“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

Ardent Reels Re-Look

(Introduction to Ardent’s newest line-up)

Ardent got its start in 2003 as a “Made in the USA” leading designer and manufacturer of freshwater fishing reels, Reel Care products and accessories. Made by fishermen for fishermen, the design of every Ardent reel and Ardent accessory has always been a result of input from professional anglers and other members of Team Ardent. Located in St. Louis, Missouri, Ardent is proud to be an American owned and operated company. The company was founded on the principle of creating high performance fishing reels that can endure the test of time. A daunting task for a US manufacturer to compete with a myriad of foreign designed and built reels on the market today that was not without its growing pains.

Close tolerance specifications and new reel engineering innovations that had their share of initial flaws and the higher cost often associated with U.S. products, resulted in some less than enthusiastic users of some of the first few models. Fishermen had also gotten used to the “use and throw away” reels produced overseas and were not willing to accept regular preventative maintenance and care. But Ardent had many triumphs including; Best in show at ICAST, “Drag Tracking Technology” that allows the level wind eyelet to track in parallel with the line location on the spool as line is being pulled from the reel in drag mode reducing the chance of line breakage by eliminating the sharp angles caused by the level wind eyelet being out of sync with the line location. https://www.youtube.com/embed/6YkFb-GsJyQ?autoplay=1 , a line of specially designed Flip-N-Pitch reels (F-500/F-700, absolute beasts of flippin’ reels) and the development and marketing of the best reel care products available today.

In the interest of full disclosure I will tell you I have been a Pro-staffer with Ardent since their inception and still have, use regularly, even the initial Ardent prototype reels. I do however perform regular monthly maintenance, cleaning/lubrication and can attest to the high quality USA made parts as I have not replaced any gears, bearings or major components on any of these reels. To this day I will put even the oldest of my Ardent Reels against any made today, especially in casting distance. In 2008 Alton Jones won the Bassmaster Classic using exclusively Ardent Reels as well. But fishermen can be unforgiving and some of the initial problems cause several to look elsewhere.

In the last few year’s Ardent made some changes that warrant a second look from anyone looking for a high quality reel at an affordable price. No doubt due to a little “can’t beat ‘em join ’em” coupled with the opportunity to infuse some of their developed technology lead Ardent to have their reels produced overseas like the rest of the industry. First out of the chute is the Apex line that includes; the Apex Elite with superior on the water performance, Ardent’s extremely light weight high strength aluminum frame, 12+1 ball bearings that produce top-level smoothness and casting distance. Apex also has a deep V 6061 T6 machined aluminum spool, a carbon fiber swept back handle with EVA grips, externally adjustable 270 degree Mag brake system and is available in 6.5:1 gear ratio in both left and right hand retrieve. Apex Pro comes in a 7.3:1 gear ratio in right hand retrieve.

I have used both versions of the Apex for over a year now and highly recommend you give them a look (next article will go into detail of field testing). At less than $150 (Elite)/$130 (Pro) these reels have outperformed even reels of twice the price. Of course many fishermen will like the fact the performance I experienced to date includes no maintenance, lubrication or cleaning so far. The smaller size and “more modern” look will appeal to many others as well. The drag system is also far superior to some of Ardent’s previous offerings and at that price point I plan to replace all my active reels. All Ardent’s reels are still backed by the longest warranty in the industry with 3 years of coverage right out of the box. But wait there’s more!

In May Ardent introduced the Apex Grand which has all the specifications of the Elite plus a dual braking system with 6 pin internally adjustable centrifugal and an externally adjustable 270 degree Magnetic brake system. Grand boasts a High Strength Aluminum frame, 6061 T6 machined aluminum spool, an extra-long carbon fiber swept handle with EVA grip knobs and on handle swept back forged aluminum star drag weighing in at a mere 5.9 ozs. The Grand comes in a 7.3:1 gear ratio in right hand retrieve and is almost half the price of the competitor’s same/similar models. The pearl white finish will attract the attention of those who use the new “white” rods but goes just fine with my beautiful blue St. Croix Legend Tournaments.

