but angler can either buy smaller leader spools or crank on line from larger filler spools.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
FLW Tour on Red River Day 4: Cox Clinches Win!
Florida angler’s victory fitting end to incredible story
22.May.2011
FLW PRESS RELEASE
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| John Cox's secret lake pay off. $100 000 Grand pay off. (Photo: Patrick Baker FLW) |
SHREVEPORT, La. – John Cox of DeBary, Fla., caught a five-bass limit weighing 7 pounds, 13 ounces Sunday to lead wire-to-wire and win $100,000 at the Walmart FLW Tour on the Red River presented by OFF! with a four-day catch of 20 bass weighing 48-8.
The catch gave him the win by a 5-pound, 4-ounce margin over National Guard pro Mark Rose of Marion, Ark., who caught a total of 19 bass weighing 43-4 and earned $32,553.
“I’m kind of numb,” said Cox, who claimed his first Tour-level title with the win. “I don’t believe it yet.”
Cox said the win couldn’t have come at a better time. He had considered withdrawing from the tournament before it began because of a lack of funds. He wanted to fish the Red River event because he had fished there before and thought there might be a chance he could win. He considered selling the Power-Poles rigged to his boat to raise funds, but a friend told him not to. The friend let him borrow the money that allowed Cox to compete.
“I’ve got some people to pay back,” Cox said. “My buddy said, ‘Don’t sell those Power-Poles. Those are too sweet.’
FLW Tour on Red River Day 3: John Cox Ahead by 8 Plus Pounds!
Weigths Down for All Except Red Hot John Cox
by Patrick Baker
(FLW Press Release)
SHREVEPORT/BOSSIER CITY, La.
Mercury pro John Cox didn’t need to break his back Saturday to access his incredibly productive, nearly inaccessible fishing hole like the first two days of Walmart FLW Tour competition on the Red River. In fact, he hardly had to work up a sweat to outfish the field yet again ? at least he made it seem effortless.
And that’s just fine with him. After punishing his boat and himself the first two days to wiggle through a small culvert that granted access to a bounty of backwater bass, he said his back was awfully stiff this morning (watch video of the maneuver); and while he began the day with more than a 7-pound lead, the Debary, Fla., angler didn’t rest on his laurels.
Instead of locking down to Pool 4 like Thursday and Friday, he stayed closer to the upstream launch site in Pool 5 and still managed to sack more weight than any other pro with a five-bass limit weighing 12 pounds, 1 ounce giving him a three-day total of 40-11 and an 8-pound lead going into the final day of competition.
“I wanted to so bad,” Cox said of the temptation to return to his honeyhole, but he knew the water had dropped enough to likely make entry into the backwater area impossible today. “Instead I ran down by the dam (in Pool 5) and fished a little hole down there and then moved a couple ponds up … I hit one hole and caught my limit.”
by Patrick Baker
 |
| John Cox readies his rods on Day 4. It is his tournament to loose. (Photo: Patrick Baker FLW) |
SHREVEPORT/BOSSIER CITY, La.
Mercury pro John Cox didn’t need to break his back Saturday to access his incredibly productive, nearly inaccessible fishing hole like the first two days of Walmart FLW Tour competition on the Red River. In fact, he hardly had to work up a sweat to outfish the field yet again ? at least he made it seem effortless.
And that’s just fine with him. After punishing his boat and himself the first two days to wiggle through a small culvert that granted access to a bounty of backwater bass, he said his back was awfully stiff this morning (watch video of the maneuver); and while he began the day with more than a 7-pound lead, the Debary, Fla., angler didn’t rest on his laurels.
Instead of locking down to Pool 4 like Thursday and Friday, he stayed closer to the upstream launch site in Pool 5 and still managed to sack more weight than any other pro with a five-bass limit weighing 12 pounds, 1 ounce giving him a three-day total of 40-11 and an 8-pound lead going into the final day of competition.
“I wanted to so bad,” Cox said of the temptation to return to his honeyhole, but he knew the water had dropped enough to likely make entry into the backwater area impossible today. “Instead I ran down by the dam (in Pool 5) and fished a little hole down there and then moved a couple ponds up … I hit one hole and caught my limit.”
Friday, May 20, 2011
FLW Tour on Red River Day 2: John Cox Still Rocks
Florida pro takes FLW Tour Red River lead into second day, Lauer takes co-angler lead
20.May.2011
by Patrick Baker
FLW Press Release
SHREVEPORT/BOSSIER CITY, La. He had to run the gauntlet to do it, but Debary, Fla., pro John Cox was able to access his Red River sweet spot again Friday, where he caught another five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds to hang on to the Walmart FLW Tour lead on day two with a total weight of 28-10.
