A Review of Rheos Floating Sunglasses

I guess I am one of the lucky ones. I have never dropped a pair of sunglasses into the water only to watch them slowly descend to the bottom. But, I have seen it happen in my boat, and it wasn't a fun sight.

The good news for those who are fearful of this and/or clumsy enough that it happens is that there floating sunglasses available. There are actually quite a few different ones on the market.

One of those brands is Rheos, who contacted me about doing a review, and I was game to try them out.

The first thing I did when I received them was to put them on, of course, but once I hit the water, I threw them overboard. They do indeed float.

So they passed the first test. But, that doesn't mean we are done here. The real test would be how they feel, perform, and look.

For the most part, they are solid and well-built sunglasses. I didn't have any issues wearing them off and on for the past two months. Plus, they are polarized meaning you can see into the water with ease. This is a must for fishing, and they do that job well.

On the looks side, they are fine. I wouldn't rate them as incredibly stylish or downright ugly. They are a useful pair of sunglasses that do the job, and they are quite lightweight actually. My wife has borrowed them more than once to go running just because of how light and comfortable they are to wear. That's a plus and is a welcomed change from the heavy glass lenses I usually wear.

When compared to my regular sunglasses that cost five times as much, these $50 shades are a bargain. They do the job, feel good when wearing them, and the lightweight feel is a nice plus.

Overall, I feel that the Rheos brand of sunglasses is a smart choice for someone looking to get a good pair of sunglasses at a reasonable price. They have quite a few different styles and colors...plus they float!

Cadence Fishing CS10 Spinning Reel Review

Over the past two months, I have been fishing some rods and reels from a company named Cadence Fishing. I had never heard of them until that point. When we think of fishing reels we usually think of the big names and those that have been around for years and years. A new company has some work to do to break into the market (and stay there) and after fishing some of their stuff...I think they just may do it.

I'm going to post several reviews in the future but wanted to start right at the top with their CS10 Spinning Reel which is their current highest priced reel that retails for $119. One of the biggest things about this brand is that they are affordable. Their direct to consumer approach leaves some room to lower costs and still be profitable and the result is better gear for you at a lower price.

Here are a few of the specs before I dig into my thoughts and performance of the reel.

• 10 ball bearings + 1 instant anti-reverse bearing 
• Magnesium frame 
• Carbon composite rotor and side plate 
• Carbon Fiber Drag 
• Machined Aluminum Spool

If you look at those you will see they are premium features that a lot of other brands include in reels that are double the cost. Having fished many of those reels and this one, I can say that the performance is nearly identical with a much lower cost.

The reel that I own is the CS10-3000, a 3000 size reel that I have used for a variety of finesse presentations. The 3000, or 30, size works well for light braid like I use and the bigger spool is something I really like for its versatility compared to smaller models.

Fishing the reel has proven that the drag can handle bigger fish and I have been pleased with the results for both the drag, smoothness and how it has held up so far. It has only been two months, but so far so good on the durability.

Another few things I have liked about the reel is the carbon fiber handle. This looks cool but also helps to keep the reel fairly light. It weighs in at 7.3 ounces which is definitely on the lighter side for any spinning reel and much lighter than most of the other reels I checked out in this price range.

Having fished it pretty regularly since June, I haven't found anything I don't like about it. It has a nice comfortable knob on the handle and casting distance is in line with all of my other reels. Time will tell how it holds up after a few years of hardcore fishing, but so far it is been a solid reel for me.

Like I mentioned earlier they retail for $119.99, but they have frequent sales on the reel so make sure to check this link to see if you can snag one for a lower cost. At the time of this post, it is selling for $95.99.

Here are some of my thoughts on all of the rods and reels I have used from Cadence.

Anglr Tracker Review

This review is long overdue since I have been using the Anglr Tracker most of the year. That has given me some time to explore it in depth, use it in multiple situations and really get a good feel for what this little device can do.

