Fishing Equipment Reviews

[basside]

I picked up a fat fish too...

have't used it yet but from first look seems like the skirts are a bit small/ so you can't pile on a lot of snow to keep in the heat...also the bag as with previous eskimo bags are too small for the house and it's quite a chore to get the house back in the bag especially when you're out fishing all day and the house is cold/frozen on outside.

Yep, I noticed the skirts are a bit short to pile a good amount of snow. We'll see after some real world use, with two hands, you can customize anything. Just go to Joann Fabrics, pick up the right fabric and sew on an extra 8" of skirt.

[Roc]

Just received my Okuma EVX telescopic musky rod. I figured you guys up north might appreciate it since you guys actually have musky haha. The rod cost $85 plus shipping from overstockbait. com but if you're in MN you can pick it up for free from their store. Regular retail is $119. I bought the 9'3" model XH rated 65-100lb test 4-16oz lures. Although I have yet to fish it, these are my first impressions.

The rod is of solid build quality, looks like an oversized bass rod. It's made of IM-8 graphite with zirconium guide inserts for braided line. It also has a nice Fuji reel seat and nice cork handles. The telescopic feature is a must for me because I don't drive a truck so I have to put everything into my camry. When folded down the rod is about 7'6" which fits just fine. This allows me to have a rod without the two-piece whippy feeling.

Some cons are that it's heavy. It might become a pain to cast lures with this thing all day. My rod also came with a little knick near the hook holder but it's more a cosmetic thing.

So far it looks pretty awesome and I'm pretty satisfied with it. I bought it to chase sharks from the surf and for deepsea fishing and I think it'll do great. I've seen guys use the gloomis 9' rods for deep sea but I'm fairly certain I will be able to do the same for about 1/3 the price. I'll update once I get a chance to toss it, maybe I'll even catch something that fights.

P.S. lifetime warranty rocks! For those of you guys unfamiliar with okuma, they used to make crappy low-end gear but are now under new management in southern california. They are working really hard to be competitive with the other big name brands. So far they have kick-ass spinning reels and are moving forward on their rods, fly and casting gear. Maybe it's the underdog spirit that makes me root for them. Not only that but Okuma in Japanese Kanji spells "bear" in Chinese which translates to Xiong. Kind of cool fishing with gear that has your last name on it.

[Ron Burgundy]

Quick review of some gear I recently picked up and have used on the ice:

Muck Arctic Pro Extreme boots -
 Keeps my feet very warm.  I've worn them out twice, in 20 degree weather only, with only 1 pair of smartwool snowboarding socks, and have not had cold feet.  They are high boots and completely waterproof.  No laces.  Just slip on.  They wear snug on my calves to seal off the elements.  Need external ice cleats for traction though.

Kahtoola Microspikes -
 Awesome traction! Easy to slip on and off.  Any ice cleats are a must have on the ice right now.

Arctic Armor Plus bibs -
 Keeps my legs very warm.  The Plus bibs have a tricot (thin fleece) lining, in addition to the 3 layers of insultex (floating insulation).  Very light weight and not bulky.  Wasn't sure how much clothing I needed under, but I was more than fine with only my cheap long johns that are 50% cotton/50% poly.  Yes, I know cotton is a no-no, but you need something to help absorb a little sweat/moisture because the bibs do not breathe well.  You just have to unzip a little here and there for relief if necessary.

[basside]

When cutting fishing lines, I don't like to put my mouth on bacterial fishing lines and my teeth just can't cut braided lines. For most, a lighter will do the trick but try getting a flame in the wind or when your braided line is wet. I have just about every scissor there is but the other day while shopping with the wife at an Arts & Crafts store, I found these scissors.

They're titanium coated so it is rust free, corrosion resistant, small, compact, extremely sharp and has a lifetime warranty. As soon as I brought it home, I try cutting every line there is. 2lb nano, 6-10lbs mono, 20-50lb braid. Works great!!!

Its called Fiskars. Price is $12 and fits in my vexilar pro pack tackle box.

[addisonlee]

Interesting set of scissors. Nice review. 

[basside]

Interesting set of scissors. Nice review. 

no prob. don't let that school bus yellow handle fool you. Its made with high quality polymer plastic, virtually indestructible .

[addisonlee]

no prob. don't let that school bus yellow handle fool you. Its made with high quality polymer plastic, virtually indestructible .

i think i'd be more worried about dropping it in the water than destorying it some how. lol  good to know tho 

[basside]

i think i'd be more worried about dropping it in the water than destorying it some how. lol  good to know tho 

LOL...yep. I thinking of buying another. One tied onto my summer fishing vest and then one tied my vexilar case.

[Gym -E- Lamm]

I use these for my nose hairs and for my fishing line...

[basside]

I use these for my nose hairs and for my fishing line...

How do you cut your nose hair at the same time driving your boat?

[basside]

thanks for the review. I've been wondering about these but still have close to 900yds of un-used, brand new regular pp

[basside]

i would've done the same. i actually gone back to fluoro and mono for most of my rods.

[megahmong]

Lews Tournament MG Speed Spool

I originally wanted to buy the Speed Spool (SS) at $99. But that was out of stock. So I made a quick decision to one up it and buy the Tournament MG (TMG) at $129. 2 Noticeable (visual) changes from SS to TMG was the star drag was metal (TMG) and not plastic (SS). Also the TMG had a different handle which is called the "Power Crank." I can't really say anything bad about this reel as it is my second Baitcaster. I really enjoy casting with this. Very smooth and trouble free. Used this reel for the 2013 fishing season. Over all 5 out of 5!


I  have on hand also the Abu Garcia Silver Maxx combo. I love this combo as it was my first baitcaster. Great starter for baitcaster newbies (I am still one myself). I still carry this combo on every fishing trip cause there is always one or two person who wants to try a baitcaster in my group.

[VillainousHero]

Me thinking of getting this in future: Shimano Aldebaran 50HG

[VillainousHero]

The new VMC light up bobber is a direct competitor with the Thill Splash Brite light up bobber.  The VMC does have a heavy duty prong for the water conduct light activation.  The bigger of the two sizes is a better product.  It has two led lights instead of one for the smaller size.  The larger bobber also uses larger batteries LR44.  These bobbers also have a metal grommet for the top of the line tube.