Twisted Custom Rods

I finally went ahead and pulled the trigger on a buying a custom rod. I really hadn’t been in the market for anything new, but then I realized my fishing pole collection was lacking in the top-water department. I immediately thought of Jonathan Vadney who is a regular on our forums and founder of Twisted Custom Rods. I remembered that he had posted some of his work in one of his threads, and I remember thinking to myself that if I was ever going to buy one it would be from him.

I want you all to know that Jonathan was EXTREMELY thorough throughout the entire selection process. He asked about style of fishing, colors, eyes, placement, left handed or right handed, cork, blanks, etc…. It was obvious that he had done this many times before, and I was very confident that he’d put his heart and soul into his work, just as he had done for some of our other SJB members.

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Lunker Punker – Black Dog Baits

The Lunker Punker crafted by Black Dog Bait Co. was at first, an intimidating buy for me because of the price. The 8” size goes for $54.99 while the 6.5” inch goes for $49.99. I finally coughed up the cash for one of these baits when the striper season rolled around. I must tell you, I do not know what I was waiting for…

This bait looks amazing on the top of the water. The Lunker Punker looks more like a real fish skimming across the surface of the water than to it’s comparisons by ten fold. I once witnessed seeing an Osprey eagle attempt to capture this bait off of the surface thinking it was a tasty trout. It’s action is unlike no other walk-the-dog top water bait that I have seen. It seems to add some spice to it’s walk by rolling on it’s sides when you yank down on your rod, then up righting itself once it stops it’s zig or zag. This action is what greatly contributes to the amount of disturbance that this lure can create while cruising across the top of the water. Rattles … Continue Reading

Huddleston Deluxe

An assortment of Huddleston's finest swimbaits.

Well, I’m not sure if I am 100% qualified to review the Huddleston Deluxe 8″ Trout, but since I’ve witnessed its potential first hand I guess that’s good enough. Not to mention, I’ve watched Butch Brown, like many of you out there, bring in absolute TOADS on this thing. And, I’ve thrown a few swimbaits in my time and there is nothing on this planet that is so life-like. Before I get into this review, please understand, that swimbait fishing is sort of like playing chess. You had better be patient, put in your time, and pay close attention to what the heck you’re doing.

The Huddleston Deluxe trout is one of the most sought after baits, … Continue Reading

Okeechobee Fats – Tackle Box

I’ve been using a small Shimano nylon tackle box for over a year now and I was in desperate need of an upgrade. I’ve outgrown this thing months ago and my tackle was basically pouring out the sides. In fact, I had recently snapped off one of the zippers while shoving too many Net Bait packs in the pocket. What’s sad about this whole situation is that 1/2 of my gear remains at home, in a tupperware bin my wife loaned me. It just doesn’t fit anymore.

About a month ago I was fishing with my brother and he had just told me the night before that he had bought a really nice bag from Wal-Mart. And the next day, while we were loading the Cretliner, I got a chance to look at it. This thing was nice, I mean REAL nice. It had eight large utility boxes, a built-in sunglass holder, and a small light for when you’re night fishing. I was dying to know how much he paid for it and when he told me I was shocked. Fifty bucks for this thing. WHAT! I paid nearly $70.00 for my Shimano bag that was more twice as small as the Okeechobee.

I just had to get one. The funny thing is that when Kevkc, my brother, and I were on the delta Kev liked it so much that he went and bought himself one a couple of days later. And today, I finally got out of the home office and headed to Wal-Mart. The first Wal-Mart I went to off of Blossom Hill was out. Bummer. I then made my way to the one off of Story and McLaughlin. I had my fingers crossed and lucky for me, they had one on the bottom shelf.

So after moving things around I can tell you this – this thing is awesome. And for the money it’s hard to beat. The boxes are huge and I can carry all of my stuff and then some. So if you’re in the market for a new tackle box you definitely have to give this one a look. I couldn’t find it in their online store and I’m not sure if they have a website or not so if you are REALLY interested then you should get into a store ASAP.

Nice bag, two thumbs up.

Note: My model is the T1200 Series

TNT Wadda Jig

Now that I have been fishing for over a couple of years I’ve come to the realization that the jig is my favorite piece of arsenal in my tackle box. Over the past two years I’ve caught more fish on jigs than on anything else. In fact, if you would like to see me bring in a 7.5 pounder on a jig you can click here.In the video I was using a Revenge jig that I had purchased from Coyote Bait and Tackle. You see, I’ve caught bass on several different colors with a variety of different trailers. It just depends on where I am fishing and how slow I want my “fall” presentation.

Before I headed to the delta to participate in the Future Pro tournament, I decided to give Cooch’s TNT Wadda Jig a try. In San Jose you can find them at Mel Cotton’s and they are usually well stocked. Anyhow, it was my first time using the Wadda jig, but hey, I was going to be fishign the delta and we all know what a stick Cooch is. I mean really, if this guy is killing it on the delta then he probably knows what he’s doing when he creates these things.

After opening the package I gave it a good look. I bought a few that had glitter on the heads with red eyes. Hooks were nice and strong – I’ve had problems with some of the Revenge hooks – and the skirt had plenty of girth. I also liked the red eyes, that gave it a stand out appearance that I think helped me hook quite a few fish during the tournament. The weed guard had plenty of strands and like I do on most of my jigs, I trimmed it to get a better hook set.

During the tournament, I threw this particular jig almost all day. I used one of my favorite trailers that didn’t really “match” the colors of the jig, but that’s the ticket sometimes. You have to take risks and change the game, and I did so that day by presenting a very unusual look. I caught more than ten fish on it that day and one of them was my new personal best (8.93 lbs).

Overall, I’d recommend this jig to anyone. Great design from a great fisherman who stands by his products.

Nice work, Cooch. See you on the delta.

Editors Note (07.19.08): I noticed that the black skirt loses its color rapidly and changes from black to gray, not sure why that’s happening. Another SJB Member and I were talking this afternoon and he too experienced the color change after one fishing trip. I plan on emailing Cooch about it.