Ardent’s “Drag Tracking Technology” system is included on the new Ardent Magnum Reel which is a larger version (in appearance) to the Apex. This reel is great for Carolina Rigs, Swimbait set ups and other applications requiring larger line and/or more line capacity. Magnum has a cast aluminum frame, 10+1 Stainless Steel Ball Bearings, 6.5:1 Gear Ratio, .95 mm Extra Long Carbon Fiber Handle, 17.6 pound drag system (industry average for baitcasters is usually only about 12lbs.), 270 degree magnetic brake system, and is capable of holding up to 260 yards of 10 lb. mono. This reel is Saltwater Tested and Approved and also comes out of the box with a 3-Year Warranty at a MSRP of $149.99.

For those who prefer or make use of spinning equipment Ardent offers 3 models and has a 4^th in development. The Bolt is a light but tough, excellent spinning reel for all applications and the 6.0:1 HIGH SPEED retrieve will increase your productivity on the water. One of the features I personally like is the 6061-T6 double anodized spool that is equipped with a BRAID BAND to allow you to tie braid to the spool without line slippage. The Ardent Finesse is an excellent choice for the angler looking for a light, reliable and smooth spinning reel. It also has a 6061-T6 double anodized spool with the BRAID BAND. The Ardent Wire Spinning Reel is my favorite and is a most innovative spinning reel. The Wire is designed around a high strength stainless steel double wire frame that give this reel the stability required in a high quality spinning reel. The reel features a 9+1 ball bearing system for smooth operation. The reel not only looks great, it performs like no other.

Since the company originated in 2003, Ardent has been committed to offering the highest quality reel with expert craftsmanship only a fisherman can appreciate. You owe it to yourself to give Ardent reels another look for the tools you need to bring your fishing to the next level and experience better performance and durability. Try Ardent Reel Care products and accessories as well (more on those offerings next week). Choose Ardent, Rule the Water.

George Kunkle

Product Review - Bass Minder

While at the ABA National Championship in November this year I ran into an entrepreneur named David Stewart who I think has some pretty neat stuff for the amateur and professional angler alike.  David had a booth set up at the weigh-in tent at Grand Lake and he caught my attention with a couple of items I have been looking to fill a large void in my fishing arsenal for a long time. Bass Minder now has 4 products that the serious angler cannot afford live without (especially when every moment on the water counts) and a must for the beginner that will give them a fast track to competitiveness. 
The first item at first may seem a little basic but that is the genius of it. Bass Minder’s® Lure Selection Guide is an easy to read chart that gives/reminds you the best lure selection based on water temperature/conditions and the time of year. It is a durable waterproof sticker that can be used on the card from your tackle box or glove compartment or permanently applied to your boat, tackle box, inside lid of a tackle compartment or any smooth surface you want. A must for all beginners it takes the place of countless hours of studying and reading the “not so secrets” from magazines and is always at your fingertips. As I said for the seasoned pros the genius is in the simplicity. We have all been there, the tougher the fishing gets the deeper the hole we dig with frustration as time slips away. At a recent tournament when faced with this situation, while rummaging through my hatch for something to entice a bite I picked up the Lure Selection Guide and sat on the deck for a few minutes, got back to basics, and finished with a limit of fish. Now the Lure Selection Guide is permanently stuck to the gunnel of my boat where it reminds me when things get tough to slow down and get back to basics to catch more fish.

Just like the Lure Selection Guide, you can permanently apply Bass Minder's® Line Selection Guide to the inside or outside of your tackle box, inside your boat, on any smooth surface or keep it on the card as is in your tackle box. This is probably the most important product and works better for me right on the card as I use it primarily in preparing for an event more so than on the water. The Bass Minder® Line Selection Guide is a quick reference for the type of line to use for optimum performance from your lure. Again an absolute must have for the beginner with an opportunity to learn from years of experience, in seconds with this quick reference guide. It’s easy for the experience angler to get stuck in using the same lines for the “local” waters as we know what type of lures and conditions we are going to fish in and have matched the line accordingly. But like myself, who recently moved from my comfort zone in South Texas to Northern Alabama you may be faced with using lures you have not tied on for years a reminder or sometimes a pure education on line types to use with these lures again becomes invaluable.

