Summer Gear Review! New Tackle, Rods, Reels, ICAST 2020 New Releases!

New Tackle! Let's check out some of the best baits and equipment from 2020! We've got you covered from new worms, to crankbaits, to budget reels, and high-end fishing rods! We've waded through the seemingly endless list of new product releases from all of the virtual ICAST launches and came up with a list of our favorites. Be sure to look through the video description for the "honorable mentions" that didn't make it into the video!

Every Summer the market is flooded with new gear. Everything from silly gimmicks to truly innovative tackle hits the market at the same time. How do you wade through it and find the gems without wasting all your money? We've waded through it for you and narrowed it down to a handful of stand-out items that are worth a serious look. Most of this year's picks are ICAST releases but a few are products from the past year that have stood the test of time and have earned their spot on the list.  

Below is a breakdown of the baits and equipment included in today's video (in order of appearance). Where applicable we've included our favorite colors, sizes, models, etc. Below that you'll find the "Honorable Mentions". These are the baits and gear that didn't make it into the video but certainly could have and are definitely worth a look. All of the links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item. 

Baits... 

-Jackall TN-50 Lipless: http://bit.ly/2lqAwjh

Colors: Threadfin, Scale Minnow, Escape Craw

-Megabass Jamaica Boa Buzzbait: https://bit.ly/3iofbiZ

Colors: Hasu, Black Mamba, White Python

-JackHammer StealthBlade: https://bit.ly/30J8L8h

Colors: Spot Remover, Clear Water Shad, Green Pumpkin

-Jackall Rerange 110 MR: https://bit.ly/2CbWr6X

Colors: Blue Pearl Shad, Ghost Wakasagi, SG Threadfin

-Savage Gear Prop Walker 4": https://bit.ly/3kwBFAa

Colors: Dirty Silver, American Shad, Golden Shiner

-Netbait Dagger Creature: https://bit.ly/2PCjOto

Colors: Bama Bug, Green Pumpkin, Tilapia Magic

-Big Bite Baits BFE Creature: https://bit.ly/2Ce0tf7

Colors: Junebug Candy, Green Pumpkin, Tilapia

-Magnum Baits Wormser: https://bit.ly/2XM1naf

Colors: Delta Dark Purple, Green Pumpkin, Oxblood

Missile Baits New Colors (Baits Shown)... 

-Quiver Worm (Hillbilly Magic): https://bit.ly/2xehVgx

-New Bomb (Fried Melon): http://bit.ly/2XCOGwd

-D Bomb (Ballistic Bruiser): http://bit.ly/2d2dVlt

Rods and Reels... 

-Shimano Zodias Casting Rods: https://bit.ly/3aeQbYW

Favorite Models... 6'10" Medium Heavy, 7'2" Medium Heavy, 7'5" Medium Heavy

-Shimano Zodias Spinning Rods: https://bit.ly/3ab5b9V

Favorite Models... 7' Medium Light, 7' Medium, 7'6" Light

-Shimano Vanford Spinning Reel: https://bit.ly/2PDlKlB

Favorite Sizes: 2500, 3000

-Shimano SLX MGL 70: https://bit.ly/3gIUCgJ

Favorite Speeds: HG, XG

-Megabass JDM Destroyer P5 Casting Rods: https://bit.ly/30GcHqb

Favorite Models... Tequila Baccarac, Dark Sleeper

-Megabass Destroyer P5 Spinning Rods: https://bit.ly/31Pt839

Favorite Model... Wind Buster

Honorable Mentions... 

-Teckel BladeWaker: https://bit.ly/2DuYZxU

This versatile bait can be fished as a bladed jig, ultra shallow swim jig, or buzzbait. 

-FishArrow Riser Jack Swimbait: https://bit.ly/30FMOqw

This bait is a completely different action than you're used to. Its a crackdown with a nose up rise that gets bit. Watch some of the JDM videos and you'll be pumped!

-Norman Speed N Crankbait: https://bit.ly/33Hpj2f

We love to speed crank and this little bait is designed for speed. Its the exact profile of the Deep Little N but in a shallow version. 

-G Loomis IMX Pro Swimbait (Keitech) Rod: https://bit.ly/3ktZFnF

The 7'2" 863C was designed for small to medium paddle tails. This is the first rod we've seen that is specifically designed to throw finesse swimbaits like the keitech. Great rod, great action, definitely fills a niche. 

