A year can take quite the toll on your gear. That’s why we recommend restocking any lost, misplaced and outdated equipment of yesteryear with the latest batch of rods, reels, lures, tackle and accessories from America’s top manufacturers.

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Lures
It was only a matter of time before fishing lures went ultra-high-tech. From afar, the new BioPulse might look like an innocent crankbait. Upon closer inspection, an angler is likely shocked by the complexity. The BioPulse is packed with science, with an aspect of the lure targeting a bass’ sound, vision, smell, taste and vibration awareness.

Technology from some of America’s leading biologists combined to create the BioPulse. Some of the amazingly advanced features include a Bite-Release
Cavity that makes the lure behave like a living food source when bitten and a sound emission/generation system that revolves around an advanced transducer system.

The Berkley Gulp! Alive! baits are in their second year of existence, and still pros are clamoring about the realism of the various products. A favorite for 2009 might be the new bass-luring Gulp! Alive! 3-inch Nuclear Nelly, which sports the shape of a sunfish with the appendages of a crayfish. The mix is already having an impact with professional anglers.

“The Nuclear Nelly is a phenomenal sunfish imitator,” claims Berkley professional Mike Iaconelli. “The profile of the bait is a dead-on sunfish imitator. Plus, it has plenty of action with the meaty legs, and the Gulp! Alive! scent and flavor absolutely convince big bass that it is a real sunfish — I’ve seen it happen.”
The Nuclear Nelly is sold in a Gulp! Alive! resealable oval bucket and comes in black/red fleck, green, green pumpkin and The General colors.

Giant swimbaits were a huge trend in 2008, but 2009 might be highlighted with more conservative swimbaits, such as the SPRO BBZ-1 Shad. The BBZ-1 Shad has four sections that move in unison to create an incredible lifelike action in the water. If it weren’t for the Gamakatsu treble hooks and fishing line, the BBZ-1 Shad might be mistaken by human eyes for a fish in the water due to its realistic scale pattern and eyes.

Look for the SPRO Little John and Little John MD crankbaits to terrorize fish from 3 to 9 feet. The original Little John, designed by professional angler John Crews, runs at depths of 3 to 5 feet and has a remarkable ability to come through cover with no problem. Anglers lucky enough to discover the original Little John demanded a deeper-running bait so SPRO engineers answered with the new Little John MD. A silent weight-transfer system creates the opportunity for super-long casts, while the ½-ounce lure sinks to 9 feet on 10-pound monofilament, getting settled right in a great target zone.

Having a trusty jig is always a plus. The new Cyclone Swim Jig with Living Image Skirt features skirt strands that may have as many as three colors per strand. This differs from typical jigs that have one color per strand. The mix of colors on each strand makes the ¼- or 3⁄8-ounce Swim Jigs even more appetizing for bass. Colors such as candy craw, delta melon and the money maker are sure to replace your old jig.

Sharing the spotlight with the onslaught of swimbaits on the market is the new wave of chatterbaits. Now modifications of the original ChatterBait are being produced, including the ChatterBait Mini and ChatterBait Micro. The baits are ¼ and 1⁄8 ounce, respectively. Both baits are excellent for light tackle and finicky fish that won’t bite anything else. The ChatterBlade on the front of both lures creates an intense vibration and action that big bass can’t seem to resist.

Did you know diamonds could be an angler’s best friend? The new Optimum Double Diamond SwimmeR is designed completely with a computer-aided design. The resulting design gives the Double Diamond Swimmer increased versatility. The bait has three distinct actions anglers will love, including a tight, zig-zagging swim pattern, an erratic body quiver and a monstrous tail kick. The lure can be rigged weedless using a weighted worm hook or with a traditional-style jighead.

RODS & REELS

Recently named “Overall Best of Show” at the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST), the lightweight and compact Shimano Curado E Series baitcasting reels should make a big splash in 2009.

“Anglers will quickly notice the compact size and light weight of the new Curado reels — 7.6 ounces for all the 200-size reels,” says Jeremy Sweet, reel product manager for Shimano.

The new Curado 200s are built on a reel frame smaller than previous Curado 100 reels. However, the reel will still hold the same amount of line that a 200 should. Most bass anglers will be interested in the Curado 200E7, which sports a 7.0-to-1 gear ratio and 30 inches of line retrieved per crank. Also, the new 200E5 provides more cranking power, with a 5.0-to-1 ratio. All of the 200E Series can hold 180 yards of 8-pound test line.

While many anglers swear by their Quantum reels, the company decided to start from scratch and rebuild the new Quantum Tour Edition PT spinning reels. The motivation behind revamping the line is the modern day’s smaller-diameter lines that still provide the utmost strength. The line advancements allowed Quantum engineers to go lighter, smaller and faster, removing more than 15 percent of the reel’s body weight. Anglers who spring for the new Tour Edition PT reels will find 12 PT bearings, an improved line-management system and a scratch-resistant titanium vacuum deposition finish.

Every angler has heard of a two-piece rod, but how about a three-piece rod? The rod experts at G. Loomis have improved their Escape Travel series, giving fishermen the ability to travel through airport security lines without hassle. The 10 new Escape models don’t sacrifice quality and use premier components, such as Fuji guides. Rod lengths vary from 6 feet, 3 inches to 7 feet, 6 inches and come in a variety of actions.

Arguably the greatest crankbait angler ever, former Bassmaster Classic winner Kevin VanDam and Quantum product engineers have created a line of crankbait rods that meet the high demands of the top money winner in the history of professional bass fishing.

The Quantum Tour KVD rod series has six models with unique blends of graphite and E-glass, as well as custom-tuned construction that promotes long casts and errorless execution. Quantum injected Fuji ACS reel seats, Hardloy guides and EVA split-grip handles into the specialized rod series.

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