 Matter-a-fact I’m in the process of removing the beautiful 65 and 80 pound braid from all my South Texas rigged gear and putting on the sissy baits so prevalent in this part of the country (LOL) and the Line Selection Guide is becoming a primary tool for me this week. The Line Selection Guide also comes with my favorite of the Bass Minder products the Bass Minder® Line Reminder Stickers.

I have spent countless years trying to come up with a way to mark what type and size line I had on my reels. I made labels that washed off or would not stay stuck, I made tags that tied to the line and I even know guys that would scratch, etch or mark into their rods and/or reels the size of the line (ouch!). Especially with braids and fluorocarbon lines it is difficult to tell the difference in size by looking but can make a significant difference in lure/fishing performance. More importantly prolonged exposure to sun, heat, and cold weather, can make fishing lines brittle and more likely to break (and it always seems to happen at the most critical time) too many fishermen don’t replace their line until something bad happens. This product solves both problems with bright, durable labels, color coded to clearly let you see even at a distance weather you have Mono, Flouro or Braid on, what size it is, and most importantly the date you spooled it on. The waterproof labels can be applied to the reels or the rod and are very durable. Now obviously you have to pay attention where you apply them as if like most, you palm your reel and have the sticker under your hand or fingers it will start rubbing off after thousands of casts. A lot of guys like putting them on the rods but I will often mix and match rods and reels based on fishing conditions. My method is to put the sticker on the bottom of the reel seat/cleat as I set up my reels before an event (cleaning and lubing them often) and don’t make a lot of changes on the water that would not require me to take the reel off. This allows me to make those rod and reel changes on the water without mixing up line size by leaving the label on the rod. The Line selection Guide comes with 6 Line Reminder Stickers and the Line Reminder Sticker pack comes with 50, enough to almost cover all the reels a guy like me has. But seriously you gotta’ get a pack and try them out they will greatly improve the number of fish that make it in the boat while reducing the amount of time and money you spend changing line you are “not sure of”.
The final product is a great improvement on problem I only thought I had solved. Molded plastic tackle boxes are now the preference of most anglers, they are relatively inexpensive and all the new bass boats include slots to secure your tackle boxes. But once they are in the boat or a tackle bag it is almost impossible to tell what’s in them without pulling them out. I bought an expensive label maker only to find the waterproof plastic labels were even more expensive and there is no way to color code them without buying even more expensive plastic labels and constantly changing tapes. 

With the BASS MINDER RUSS LANE PRO SERIES TACKLE MINDER LABELS I can identify the boxes in the hatch from the front of the boat and eliminates any questions when asking a partner to grab a box for you. I have even labeled the slots in the boat so when having someone help load the boat the boxes all go in the right place and I can tell my partner where to find a box without even having to look.
As simple as this seems it is one of the most innovative products I think to come along in a while and something all fishermen beginners to professionals must have. I am glad I took the time to walk over and talk to David and stay tuned for updates on the first full year of use and abuse… The Bass Minder products take all the guesswork out of your entire trip, beginner or seasoned professional.

Product Review; Uncovering Scent Theories

“How do you know when to use fish attractants/scents and do you think they really work?” Seems the subject of using scents comes up more often these days with my partners in the boat. If the same question came up a couple of years ago I would have said “I only use them to cover up unwanted scents the fish don’t like” a theory shared by many and written about extensively in articles. I even recently read an article that said no scent could attract fish and can only be used to mask unwanted odors/taste. But now my answer is, any and all the time I am on the water is when you should use fish attractants.