-Spro King Daddy: http://bit.ly/2h0LCYd

This giant frog is a big fish catcher! Its proven itself for years but now comes in even more colors! Our favorite are Yellow Sparkle and Navy Seal. 

-Plano Edge FLEX Boxes: https://bit.ly/3kngvEG

We've fallen in love with Edge boxes this past year. The FLEX series allows complete adjustability in all directions, creating an incredibly versatile box.

NEW Tactical Bassin Apparel... 

TacticalBassin Reaper Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2TwBWs7

TacticalBassin Shadow Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2FVD9Rs

TacticalBassin Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/2TvFMBD

TacticalBassin Hooded Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/38cVi9G

Best Hooks For Bass Fishing: Senko, Worms, Crankbaits, Topwater, Swimbait!

So many hooks, so little time! Its taken us years (and hundreds of packs of hooks) to develop this short list of the best hooks for different situations. Whether you want to wacky rig a senko, punch a creature, or throw a deep diving crankbait, we've compiled this list for you! Not only do we cover hook styles, we also cover wire sizes, strength, etc... to perfectly match your fishing conditions. 

Tim starts off with reaction baits and wraps it up with soft plastics. The reason for this is most anglers lose fish on treble hook baits. Crankbaits and topwater are the primary heartbreakers in bass fishing. You think you've got that fish hooked well but when the head shakes start, you lose. Almost all of these losses can be avoided if you truly understand treble hooks. When to switch between styles, when to switch to heavier gauge wire, etc. 

Today's video is a lot for you to digest as an angler. We know Tim breezed through a ton of hooks in a short time but its the only way to cover all the information. Below is a detailed breakdown of the hooks in order of appearance in the video. If you click the links (they go direct to Tackle Warehouse) you will see detailed photos and descriptions of each item. This truly is a challenging year with store shelves around the country completely empty and mixed information on future shipments. We hope this video gives you the information you need to be successful throughout the Summer and Fall. 

Treble Hooks... 

Round Bend- Owner ST-36 (1X Strength): http://bit.ly/2cWpeyw

Curved Point Bend- Gamakatsu EWG (1X Strength): http://bit.ly/2cZrsbY

Cranking Hook- Owner ST-35 (2X Strength): http://bit.ly/2g8uCMj

Stronger Hook- Owner ST-56 (3X Strength): http://bit.ly/2cVg7xW

Feathered Treble- Owner ST-36 Dressed Hook (1X Strength): http://bit.ly/2m7XrAx

Split Rings... 

Finesse- Hyperwire Black (Size 2-4): http://bit.ly/2v8ArBX

Heavy Duty- Hyperwire Silver (Sizes 4-5): http://bit.ly/2aTH3f1

Strongest Ever- Owner Ultra Splits (Sizes 5-9): http://bit.ly/3bQgswL

**Big Swimbait Fishermen: You are missing it if you're not using Ultra Split Rings. They're bomb proof and will hold up to giant striper, saltwater fish, mega largemouth, etc**

Swimbait Hooks... 

-Owner Beast Hook: http://bit.ly/2gx3A54

-Tactical Finesse Swimbait Head: http://bit.ly/2Pqrq3n

-Matt Allen Swimbait Head: http://bit.ly/29RrTYN

-Dirty Jigs Guppy Head: http://bit.ly/2nyUJRS

-Owner Flashy Swimmer: http://bit.ly/2e8O4Y7

Senko Hooks... 

Senko Wacky- Owner Sniper Finesse: https://bit.ly/2zXirRH

Senko Wacky- Gamakatsu G Finesse Stinger: http://bit.ly/2otYTPg

Senko Texas Rig- Gamakatsu 5/0 G-Finesse Hybrid Worm: http://bit.ly/2GT2T29

Senko Heavy Duty- Owner Jungle Worm Hook: http://bit.ly/2sBsR1Z

Dropshot Hooks... 

Matt's Favorite- Trokar Dropshot Hook: http://bit.ly/2ahxJOr

Gamakatsu Aaron Martens Dropshot Hook: http://bit.ly/2zGX441

Tim's Favorite- Owner Mosquito Light Hook: http://bit.ly/2zQVKx3

Flipping and Punching... 

-Owner Jungle Flipping Hook: http://bit.ly/2G5aQTk

-Trokar Flipping Hook: https://bit.ly/39OyCOS

NEW Tactical Bassin Apparel... 