If you are not familiar with it, it is a small tracker that attaches to your rod to give you all kinds of data. Originally, my impression was that it was like a FitBit. It tracks your casts and lets you know how many fish you have caught that day. It does do that (which is really cool), but it captures so much more valuable data that can really help your fishing. It basically eliminates the need for a written log book since it tracks exactly when and where you caught a fish as well as more info which I will talk about in a bit.

The whole thing works with their mobile app and the Tracker "talks" to your phone and app via Bluetooth. It's pretty common for devices nowadays so chances are you have hooked something up via Bluetooth. It is really easy to get going and doesn't take away a bunch of fishing time (which is a huge plus) since it only takes getting set up initially and then it connects right away on your next trips.

Before I forget, the app itself is free (App Store and Google Play) and you can even use it without even purchasing the Tracker. The app allows you to manually enter details of each fish catch, mark waypoints and get weather info. The app is cool by itself, but with the Tracker it is even better.

The Tracker lets you push a button to record catches and mark waypoints without ever having to use your phone. I like to keep my phone in the glovebox so I don't drop it over so this makes sense for me. I also liked how it tracks how many fish you caught compared to how many casts you made. Take this shot, for example, I made about a cast per minute for just over an hour and caught five fish. Pretty cool info. I also took a few selfies of fish I caught and added more detail about how I caught them.

You can see it also marked each fish catch and pin I dropped along this area when I got a bite. I would like to see some additional mapping like Navionics included and hope that is coming soon.

Each time I caught one I had all of the weather info right there. It was cool to see and with enough data you could really put together a nice pattern for certain conditions. The app allows you to mark lures, rods, etc. to further help. I liked how it had more info than just simply temperature and wind or something. It had all kinds of weather-related info and I didn't have to enter any of it, it just included it automatically.

The Tracker connects to your rod with a simple mount that attaches to your rod. It is easy to pop in and out, but I would say this is one drawback to the system. When I fish, I typically have tons of rods on the deck and sometimes make a cast or two and then switch. It comes with two mounts and if you have two solid patterns going it will really help you gain valuable info for fishing those techniques as it wouldn't be hard to go back and forth between two rods.

It is not cheap, but not expensive either. I just saw it on Amazon for $89 instead of the $129 retail and that is a great price for something that can give you so much data. Here is a list of all of their retailers.

Overall, I was impressed with how easy it was to get so much information about your fishing trips. I am a "numbers guy" and this kind of stuff really appeals to me, so for someone like myself, it is a great tool. If you are like me, I would definitely recommend checking it out.

Rapala BX Brat Squarebill Review

This fall I have been playing around with a new squarebill from Rapala,  the Balsa Xtreme BX Brat Squarebill Crankbait. Even though fall is not my normal time to throw them, it has worked well and I have come away impressed with these little baits.

One of the first things that caught my attention when I received them was how small they are compared to other squarebill crankbaits. Not that that is a bad thing, it was actually pretty impressive that they can get down to 4 and 6-feet deep depending on the model. They are compact yet get down quickly thanks to the bill angle. This will allow me to fish a little deeper and still get that squarebill action.

Speaking of the action, both of the baits have a nice, tight wobble. It is fairly "aggressive", but not too much. I think this is why I was able to catch a few with it this fall when the water was starting to get chilly.

Another key to these baits is the durability. I fished it over the course of a few days and have had no issues. Squarebills are meant to bang and bump into everything so they need to be built to last. These are part of the Rapala Balsa Xtreme series, so they have the great action of balsa with a protective copolymer coating surrounding them.

The one thing I would say is a negative to the bait is the price.The bait retails for $9.99 and while that isn't outrageous, many of the squarebills I use are sub $6 baits because I lose more than my fair share. 

Overall though, the bait is solid, catches fish and comes in plenty of good colors. I would give it my approval as it does the job and if it is as durable as they claim it will make up for the cost.

They are available at TackleWarehouse.com and many other retailers.

