Filling fisherman’s needs

Dealer tackle shows showcase newest wares

Fishermen in North Carolina are lucky! Fishermen in most parts of the country have only one tackle show to look forward to each year, but around here, it’s not unusual to be able to visit several shows during the winter. Even better, several wholesale shows offer dealers the chance to attend and see new products to get them on the shelves for fishermen to purchase for catching even more fish.

The largest fishing tackle trade show is ICAST (International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades), held last summer in Las Vegas and scheduled for Orlando this summer. It’s an annual event where tackle and associated products from around the world are presented to the wholesalers, retailers and fishing press.

The largest of the wholesaler shows in North Carolina is the Henry’s Tackle Dealer Show, presented by its parent company, Big Rock Sports. For the past several years, this show has been held in mid-January in Raleigh. Tackle dealers from across the eastern United States attend, see the new products and order them so they will be on their shelves in time for fishermen to have it as fishing begins to improve during the spring.

Because of its timing as the first tackle show of the year, there are always some products that are introduced at the Henry’s show. Of course, there are also plenty of improvements, added colors and so on to increase the demand for current products.

Several items gathered a lot of attention at Henry’s show this past January, one of them being the Alabama rig, a multi-bait rig made by Mann’s Tackle that bass pro Paul Elias used to run away with a win at an FLW tournament on Alabama’s Lake Guntersville last October. Other notable tournament wins notched by anglers using the Alabama Rig include Dan Morehead at the Kentucky Lake EverStart Championship, and Scott Brummett at the Wal-Mart BFL Wheeler Lake Regional.

In mid-January, BASS banned the Alabama rig from being used in Bassmaster Classic or Elite Series competition. Officials of BASS said this was not a disapproval of multiple-hook rigs, but an effort to hold professional tournament anglers to a higher standard for competition.

While many consider the Alabama style rig just a modern version of the umbrella rig used by saltwater striper fishermen for many years, it has generated quite a stir since Elias let the cat out of the bag. This version is for casting, not trolling, but it still mimics a small school of baitfish.

Five stout wires with snap swivels at the trailing end emerge from a single jighead. The wires are bent at 45-degree angles up and down, to each side, with a single wire trailing straight down the middle. The fisherman attaches his preferred color(s) or combination of jigheads, swimbaits, grubs or jigs to the snap swivels and casts all at once. Most fishermen recommend a stouter rod and stronger line to prevent losing this much tackle should it become hung up, but to make it easier to more easily land any fish that hits an Alabama rig.

The Alabama rig obviously works for bass and stripers, and there are reports red drum find it alluring also. Several fishermen questioned its effectiveness on speckled trout, but no one said they had dedicated a day of fishing to try to dial it in for specks.

Many companies are trying to cash in on the buying frenzy that has accompanied this style of multiple bait rig. Some smaller operations and individuals are making them, too. I have been using some that were hand poured and painted by Charles Derrick of Hampstead. So far they have held up to saltwater and brackish water as well. Derrick’s brother is also making similar rigs in the Charlotte area.

A couple of new items presented by Betts Tackle of Fuquay-Varina also garnered a lot of attention at the show. Betts introduced several Flounder Fanatic jigs, Flexible Draggin Weights and heavy corks to their Billy Bay line of inshore saltwater products.

The Flounder Fanatic Jigs were designed by Andy Couch of Clayton and feature a hook that is turned to the side to lay flat with the bottom of the flounder’s mouth. Couch said he went from missing or losing eight of 10 flounder strikes to catching eight of 10. He said this hook naturally finds the flounder’s lower jaw, and if it bites, it’s caught.

One set of Flounder Fanatic Jigs are made on bases weighing either ¾ or 1½ ounces. These have hooks that rise up at approximately a 45-degree angle from the jig for a half inch or so and then bend back at the same angle to lie parallel to the bottom. As flounder are left-sided, the curve of the hook bends out to the left to position the point at the flounder’s lower jaw. These jigs use a hook guard of heavy monofilament to be weedless and can be used with live baits, soft plastic lures and strip baits.

