ICAST is the vehicle for participating manufacturers to release news and information regarding planned products for the upcoming year. Many of the representatives of these manufacturers are also affiliated with other companies who have something in the works but weren’t quite ready in time to participate in the big event.

Many of these individuals have befriended us and can’t wait to see us at this or any other show so that they can give us a peak at what’s in the works. 90% of these peaks are off the record so we can’t share them with all of you until it is safe for the manufacturer in question to release said information.

This past year, we got a peak at a couple of items that we are free to share…

Coming soon from Bass Patrol - a swiveling hook jighead

This head will be released in multiple colors

Progress is quick with this new Bass Patrol offering. Just days before ICAST, we received a spy-cam image of the prototype for this jighead – unfinished and with a generic brand hook. At ICAST we were shown these intricate, finished colors and the heads featured what looked to be hooks by Gamakatsu. The last detail is still under negotiations, but that’s how quickly things are progressing. There’s no official release date but at this rate, we expect to see this product very soon on tackle store shelves and pegboards…. stay tuned.

For this next item, all we are allowed to share is the photo… no explanation of what to expect, and no explanation of when. Just look and develop your own conclusions:

what makes this product exciting? we know, but we can't tell you.

Stay tuned as we sift through more photos in an effort to bring you the unofficial word from this year’s ICAST.

Freshwater Rods – GLoomis NRX

Combo – Ardent – Laminglas

Marine – Minn Kota – Talon

Apparel – Frabill

Electronics – Lowrance Elite-5 DSI

Eyewear – Maui Jim – Guy Harvey Collection

Fishing Accessory – Adventure Products – EGO SZ Slider Landing Net

Gift – Boating Expressions – Fishdenders

Kids Tackle – Pflueger – Apprentice Spinning Combo

Lure – Shimano – Waxing Subsurface Swimming jig

Freshwater Reel – Shimano – Stella

Saltwater Reel – Shimano – Trinidad A

Saltwater Rod – Shimano – Terez

Tackle Management – OpenWater – Tackle Backpack

Terminal Tackle – Sebile – Soft Weight System

Soft Lure – Kopper – Live Target Hollow Body Frog

Line – Rapala – Sufix 832 Advanced Superline

We’re buys downloading images and working up the first few articles to go up tonight. In the meantime, here are my impressions from Day 1 at ICAST 2010…

Micros … Just about every rodnmanufacturer is jumping on the Micro guide bandwagon and many of them seem to be doing itnpurely out of peer pressure… When we explain to them our personal experience on the water hope is restored in their eyes.

Daiwa … My biggest personal disappointment… No zaion inspired Zillion, no PX68, and no Z2020 … Instead Daiwa USA concentrated on saltwater again this year and while their new offerings are worthwhile, I think neglecting the hungry freshwater reel market is a mistake especially with the strides made by Quantum and Pinnacle this year.

Shimano … The Scorpion 1000/1001 XT is coming to the US branded as the Curado 50/51 but even more exciting is the new Stella!!

Evergreen International… FINALLY!? Or maybe not …. They have a full blown pro staff team and they had an i impressive booth at the show, but they are still carefully calculating just how to enter the US market….

Quantum… One word, Smoke … Stay t uned for our writeup… It’ll be worth the wait… Quantum is ready for prime time!

Pinaccle … This Korean based rod and reel manufacturer is poised to make so me noise especially with their rods…

G.Loomis … We posted this on Facebook… Anyone who had given up on the G.Loomis brand had better take a second look… Price not withstanding, the NRX rods have a fantastic feel to them.

Kistler Custom Rods… Zbone is taking over the brand and Kistler will be bu ilsing several stock line of rods u under the Zbone monicker all on North Fork Composite Blanks AND with an over the counter warranty!

Skeet Reese … Skeet has made the move to Wright and McGiill for his new line of bait casting and Spinning reels but the real news may be. In his new combo for kids!

That’s all for now… Time to get back to our full articles and photos… Hang onas we’re almost ready to. Post our first article!

