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Each year a stream of new angling products arrive in tackle shops around United States, here are just a few for your perusal.
Berkley’s PowerBait Chigger Craw was key to Boyd Duckett’s Bassmaster Classic Championship in 2007 on Lake Eufaula in Alabama. In that event his go-to Craw was only four-inches long.
Recently, Berkley announced their 5-inch Jumbo Chigger Craw, not as a replacement to the 3- or 4-inch diminutive versions; instead this Craw was designed to fish the warm-water habitat of big summer bass. Duckett rigs the Jumbo Chigger Craw on a heavy-wire wide gap 5/0 or 6/0 hook for a Texas-rig and a wide gap 4/0 or 5/0 hook for a Carolina-rig.
“I’m keying on big fish in the heat of the summer, around brush piles and heavy timber where they tend to hold,” said Duckett who normally uses 20 to 25-pound test Berkley Fluorocarbon line in that situation.
Available in nine colors, the PowerBait 5-inch Jumbo Chigger Craw is laced with PowerBait scent. MSRP for a package of four 5-inch Jumbo Chigger Craws is $3.99. Watch for it on the internet at www.berkley-fishing.com/products/.
Honored with an ICAST “Best of Show Award” for 2011, the 10-foot Power-Pole Blade Edition is thinner, lighter and more aerodynamic because of a new pocket design that holds the Everflex spike locked in position when the unit is not deployed.
The Signature Series Blade Edition is the first Power-Pole available in a 10-foot depth so anglers can anchor deeper for the ultimate catch. Previous versions were limited to 8-foot depths, and while the extra two feet may not seem like much it could make a significant difference in holding boat position around cove docks on hill-land and highland reservoirs. The MSRP hasn’t been announced yet but you can read about all Power-Pole models on the internet at www.power-pole.com.
In 2012 Rebel Lures will celebrate 50 years in business with the release of their new Frog-R, a realistic topwater frog that walks-the-frog like a Zara Spook walks-the-dog. The Frog-R is just under 3-inches long but its large body pushes a lot of water to create a fish-attracting disturbance.
The Frog-R’s realistic eyes and multi-step painting process creates a lifelike appearance with four color versions: a Swamp Frog that is yellow and black, a Cricket Frog with brown hues, a Leopard Frog with a lime green and black combo and the Bull Frog which is a realistic dark green and black.
Designed to be fished in any body of water, from a small pond to the shoreline of a huge reservoir or from the bank of your favorite smallmouth stream, the Frog-R for 2012 has an MSRP of just $3.99. For more information see it on the internet at www.lurenet.com.
Created with design input from B.A.S.S. Elite Pro Edwin Evers, the new YUM F2 MightEE Worm was designed for big bass. The 10 1/2 inch-long worm has an arrowhead shaped bulge toward the end causing the bait’s tail to wag back and forth in the water each time it is moved. A flat hooking side makes it sink in a searching pattern, wagging back and forth.
Match the MightEE Worm with the new YUM Pumpkin Ed Power Shakin’ jighead to make the worm stand straight up when resting on bottom. It can also be rigged weightless, Texas or Carolina style or wacky rigged in the spring for shallow bass. Available for the 2012 fishing season in 12 colors, the new YUM F2 MightEE Bug has an MSRP of $4.99. For more information, see it on the internet at www.lurenet.com" www.lurenet.com.
Following an obvious industry trend to produce more soft critter baits, Xcite Baits announced their floating Raptor Tail Junior. Designed for use in flipping or as a jig trailer, the four-inch Junior offers more size and vibration than the smaller Raptor Tail Chunk.
Infused with Xcite Attractant to attract fish, its floating action presents a stand-up defensive crayfish posture rigged Texas style or on a jighead, and as a Caroling-rig it should float slightly off the bottom. This soft critter bait comes in ten colors, is packed six to a bag and has an MSRP of $3.99. See it at www.xcitebaits.com.
Panfish and trout anglers should appreciate the new Mepps Aglia Brite lure. No other lure has caught as many record fish as the Mepps Aglia and the folks at Mepps anticipate the Aglia Brite will continue that tradition.
In addition to their classic French blade, every Aglia Brite features a solid brass brightly-colored, high-visibility body with a durable, chip-resistant finish. There's also a Brite strike-attractor bead and an extra-sharp VMC hook. Blades are either genuine silver plate or polished brass.
Size Numbers 0 and 1 should be ideal for panfish and small trout while sizes Number 2 and 3 were made for bass, walleye and larger trout. To receive a current Mepps Fishing Guide (tackle catalog) featuring the entire line-up of products, either visit their web site www.mepps.com or call 800-713-3474.
