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Daiwa Tatula Review by Nate Rees

I've been using the Daiwa Tatula LT series of spinning reels for almost three years now. I own several in all the different sizes from 1000-2500. From skipping wacky rigs underneath bushes/limbs, to crawling a shakey head over a deep rock pile, to chasing trout with lightweight tackle, these reels have performed amazing and really exceeded my expectations. I can definitely say these are the nicest and best spinning reels that I have ever fished.

Below are a quick rundown of a few of the highlights of the LT series.

I’ll start with the Drag: The drag on these reels are hands down the best I have ever used. You can make the smallest of adjustments on the fly and really dial them in for fighting fish of all sizes. My 1000 series has been excellent on my ultralight rod paired for trout. It has also been great when fighting bass on light gear while drop shorting. Quick boat side runs from feisty smallmouth aren’t always easy to handle and this reel has done just that and done it with ease.

Next up I’ll dive into the durability/functionality of these reels. I've put this reel through its paces that’s for sure. I’m not easy on gear and fish out of all different types of boats (raft, kayak, bass boat). So my reels see their fair share of rough times on the water. So far the LT’s haven’t let me down or failed me. LT stands for light and tough and this reel definitely lives up to that branding.

Don’t let the price tag of these reels scare you, these reels perform at a much higher level than the price shows. They are well worth the money and if something were to go wrong you have Diawa’s great service department that stands behind their products and can always get a issue taken care of.

Grab one and get out on the water to see for yourself!

-Nate

Dave Lefebre's Favorite 13 Fishing Baits

13 Fishing quickly built a strong foundation in the rod and reel world, dominating both open water and ice fishing gear. When they started dabbling in the lure arena, I knew they would bring the same energy and innovation into it, and I was right!

I was able to get to test and help the designers with new hard baits, and it has been such an exciting thing to see ideas turn into samples at such a high rate of speed. At 13, they don't mess around. The turn-around time from drawing to being on the end of your line is crazy fast! The ideas never stop coming, and it's so much fun to be in the mix of this.

So far, my favorite 13 Fishing baits are:
Jabber Jaw
Loco Special
Motorboat
Trash Panda
Shadow Spin

The Jabber Jaw is basically an entirely new bait category. It's a vibrating jig/shallow square bill crankbait hybrid that just makes perfect sense. When I initially saw it in the water, my first impression was just, WOW! Then, my next thought was, PLEASE let me use these for a season before releasing them to the world, HAHA. I caught over 100 largemouth bass on the bait my first two days throwing it last April, and then 2 weeks later caught 50 pre-spawn smallies on the exact same bait. It's a special bait; it's fun to toss around, it's loud, it casts great, and doesn't hang up nearly as bad a vibrating jig or typical square bill. Now, since throwing it a bunch, I've noticed it is definitely a bigger fish bait. This is one of those deals every fisherman will have to have in his box.

The Loco Special is as good as a jerkbait gets. There's a deep and a shallow model, and the colors are amazing. My first experience with it was walleye fishing on Erie last spring, and compared to all my other jerkbaits, none cast further than this one. I caught my first 10lb walleye on my first night throwing this bait, and it instantly became my favorite. Like the Jabber Jaw, it's another bait that you don't want your competitors knowing about, but after the recent MLF RedCrest Championship, so much for that idea! These baits have incredible action, super sharp hooks, sit perfectly horizontal in the water, and have a unique rattle that fish cannot resist.

Another bait that stands alone in its own category is the Motor Boat. Some of the best blow-ups I've ever had came on this innovative topwater bait over the past few months. It's basically a fluke/buzzbait hybrid. It works excellent when target fishing around shallow cover and on grassy flats, and it seems to draw bites from bigger than average size fish. The hook-up ratio is excellent. You can throw it as is right out of the package, or you can modify them some (like me) with a heavier hook and get out the heavy braided line so I can horse fish out of the slop. It's very versatile and comes in two sizes. You can't fish it fast, though. You have to use a steady retrieve or twitch it like a popper. I've caught a lot of fish on a single bait and keep reusing the same ones with no issues.