Next up is a lure that actually predates the French Vivif by a couple of years. Around 1950-51 the Plucky Minnow also known as “The  Swimming Lure” was  exported out of France through the Rublex company. This bait was very popular for bass throughout Europe as well as trophy brown trout as far away as New Zealand.

Initially the Plucky was an expensive boutique bait that was 5x the price of most artificial lures. Casted out of a thin tire like rubber the bait needed to be maintained or would unfortunately degrade if left under sun light. The bill,dorsal and tail fin were molded with the bait so they’re attached rather well, but were made of leather so they would dry out,crack, and degrade over time.  The joint consisted of a small metal piano style hinge, coupled with the leather bill and a life like tail this lure had a very convincing swimming minnow action that could be counted down.

What is interesting about these lures is the bait had a unique line through design. After hooking into a fish the double pointed hook would detach from the bait and slide up past the small swivel and be free of any additional weight.

All baits were painted by hand and came in a variety of finishes.There were three sizes released 2 3/4″ 1.6 oz, 2 1/4″ 1.3oz, and a 1 3/8″ 1.2 oz. Since the lures were a bit small anglers would often rig up a 1/2 oz weight ahead of the lure to get distance from the bank.

After getting some momentum sometime in the late 50’s early 60’s the Garcia/Mitchell company (now Abu Garcia)  picked up the rights to the lure. Garcia decided to try and streamline the lure and extend the lifespan by changing the makeup of the bait. This is a common theme once a lure gains status and can often lead to its demise. The new bait made use of a new rubber bill and tail fin and opted to lose the dorsal fin. The body material changed and was made of a stiffer more durable plastic material, and the head was reinforced to stop it from caving in (I read somewhere that guys used to inject cod oil in this new mod).

Even though my lures are 50 plus years old I could not detect a noticeable difference in action. With the cheaper injected plastic lures starting to dominate the scene I think one could argue that boutique baits started to really lose their lustre.

Dipping back just a few years before the legendary French Vivif reveals a soft bodied lure with a dual point hook and awesome swimming action. While the Vivifs were lipless it’s hard to not see a few similar traits with it’s French made predecessor.

TackleTour is in full ICAST mode as we are set to depart in just four short days to Las Vegas where we’ll be be pounding the showroom floor and our keyboards enroute to bringing you the best coverage we possibly can. Even with North America’s biggest tackle show of the year less than a week away, product continues to appear at TT headquarters as manufacturers compete for our time and attention.

Less than a month ago, we brought you our review of Paycheck Bait’s versatile Punch Skirt and just this morning, we received a box of new product from this aggressive young company, but are any of these items as exciting as their debut product?

Repo Man: It’s no secret that PayCheck Baits has garnered the rights to most all of the former Reaction Innovations non-soft bait products. First it was the flipping hook, now it’s the topwater bait. That’s right, the Vixen is back, but it’s undergone a gender change and is now known as the Repo Man. Packed with VMC hooks and available in six different colors, the Repo Man is shipping to retailers now with an MSRP of $16.99.

Baby Blue

Dead Man Walking

Blow Up

Sweaty Betty

Bone Crusher

Drag Stripper

Punch Stop: Finally, the punch stops are ready. These stops are larger than those Bub Tosh showed us during our on the water introduction to his product last July, and they appear significant enough to where you will not need to double stop your tungsten weight. If it ever warms up enough here in Northern California, we’ll be sure to verify, but it looks like the production version of the Punch Stop can handle stopping duties solo. The Punch Stop is shipping to stores immediately and retails for $3.99 per pack of 10 individual stops.

The Punch Stops Are Ready

And will retail for 3.99 per pack

Rubber Skirts: The answer to our first question of whether or not there was anything in the box as exciting as their debut product can be answered with a “yes!”. Although technically this last item is merely an enhancement of the original Punch Skirt, the fact that the Punch Skirt is now available in living rubber is pretty exciting. There are two colors, Nasty Nate (black), and Dirty Money (brown) and right out of the package, these skirts flare much more actively than their silicone counterparts -- a prelude to the same added bulk and pulsing action jigs made out of this same material have over the same silicone skirt counterparts. The new Round Rubber Punch Skirts are also shipping to stores now and will sell for $3.99 per two pack.