“Today I had to get on my spot pretty quick,” he said, adding that he barely made it to the lock on time this morning to enter Pool 4 downstream before making yet another long haul to his backwater area that is only accessible through a narrow, shallow culvert.
In order to make it through this seemingly impassable tunnel underpass, he is fishing in a relatively small aluminum boat with a light outboard engine. He has even taken a few batteries out of the boat to lighten the load and is relying on only one to start the engine and run his trolling motor.
“Everybody else is going like 60, 70 (mph), and we’re going about 30,” he said with a laugh. “Then the takeoff after the lock has just been crazy ? about 10 boats wide.”
In other words, Cox is getting left in their wakes. But eventually he made it to the culvert, and then the real work began, including trying to blast his way through the tunnel with little water for the propeller to grab and then using a 2-by-4 to push the boat the rest of the way out.
“Today (the water) was super low … we were just fighting our way in there,” he said. “The boat bottomed out. We really only fished a couple hours. Then it took us 45 minutes to get out.”
But they were a productive couple of hours, and Cox was able to get a good limit fishing the conditions, which was rapidly falling water. Yesterday Cox relied on flipping to bag his limit, and today he found success with a swimbait and ChatterBait.
20.May.2011
by Patrick Baker
FLW Press Release
SHREVEPORT/BOSSIER CITY, La. He had to run the gauntlet to do it, but Debary, Fla., pro John Cox was able to access his Red River sweet spot again Friday, where he caught another five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds to hang on to the Walmart FLW Tour lead on day two with a total weight of 28-10.
“Today I had to get on my spot pretty quick,” he said, adding that he barely made it to the lock on time this morning to enter Pool 4 downstream before making yet another long haul to his backwater area that is only accessible through a narrow, shallow culvert.
In order to make it through this seemingly impassable tunnel underpass, he is fishing in a relatively small aluminum boat with a light outboard engine. He has even taken a few batteries out of the boat to lighten the load and is relying on only one to start the engine and run his trolling motor.
“Everybody else is going like 60, 70 (mph), and we’re going about 30,” he said with a laugh. “Then the takeoff after the lock has just been crazy ? about 10 boats wide.”
In other words, Cox is getting left in their wakes. But eventually he made it to the culvert, and then the real work began, including trying to blast his way through the tunnel with little water for the propeller to grab and then using a 2-by-4 to push the boat the rest of the way out.
“Today (the water) was super low … we were just fighting our way in there,” he said. “The boat bottomed out. We really only fished a couple hours. Then it took us 45 minutes to get out.”
But they were a productive couple of hours, and Cox was able to get a good limit fishing the conditions, which was rapidly falling water. Yesterday Cox relied on flipping to bag his limit, and today he found success with a swimbait and ChatterBait.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
FLW Tour on Red River Day 1: John Cox Rocks with 14-10
Florida pro leads FLW Tour Red River event on day one, McDonald leads Co-angler Division
19.May.2011
by Patrick Baker
(FLW Press Release)
 |
| John Cox with a nice pair. (Photos by Patrick Baker FLW) |
SHREVEPORT/BOSSIER CITY, La. — How low can you go? For Debary, Fla., pro John Cox, the answer was low enough to skim through a shallow underpass that led to his Red River hot spot – one that produced a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 10 ounces and put him in first place on day one of the Walmart FLW Tour Major.
“We knew about it from a long time ago,” Cox said of his honeyhole in Pool 4, one lock downstream from the takeoff site at Red River South Marina, adding that he became aware of the backwater area after a 2009 tourney in which he didn’t fare well. “We brought a push-pole; I lightened the boat up completely.”
A few more details about just what it took to achieve Cox’s limbo underneath the road above: a 2-by-4 for a push-pole; a 17-foot aluminum Crestliner powered by a 75-hp Mercury four-stroke engine for maximum flotation with minimal weight; the least amount of tackle possible; and a single battery that he also used to power his trolling motor when he made it through.
Even with the herculean effort to mimic a water bug, it wasn’t easy for Cox and his co-angler partner (Timothy Sisk – 2nd) to pass through the tunnel. In fact, they saw another boat get temporarily stuck trying to thread the same needle.
“I was hoping to catch the water drop just like we did,” Cox said of the falling water level in Pool 4, which helped set off the bite in his area. “I caught a limit in like five flips.”
