GEAR
Hooks, Lines & Sinkers
By Tyler Henning, Equipment Editor

To have the complete fishing arsenal, three critical pieces are necessary for that direct line between you and one large hawg. Without the proper hook, line and sinker, you might as well revert back to an old-fashioned canepole. Each year, the latest and greatest becomes available to make sure you aren’t fishing with equipment from the Stone Age.

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Line

Vicious Fishing Fluorocarbon
If you bring a hard hookset to the fishing game, perhaps the new Vicious Fluorocarbon is perfect for your tackle box. The line is preferred by serious anglers, such as Bassmaster Elite Series angler Jason Quinn. “I like to offshore structure fish with crankbaits,” says Quinn. “Vicious Fluorocarbon allows my crankbaits to go a lot deeper so I can use heavier line. I no longer need to use 8- to 10-pound monofilament. I can use 12- to 15-pound Vicious Fluorocarbon.” www.viciousfishing.com

Sufix Siege
In 2006, Sufix became the No. 2 fishing-line company in North America. Continuing to build its quality reputation, Sufix is introducing the Siege monofilament. Siege is up to 15 times more abrasion resistant than regular nylon line, which makes it perfect for the biggest, baddest cover that you can find. Sufix has packed in several proprietary technologies, including its Nano Tech Process and G2 Precision Winding, which make it an ease to cast with amazing stretch and manageability. Several colors, including the appropriately named “camo,” will have you ready for war with the largest bass in the lake. www.sufixfishing.com

Spiderwire Ultracast Invisi-braid
Some companies claim to have translucent, nearly invisible line. Spiderwire actually has a patented process to back up the claim that it has created one of the first superlines to be nearly invisible underwater. “With Invisi-Braid, it is the ultimate braid, letting me flip and pitch into mats of vegetation in the clearest of waters without the fear of fish detecting my line,” states professional angler Kelly Jordan. Perfect for freshwater and saltwater applications, the Spiderwire Ultracast Invisi-Braid comes in as small as 6-pound test line to as heavy as 80-pound line.
www.spiderwire.com

Stren Microfuse
It’s no secret that anglers want a line that is tough, sensitive and nearly invisible underwater. The new Stren Microfuse is just that. The standard for invisible line under the water is that it is very hard to see above the water, but the new Stren line glows a fluorescent blue in daylight and radiates a neon blue with a blacklight for effective night-time fishing. Near-zero stretch in the thermally fused braided line equates to supreme sensitivity, while the amazing strength of the line allows for fishing the toughest cover. www.stren.com

Hi-seas Fluorocarbon
Hi-Seas made many anglers happy with the introduction of its high-performance fluorocarbon leader. Now, the company has released its own fluorocarbon line that features that same level of performance. The most advantageous characteristic of this new line comes when using ultra-sensitive techniques. The sink rate of the line makes it a premier line for fishing worms, jigs, finesse baits and for drop-shotting. One tournament angler states that “the line flies off the reel with an ease and smoothness that almost empties the spool.” www.hiseas.net

Power Pro with Ez Spool
Because braided line performs best when tightly packed onto a reel, Power Pro is offering its highly acclaimed line with the new EZ Spool. The EZ Spool takes various spooling techniques (running line through a phone book, two-man spooling teams and even gloved hands) out of the equation. The EZ Spool also has a built-in cutter, protects the remaining line and includes arbor tape. Power Pro is available in a multitude of line diameters and spool sizes, all with the EZ Spool function. www.powerpro.com

Ugly Braid
Ugly Braid isn’t new, but the popularity and demand for the line has forced Shakespeare to introduce new line classes. The American-made Ugly Braid is adding a one-shot spool in 8-pound test line and a filler spool in 15-pound test, as well as eight new sizes in 1,500-yard service spools. The Ugly Braid technology remains the same — Ugly Armor protective coating, near-zero stretch, great knot strength and significantly less diameter than monofilament.
www.shakespeare-fishing.com

Hooks

Tru-Tungsten “Hack Attack” Frog Hook
Plastic frogs are much too rare to continue tearing and ruining on a poorly designed hook. The new Tru-Tungsten “Hack Attack” Frog Hook assures that on your next plastic-frog cast, the frog will land belly down and even keeled for no rolling. The unique rigging style (instructions are included) keeps more baits in place, resulting in fewer missed hook-ups and more smiles on your face. www.tru-tungsten.com

Gamakatsu Wacky Head
The new Gamakatsu Wacky Head might be the strangest jighead you’ve ever seen. However, the only thing that matters is that fish enjoy the side-to-side rolling action. A red epoxy head and red wide-gap hook create the ultimate trap for short-biting bass. The jighead is available in 1⁄32-, 1⁄16- and 1⁄8-ounce sizes. www.gamakatsu.com

VMC SureSet Treble Hook
You wouldn’t think that all that much technology goes into a hook. However, the new VMC SureSet Treble Hook has taken many angler complaints into consideration. VMC’s premium Cone Cut point offers penetration at the first instant of the hookset, while the SureSet’s design hugs the lure body to prevent the hook from pivoting during attack. The eye of the SureSet is rotated to be inline with the largest branch of the treble so it keeps lures in perfect balance with the swimming action the lure was designed to perform. To guarantee more hook-ups, VMC engineered the rear hook with the wide gape facing up and the front hook’s gape facing down. The company recommends that the SureSet be used as a front hook only on long-lipped lures and that an inline treble be used on short lip or lipless lures. www.vmchooks.com

Weights

Bullet Weights Ultra-Steel Screw-In Weights
For fans of Texas-rigging, screw-in weights are a must. Bullet Weights’ Ultra-Steel Screw-In Weights contain metallic properties that create a fish-attracting noise when bumped into cover. The “hardness” of the steel not only creates noise, but it is extremely sensitive and doesn’t deform over time like some lead weights. Bullet Weights offers the Ultra-Steel Screw-In Weights in natural or black colors in 1⁄16-, 1⁄8- or 3⁄16-ounce sizes. www.bulletweights.com

Bullet Weights Tungsten Original Bullet
The original Bullet Weight has been copied by many companies over the years, but anglers still call upon the weight to be used as a slip-sinker pegged to the line next to artificial baits. Lead, steel, brass and tin are all available from Bullet Weights, but tungsten continues to be one hot metal for pro and amateur anglers alike. The advantage of the Original Bullet in tungsten is that the metal is twice as dense as lead and thus able to be used in much smaller, discreet sizes. Bullet Weights are available in watermelon pepper, transparent red, transparent purple, black and other natural colors. www.bulletweights.com

Tru-Tungsten T-rigs
A favorite of bass pro Marty Stone, Tru-Tungsten T-Rigs are patent-pending designs that really carry their weight. Built with a titanium spring, the T-Rigs’ engineering allows for the spring to bend in any direction but always return to the right position. This versatility is perfect for flipping and pitching as a pegged lure. Nine different colors come standard with a tough Duraseal coating that keeps the weights from chipping and cracking. Next time you suffer a separation of weight and bait, the secure and sturdy option is Tru-Tungsten’s technology-packed T-Rigs. www.tru-tungsten.com

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