Rubber Punch Skirts!

These are a lot livelier than the silicone version

And just a tad larger too

But hang on, there is “One” more bait coming… Bub promises to show us this bait at ICAST. In fact, when we announced our “Search For One” theme this year, Bub must have been paying attention because this new bait is appropriately named “The One”. Any guesses as to what it might be? Well, if you paid attention to last year’s preview, you’ll remember there was one prototype bait Zander was throwing and got mugged with. Do you remember? Well, here’s a reminder:

I was talking to everyone’s favorite TT Girl earlier today sharing greetings and catching up on the haps. When I mentioned to her the TT Crew is busy preparing to head to Vegas next week, she pulled out her calendar to check the dates!

I told her it’d be quite difficult to get any work done with her alongside us as I can name, off the top of my head, at least six (and probably more) individuals that would be doing their best to occupy all her time. She let out a wry smile.

Just the same, she’s very anxious to check out ICAST in person and not only witness first hand the frenzy that surrounds the TT Crew every time we walk into the booth, but to actively contribute to that frenzy in her own special way.

What do you think? Is ICAST ready for an appearance from Ms. Casey?

For years Anglers stateside have had to go to great lengths to procure Evergreen JDM products. The company is known for their quality lures but most of all for their enthusiast rod offerings. Those anglers that have purchased these rods have often had to forgo any warranty and support, a small price to pay if you’re an enthusiast, but a deal breaker for many (myself included). In the months leading up to the show Evergreen has become much more aggressive getting their lure offerings out there and lures can now be found not just online but at a number of local tackle shops.

Whats this Evergreen sold Locally?

Coyote Bait had a complete range of Evergreen lures in stock

Just the other day I walked into Coyote Bait and Tackle, a shop located on the outskirts of San Jose, CA and found a complete rack stocked with the latest Evergreen crankbaits and ripbaits. Coyote Bait and Tackle may not have the biggest shop in the Bay Area but they do cater towards big bass anglers with a large assortment of premium swimbaits, the Evergreen products while pricey are a good fit for the clientele that is looking for the latest and greatest. When I asked if they would be bringing in any of the Evergreen rods they answered that they were still considering it and were looking for feedback from customers.

Billy Hill and David Hamblin showed me the new lures, perhaps Evergreen product will be even more prevalent in retail after this ICAST

Anyone that has followed some of my forum posts over the last few years has more than likely seen my interest in older lures. While I am a novice collector at best it’s been fun collecting older lures not because of their value but because of the intended action behind each lure. Since I have started making my own home made lures I set out to look for lures from the past to present to get a better understanding of what makes them tick and see how each lure might have influenced the next.

Going back to as early as the 1950’s a company in France started producing a lure called the French Vivif Living Minnow. This lure was arguably one of the first “swim baits” produced. This 5 1/2″  2 1/2 oz lure caught on throughout Europe and accounted for many records. Within a short time a man named Cecil Hog who was running a mail order company at the time (Waldorf Record Company) got wind of the bait and decided to import it.  He used a distributor out of Harrison,New Jersey called Harrison Industries (now Harrison-Hope Industries) and started the very popular tackle company Panther Martin. Within the first year Mr. Hog sold a million dollars in French Vivifs! Something almost unheard of at the time.

early 5 1/2" French Vivif

The original baits were casted from a hard tire like rubber, had an internal weighting system,fixed duel point hook(frog hook), and a heart shaped tail that wagged like crazy. What is interesting is the lures were actually hand painted by French prison inmates until switching over to PVC foam in the 70’s.

second generation PVC foam French Vivif

With the growing popularity of people using spinning outfits the smaller lighter 2 1/4″ and 3″ versions were developed. The lures sold well over the years but by around 1982 the French stopped production for reasons unknown. Fast forward to the late 90’s and Cecil Hog’s son Cecil Jr. started taking notice of baits that were entering the market that were very much inspired by the Vivif.  Cecil decided he wanted to reintroduce the Vivif back into the market, but with a few modern day tweaks. Instead of the older PVC foam he opted for the use of soft plastic,as well as a single top hook, and a foil insert to give the bait flash. The “Living Minnow” was remade and exported out of China and was back on the shelves!