The Trash Panda is the real deal. You can obviously see the colors are bad to the bone, but the first thing you'll notice when you hold one in your hand is the hooks. There is nothing better on the market, and no frog has a better hook-up ratio. There is a regular frog and a popping frog, and both work great; so easy to walk. I've only used them for one season now but have already caught some key tournament fish with them. It complements the Terminator Walking Frog Jr. that I like so much, as it's a little bigger, and it's now my #1 choice when stepping up in size. When one blows up on it, I know that chances are he's coming in the boat, and that's not normal when talking frog fishing.

The Shadow Spin is simply a must-have. Seeing the whole design process, I was so excited when I finally got the first one in the mail. Then, on my very first cast, a pike bit it off! Now I had to wait for the next go-round. I got the next batch in the fall last year and smoked the largemouth on them in the grass. I had just caught over 200 fish over the previous 2 days on another new 13 bait called the Magic Man. I returned to the same area and caught only 5 fish on the Magic Man. I tied on the Shadow Spin and started to catch a fish on every single cast for an hour. This is another hybrid bait that is half soft swimbait and half spy bait, but it's not that simple. It's totally different and probably not what you're expecting. The tail is mega soft, and the overall profile is bigger than most spy baits. It has an unbelievable action and comes with an extra tail. I've had several 100 fish days and have yet to lose or tear a tail despite how soft they are. That tail is always moving, and I'm excited to try these things for the smallmouth in the spring.

Overall, you can't go wrong with any of the 13 Fishing baits, but these are definitely my go-to's and are always rigged and ready to go!

-Dave Lefebre

Successful Fishing in Pressured Waters

2020 brought all kinds of challenges for the tournament angler. Uncertain travel, limited opportunities for gathering, health concerns, etc., but one thing that I didn't expect or plan for was the massive pressure that most bodies of water had experienced. Most lakes and rivers were packed with people trying to get out of the house in a safe environment and enjoy some much needed time on the water. Crowded ramps and pressured fish were the norms. When fishing water that had been pounded day after day, the choice of baits and the presentation of that bait, were more crucial than ever. One bait in particular that put a lot of fish in the kayak for me last year and proved to be just slightly different from what most anglers were throwing was the Z-Man TRD BugZ. There is no arguing the success of the creature bait in bass fishing. The creature bait can mimic so many different food sources and be presented in many different ways. That being said, the small TRD Bugz were just different enough to get bites on both Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass on lakes across the country. These baits helped me achieve four wins on tour on the national and local scene and helped me cash many top 10 checks. To be fair, not all my winning bags came from the TRD BugZ alone, but rest assured, I had one tied on and landed fish in every event throwing this bait.

With a bait this small, your rigging options are sometimes limited. I have thrown it in various ways, from rigging it on the Zman NedlockZ with an exposed hook in the open waters of Lake Erie to using it nose hooked on a dropshot rig. But with the small size of this bait, the best rig, and my favorite, is Texas rigging it with a tungsten weight behind a bobber stop. My go-to setup is a TRD BugZ on a Mustad KVD Grip-Pin 2x Fine Wire Ultra Point Hook in size no.1. This hook will hold the ElaZtech plastic super stable, and the fine wire hook is just the right size to rig this bait weedless exposed style. My go-to weight for this and all my other applications are the FishOn Tungsten in black. For this bait, I tend to use FishOn Worm Weights in 1/16 or 1/8 oz for water with little current but will go up to 3/16 or even 1/4 in strong current.