Cox was fishing a jig made by his friend Andy Scholz, also an FLW Tour co-angler. He fished the ½-ounce Dandy Baits jig with a green-pumpkin/green-glitter skirt in 6 to 7 feet of water. He said he was “just dropping it in, and they were yanking the rod out of my hands.”
PURE FISHING PRESS RELEASE!
Berkley® NanoFil™
The Next Generation of Light Tackle Fishing Line
The world leader in fishing line development introduces a new spinning reel line that pushes the limits for minimum diameter and maximum strength. Berkley NanoFil, with its smooth texture and small diameter, allows anglers to effortlessly cast further with unsurpassed precision.
Walleye anglers will appreciate the markedly longer casts using NanoFil and finesse fishing for bass has never been finer.
Not a mono, Not a Braid. NanoFil is made out of gel-spun polyethylene, much like a superline. The line consists of hundreds of highest level of Dyneema nanofilaments that are molecularly linked and shaped into a unified filament fishing line. NanoFil feels and handles like the smoothest monofilament while delivering superline type strength.
“Lures cast farther and dive deeper with NanoFil than with any other line I have ever used,” said Berkley Pro and 2010 Walleye Tournament Champion Johnnie Candle. “NanoFil glides through the guides for super-long casts and is deadly accurate. The ultra-small diameter gives anglers confidence when presenting baits to big, finicky fish, but the strength per diameter that this line possess is unmatched by any other line. I knew with my first cast that I was using something different.”
NanoFil line lends itself to a wide variety of techniques, but it is most useful when anglers desire an ultra small diameter line for greater casting yet also need maximum sensitivity to feel the subtlest of bites. With NanoFil, anglers can enjoy the feel of light tackle action for a wide range of species, yet still detect even the softest pickups and land what is on the end of the line.
NanoFil is designed for ultra-light to medium action spinning tackle. Anglers may want to move down a reel size for increased sensitivity.
For best knot strength results use the NanoFil Knot, a “Double Palomar” that increases knot strength by over 15% that of the standard Palomar knot. For best results, use a monofilament backing or tape to arbor if tying direct to spool. For attaching leaders to NanoFil, a Double Albright knot is recommended.
Available in pound tests ranging from 1 to 12 pounds with super thin diameters of 0.001” to 0.008”, Berkley NanoFil is available in 150-, 300- and 1500-yard spools with an MSRP of $19.95 to $179.95 USD.
The Next Generation of Light Tackle Fishing Line
The world leader in fishing line development introduces a new spinning reel line that pushes the limits for minimum diameter and maximum strength. Berkley NanoFil, with its smooth texture and small diameter, allows anglers to effortlessly cast further with unsurpassed precision.
Walleye anglers will appreciate the markedly longer casts using NanoFil and finesse fishing for bass has never been finer.
Not a mono, Not a Braid. NanoFil is made out of gel-spun polyethylene, much like a superline. The line consists of hundreds of highest level of Dyneema nanofilaments that are molecularly linked and shaped into a unified filament fishing line. NanoFil feels and handles like the smoothest monofilament while delivering superline type strength.
“Lures cast farther and dive deeper with NanoFil than with any other line I have ever used,” said Berkley Pro and 2010 Walleye Tournament Champion Johnnie Candle. “NanoFil glides through the guides for super-long casts and is deadly accurate. The ultra-small diameter gives anglers confidence when presenting baits to big, finicky fish, but the strength per diameter that this line possess is unmatched by any other line. I knew with my first cast that I was using something different.”
NanoFil line lends itself to a wide variety of techniques, but it is most useful when anglers desire an ultra small diameter line for greater casting yet also need maximum sensitivity to feel the subtlest of bites. With NanoFil, anglers can enjoy the feel of light tackle action for a wide range of species, yet still detect even the softest pickups and land what is on the end of the line.
NanoFil is designed for ultra-light to medium action spinning tackle. Anglers may want to move down a reel size for increased sensitivity.
For best knot strength results use the NanoFil Knot, a “Double Palomar” that increases knot strength by over 15% that of the standard Palomar knot. For best results, use a monofilament backing or tape to arbor if tying direct to spool. For attaching leaders to NanoFil, a Double Albright knot is recommended.
Available in pound tests ranging from 1 to 12 pounds with super thin diameters of 0.001” to 0.008”, Berkley NanoFil is available in 150-, 300- and 1500-yard spools with an MSRP of $19.95 to $179.95 USD.
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