Favorite Fishing Jack Hammer Review

I’ll start this off by saying that I am a finesse-fishing addict. I ALWAYS have a few spinning rods on my deck and I cannot count how many giant fish or checks I have cashed in tournaments using spinning rods. With that being said, I know what I want from spinning tackle and know a good finesse setup when I see one. That is why when I had the chance to choose a rod and reel from Favorite Fishing for a review, I chose the Jack Hammer 7’ medium spinning rod and Jack Hammer reel in the 2500 size.

First Impressions
When the rod and reel arrived I was immediately impressed with the fact that it came with a rod sock and neoprene case for the reel. I don’t know why more companies don’t do this; it is not that expensive and goes a long way in protecting your equipment.

The reel felt smooth right out of the box and matched the rod perfectly. I also liked the styling and just overall how the combo felt in my hand.

One thing I did notice was that the rod felt much lighter than a typical medium spinning rod I am used to, but that is a good thing for how I fish and is what I said in the video below that explains my first impressions.

On the Water
Like I mentioned in the video, it is crucial to get out on the water and use the rod to really get a good feel for it. Luckily, this was prime time for fall finesse fishing and I took it out on several trips before sitting down to write this review. The rod and reel performed flawlessly for a drop-shot and Ned Rig but was a little light for other techniques.

The Rod
Fishing it was great. The rod was very sensitive and I could feel bites with ease.  It is also very light! Their website lists it at 3.5 ounces, which is less than an 8” Huddleston swimbait.

One thing I noticed right away was that it has a single guide foot instead of two like most spinning rods have. This is by design and is a new type of guide from Fuji called the Titanium single stick guides. These help to reduce weight and the guides also help increase sensitivity.

One thing that I see as a drawback after fishing it was the placement of the hook keeper. Initially, I thought it was a good spot (halfway between the reel and first guide), but realized my braided line would get caught there from time to time.

Here are a few more specifications of the rod I used:

•    Model #: JHM-701 M
•    Length: 7'0"
•    Lure Weight: 1/8-5/8
•    Line Weight: 6-12
•    Power: Medium
•    Action: Moderate Fast

The rod retails for $289.99, which puts it at a high level for today’s bass rods. It definitely has the style, components, and sensitivity you would expect for a rod that costs this amount.

The Reel
The reel was also a very pleasant surprise. I had heard of their rods before but the reels were somewhat new to me. It was smooth, casts well and I had zero issues with the drag even while connected to some big smallmouth. The drag is probably the most important part of any spinning reel and the Favorite Fishing Jack Hammer passed the test.

Here a few specs for the reel that retails for $149.99:

•    Lightweight carbon composite body and side cover
•    Titanium nitride covered anti-twist line roller and spool lip
•    10 stainless steel ball bearings

Overall, the Jack Hammer rod and reel surprised me with how light and sensitive it was. I was impressed with how it performed with light tackle, and even though the name Jack Hammer may be misleading for a finesse setup, it had enough power to put a few nice fish in the boat. My first impression of Favorite Fishing was a good one and I think they have a winner with the Jack Hammer.

NetFish, FishBrain, and Fishidy App Comparison

How many apps do you have on your phone? If you are like me you have apps for banking, social media, music, sports and of course fishing. Over the past few weeks I have been using three fishing-focused apps; NetFish, FishBrain, and Fishidy.

All three of them have some similarities and all have cool features that allow you to find fishing locations, share pictures and more. I really do not want to invest my time in all three and put together a comparison of these three apps to see which one I should focus on. Again, they are all pretty cool, but I do not want to log catches into three different apps each time I catch a fish.

Setup
I downloaded all three apps for my Samsung Galaxy S7 and signed up and created an account for all three of them back to back to back, so it was sort of a blur, but there are some things that stood out.

NetFish – This was easy to setup and allowed a quick signup with just a few questions, then I was able to go into my account and add personal information and preferences.