Modern Day French Vivif Living Minnow

More than a decade ago, many of the country’s top touring bass and walleye pros began quietly stowing a new fish-finding device in their boats. For these renaissance competitors, the underwater camera became their secret prefishing tool—the only electronic device capable of finding and positively identifying their target species, as well as verifying cover and the big tournament winning fish hiding there.

Today, a new leader in underwater video cameras has emerged. At MarCum Technologies, genius meets passion, and the outcome is innovative products built in the USA. New for 2010-11 is MarCum’s VS625SD. On ice or in your boat, it’s easily the most complete underwater camera system ever made. The proof lies above and below the surface . . .

Innovation #1 – New advanced Solar-Intelligent® LCD Technology yields incredible screen detail, even when viewed in direct sunlight. The screen is 3 times brighter than previous technology. An intelligently engineered 6-inch waterproof Flat Panel LCD broadcasts the brightest, clearest underwater pictures possible. It’s like having HD TV right in your boat. (The video resolution is so sharp that several national fishing shows record footage directly from off-the-shelf MarCum systems.)

Innovation #2 – The VS625SD features another MarCum first—a Dual Switchable Color/B&W LCD display. For maximizing underwater detail in clear and shallow conditions, select Color Mode. In deep, dark water where color fades naturally, switch to high-contrast B&W Mode. Now, you don’t need to choose between Color or Black & White. With the VS625SD, you get both!

Innovation #4 – New on-screen displays of camera depth, water temperature, camera direction, and battery status enrich the viewing experience.  These enhanced features allow you to track moving schools of fish, as well as pinpoint precise depths of fish and cover. Even locate the level of temperature breaks, including the hot fish zone known as the thermocline. Plus, this system is calibrated for use in either fresh or salt water, and, the units of measurement can be changed from standard to metric. Complete with a Deluxe Padded Soft pack, Stabilizer Fin, 75-feet of camera cable and a more powerful 12-volt 9-amp rechargeable battery with 3-Stage Auto Charger, the MarCum VS625SD is ready to fish at any time of year, regardless of the conditions.  If that weren’t enough, MarCum is offering a special mail-in rebate for a FREE Auto Camera Panning Accessory ($50 value, offer valid Oct. 15 – Dec. 31, 2010).

Since the introduction of the Maxx-Rev Hard Body Frog lure in 2007, anglers from all walks of life have looked to Revere Maxx-Fishing, LLC, for the latest in innovative designs and commitment to quality to build the best hard body frog lures on the market. With the introduction of the Maxx-Rev lure, it gave anglers a new way to fish. And the rest of the Revere Maxx-Fishing line-up fell in place.

2009 gave way to the Maxx-Pop Hard Body Frog Surface Popper with the action of a struggling frog attempting to make its way to shore. Twitch the Popper and it projects sound waves through the water like a frog’s feet striking the surface. The Rex-Rip Hard Body Weedless sinking frog can be fished at any depth of the water column for those suspending fish or can just be dragged across the bottom to simulate the action of an actual frog digging.

Now for 2010, Revere Maxx-Fishing brings an amazing line-up to the angler with six of the most innovative Hard Body Frog lures:
First, the Rock Star Frog with a buzz bait-sounding prop.
Second, the Rex-Rip FW Hard Body Floating Weedless with the same 4/0 independent hooks for maximum penetration like the sinking model.
Third, the Maxx-Pop JP, a version of the original Popper but with jointed legs to guide it though the water.
Fourth, the Maxx-Rev DT, a diving frog that while trolling can reach 24-28-feet under the water.
Fifth, the Fat-Maxx Prop with a fatter body which means BIGGER fish.
Sixth, the Fat-Maxx Tri Prop, a Hard Body Frog with a triple propeller with the most action you’ll ever see on top of the water.
These frogs are truly the most realistic frog lures on the market with a price that any angler can afford.

