Tackle store shelves promise to be lined with new goodies for 2014, all waiting to get wet once open-water angling commences.
This is part 3 of 4. Read: part 1 on rods and part 2 on reels.
“With the environment in mind, Set the Hook Bait has created a biodegradable stick bait named the Spike,” said owner, Peter Savoia. Also new is a 33⁄4-inch solid-body craw bait named the Zaga and 2 realistic hand-poured drop-shot offerings: the Drop Shot Minnow and Drop Shot Swimmin’ Minnow.
The Lunkerhunt Swim Bento is a realistic swim bait that features a holographic core, reinforced keeled swim tail, and biologically correct detailing. It’s available in a 3- and 41⁄2-inch version.
Muskie anglers will like the new 16-inch Bondy St. Clair Grub — a fat, curly-tailed offering that will elicit big strikes. Also fresh on the shelves from Bondy Bait is a perch-imitating drop-shot plastic named Bondy Perch. It’s available in 10 lifelike colours.
The Berkley Havoc 5-inch Papa Pit Boss is a broad-shaped flipping and pitching bait designed for catching big bass. Look for it in 20 colours.
The VOK Big Daddy Craw is built with tapered swimming claws and a soft, realistic texture that mimics this crustacean perfectly. It measures 4 inches and is available in 7 tantalizing colours. Also new from VOK is the Flasher Minnow, a lifelike and wriggling minnow bait. It’s perfect for use with a drop-shot, split shot, or rigged on a jig head.
Mister Twister is adding a 11⁄2-inch Tri-Color Mini Tube to their stable of soft plastics that is perfect for trout and panfish.
Crank it up
Storm introduces the new Arashi crankbait lineup, complete with circuit board lips, a self-tuning line tie, and rotated hook hangers. Choose from 10 colours in the Silent Square 3 and 5, Rattling Flat 7, and Rattling Deep 10.
The Rapala Live Series is a new offering of crankbaits that are available in 6 patterns with different body profiles according to the following species; perch, smelt, sucker, crappie, largemouth bass, and sunfish. The Scatter Rap Series from Rapala comes in a crank, shad, countdown, and minnow model and mimics a spooked baitfish using the newly designed Scatter Lip.
Rapala is also releasing 2 new body styles to the BX Series for 2014: a jointed minnow and jointed shad.
Lucky Strike, known for banging out some of the finest fishing spoons on the market, has added to their Live Series lineup with a 6-inch model – perfect for monster largemouth, pike, and muskie. These ultra-realistic baits are also available in 3- and 4-inch models and come in 8 different fish-species finishes. To mark close to a century of lure making, Lucky Strike is also producing a limited run of an 85th anniversary collector’s Little Scamp Minnow.
The Kawashi Mikey 140 Swimbait from Jackall has an enhanced 3-piece jointed body for a life-like swimming action, features a unique curved lip design, and is offered in 6 colours.
Also new from Jackall is the Jockie 120 Topwater Minnow.
A 3-inch sinking rattlebait named the Fillet is a new release from Lunkerhunt. Available in 3 colours, this bait stands nose down/tail up when at rest on the bottom. The Mosquito countdown jerkbait from Lunkerhunt packs a big punch in a small package.
The Sebile Star Shiner is a tight-action, suspending jerkbait offered in 2 sizes and diving depths and is ideal for finesse situations. Also new from Sebile is the Bull Crank: a high-buoyant, silent, and wide action crank that comes in 10 colours and 2 sizes.
Point well taken
Largemouth bass anglers will want to take a look at the new 5624 Double Toad Hook from Owner. Available in unweighted and weighted versions, the rig is made from 3 separate pieces of wire and is perfectly balanced.
Lazer Sharp introduces the L19 Tube Hook — offered in sizes 1/0, 2/0, 3/0, and 4/0 and complete with an injected moulded soft plastic keeper hook on the shank. Also new from this company is the L13 Flipping Hook, a premium flipping and pitching hook that is hand-crafted from a thick carbon steel wire and features a moulded keeper. Available in sizes 3/0, 4/0, 5/0, and 6/0.
New from Lazer Trokar are the TK440 and TK440B (barbless) Open-Eye Siwash hooks. Designed to give anglers the option to replace factory installed trebles.
The jig’s up
The St. Clair Jig from the Bondy Bait Co. was designed for use with the muskie-sized Bondy St. Clair Grub. Jigheads come in 21⁄2, 3, and 4 ounce sizes and are available with or without rigging.
New from Freedom Tackle is the Ultra Light Series with high-impact shell. The Zodiac jig head is now available in a lead-free 1⁄16 ounce version, and the Hydra can be purchased in a lead-free 1⁄8 and 1⁄4 ounce size.
Owner has designed the 5108 Shaky Football Head, featuring their Twistlock Centering Pin Spring moulded into the oval football shaped head. It comes in 5 different weights and 2 colours.
The Fin-tech SS Minnow is a swim/spin jig designed for use with soft plastic swimbaits.
Odds and ends
“Brecks acquired the Savant Company in mid-summer 2013 and we are pleased to have added this quality spoon selection to our family of brands,” said Mark Stiffel, vice president of marketing for Brecks. Marketed under the Mooselook brand as the Savant Series, 3 spoon series will be released this year, Winnie, Jake, and Crusher.
Mepps is expanding its size offering of the Xtra Deep (XD) series of spinners. Look for a smaller No. 0 (1⁄12 ounce) and larger No. 3 (1⁄4 ounce) as well as a new yellow/black back colour.
Jackall brings its most advanced spinnerbait to Ontario anglers with the release of the Super Eruption. Available in both 3⁄8 and 1⁄2 ounce sizes, as well as 8 colours, this bait features a reverse tear-drop blade and contrasting front and back blade colours for added attraction.
The Lunkerhunt Lunker Frog is a hollow-bodied frog made from high quality components. It features swimming legs that extend during the retrieve and retract on the pause.
Johnson has tweaked their ever-popular Beetle Spin with the Beetle Spin ‘R Bait, available in 1⁄16, 1⁄8, and 1⁄4 ounce sizes and colorado and willowblade configurations.
A version of this article first appeared in the 2014 Ontario OUT OF DOORS Fishing Annual. Subscribe.
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