A few years ago I had the good fortune to find Bio Edge fishing products a line of powerful all natural fishing scents. I started using them extensively, experimenting with a number of different uses and disproving many theories even I thought viable. It is probably true that many of the “old school” scents such as anise, garlic, synthetic or manmade oils and fruit flavors can probably only mask unwanted odors like plastic, fuel, oil, or human scent as none of these occur naturally or are food sources for game fish. But take 100% natural extracts from real crawfish, shad, minnows, shrimp and other baits containing all the oils, pheromones, amino acids, and enzymes and you can’t help but be ringing the dinner bell for your favorite game fish. That is my theory anyway and I spent the last several years proving it.
Although I am a “most time” Professional Bass Tournament Fisherman I also happen to live on the water of Padre Island and the famous Gulf Coast bays and estuaries. If I am not practicing or participating in a tournament I am spending time on the water in my back yard, so I am intimately familiar with the importance of natural forage (bait) and how important they are for attracting fish.  Professional saltwater anglers and Guides watch for “slicks” in the shallow calm flats of the bays caused by pods of bait or other fish which is a sure sign of feeding Speckled Trout or Redfish. You also don’t need to have spent many hours fishing saltwater to know “chumming” is important to start and sustain a feeding frenzy or bring fish in from the huge expanse of water the Gulf and bays present. I have taken this experience from the saline infested water and used them as a basis for my maybe not-so-scientific experiments on my favorite lakes to prove out my theories (common sense really). Here are some of my theory’s I have proven out in tournaments and the tips and uses for this great new product.

Make your own bait fish pod/school; 90% of the fish are in 10% of the water and Bass follow the baitfish are two basic rules for fishing, but it is often tough to find both happening at the same time in the same place. Large schools of shad release huge trails of oils and scales as they move through the water and use pheromones to “communicate” danger to the school. It can be theorized that Bass and other game fish pick up on the trails to locate and track these schools of bait. You can create this same situation to pique the interest of the fish in your favorite area even in absents of bait schools or pods. When fishing your favorite “hole” or point and the fish seem to slow down or are not cooperating create your own school of baitfish to “swim” over your favorite spot. I have used this on several occasions to trigger feeding in areas I know regularly hold fish. Position your boat upwind or up current before you load up your favorite bait with Bio Edge potion in your local lakes favorite forage bait “flavor”. Holding the bait over the side liberally apply Bio Edge to your bait. The slick created on the water from the excess dripping from your bait will drift over the spot and generate interest from any fish that may be lounging around.
Bring the fish to you; This is another science project that has paid big dividends; as a matter of fact it got me a Division Championship in 2010. Many lakes have near impenetrable cover that can make it all but impossible to reach the fish holding close to the bank or deep in the heavy cover. Here in South Texas the thick Hydrilla mats often grow out several 100 feet from the bank; you can tell when the fish are holding there, out of your reach and it can drive you crazy and waste valuable tournament time trying to figure a way to get to them. Using the theories and techniques described in Making your own bait fish school you can attract (yes, I said attract) the fish to you. Load your bait with Bio edge potion working the outsides of the cover (I prefer the crawfish scent as I mainly use creature baits to flip the heavy cover). Work back and forth in a relatively small area the turbulence from your trolling motor, wind and wave action push the oils, enzymes and pheromones back into the cover. It will not take a whole lot of “ringing the dinner bell” to get the fish to migrate out to their feeding areas on the outside edge of the cover. So much for the theory that you cannot use scents as attractants.
Best invention ever or less is more… natural; Though Bio Edge may not be the original inventors of this type applicator the Wand is the most amazing scent applicator I have ever used. There is absolutely no mess or spillage, it stays where you put it and lasts much longer on your baits than other liquid scents. I talked earlier about those secrets the saltwater anglers use, the most savvy have a trick of taking the live bait shrimp and slightly splitting the back causing pheromones to be slowly release into the water that no self righteous game fish can resist. While other formulas cause an immediate huge slick when the bait is dropped into the water; the thick solid of the wand slowly leaches the oils, amino acids and pheromones into the water in a much more natural way.
Try some on your under arms ( That’ll mask some odor); The thick solid of the Bio Edge Wand not only is the least messy scent I have ever used, but also allows you to control the use/release of the scent. When flippin’ and pitchin’ creature baits apply a little crawfish scent from the wand under the “flippers/arms” of the bait. The bait falls to the bottom arms closed, every time you hop or jump the bait the arms spread releasing the Bio Edge scent at the time and amount you can control. This technique is extremely deadly on bedding fish as you can shake the bait slightly causing the arms to fan the natural oils and pheromones into the water driving the fishes senses wild.
It’s no longer just a “cover-up”. Forget all the theories and opinions you may have had and/or read about on the old “snake oil” fish formulas/scents, which may have rattled around in your boat only for those times you had to cover the odor from fueling the boat, lathering on the sun screen, or eating your bologna sandwich. The new 100% natural formulas from Bio Edge will become an important part of your fishing arsenal. Try some of these tips the next time you go out to your favorite body of water or experiment with your own ideas, it will make a believer out of you. Weather you fish freshwater, saltwater or both; Bio Edge has many attractants in dozens of bait types to satisfy whatever game fish you hunt. 