Couch said he primarily fishes while wading, and that led to the development of these flounder jigs. He said he fished a lot at Carolina Beach and Fort Fisher and needed a jig that would stabilize itself when retrieved at a low angle and would shed some of the grass that area is known to have in abundance.

The other Flounder Fanatic jig is an eighth-ounce jighead that looks much like a regular jighead except the hook is offset at 90 degrees to the left of the eye. This allows the hook to run parallel to the bottom, so it is on the same plane as a flounder’s mouth. Like the larger Flounder Fanatic Jig, the hook curve is to the left so the hook point is positioned to bury in the flounder’s lower jaw. This jig also uses a piece of heavy monofilament as a hook guard to make it weedless. Couch said he uses this lighter jig on drop-shot style bottom rigs and for fishing under a float.

The Billy Bay Big Boy Bobbers are another new product from Betts Tackle introduced at the Henry’s show. Billy Bay Big Boy Bobbers are made with extra weight to help increase casting distance. They are oval-shaped, 2½ inches long and come in red and white. Couch said adding a little weight without making the floats larger helps them cut through any wind and is another innovation that helps add casting distance when fishing with the Flounder Fanatic eighth-ounce jig.

The last item from Betts that caught my eye was the Flexi Draggin Weights. These are a length of round weights that have a swivel at the top, a snap at the bottom and are covered with shrink tubing. Flexi weights are available in ½-, 1- and 2-ounce weights and can be quickly attached to each other if more weight is needed.

I’m sure there are many other uses for these weights, but I immediately saw them as a weight to use while drop-shotting. Because the line attaches at the top of a pencil-size tube, they walk across most bottom structure with little potential for becoming hung. I anticipate having lots of pictures later in the year where a Flexi Draggin Weight is hanging beside a big redfish or trout that was caught while fishing a drop-shot rig.

Every year, Star Rods of Morehead City has something new for the Henry’s show, and this year was no exception. Star had a new rod series and introduced spinning reels matched to several of their Aerial Series rods.

The new rod from Star is the Seagis Series. These are medium-priced rods, with many upper-end and very lightweight components. They are noticeably lighter, approximate to fly-rod weights.

Seagis rods begin with fast-taper blanks to increase casting distance and feel and add a little backbone to lighter actions. Fuji SK2 split reel seats and split grips combine with the ultra-light rod blank to keep weight to a minimum. Fuji K-Series tangle free guides with Alconite rings are lightweight and designed specifically to shed tangles associated with braided lines. Several of the lighter actions weigh less than four ounces. There are 10 models from 6-foot-6 to 7-foot-6.

Star Reels were added during the winter to allow for combos in the Aerial Rod Series. Aerial reels are saltwater rated and have four-plus-one ball bearings for durability and strength at surprisingly low prices. Even at their low price, the new Aerial spinning reels include critical saltwater components such as an aluminum spool and stainless steel shaft. The rotor is computer balanced and a one-way bearing provides zero reverse and insures slack-free hooksets. The Aerial combos line includes nine choices. There are three 7-foot inshore spinning models with cork butts that are rated for 6- to 12-, 8- to 15- and 12- to 20-pound line. Four surf spinning models range from eight to 11 feet long and are rated for from 12- to 20- to 15- to 30-pound line. A heavy-duty 7-foot rod with a foam butt is rated 10- to 20-pound test, while a heavier 7-foot boat rod with a gimbal butt is rated for 15- to 30 pounds.

Fishermen are cautiously optimistic about what to expect from fishing as the mild winter draws to a close, but can’t wait to get some of these new products and see how the fish like them. Numerous fishing opportunities will come as spring spreads along the Tar Heel Coast and these are several of many new products esigned to make fishing easier and more productive.