Crankbait & Topwater Buyer's Guide At 1/2 ounce and 50 millimeters in length, the SPRO Little John is the newest crankbait in the John Crews Signature Series. The nifty Little John is available in 12 bass-busting colors. Crews designed the crankbait to run at depths of 3 to 5 feet and used a computer chip board for the lip to create more feel and durability. A silent weight-transfer system makes for incredibly long casting, even in windy conditions. More
BASSIN' BUYER'S GUIDE
Boats, Motors & Electronics Many anglers fell in love with the Nitro Z-9. Now, a new center-design console is available for those who prefer that style. The whole Z-9 line from Nitro is manufactured with hand-laid hulls and foam-filled fiberglass stringers that are chemically bonded to the hull for strength and durability. The center console on the CDC allows anglers to have easy 360-degree access around the boat for fighting the biggest and meanest bass out there. Included in the fully decked-out, 21-foot-long boat are two lockable rod boxes, a top-of-the-line MotorGuide trolling motor with sturdy Gator mount, a 65-gallon fuel tank and two 18-gallon livewells. More
BASSIN' BUYER'S GUIDE
Rods & Reels Imagine a longer casting reel, with smoother line pickup and less memory, enhanced drag efficiency and greatly reduced line twist. Bass Pro Shops’ new Johnny Morris Signature Series spinning reels are lightweight, featuring an extra-wide diameter spool that achieves all this and more. By incorporating these performance characteristics into its finest reel, Bass Pro has pushed the system to the very limits of refinement. The reel’s compact aluminum chassis houses an incredibly smooth 11-bearing system supported by a stainless-steel mainshaft and hardened brass pinion gear. More
BASSIN' BUYER'S GUIDE
Soft Plastics & Spinnerbaits For years, swimbaits have been the bait of choice for big fish throughout the Western United States. When swimbaits started to migrate toward the Southern states, anglers quickly realized their ability to catch fish. It didn’t take long for professional fishermen to ask Optimum Baits for a lure that they could throw into weeds and fish effectively. The result is the 5-inch Titan swimbait. The Titan features a wide-body profile that rolls back and forth while producing a powerful kicking action. The weedless Optimum wire brushguard means it is no longer necessary to coax a lunker to come out of its preferred habitat. You can now go to it. The Titan can be used in and around grass, laydowns and rocky areas without the fear of snagging. More
CRAPPIE WORLD BUYER'S GUIDE
Electronics & Depthfinders You might want to upgrade your boat in 2008. Lowrance has a new line of GPS units with an impressive 8.4-inch high-color screen. The LCX-38C HD might be the crème de la crème of the bunch, with a 30-gigabyte hard drive that is preloaded with a treasure chest full of maps and charts for both coastal and inland uses. More than 3,000 inland U.S. lakes complete with depth contours are part of the preloaded bonus. The unit also features a SolarMax screen-enhancement technology that maximizes the viewing capability at wide angles and in the brightest sunlight. The mammoth screen is also 16-bit color TFT with a high-detail 600V-by-800H-pixel Super VGA resolution. More
CRAPPIE WORLD BUYER'S GUIDE
Rods & Reels The Bass Pro Shops Johnny Morris Elite reels are true world-class baitcasters — sleek and fast, light and strong, virtually effortless in their handling. The company gave the Elite series a striking cobalt blue titanium deposition finish, which is bonded directly to the aluminum side-plates. Chip-proof and scratch-resistant, the reels continue to look like winners through many seasons. The resilient model line comes with a titanium-coated line guide, super-hard and super-light Duralumin gears, an 11 ball-bearing system and PowerLock instant anti-reverse. More
CRAPPIE WORLD BUYER'S GUIDE
Boats, Motors & Electronics The H18 is roaming the waters in 2008 with a stellar charcoal-gray paint scheme and a dizzying array of options and boat packages for anglers to choose from. Four H18 packages mix and match options to best suit the consumer, including a duck boat package with a camouflage paint option and a sport package with bass paint and aluminum wheel upgrades. A Euro-style fishing seat with threaded pedestal base and tinted windshield will assure a comfortable ride. A Minn Kota 40 Edge trolling motor and Humminbird Piranha Max 215 with Swivel Mount Graph are standard. More
CRAPPIE WORLD BUYER'S GUIDE
Lure Buyer's Guide More and more crappie anglers are thinking big when it comes to catching fat slabs these days. The new Bobby Garland 3-inch Slab Slay’R is made for the job. Until now, the Slab Slay’R was only available in a 2-inch size. While the traditional-size version has proven its worth among the country’s most successful crappie anglers, they have continued to ask for a larger model because of the growing trend in crappie fishing that “bigger is better.” The Slab Slay’R features a ribbed solid body that is approximately 1 inch long. The rest of the bait is a thin, concave spear-point tail. The tail is the “life” of the lure, giving it a subtle quivering action, even at rest, as well as an erratic fall on every descent. More
