Great Cross Over Jacket

Finding a good jacket is a task in it self, but one that meets the needs across different facets of your busy lifestyle, that is a mountain of a challenge.  Money and space is a premium for most of us, do I really want to buy and store a jacket for work, jacket for shoveling a jacket for cold weather fishing and hunting?  The short answer is no!

I had always admired Carharrt's toughness, durability and quality, but for me some of the stylings and stiffness of material were not great for all around use or light enough for a long day in my boat.  But until recently had always passed on making an investment, until I found their new offerings from their Quick Duck line.  Just buying picking this coat up off the rack you can instantly sense this is not your grandfather's Carhartt jacket.

I have now had my Black Woodward Traditional Quick Duck jacket for several weeks.  I have done everything from play in the snow with my kids, sub zero shoveling, to winter fishing to wearing it out to dinner with my wife.

The first few times I wore it outside, I over dressed with my under layers and was too warm while shoveling, I have adjusted to this and now no matter how cold, usually just wear a lightweight long sleeve shirt under my coat.  Even the coat is lighter and more pliable then some other Carhartts, it still kept 100% of the water and other elements on the outside, even rolling around in the snow and sledding for hours with my kids.

During fishing it was plenty flexible to impeded casting and general movements in the boat, no complaints there!  And when wearing to work or out with the wife, I got compliments on the styling of my coat.

Not that I foresee wearing this thing out, but if I did or lost it, I'd be quick to replace it with another on the spot!  You should be able to find this at your normal Carhartt dealers, I also noticed it on several websites:
Amazon
Dick's Sporting Goods
Bass Pro
Gander Mountain and many more

Merry Christmas!

Has Bass Fishing EVOLVE'd?

There are some cool things coming form a company that some of you may have not heard about, but they are cooking up some great baits that you will want to consider!  Check out their website and you can buy their products here.

  Evolve Baits

  Also, check out some of their videos!

Here is the Kompak Craw - great flipping & punching bait!

 Also the unique VibraGrub is a smallmouth killer.

And don't sleep on the new DarkStarr Swimmer as a swimbait or Alabama rig trailer.

New Fishing Shoes?

Thinking about ordering these shoes for fishing...

Vivobarefoot Ultra Pure

Anybody buy them, use them for fishing, any feedback?

www.zappos.com

www.Amazon.com 

Crossing Industries

I recently was doing some internet searching for different products for my boat and for fishing in general.  When I am bored, it is not out of the ordinary for me to just hop around the web on Google and other search engines looking for fresh ideas and ways to get a better deal or an edge on my competition.

An angler needs lots of dependable and weather resistant gear, but I kind of got to thinking, so do other people.  What other industries could have some cross over gear that would be well built and serve the needs of anglers as well.  Hunting is pretty well parallel to fishing, as many particpants do both sports.

One cool find was a website for Tactical Clothing and Outdoor Gear.  Their focus is on serving the Law Enforcement and Fire Industry. A product range that covers clothing or tactical gear, such as 5.11 Tactical, Surefire flashlights, police equipment, Benchmade knives, police gear and military gear they need and want.

For the most part fishing stuff is not cheap, but is not always as rugged as it could be for years or hard fishing, which makes me think that some of the clothing, flashlights, knives, tools and other gear could be a good fit for a bass anglers' boat. If it is good enough for law enforcement and military needs, it should be good enough to serve for years of dependable fishing.

So what other industries or sports do you borrow gear from for your bass fishing?

Fishing in the Wind, Devil is in the Details

Before I head out fishing, I always check the marine wind forecast.  I do this for several reasons, first and foremost is safety, I do not want to get caught in a bad situation, but it also helps me plan my day.  Often times on big water like Mille Lacs or Winnebago fishing the calmer side is the only option.


But also, wind can really position fish and make them bite in certain areas and make them bite baits they normally don't chase as well.  When it blows, I love to throw crankbaits and spinnberbaits.  I am anxious to try several of the new custom Ike's Ink colors for the Rapala DT Series.


There are lots of options to find wind forecasts, but I've found Predictwind.com for fishing weather forecasts seems to be the most accurate ( more info here --> http://www.predictwind.com/what-predictwind-forecast/fishing/ )

In the end, if you plan for the wind, you will be better prepared to catch more and bigger fish!

Sneak Peak New Berkley Havoc Rocket Craw

Photo by Tom Leogrande

Not yer for sale, but Skeet Reese caught most of his fish on a new Berkley Havoc Bait, called the Rocket Craw. You can see it here in this picture in Skeet Reese's hand.

Almost looks like a longer, thinner version of the popular Chigger Craw. I have not heard word on when it will be available, but I am sure we will know much more between now and ICAST which is in July.

Regardless it does appear to be another fish catching profile from the new Havoc line of baits.

What is your favorite Havoc bait?

Havoc Rocket Craw

Potent Worm Dye

JJ's Magic has been a somewhat tightly kept secret by many top bass anglers, but now it is getting some mainstream steam. I had heard good things about the product and then I got some custom poured baits that were dunked in their clear formula. I was instantly impressed with how well the garlic smell stuck to the baits after fishing and being in storage for so long.

So I had to get some clear and colored dips of my own. The brightness and lack of fading compared to other dipping products is second to none. Although, caution: It sticks to your hands as well as soft plastics. Also, be careful not to get salt from your plastics on the closure and threads of bottle, can cause them to seep.

If you like garlic on your baits and like customizing soft plastics, give JJ's a whirl! Comes in 4 colors & clear.

Purchase at BassTackleDepot.com & LBF!