Product Review – 2012 St. Croix Legend Tournament Series (Part 1)

Now that I have had the new 2012 St. Croix Legend Tournament Bass rods for about 4 months and have put them through their paces it’s time to talk about how they performed. I purchased the new TBC73MHF Carolina Rig, TBC74HF Slop-N-Frog/Swim Jig, TBC71MF Plastics (my absolute favorite all ‘round rod), TBC71MHF Spinnerbait/Jig-N-Worm, and the TBC710HM Magnum Cranker models and the new improvements are readily apparent right out of the tube. The new NSi (Nano Silica), 3M matrix resin provides for 30% more strength with no added weight to the already super light rods  (a great bonus but I have never had any issues with strength in the St Croix’s and the latest video posted to my You Tube Channel will show evidence to that).  The new small-sized Fuji® K Series tangle-free guides and the slightly different paint scheme give impressive aesthetics as well as function. The new Fuji reel seats on all the 2012 models was an instant winner with me,while mounting my new Ardent Edge Elite reels the reel seats seem to be tougher, easier to handle, with bigger grips for us old folks. I had to think twice about mounting reels and using the new rods as they were so impressive looking I wanted to put them in my trophy case to impress the fishin’ buddies when they come over. But in South Texas pretty don’t cut it with the biggest average Bass in the country and some of the harshest, toughest cover and conditions it takes only the best equipment to cut it.


First stop was Coleto Creek, a power plant lake in the dead of winter with cold temperatures, raining sideways, and 20 to 30 MPH winds. (It was tough on me even if the rods did not feel a thing.) Couple the weather conditons with thick hydrilla mats and pre-spawn conditions the perfect arena to give the new Spinnerbait and Plastics rods a workout. The attributes of the closely spaced small guides was apparent right away in the screaming wind. Around these parts braid is the primary line which has a nasty habit of getting “blown out” from the space between eyelets, bowing the line in multiple places along the rod slowing the cast and increasing backlash issues (even worse when wet). The closely spaced small Fuji® guides held the line along the rod with no “blow out” and I was impressed by the noticeable additional casting distance. The first fish came on a spinnerbait as it crept across a small pocket in the heavy hydrilla. The 7 lb plus bass smashed it and dug straight into the thick weeds. Despite the braided line screaming under the strain of the fish and 50 pounds of hydrilla the Spinnerbait/Jig combination power of the rod pulled the fish out without breaking a sweat. The TBC71MHF Spinnerbait/Jig-N-Worm has the backbone you need for powerful hook sets or winching fish from heavy cover coupled with right amount of speed at the tip to accurately cast spinnerbaits even in tight places. 
As I said earlier my favorite all around St.Croix rod has been the Plastics model, I have 4 in the MOJO BASS series (MBC70MF). Again right out of tube there are some noticeable differences the (Bass Series) Legend Tournament TBC71MF Plastics is 1 inch longer than its predecessor and seems to have an overall thinner diameter blank and very nice “long” taper. The 2012 model seems to be noticeable light and feels slightly “stiffer” to me resulting in much better feel/sensitivity.