You’ve seen the latest Pflueger spinning reels and now here’s the latest from Abu Garcia. The Revo Premier spinning reel uses the NanoShield Technology. Look for the preview article coming very soon on TackleTour.com

Here’s a picture of the Revo Premier Spinning

The more exotic, high end reels I handle, the more de-synthesized I become and the harder it is for me to get excited over something new. Add to that the price gap we are now experiencing between the USDM and JDM counterpart reels and it’s just difficult to want to spend the dollars to import a new reel.

Imagine my surprise on the latest visit to my local tackle store, Hi’s Tackle Box where I was quickly shuttled to the back room to be shown a cache of JDM product.

The shining beacon in this collection? A left handed Ryoga 1016HL.

The Pluton is easily one of my favorite reels from Daiwa’s lineup and this new smaller size version may have won my “Search For One” this year. There’s just something about the purity of round reels that I love.

With ICAST fast approaching, one can only speculate whether Daiwa will be bringing this reel to the US. I imagine they will. But for those who cannot wait for ICAST or our eventual review, grab one now before they are too hard to get!

Preview of the Patriarch and Supreme XT spinning reels will be on TackleTour.com very soon but here’s a sneak peek at these stunning magnesium reels… Available September 2010.

Patriarch Spinning

Supreme XT Spinning

Check out this new company called Colt Rod. They say that they have this innovative technology but… check out the review on the same that we did way back.

http://www.tackletour.com/reviewcapefeartechbass.html

Their press release below…

The Colt Rod Company, a new fishing rod manufacturer headquartered and with full operations in the United States, will unveil its first product line—utilizing its revolutionary Hextreme® technology—at this year’s ICAST in Las Vegas.  After millions of dollars invested in extensive research and development over the past 15 years, Colt is set to make its mark with the first true rod design advancement in over four decades.

“We’re here to change the game,” says Peter Lombardi, CEO of Colt Rod Company, “Our rods offer a level of performance and durability never before achievable in the world of fishing. Not only are they the most sensitive and accurate of any fishing rod in the world, but our hexagonal rod design (Hextreme® Technology) also incorporates an internal I-BEAM  framework, which makes them virtually indestructible.

“With Colt, gone are the days of sacrificing performance for durability. In fact, we’re so confident about the performance and durability of our rods that they are backed by our Colt Unlimited Lifetime Warranty.”

To appreciate the Colt fishing rod difference, it’s important to understand how tubular rods are made: Traditional tubular rods are made by wrapping a sheet of carbon fiber around a metal mandrel. This process causes the carbon fibers to spiral in a barber pole effect along the length of the rod.  The spiraling creates what is known as a spine. The spine in a tubular rod often times creates inaccuracies in performance and strength, and is something the industry has been trying to resolve for years.

The hexagonal design of a Colt rod features an internal I-BEAM structure that incorporates multiple types of high and low compression composite materials.  The I-BEAMS are constructed with true unidirectional carbon fiber, which creates an intentionally Engineered Spine®. The result is a rod that is ultra sensitive in feel and exceedingly accurate for casting. The hexagonal I-BEAM design also makes the rods immensely powerful and more durable than any other rod on the market today.

“There’s a lot of hype in the fishing rod industry.  Many companies like to boast about offering revolutionary breakthroughs in rod technology, but we’re the only ones who have really done it. It’s definitely a new day in fishing rod design,” says Lombardi.

We may have just finished our spinnerbait shootout but one blade from the past is worth mentioning. Two years ago Cal completed a review of the Kevkel spinnerbait and found that the lure was an innovative lure, the secret to these baits was their patent pending double louvered leaf blades which essentially have a raised punch cut in each blade.

