Huddleston Deluxe

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. Read more

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.

Spintrix and Basstrix Review

I have never really done a product review so please, take it easy on me….. Everyone who has been hunting for big fish understands that the swimbait is the king of all kings and my first live look at a huddleston left me walking away scratching my head. Do bass really eat stuff this big? Well, simply put, yes. I’ve come to realize that bass are a lot like cichlids. When they are aggressive mode they will eat or attack just about anything that crosses their paths. If anyone has ever owned a fish tank you know exactly what I am talking about.

Let me take a brief stroll down memory lane for a long-winded analogy. As a kid I used to have a 125 gallon fish tank and I chose to raise South American cichlids. They were very aggressive and would eat anything I threw in the tank. They used to eat guppies, gold fish, night-crawlers, spiders, crickets, roaches, hot dogs, and if they were nesting you could forget about it. In fact, I would sometimes walk in to my room and turn on the light only to find an adult fish missing. We all know that bass can act like that sometimes but not all the time. Which is why it’s important to use life like lures at times and this is where the Spinrtrix Blade Runner and Basstrix Minnow Paddle Tail come into play.

I’ll be the first to admit that the first time I heard of this thing was while I was watching Bassmasters. Then a couple of weeks later my brother told me he was using it and caught some quality fish. We went out fishing one day and he even showed me the action on this thing. When it’s gliding through the water it says one thing, “Eat me.” The action is awesome and the tail moves back and forth in a very natural fluid motion enticing bass to strike.

The very first time I used it at one of our favorite South Bay hot spots I caught two really nice bass. They pounced on it and the set feels very much like a crank bait (at least to me). The other thing I like about this is the hook placement. Being that the hook is on top you are able to navigate it through vegetation fairly easily. When I was using it, the weeds were just starting to appear and it cruised right through with no problems. After catching those two nice fish I lost the lure when it snapped off my line. Maybe my fault, I should have used a palomar knot.

There are two components to this bait. The Spintrix Blade Runner (photo above) an the Basstrix Paddle Tail which comes in a variety of different patterns (photo right).

I’ve heard from several sources that you can also texas rig or drop-shot the tails but I haven’t tried it myself. My only gripe with this bait is its durability. It’s almost as though every fish you lose a tail - kind of a bummer. I guess it’s the small price you pay for perfection. I hear local shops are having a tough time stocking these guys so keep an eye out next time you are in your local bait and tackle shop.

Overall: Thumbs Up

Disclaimer: I am not a pro bass fisherman nor do I claim to be. I am simply stating my own opinion and this is one I think everyone should try out. If anyone out there is interested in writing articles for SJB please email me. I sure could use the help.

Marce

2005 Crestliner 1700 Mirage

I guess you can say that my Dad received the best Father’s Day gift last year - A brand new Crestliner with some electronic goodies to go with it. My Mom approached my brother and I with the idea last year and being that he and I enjoy spending time on the water I feel we were both on the same page from the start. We wanted a boat that was versatile and could be used in a variety of different environments and could also act as a “family” boat when needed. We did tons of research - I looked at the Trackers, Lunds, Ranger, and couple of no-namers. I checked out the construction quality, warranties, and motors and in the end - I felt the Crestliner was right for us. We all did and luckily we located one at Salinas Valley Marine.

Since we’ve almost had the boat for a year, I thought it was time to give my

100% honest opinion on the Mirage. First off, I really like the design - the storage is great and the configurable bench seat is a must have in a smaller boat like the 1700. The only issue I have with the seat, is that it had a design flaw. When the bench seat was flipped over, it rubbed against the sidewall and tore the vinyl. Our dealer made some metal brackets to cover up the sides and protect the sidewall. This should have been addressed by Crestliner at the factory. The instrumentation is nice and we added a Lowrance fishfinder and GPS module at the driver’s console and bow. Since most boats come with nothing but the standard gauges you usually have to spring for the good stuff. Some manufacturers offer packages but you can usually negotiate the boat price down and buy the stuff yourself later and still save money. We also added a boat charger and Minn Kota trolling motor. We added the 55lb thrust model (per the dealer suggestion) and I wish we would have gone with something with more thrust and voltage. It does also have a livewell and rod locker. We rarely use the rod locker but I do like the fact that they made it accessible if the bench seat is up or down. This was well thought out so they get a plus on

that one. We also chose to go with the vinyl type flooring instead of the traditional astro-turf like material. It’s user friendly and cleans real easily. The seats are comfortable and they remove with the click of a button. You have the option to buy additional seats but with the bench seat already installed I don’t really see a need to purchase them. The boat did not come with a boat cover so I went online to boatcovers.com and they had our particular model on file. You just choose your engine model size (115 4-Stroke in our case) and location of your trolling motor and they take care of the rest. It’s fits like a glove and was delivered in roughly 10 business days. Overall, we are extremely pleased with the boat. It does have it’s quirks (see below) but it handles very well and the craftsmanship is some of the best out there.

Model: 2005 Crestliner 1700 mirage

Pros: The boat handles various types of water great. The workmanship on the aluminum hull is near perfection and the interior is nicely designed as well. Does not have that “cheap” feeling when you grab and shake the console or windshield. It’s a very sturdy nicely designed watercraft and could be one of the top in its class.

Cons: Bench seat tore the sidewall vinyl. Steering seems to be a little on the stiff side. Moving from neutral to forward sometimes seems like it’s grinds into gear. May need some adjustments from the dealer. Livewell pump went out on us while in the delta.

Dealer: Salinas Valley Marine - These guys are pretty good. They have been responsive to our needs but I do wish they would have recommended a larger trolling motor. Like I said, the 55lb gets us moving around but something with a little more power would be optimum.