FishBrain – I liked this one because it also allowed me to connect to my Google+ account, making it much faster to connect to my Android and Gmail accounts. It was also cool how it immediately showed me which of my Facebook “friends” were on the app and I was now instantly following 285 fishing friends. One major negative was it immediately wanted me to sign up for the premium account, which, like it sounds, costs money. I click “Start Free Trial” and it brought me to the Google Play payment page. Sorry, not paying or connecting payment for an app I haven’t used yet.

Fishidy – Another simple process, I connected to my Facebook page and off I went.

I liked the signup process for all three but did not like being sold to right away on the FishBrain app.

Ease of Use
All three of the apps are simple to use if you are familiar with smartphone apps and social media. I already included the setup and have found that each operates very similar to each other.

NetFish – This app is simple to scroll through your feed, fishing nearby and discussions. No real issue here, it is easy to operate and log catches. I did like how you can add bait type, rod, and reel used, etc. This is nice to be able to add to the basics like fish length and weight.

Fishbrain – This is also easy to navigate. The top icons allow you to see the map, fishing forecast, and log catches. It also allows you to select lure used and has a fish identification tool in case you weren’t sure what you caught.

Fishidy – Another easy app to use. It lets you use species, lure, depth and more. It did not have as many options for catch details, but the conditions page was good.

App Size
This is a small thing, but with as many things as I download on my phone, it does make a difference to me. They are not huge file sizes by any means, but it is something to consider.
•    Fishidy 84.8 MB
•    Fishbrain 128 MB
•    NetFish 130 MB

Extra Features
Beyond the simple social media aspect and looking for new spots, a few of the apps had some nice extra features that the others did not. NetFish, for instance, has recipes for many different species and it also shows wine and beer pairings. I liked this feature!

You can also earn rewards from NetFish that you can redeem for rods, reels and gift cards. It is pretty straightforward for earning points and if you are active, you may as well get some type of reward for it.

Fishbrain has a fishing forecast for your area, but it is a premium level item so I wasn’t able to see it without paying or signing up for a free trial.

Fishbrain

Fishidy allows you to overlay the Fishing Hot Spots mapping, but this is also a paid feature.

The extra features on NetFish really appealed to me and they were all free!

Locating Fishing Spots
One of the best tools for these apps is finding new areas to fish. They all have cool mapping overlays like Google Earth and other tools. The ability to see user data is another cool feature to help find new places to fish.

Recently, I was on a trip to Minnesota and had never been to the area and wanted to see how the fishing would be. It was great using the apps to find out what to expect and pick up a few new spots. Here are my thoughts on the three apps.

Fishbrain – This had a nice overlay of the area, but said I needed to subscribe to “Unlock 15 Catch Positions”

Fishidy – There were tons of places marked and even some contours for a small lake near where I was. This was a nice feature. I clicked a few of the icons and saw pictures and information on fish catches.

NetFish – Like Fishidy, it has some information on the lake near where I was. I clicked each of the tabs and saw lake details, where to fish, fishing times and suggested fishing tips. These were all awesome features and didn't cost money to see it.

Lake info

Fishing locations

Fishing tips

The data NetFish uses is from many sources and a specific algorithm instead of just user data. User data is fine until you see what I saw while using one of the other apps, a trout marked as a largemouth bass. Not sure how much you can trust all user data.

Not a bass and not 5lbs!

Overall, the three apps are each cool in their own way. I like the features and locating new fishing spots from NetFish, I like the ease of use of Fishidy. If I had to pick one it would be between these two, as FishBrain was constantly pushing the premium option. Between the NetFish and Fishidy apps, I am going to stick with NetFish. Tons of features, very easy to use and best of all, it is all free.

Lew's Mach Speed Stick Rod Review

The Lew's Mach Speed Stick was a rod of firsts for me. It was the first Lew's rod I have ever owned, the first time using a rod with Winn Grips and also a first for the MicroWave guides. The Winn Grips and MicroWave guides were things I had heard plenty about and it was cool to finally use them on the water.