The key for this bait for me has been using just enough weight to contact the bottom. The other key is using the FishOn Bobber Stops. If I am trying to skip this bait under docks or back under the brush, I peg the weight to the hook. When not skipping or throwing into thick cover, I like to slide the stop up the line 6 to 8 inches to let the floating action of the TRD do its magic. My rod and reel of choice for this bait is the 13 Fishing Omen Black 3 Spinning Rod in Medium Heavy 7'1" with a Prototype X reel spooled with 20lb Power Pro braid using a Seaguar InvizX 12 lb test leader. If I am fishing dirty water, I will often forgo the leader and go with the straight braid. This combination has proven to give me solid hookups and high landing percentages with this bait. The Mustad no.1 hook is relatively small but has proven to be very solid and super sharp. With any light wire hook, you need to be careful to not "horse" it in, but I have landed many 20-inch Smallmouth in current, and 20+ inch Largemouth in some thick grass and have yet to straighten one of these hooks. The most significant benefit to using this hook is the keeper pin on these fine wire hooks. These ElaZtech baits stay in place cast after cast keeping your bait in the water and out of your hands. The FishOn tungsten is affordable, and the black coating stays put and doesn't chip off like some other painted tungsten that I have tried in the past.

This year give this combination a try. From bedding bass to heavily pressured bass and everything in between, this bait can catch them all. Don't let its small size scare you; sometimes, big bites come in small packages, and this small package can be right at your door in no time. Visit Fishing Online and get yours now.

- Matt Ball

How To Choose The Right Ice Fishing Flotation Suit

When it comes to choosing an ice fishing jacket and bibs to keep you protected out in the harsh winter elements, what features are most important to you? Warmth rating? Sizes available? Price? With so many different styles available, it can become confusing as to which one is best for you. That's why we've made a side-by-side comparison chart based on Striker's Jacket and Bib features and prices to help you find the perfect ice fishing gear!

The Climate, HardWater, Predator, and Trekker Jackets and Bibs all come equipped with 150g of Sureflote Technology, which will provide you with 2 hours of floatation assistance if you happen to take an unexpected dip into the water! Also, all of these Jackets and Bibs are covered by Striker's 1-year manufacture guarantee. The warranty covers all possible manufacture or workmanship defects, including but not limited to seam failures, missing/bad snaps, zippers, etc.; deflective fabrication; separations, etc.

JACKET STYLE	AVAILABLE COLORS	SIZES AVAILABLE	SUREFLOTE INSULTATION	THERMADEX INSULATION	WARMTH RATING	HYDRAPORE WP/B	ZIP VENTING	LINE CUTTERZ ZIPPER PULL	REMOVABLE LINER	INTEGRATED FORCEPS HOLDER	PRICE RANGE
CLIMATE	Stryk, Brown/Camo, Black/Grey, Black/Red	S-5XL	150g	175g	10						From $299.99
HARDWATER (2020)	Black/Grey, Grey/Red	S-5XL + TALLS	150g	150g	9						From $269.99
PREDATOR	Stryk, Black/Grey, Grey/Blue, Grey/Red	S-5XL + TALLS	150g	100g	7						From $229.99
TREKKER	Black/Grey	S-5XL	150G	60G	6						From $199.99

BIB STYLE	AVAILABLE COLORS	SIZES AVAILABLE	SUREFLOTE INSULTATION	THERMADEX INSULATION	WARMTH RATING	HYDRAPORE WP/B	ADJUSTABLE INSEAM	REINFORCED KNEES	REMOVABLE LINER	LINE CUTTERZ ZIPPER PULL	PRICE RANGE
CLIMATE	Brown, Black	S-5XL	150g	175g	10						From $299.99
HARDWATER (2020)	Grey	S-5XL + TALLS	150g	150g	9						From $269.99
PREDATOR	Grey	S-5XL + TALLS	150g	100g	7						From $229.99
TREKKER	Black	S-5XL	150G	60G	6						From $199.99

Do you still need more details to help you make the right choice? Click the images below to learn more about the Striker ICE Climate, HardWater, Predator, and Trekker Flotation Suits:

Stronger Together

Let's face it; you don't need me to tell you that we are living in uncertain times right now. COVID-19 has changed everything...how we work, how we shop, how we socialize, everything has changed...quite possibly for a very long time. COVID-19 however, is just another platform for some to exemplify the resilience of people. Regardless of the challenge before us, we will rise above it for the greater good. In March, I, along with my best friends Jean McElroy and Matt Lewin, decided to put something together a fishing tournament to help our friend Kwanza Henderson who is currently battling Stage 4 Small Intestinal Adenocarcinoma. We reached out to some of his sponsors, and many came to the rescue with "Greater than Expected" donations! Aftco and YakAttack provided unbelievable swag to giveaway, and Johnson Outdoors went above and beyond with the contribution of an Old Town Topwater 120 Kayak, Carlisle Magic Angler Paddle, and an Old Town Treble PFD. All of these great items would be up for grabs. Then it happened...COVID-19.