-TacticalBassin Reaper Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2TwBWs7

-TacticalBassin Shadow Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2FVD9Rs

-TacticalBassin Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/2TvFMBD

-TacticalBassin Hooded Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/38cVi9G

Summer Bass Fishing Gear Review! New Baits, Tackle, and Equipment This Summer!

Let's take a look at some of the best new gear for this Summer! From new crankbaits to worms, trailer accessories to reels, we're covering it all! This review is a selection of products from a variety of brands that have been making a difference in our fishing lately. Some items are brand new to the market, others have just recently had a positive impact in our fishing and earned a place in the review. 

You may have noticed that our recent videos have not been from our home state. We're back out on the road, traveling the country, and exploring new places. We're coming to a lake near you, trying new gear, catching new fish, and continuing to grow our angling knowledge so we can help you become a more consistent angler as we share that knowledge. In the spirit of road tripping, we've recently had a lot of positive experiences with our boat and trailer upgrades so today Tim begins with a series of trailer upgrades that have been impacting his fishing in a positive way. 

Boating/Trailer Equipment... 

-Moto Stop Transom Saver (Yamaha): http://bit.ly/2SCCwW4

-DD26 Transom Saver (Mercury): https://bit.ly/2BfaZlC

-TH Marine Steer Stop- https://bit.ly/2Sc5Ikg

-Fulton F2 Series Trailer Jack: https://bit.ly/2YHEB34

-Fulton F2 Series Winch: https://bit.ly/3frtFx8

-Spare Boat Buckle Winch Straps (Loop End): https://bit.ly/2BgnOw1

Its no secret that we're both tackle junkies. When new gear comes out we're always quick to give it a try. We're constantly fishing new brands, new baits, and new equipment. With Covid creating supply chain issues across the fishing industry we've been reaching even further to try new baits and gear while some of our favorites are sold out! These are a few of the items that have stood out for us in recent months. All of the links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and product descriptions of each item. 

Baits... 

-Megabass Z Series Z-1 Crankbait: https://bit.ly/2Y9dkHB

Favorite Colors: Mat Craw 2, PM Hot Gill 2, Kasumi Ito

-Megabass Z Series Z-2 Crankbait: https://bit.ly/3fsxn9G

Favorite Colors: GG Gill, Mat Craw 2, PM Hot Gill 2

-Teckel KickKnocker Topwater: http://bit.ly/2nvxkoA

Favorite Colors: Bone, Lime Ice

-Yum Mighty Worm: https://bit.ly/2Yajojh

Gear... 

-Shimano Bantam Metanium MGL 150 B: https://bit.ly/34HlAAk

This reel is AWESOME for the price! If you're looking for a new high-end "do everything" reel this is it! Today's video is just giving it a quick stamp of approval because there is a dedicated review of just this reel coming in the future. We didn't care to be first on a review, we wanted to really break this reel in and see how it did over time... more to come on that very soon. 

-Sunline FC Structure Fluorocarbon Line: https://bit.ly/2UMO73N

This line is designed for fishing around structure. Big Worms and Jigs, deep water, etc... is what they had in mind when designing this. Its been on the market for a couple years but I'm just giving it a fair shot now and so far I've been very impressed. 

NEW Tactical Bassin Apparel... 

TacticalBassin Reaper Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2TwBWs7

TacticalBassin Shadow Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2FVD9Rs

TacticalBassin Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/2TvFMBD

TacticalBassin Hooded Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/38cVi9G

What Gear Do We Really Use? Take A Look! (Cross Country Road Trip)

Ever wonder what we've really got in the boat? What lures are we actually carrying below deck? Which Covid slowing down we decided to drive all the way across the country to fish and spend time with family. We loaded the boats with everything we thought we'd need (tools, gear, and a variety of tackle) and set out on a national road trip with the families. Today Tim is opening up all the lockers and showing you what gear really made the cut. Which baits and what gear did he consider "must haves" for fishing in multiple states. 

Its hard enough to choose what to throw first when you go out on the lake. Try to imagine packing to fish dozens of lakes you've never seen before. Even harder, some are in the South (Summer heat) and others are up North (clear water and prespawn). As overwhelming as that may be, we've done it a few times now and are very confident in our gear selection. We wanted to share with you what made the cut and what didn't. 