Overall, the rod was fun to fish. It is lightweight, comfortable and does the job it is intended to do. I was surprised at how well the rod fished for just $79.99. The model I have is a Spinnerbait Rod, but it handles square bills, jerkbaits and lipless crankbaits as well. I think it would also be a good topwater rod.

The features of the rod are pretty impressive. Here is a list of what they list on TackleWarehouse:

• IM6 Blank with Carbon Nano Tube construction
• Lew’s SoftTouch Skeletal reel seats 
• American Tackle “AIRWAVE” guide system 
• WINN Inc. Dri-TEC, advanced polymer grips 
• Lew’s built in trigger hook keepers

The IM6 blank is light and is good enough for reaction baits where sensitivity isn't crucial. I'm not sure how the other models will do, but for this purpose, it is just fine. The reel seat and hook keeper were nice features. I didn't notice anything spectacular about extra casting or less line slap with the MicroWave guides, but it didn't hurt either. I love the Winn Grips though and say that is probably my favorite part of the rod. They are comfortable and just feel better than other rods.

One negative is the quality. My rod has epoxy drip on one of the guides. Not sure if this is a common problem, but it was not good. I'll clean it up and all should be good, though.

The epoxy drip was one of the negatives.

For $79.99, the rod does a great job and has some really nice features. Although it is not my favorite rod, it is good enough to deserve a place in my arsenal. I think it would make an excellent rod for someone new to fishing or someone on a limited budget. 

You can find it at TackleWarehouse, by clicking this link. (NOTE: Link is an affiliate link)

Video Review:

Shimano Tranx Review

I've been using a new Shimano reel for the past month and have loved fishing it. The Shimano Tranx is a big, beefy reel that is perfect for swimbaits and deep crankbaits.

The reel comes in two sizes a 300 and 400 size. The reel I have is the 300 and it is giant compared to most of my low-profile reels. The trend over the past several years is for lighter, smaller and more compact baitcast reels. Looking at the Tranx compared to them shows how big this reel is, but if you compare it to a reel like the famous "green Curado" from the late 90's, it really isn't that big.

The Tranx weighs about 11 ounces for the 300 size and this is where you really notice the size difference. The handle is another piece of the reel that is big, but with a technique like swimbaits, it will help handle big fish.

One of the best things about the reel is the great line capacity (150 yards of 17lb) and the 22 pounds of drag. It comes in two different retrieve speeds, a 5.8:1 and 7.6:1 (HG). The HG models come with a big single power handle, which I am not really a fan of and the 5.8:1 comes with the double handle. I have seen some posts online about changing out the handle on the HG models, so that is another option if you want the double handle with a faster retrieve.

Overall, the Tranx has been great to fish with. It casts well and is very smooth thanks to the Shimano technologies like X-Ship. The one downside would be the weight and it's relatively limited use. I have used it for swimbaits but think it will also be great for deep crankbaits like a 10XD.

It retails for around $300 from Tackle Warehouse.

Here is my video review of the Tranx:

Dyeing Soft Plastics

Something I should really do more of is dyeing my soft plastic baits. I do it quite a bit with a creature bait like a Zoom Brush Hog around the bluegill spawn, but that's about it. I like to dye the tips of those baits with chartreuse to imitate bluegill and it works really well. 

I don't know why I don't do it more. Probably because I hate the mess. I remember a tournament fishing as a Co-Angler where I spilled some JJ's Magic on my boater's carpet. It was an accident...but it sucked. 

I discovered something in November that has me wanting to dye more baits. Mark Menendez showed me a new product that makes it easier to dye your baits and store them, but it also protects your boat from the chartreuse dye. It's called the Dyeing2Fish Dyesafe Kit. It's so simple, a box with a place to store your dyes that doubles as a safe place to dip and dry your baits. Again, so simple, but I really like the product and what it does.