The Mojo series has 9 eyelets (including tip) and the 2012 Plastics has 12 small-sized Fuji® K Series tangle-free guides (a true work of art). During the tournament that day I had to transfer a reel to the new rod and with freezing wet hand the new Fuji reel seat was worth its weight in gold. This rod got the most workout as I used it to “Rip” a rattle trap, crank a square bill and my secret weapon on Coleto a swimmin’ worm. Usually wary about changes in my favorite tools the new Plastics rod far surpassed my expectations and is now even more versatile than before with added power and lighter weight. I fished this new St. Croix for over 6 hours that day with little to no fatigue, a tournament win, with no fish losses or missed strikes, and the majority of the fish coming out of super thick grass. St. Croix has truly oudone themselves with the great improvements in the new 2012 rod series.
Next stop legendary Lake Falcon watch for the second part of this Rod Review and If you find yourself in South Texas check out the selection of St. Croix Rods at Roy’s Bait and Tackle Outfitters.

Tech Tip - Livewell/Fish Care

Are You Ready to Catch Fish? The title question may seem to have an obvious answer to most of us but, are you really ready to catch fish. Most serious fishermen spend countless hours preparing for the next tournament or other fishing expedition from map recons and fine tuning our tackle to checking the tire pressure on the boat trailer. But the question was not are you ready to go fishing rather are you ready to catch fish. One of the most important things in preparation and unfortunately, usually the most overlooked is, are we prepared to catch fish and properly take care of them to ensure a limit of healthy active fish are returned to the water and more importantly survive the hours after the release from the high stress environment the fish have endured for the last 4 to 8 hours. Further are you prepared for the eventuality that you may have to cull fish on the water? The next few paragraphs will give you some insight and tips on how you can be prepared to catch fish, take care of those fish, and get credit for every ounce of weight you worked so hard to get in the boat. Make preparations for catching fish as diligently as you now make preparations for going fishing. If you’re fortunate enough to own a Triton Boat there is a custom made place for all the materials you will need to maintain a healthy limit of fish and have an efficient culling system. The tray in one of the rear stowage compartments located next to the live wells is a prime place to have everything at your fingertips. The basic items you will need include; a “flat board”/ measuring board, a hand held fish scale, culling tags, Rejuvenade replenishment solution, needle for “fizzing” or deflating the swim bladder of fish caught in deeper water, balance beam, and a bonus would be to carry a bottle of hydrogen peroxide (with a small measuring cup) and a quality weight bag for transporting your catch to the scales. Proper care of the water in your livewell is paramount to keeping a limit of fish alive for the weigh-in (especially in the coming summer months) and more importantly to eliminate post release mortality often reported at tournament sites. Again it starts with preparation, it is just as important if not more important to clean your livewells just as you clean the boat before or after a tournament. Always rinse your livewells and cycle fresh water through your re-circulating pumps and hoses after each event. Wash your livewells thoroughly (soap and water) at regular intervals as well, bleach for cleaning and eliminating mold and fish injuring micro-organisms is key to the cleaning process. I recommend a powdered scouring powder (with bleach) as it has a visual residue so you can ensure you thoroughly rinse all the bleach from the wells. Prepare some fish energy drinks; using empty water or sport drink bottles (16 – 20 oz.) add one cap full of Rejuvenade, fill with water, cap, and place in the freezer (details to follow). When you get to the lake fill your livewells at least half full immediately upon getting to that first fishin’ hole (away from the launch area where oil and fuel accumulate). Immediately upon catching your first keeper get it to the livewell as soon as possible, turn your livewell pump on (manual) to finish filling the well, add one cap full (per 20 gallons) of Rejuvenade and ¾ cup of hydrogen peroxide.