Before we knew it, COVID-19 started to take hold of local communities, cities, states...the world. Worry began to set in. Would we be able to gather enough participants to make this a "Worth While" event, one that would not only benefit Kwanza but also host an event worthy of the gracious donations that the event sponsors had donated? When we announced the event, a few entries trickled in, and each week, as we grew closer to the event start date of 5/9, a few more entries would trickle in. Our conversations quickly turned to wonder how many anglers would not want to register due to their area's closures of ramps and parks, impacting their ability to participate. Not only was it hard to get access to the water, but so many people were being furloughed or lost their jobs entirely. How would that impact people's ability even to be able to pay the $40 for the entry fee? Was our event's timing going to be the demise of what would have been a great event? I was initially hoping for 50 anglers to participate, but we were only 34 with only a week to go. At that time, I felt that if we just made it to 40, it would be a small victory, although it was short of our original goal of 50 anglers. But then again, NEVER count out the anglers of the kayak fishing community.

For years, anglers within the kayak fishing community have gone above and beyond for various causes. For example, they have orchestrated local and national organizations that benefit our veterans, cancer foundations, environmental cleanups, toy drives, helping fellow anglers, the list goes on and on. What is it about this sport that causes so many who participate in it to give back quickly and easily. Perhaps it stems from one simple reason, to celebrate the lifelong joys created from within this sport! Can you recall catching a new personal best fish, winning our first tournament, sharing the water with loved ones, fishing in remote locations that take your breath away, or fishing with someone new who would become a lifelong friend? There is no shortage of memories for us when we are kayak fishing. Maybe because of that, perhaps because participating in this sport gives us so much, anglers, in turn, try to "Pay it Forward" so we can give back to others. Maybe they can receive the same joy or relief that we are afforded by partaking in kayak fishing.

I'm no expert, so I have no answers here. I can tell you this, that with just nine days to go until the start of the event, 43 more anglers signed up. Seventy-seven anglers from 21 states, 27 more than we had hoped! It was great seeing so many different varieties of freshwater fish from around the country submitted, 314 fish to be exact, and when it was all over and the dust had settled, Matt Lewin's 102 inches took home top honors. Three of the top five anglers gave back their winnings, Kayak Fishing with Christ had provided a monetary donation from their members. When it was all said and done, we raised over $2,200! Once again, this demonstrates that when there is someone in need, the kayak fishing community comes together regardless of the challenges we are facing. I am proud to be part of this great big family, and I am grateful for all of the anglers who came through and supported our friend in need...#4KWANZA!

-Written by Bill Sikora

Smallmouth on the Whopper Plopper 75

Topwater has always been my favorite way of catching a fish. Something about the visual strike on the surface has had me hooked ever since I was a young kid.

It’s no secret the past few years that the whopper plopper has been a hot bait. When they first surged onto the market places could hardly keep them in stock. Now that they have been able bump up production and keep up with demand you can usually find them readily available.

I’ve been fishing one for several years not mainly in the 90 and 110 sizes. It wasn’t until last year when I picked up the “new” 75 size and fell in love. That short little beefy bait just has a different sound to it and for me it’s been driving the fish crazy.

I had not been on a good topwater bite all year. I had thrown it a lot and been able to get and off fish here or there but putting up big numbers or multiple big fish just had not been in the cards for me.

Well luckily for me that all changed last Tuesday when a buddy of mine offered to row me down the river on a last minute float trip in the raft. We ended up boating 64 fish in a little over 4 hours with several very large smallmouth thrown in. Best part was I’d say about 40-50 of them were all on the surface!

So if you haven’t tried the smaller size plopper I highly recommend it. You just never know what might blow up on your bait!

Thanks for reading and goodluck!

- Nate Rees