I continue to have success with Kevkel’s blades, especially in stained water

Two seasons later I can say I am truly “sold” on these cut blades

A friend from France contacted me a few months ago and said he had a fishing buddy who was in town for a few months, and asked if I would take him out fishing. Time permitting I agreed and got in contact with this anonymous fisherman. Sylvain Garza was his name and he was open to fish where ever when ever……great. Having heard Sylvain was a tournament guy and knowing big baits haven’t gone mainstream in France yet I thought I’d take him out and give him a little taste…why not? it is after all pre-spawn in California. After setting a date for the trip things were looking good and in our favor with a long steady warming trend. As the day neared and as luck would have it a small cold front and rain hit for the one day we had set aside…ugh! The day was here and it went from a warm 70+ degrees to a somber low 50’s with sheets of rain paving the roads. Headed out with a few home brewed baits to test I arrived at the local transit system to find Sylvain waiting in the pouring rain with tackle n’ reels and all smiles!

Despite standing in the rain for 15 minutes (he was early I wasn’t late) Sylvain had an upbeat excitable attitude and seemed anxious. Right away I knew this was a guy who was willing to pay some dues next to this Seattle transplant. During the car trip we spoke about his previous trip with another guy who was prefishing for a local tournament. The bite was tough and the water still cold. Filled with optimism and an itch to soak a few new home brewed lures we were off. Arriving at the lake there was hardly anyone in site wetting a line…great! After getting on the lake a few hours passed and we concentrated our efforts on deep outside structure adjacent to popular spawning areas with various swim baits. Sometime in the early afternoon we…sorry Sylvain got his first bite around some timber on a jig, but missed the fish.

With the pouring rain and wind still pressing we ran some spots that had been good to me in the past…no luck. Another couple of hours passed and the rain was coming even harder. Switching gears I decided to tie on a few baits I’d been tinkering with. The baits ran straight and sank like I wanted but not quite the kick I was looking for…back to the drawing board. Over the day we tried both pre spawn staging areas and some wintering haunts throwing big swim baits and football jigs… however the fish were not cooperating. With the recent temp drop the assessment was these Florida strain transplants had a mild case of lock jaw! so we called it..

Not being able talk in the pounding rain and wind on the way home Sylvain and I got a chance to swap stories….and dry off. He lives in southern France and has been fishing tournaments the last 4 years in both Spain and France. He mainly fishes bass tournaments but also fishes multispecies tournaments for bass,yellow perch,and pike to keep his line wet. With gas prices roughly at $7/gallon most tournaments are team style events vs.  pro events and sponsorship is mandatory. In the past he’d been sponsored by Lucky Craft and various other tackle companies, but has chosen to stick with a new up and coming outfit Illex and Humminbird. What was interesting is most of the fisheries in France have regulations that date back to the Napoleon era therefore there are hardly any boat launches and no night fishing….ouch!

Although the fishing didn’t turn into catching I was fortunate to gain a new fishin’ partner and get some insight into tournament fishing across the pond. Shhh right about now Sylvain should be in Malaysia targeting New Guinea Bass so I don’t feel at all bad sending him home with Pepe Le Peux…. doesn’t he belong in France anyway? ha!

Much like the fishing we were just out of reach of some good fish. To be continued….

Sylvain’s Sponsor in France has partnered with Jackal and made some interesting rods. You can see them here.

http://www.illex.fr/en/team-member/sylvain-garza.35.html

Juggling two themes at once (2009’s Crankbait Rod Wars & 2010’s The Search For One) can get a bit confusing, but what helps to clear the fog are products that excite that enthusiast spirit in us all. Though I’m still fishing some domestic flavored product for the sake of TackleTour, I’ve more or less rededicated myself to what brought me here and that’s the tackle products from other markets. In any other industry, these are referred to simply as grey market items but here on TackleTour, it’s all about enthusiasm and that special niche of tackle that inspires an inexplicable excitement – or – enthusiasm.

Earlier this year, we previewed some items from just across our northern border.. Rapala Canada’s new line of bass rods. I’ve since had a chance to fish some of these sticks and initial impressions are all very good. Of particular note are the R-Type sticks… In our January preview, we were only able to share their musky sticks from this lineup, but I’ve since acquired a couple of their split grip bass rods including a two-piece travel stick and boy, for right around $100 Canadian, these are some fun sticks to fish! And don’t forget, even the top end Shift rods are only $179 Canadian.