There are two schools of thought on live well water care/circulation; continuous refreshing with clean water and/or re-circulating “treated” water. The goal in either case is to maintain a high concentration of oxygenated water. Under normal circumstances a volume of water will contain a certain amount of dissolved oxygen, the larger the volume the larger amount of dissolved oxygen it will contain, further the colder the water (within reason) the higher amount of dissolved oxygen it can contain as well. Since our livewells contain a limited volume of water the use of the hydrogen peroxide will “cheat the system” and maintain up to 30% more dissolved oxygen in a given volume of water. From January to May (in south Texas) I will normally use the continuous fresh water circulation (I feel it maintains better water quality with a large number if fish in the well), after all the lake is a pretty large volume, this requires re-treating the water as described above several times during the day. After about the first week or so of May water maintenance requires drastic action here in South Texas! I simply reverse the process, by treating the water and only “topping off” with fresh water as required (after running) and use the frozen Rejuvenade (fish energy drink) to retreat the water and lower the temperature, just take off the cap and drop it in the live well. The key at this point is to maintain the livewell water temperature cooler than the lake. Rejuvenade will neutralize chlorine from the water which allows you to add ice from your cooler in order to help maintain lower water temperature. Now that your livewells are ready it’s time to add some fish!

Proper, efficient culling can make or break you in a tournament situation and will also ensure your fish’s survival/healthy release for future events. Limited, careful handling of your catch is important to maintaining a healthy creel and there are several innovations on the market today to help with this. A good set of culling tags is a must there are several types of the new “dial in weight” tags on the market today. These tags let you set the weight of your fish right on the tag/ball which reduces handling of the fish and time wasted on recording information. I highly recommend the Ardent Smart Cull which is easily set one-handed, does not slip (numbers) and have outlasted all dial in weight type cull tags I have used. Clip on type tags are better for the fish and do not damage the fish’s mouth but often slip off in the livewell. However, when using wire “poke through” the lip type tags you can greatly reduce the amount of jaw and lip damage by properly attaching the clips. After boating and un-hooking the fish (always use wet hands) attach the tag first, pierce the bottom lip just behind the thick, cartilage like part of the lip as close to the forward most (center tip) portion of the fishes mouth (next to the little “ball” in the center of the lower lip), this allows the fish to hang straight under the scale and does not rip the lower jaw. Again Ardent Smart Culls use a large oval type stainless steel clip that can easily be opened and closed one-handed. Hook your scale on the attached tag clip (never behind the gills or poke through the lip), dial the weight in on the tag, and immediately get the fish in the livewell. Always double check fish close in weight with the balance beam using the same process (hook the balance clip to the centered cull ball clip). Proper preparation and the right tools are the keys to a healthy limit of fish and keeping the competitive edge on the highly competitive circuits, be ready to catch fish. George Kunkle

Fishing Report - Laguna Madre, 2/9/12

Water is of course cold but clear and had the good fortune of hitting the tides about right. My son and his wife were visiting from Augusta, Ga so my neighbor and I took them out for some of the fishing they miss so much these days. The weather was absolutely horrible very cold, windy and raining sideways. Started by hitting some of my old (winter) standby spots in the canals and my neighbor hooked a nice keeper Trout and some small Reds. The plan was to go out to Emmords Hole but as the rain seemed to be moving in more and more we opted to stay close. Ran up into the Packary Channel and beached the boat on a spoil island. Almost immediately started catching Specks but with no keepers. We started with plastics, Gulp and some live shrimp on popping corks but moved out of desperation to bottom fishing shrimp. Much to my surprise we started boating keeper Trout with the rig as well as some small Flounder. Started running low on shrimp so I took some cut bait and used a BioEdge shrimp wand to try and tempt more fish. First cast out caught a Flounder the size of a trash can lid. By the end of the day despite some lousy weather came home with a dozen nice Trout three Flounder, and some Whiting. Needless to say my neighbor and I are going out again in the morning, no matter how bad the weather.