Here is Mark talking about the kit:

A Review of the New G. Loomis GLX

G. Loomis has been one of the top (if not #1) rod names for many years. I remember when I first started getting serious about bass fishing in the late 90's and how Loomis was the rod to have. It was like that before then and continues now. Their top rods for years was the GLX (now you can step it up with an NRX) and they just released a new version. I've fished with it and have come away impressed.

The GLX has always been known for being balanced and sensitive and the new version is definitely that. It is also very light, even compared to previous versions, as they have reduced the weight of the blank by 20%. A light rod isn't everything, but it sure is nice. Having a light rod with good balance is more important and these rods are well-built and fun to fish.

The model that I have is the 843C MBR, a 7'1" medium heavy rod that can be used for many different techniques. I chose this model to give it a good test across several different techniques. Football heads, small swimbaits, tubes and more were all excellent on this rod. I also see it being a solid rod for anything within the 3/16 - 5/8 oz. it is rated for including pitching jigs and throwing spinnerbaits.

The new GLX rods have Fuji ‘K’ frame guides with SIC rings. These are top quality and will withstand braided line without any issues. The rod also features a carbon fiber butt cap. The carbon fiber looks awesome but also helps to balance the rod with a little extra weight down there.

Honestly there is nothing I didn't like about the rod and how well it performed. Light, sensitive and balanced are my biggest takeaways from fishing this rod. It is also very comfortable to fish with the reel seat and exposed blank. Matched with a Curado 70, this was one sweet setup. The one downside would obviously be the cost. Not everyone is going to be able to afford a rod that retails for over $400, but then again, you get what you pay for.

Team Lew's Custom Pro Speed Spool SLP Review

So I finally tried a Lew's reel. After all the hoopla and attention I gave in and have a Lew's reel sitting a few feet from me as I type this. Full disclaimer, I was given this reel at a recent media event and have no ties to them. I got it for free so I can praise it or blast it without trying to justify spending hard-earned money.

The reel is called the Team Lew's Custom Pro Speed Spool SLP (try saying that two times quickly) and it is a solid reel. It is very lightweight at just 5.8-ounces and overall is a very nice reel.

I posted a video recently with my ranking of four new baitcast reels from four top brands. My results showed Lew's near the bottom due to the fact that I was getting a squealing noise when casting. Turns out you need to oil you Lew's first. Now that I know that, my rankings may have changed a little. I will do a follow up video next season with info on how they held up.

Fishing this reel was an eye-opener really. I was surprised at how easily it cast lures of all sizes. The casting distance was great and it felt smooth throughout all of my trips with it. I enjoyed fishing with it and it matches up almost perfectly with my Phenix M1 rod.

I also liked some of the features/gadgets on this reel. It comes with Winn Grips for handles (love these), a hook keeper that slides out from beneath the reel and a line indicator so you can remember what pound test line is on it.  The Winn Grips were comfortable and one of my favorite things about the reel. The hook keeper is a great idea although I am doubting the long-term durability of it. The line indicator thing is easy to use and a plus.

It's $259.99 so a fairly high-end reel. I think the price is right based on the performance of this reel.

Rapid Fishing Solutions Line Guide and Line Clips

Sometimes the simplest things are the best solution. That is the case of two new products from Rapid Fishing Solutions.  I first heard about them at a media event in Buffalo, NY earlier this year and now it seems like they are really catching on.

I had the pleasure of fishing with the guys from this company two years in a row and they showed me the line clips while on the water. We were fishing Lake Erie in a rocking boat and it was never easier to put line through my guides. I even did it backwards by mistake and it still worked. 

Again, so simple, yet so effective.  They also have a line clip that helps keep your line in place after you break off a lure or are done for the day.

 Line Clips

Line Guide

They are inexpensive and make life so much easier. Tackle Warehouse has them both: Line Clips and Line Guide.

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Mark Menendez is a big fan of both of these products. Watch below as he explains them.