We can make countless videos about specific baits and techniques but there is something about taking a look under the locker lids for yourself that is very satisfying. Now how can you apply this to your fishing? The gear that we carry cross country can be downsized into just a box or two for fishing on your local lake. Where we might carry a box of spinnerbaits, a box of lipless, a box of deep cranks, you can turn around and build a box with a spinnerbait, a chatterbait, a lipless, a small glide bait, etc... and on a smaller scale you're now prepared for any situation you can face on the water. 

Below is a breakdown of our top lures from each category. We've also included a handful of rod recommendations that are "do alls", those select rods that seem to be able to throw a variety of different baits, allowing us to save time, money, and space on the boat. The links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item. 

Tim's Most Universal Picks For Hard Baits...

Swimbait Head- Tactical Finesse Head (3/8 oz): http://bit.ly/2Pqrq3n

Deep Crank- Strike King 6XD (Chartreuse Sexy Shad): http://bit.ly/2ery44M

Squarebill- Lucky Craft 1.5 (Ghost Minnow): http://bit.ly/2BGxKPa

Glide Bait- S Waver 168 (TW Phantom Trout): http://bit.ly/2aiu8Sh

Blade Bait- Damiki Vault 1/2 oz (Black Holo): http://bit.ly/2rnO7e2

Frog- River2Sea Bully Wa 2 (Little Allen 65): http://bit.ly/2axyR2a

Topwater- River2Sea Rover 128 (Abalone Shad): http://bit.ly/2acSVea

Jerkbait- Megabass Vision 110 (GP Pro Blue): http://bit.ly/2j31TKb

Lipless- Lucky Craft LV-500 (Ghost Minnow): http://bit.ly/2aAUUbd

Chatterbait- Z Man/Evergreen JackHammer 3/8 oz (BHite Delight): http://bit.ly/2popvj6

Tim's Most Universal Picks For Soft Baits...

Swimbait- Keitech Fat Swing Impact (4.3"): http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

Stick Bait/Neko- Yamamoto 5" Senko (Green Pumpkin): http://bit.ly/2axAmNS

Ned Worm- Z Man TicklerZ (Canada Craw): http://bit.ly/2mGyDAC

Creature- Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver (Tramp Stamp): http://bit.ly/29W3RZW

Dropshot- Big Bite Baits Smallie Smasher (Green Pump/Purple): http://bit.ly/2ZpCOCY

Jerkbait- Zoom Super Fluke (Electric Shad): http://bit.ly/2aqys0H

Highlighted Items... 

-Damiki Armor Shad Swimbait: http://bit.ly/2KtPDAT

-Lakemaster Plus Digital Charts Map Card: http://bit.ly/2Dk5Erc

-Wave Away Screen Cleaner: http://bit.ly/2PhHmmC

-KVD Speed Worm Bags: http://bit.ly/2GYT4RC

-Spoolin Buddy Jr. Line Storage: http://bit.ly/2EAbynX

-Plano Edge Master Plastics Storage: http://bit.ly/2PaiAq6

-Plano Edge Spinnerbait Storage Box: http://bit.ly/397m4Bd

Our 4 most Universal Rod Combos are listed below. These are rods that we've found can fish a variety of different baits to save money and space on the boat. We're all looking for that "do everything" rod. These might not do everything but they will do a lot!

Jigs/Big Worms/Keitechs/Chatter/Spinnerbait Combo... 

Rod- G Loomis GLX 854C JWR: http://bit.ly/2gqziwT

Reel- Shimano Chronarch MGL HG: http://bit.ly/2n8DghB

Dropshot/Ned/Tube/Popper Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Zodias 7' Medium Light: http://bit.ly/2jOUXAO

Reel- Shimano Stradic CI4+ 2500: http://bit.ly/2gu84t7

High-End "Do Everything" Combo... 

Rod- G Loomis Conquest 843C MBR: http://bit.ly/2iL1PAY

Reel- Shimano Metanium DC 100 HG: http://bit.ly/2qrSZvs

Mid-Range "Do Everything" Combo...

Rod- Zodias 7'2" MH: http://bit.ly/2cgmMAe

Reel- Shimano Curado 200K HG: http://bit.ly/2tHewEh

Budget "Do Everything" Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Fury 7' Medium heavy: http://bit.ly/2bGvlVV

Reel- Shimano SLX HG: http://bit.ly/2NfdOnk

NEW Tactical Bassin Apparel... 

TacticalBassin Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/2TvFMBD

TacticalBassin Hooded Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/38cVi9G