These might not have quite the same aura and back story as the sticks from Japan, but when our reviews on these two sticks are done, I predict there will be a fair number of tackle junkies ready to drive across the border to import these value driven, enthusiasm inspiring sticks. Oh Canada!!

Naturally we have a review already in the works on the new Velvick 3D by Rago Baits, but with the buzz surrounding Velvick’s Golden State Shootout Win on Clear Lake yesterday, I thought I’d put up some sneak peak looks at this bait designed especially for Clear Lake by both Jerry Rago and Byron Velvick. They’ve been at this for several years and finally all their hard work paid off. This bait features a line through design with an exposed treble, but when rigged correctly is virtually weedless. Here’s a closer look at the bait together with a closer look of the very bait Velvick was throwing during the tournament.

Looks like the swimbait revolution just received some serious reinforcements as it does every year when a big organization like BASSMASTERS comes out west. Who said swimbaits have to be a trout? Match the hatch with large baitfish in your area and you could very well experience some of the same success as Byron Velvick.

Better yet, want to get your hands on some? Try here:

MonsterFishing Tackle

and here:

TackleWarehouse

At about 4:15pm Pacific Daylight Time, a little over six hours ago, what most people anywhere near Clear Lake already knew became official: Byron Velvick had won the 2010 Golden State Shootout on Clear Lake. The California Native brought the trophy home in exciting wire-to-wire fashion. Of course, what our readers care about most may not necessarily be the fact that Velvick took home the prize, but rather, what new and yet to be released tackle was he using?

Already reported last night on TackleTour.com was the bait Velvick was using to build on his lead, the brand new Rago BV (Byron Velvick) 3D hitch bait designed specifically for Clear Lake by Velvick and Jerry Rago. In fact, we previewed this bait back in October of 2009: http://www.tackletour.com/previewragobassjam.html

Today, we caught up with Velvick after he signed his last autograph and the crowds had cleared for an up close look at his new rods, the Duckett Fishing Micro Magic sticks. Here now is an exclusive first peak at what’s brewing over at Duckett Fishing!

Introducing Duckett Fishing's Micro Magic Sticks

Each stick will feature an exposed blank reel seat, no foregrip, and split rear grip

Speculation was for a split reel seat similar to Duckett's former rod sponsor, e21, but instead, Duckett's new sticks will feature a standard, exposed blank seat

Cork is the material of choice for the split rear grip

Custom accent rings adorn the rod as well

But of course the big news comes in a very small package ...

Micro Guides

Congratulations Byron Velvick on an incredible job swinging for the fences and delivering!

The talk of the weigh-in by all the pros was the swimbait bite, but what will interest our readers the most is what we just showed you, Velvick’s new magic wand built by Boyd Duckett and Ken Whiting, founders of Duckett Fishing. He may not have been using these sticks exclusively, afterall, the new Micro Magic swimbait sticks are still in prototype stages, but Velvick tells us the rods are very close to completion.

This is the last of the eye candy, enjoy!

No details are overlooked in the Vagabond camp.

great lookin’ crawdad bait and an even better looking dog bait!

the big 10″ & 12″ King Hustlers are looking extra chewy

can never have enough hollow bodied baits to choose from

I bet these baits cast a mile..

some interesting paddle tails coming out of France

It’s great to see the double paddle on the Stella. I remember when the Spirex came out with this feature.

The New Revo Elite fitting right in on the big island

the Revo Salty sportin’ a sharp lookin’ handle/grip combo

some interesting UV colored finesse baits

I’d like to thank David Mery of Reins Pro Staff and French Touch Fishing for the pictures and insight. David lives in Paris,France and is a die hard multi species fisherman who also fishes tournaments. He was fortunate enough to fly over to the Osaka show and fish Biwa with fellow staffers. Merci beaucoup copain!