Hello, anglers!
I thought I would pass on some new fishing product information as Christmas is again in the wings and it is time to start
thinking seriously about selecting gifts for those fishing addicts in our lives.
Most serious anglers love to stay on top of the latest technology in every aspect of fishing, but especially when it comes
to reels.
The choice of reels is a very important
factor when it comes to putting together the tools that are necessary
to consistently
make a dent in the fishing population. One of the top brands of
reels on the market for the past 40-50 years is Abu Garcia.
I have been using these reels for 30-plus years, and the many
choices and quality workmanship for their products have never
been better than today.
There are also other quality reels out there, but I am the most familiar with Abu Garcia.
Many anglers, especially experienced
anglers, are difficult to gift. The Revo Series is one of the best
selling and highest-rated
reels available. I will mention three of them as there are 10 in
the baitcast series and four Revos in the spinning reel series.
The first is the Revo S, which was
redesigned from last year and weighs 7.62 ounces, which is 1.09 ounces
less than the earlier,
already light-weight model. Retailing at $129.95, it also has a
sharp new pearl color and is smooth casting with line capacity
of 145 yards with 12-pound test.
Another is the Revo STX, which is their best seller ,and it also was recently upgraded from the original weight of 8.90 ounces
to the new reel which only weighs 6.46 ounces. That’s an amazing decrease of 2.44 ounces. I have both reels, the original
as well as the upgrade and the difference is very significant, especially when you have a long day of fishing.
The new STX holds the same amount of
line as the older model at 145 yards of 12-pound test and the price is
unchanged at $199.95.
The final reel is the flagship of the
Revo Series, the MGX, which is every fresh-water angler’s dream reel
weighing only 5.4
ounces. One of the most technical reels ever designed, the MGX
line capacity is 115 yards of 12-pound test, the reel is very
smooth, quiet, super strong and light as a feather. It will spoil
you, but it is not cheap at $349.95.
I will offer three quality reels next week with price tags under $100.
The lake level at midweek was at 168
feet with one generator running from 4-6:30 p.m. weekdays. Water
temperatures are from
67-72 degrees with all of the lake having good water quality with
some stained conditions on the north half and lots of clear
water down south.
We are catching fish with both a good shallow pattern as well as deep patterns. In low-light situations we are using Stanley’s
Vibrashaft double willow spinnerbaits and are hitting grassy points. We are also using Norton’s Triple Wing buzzbait over
the grass as well as along the outside edges.
Some mornings and late afternoons topwater poppers and chuggers also do really well on quality bass. We have had the best
results with a slow presentation and frequent pauses.
We also continue to use a lot of soft
plastics with a Texas-rigged Berkley Havoc Bottom Hopper (6.25 inches)
and Trick Worms
our top choices. A Bottom Hopper in Shady Watermelon Candy has
been a very good choice. We are also using Power Lizards and
Stanley Wedge Hogs on our Carolina rigs.
DD22s are working on suspended bass in
the 18-30 feet depths and we are also using a drop-shot with Bottom
Hopper Jrs. (4.75-inch)
in depths of 25-40 feet. A jigging spoon is also getting some
action along major creeks and main lake points.
Crappie guide Noe Garcia called and said he is catching some really nice slabs in the 18-to-25-foot depths using live shiners
and jigs.
Yellow bass are hitting in some of the major creeks with some of them hand size. They fillet easily and are very good eating.
•••
Joe Joslin
is a syndicated outdoor columnist, tournament angler and pro guide on
Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn. His column appears Thursdays.
Contact him at 463-3848 or joejoslinoutdoors@yahoo.com or visit www.joejoslinoutdoors.com