“Tools of the Trade”

Must have “Tools of the Trade” from Ardent

In my last post I touched on the fact that Ardent has a great line of accessories and the finest Reel Care products available. I want to take the time to go into more detail as these have become invaluable tools for me especially for tournament fishing. Ardent has a good line of accessories including tools, scales, culling systems and weigh bags you can check out on the Ardent website. I want to cover a few of my “must haves” in tools-of-the-trade and Reel Care products that will greatly increase the life and performance of your equipment.

First and foremost is the Ardent SmartCull System which since it debuted has been the #1 culling system on the market. I cannot say enough about this system, I have used almost every other system out there in my 30+ years of competitive fishing and SmartCull trumps them all. Don’t just take my word for it, if you pay attention anytime you watch FLW, BASS, College or other tournament events, you will constantly see the Ardent SmartCull system in use. The SmartCull Professional Culling System is a first-of-its-kind, two-stage system that allows you to cull by color and weight. A series of six highly buoyant, impact-resistant balls eliminates the need for markers, charts or computers. The easy-to-read numbers record up to 15 pounds, 15 ounces, and setting weight on each ball is quick and simple. (See also Tech Tip-Livewell/Fish Care) This greatly reduces the time spent calling up the weights on the digital culling scales or written weights on a card, fishing around in the livewell for the corresponding color/number and culling out the fish. The dialed in weight numbers float face up and can easily be seen by just opening the livewell. Of note, because I cannot live without this efficient system, I bought 2 spares which I ended up giving as Christmas presents because my 6+ year old original system is still working flawlessly. SmartCull, makes it easy to keep the best, and getting rid of the rest and tag em’ and bag em’ for the scales.

And speaking of baggin’ em’, Ardent now offers a Weigh-in bag and like all Ardent products this is a top-of-the-line bag (with zipper closure). This bag is made with a soft yet tough, pliable material that will not crack when folding or rolling for storage like some of those other bags. The Ardent Tournament Weigh-in-Bag is a great tool for the tournament fisherman concerned about getting the catch to the scales and back in the water without harming the fish. This big bag is tough and durable, big enough to hold your limit and the water needed to keep them fresh. It is black in color which is preferred to keep the fish calm and has a handy rule on the front. But the real secret is getting that limit of fish to cull and be able to use that nice bag.

For me a great advantage to ensuring a good limit of fish is to keep your equipment in top condition. If you frequent any tackle stores you have probably noticed Ardent Reel Care products on the shelves as they are very popular and for good reason. Regular preventative maintenance, cleaning and lubrication of you reels is one of the most important things you can do to optimize reel performance. Reels used only a few times a season, annual service and lubrication is recommended. Reels that are fished on a regular basis, especially the rigors of competitive fishing should be lubed monthly to ensure your reels stay in top fish fighting shape. Cleaning and Lubrication products specifically designed for reels should be used. 3 in 1 oils and/or gun cleaning/lube products just don’t cut it.

Ardent’s Reel Care line-up starts with their 100% synthetic oil and grease. Reel Butter lubricants have been confirmed best on the market through an independent laboratory study by Texas Oil Tech, Houston, Texas (independent ASTM and ISO 9001-certified and ANSI-RAB QME accredited). Other reel lubricants contain an intense dye to give the illusion of a long-lasting protection by staining reel components but actually break down and wear off quickly. Test results proved that Ardent Reel Butter grease remains for much longer than the competitions through use of a black light and UV tracers in the product. Testing further confirmed Ardent Reel Butter oil is the only true high performance reel lubricating oil sold today. Use Ardent Reel Butter Reel Oil for monthly lubrication of the bearings and main shaft, and Ardent Reel Butter Reel Grease for lubrication of the main gears and pinion. This will ensure your reels stay in top fish fighting shape. Remember, a little bit goes a long way. Over lubrication can cause poor performance as well, so a light coating is recommended. Regular cleaning is important also and Ardent provides several options for that as well.

Serious fishermen cannot live without the Ardent Professional Parts Cleaner. Ardent takes Reel Care to the next level with the use of a wire basket and soak tank of Reel Kleen® Cleaner. Just drop your parts in the wire basket, lower them into the parts tub and then remove them without a mess. The kit also includes a brush, cleaning cloth and an 8 oz. bottle of Reel Kleen® Cleaner, enough for 5-6 cleanings.

Ardent also has 3 other convenient Reel Kleen® Reel Cleaning Kits containing everything required for easy, regular cleaning of any make or model fishing reel. All contained in a convenient durable plastic case that even stores great in the boat. For this week’s Tech Tip I’ll drop some good advice about what products to choose.

Ardent also makes Saltwater Reel Care cleaning and lubrication kits which I highly recommend for your freshwater equipment. As a pro-staffer with Ardent I was chosen to test their Reel Guard® Corrosion Inhibitor as I lived on the Laguna Madre of Padre Island, Texas. I used spinning and bait casting reels with aluminum and magnesium cases, one each with and one each without the use of Reel Guard Corrosion Inhibitor. I am still using the test reels with the corrosion inhibitor to this day and the test subjects without were gone within a year (the Laguna Madre is hyper saline, 10Xs saltier than the Gulf).  Ardent began to see reels (competitors as well) come back with corrosion issues from fresh water use. With a little research the Ardent team found fishermen draping their salt impregnated baits over the reels in storage, caused the aluminum and magnesium frame reels to corrode. The Ardent Saltwater line of reel care products (including greases and oils) have built in corrosion inhibitors that will help protect the reels in use and while being stored (inside and out). So my recommendation is to try Ardent’s high-performance cleaning and lubricating products in the Saltwater formulas along with Reel Supreme and Corrosion Inhibitor, for the ultimate in reel protection and performance.

The proper tools are key to increasing your catch rate. Good preventative maintenance, cleaning and care of those tools will ensure top performance and countless years of use.

George Kunkle