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!

What a Relaxing Weekend of Fishing

This past weekend was a little different for me. Usually when I am out on the water I am either in a tournament, practicing for a tournament or testing out new baits and gear for articles and reviews. This weekend I did none of that, and I liked it.

I have family in town and we went to my aunt and uncle's house on Priest River (same site as my wedding) and just had fun. My brother was in town and wanted to go fishing, so we went out for a few hours along with his girlfriend who had never fished before. She got the hang of it and caught her first bass which was the first fish in the boat as well.

Overall it was a fun weekend, topped off by a nice IPA and perfectly rolled Cohiba as the sun began to set. I think I may do this more often.

Smallmouth Strategies – Recommended Gear

My webinar on Smallmouth Strategies covers my favorite fish, the smallmouth bass, throughout the different seasons. The following is a list of what I mentioned in the webinar to fish for smallmouth.

Pre Spawn

The prespawn time period is a great way to catch big smallmouth. I look for rocky banks and rely on crankbaits, jerkbaits and tubes for the majority of my fishing.

Crankbait – I like to fish shallow water with a crankbait and a Rapala DT-6 in any of the red crawfish patterns is my first choice. I’ll throw it on a 7’6” MH Abu Garcia Veritas 2.0 Winch  with a matching Abu Garcia Winch reel to get a long cast and will use 10lb Seaguar InvizX fluorocarbon to get the best diving depth possible out of this shallow runner.

Jerkbait – I use several different jerkbaits in the pre-spawn period, but the Megabass Vision 110 FX Tour Premium in the perch color is by far my favorite. The color pattern and great Megabass action is the biggest reason I use it so much. I’ll fish it on 10lb Seaguar InvizX fluorocarbon to get the best action and casting distance. For rods, a shorter 6’6” rod works great and I use both an Abu Garcia Veritas and Denali Michael Murphy Jerkbait rod. Since the rods are lighter and shorter, I like a smaller reel like a Shimano Chronarch in the 50 size.

Tubes – This one’s pretty easy. A natural color tube with a 1/4oz tube head inside and then rigged on a spinning rod with 15lb SeaguarSmackdown braid with a 8lb Tatsu leader. Any good spinning rod will work here.

Spawn

Dropshot rigs and tubes in bright colors work great for bedding smallmouth. They are so aggressive usually I don’t think it matters what you are throwing.  One of my best baits is a chartreuse Z-Man ToobZ,  its very bright and this helps for the fish and yourself to see it well. This thing drives them crazy. Remember to quickly release any bass you catch on beds.

Post Spawn

While the post-spawn is pretty tough, I actually like it. The fish are still relatively shallow and often group up and begin to school in search of food. I like a dropshot, topwater and a wacky-rig senko to catch these post-spawn bass.

Dropshotting is my favorite technique for smallies and I will use two baits almost all of the year. A 4.5” straight tail Roboworm inAaron’s Magic and the Berkley Twitchtail Minnow in Clear Bluegill color. My ideal dropshot rod is a 7’ ML action rod and lately I have been using a St.Croix Avid X paired with a Shimano Sustain reel. I’ll always use braid to fluoro for better casts, sensitivity and less line twist.  15 or 20lb Seaguar Smackdown braid in the yellow color, with a 8lb Tatsu leader is the best combo I have found. The yellow color helps detecting light bites and keeping track of where your line is at all times.

For the topwater, I prefer a walking bait like a Lucky CraftSammy or DUO Pencil 110. Both of these I will fish on 15lb Seaguar Senshi mono, a 7’ medium action rod and high speed reel like the Revo MGX.

Wacky-rigging is a fun way to catch them and I’ll use either a 4” or 5” Yamamoto Senko in any color, as long as it is watermelon. The Owner Weedless Wacky hook is perfect and adding an O-ring is a great way to save your baits from getting torn up too quickly. I like to skip this under docks with a 6’6” medium heavy rod, either casting or spinning. I’ll use 20lb Seaguar Smackdown braid and a 12lb leader since I am usually fishing heavier cover.

Summer

In the summer I’ll use the same topwater and dropshot baits and setup. For deep cranking, I like a 7’5” MH Powell Max 3D fiberglass composite rod. It launches the bait and the fiberglass/graphite combo is the best of both worlds with sensitivity and action. I like a Shimano Curado I here, with 12lb InvizX fluorocarbon. There are many baits that work well, but the Lucky CraftCB DR is one of my favorites in any natural color.

Early Fall

I’ll use the same dropshot setup here. For football jigs I will use a baitcast setup with a 7’5” Powell Max 3D rod and Curado I combo. I like 12 or 15lb Seaguar AbrazX here since I am normally fishing around rocks. A ½ skirted football head or Yamamoto Hula Grub in any watermelon or green pumpkin color works great.

For swimbaits, I am a big fan of the Keitech Swing Impact Fat 4.3”. I use this three ways, on a football head, swing jig like an Eco Pro TungstenFree Ball jighead, or a standard swimbait head for swimming. The football head and swingjig are great for dragging slowly on the bottom. I like 15lb line here and use the same rod as I do for a football head.

Late Fall

Dropshot is king here and I’ll use the same baits, rod, reel and line. I’ll also use the same setup and baits for football jigs and swimbaits I use in early fall. The only difference is I will often use heavier dropshot weights and bigger jigheads since I am normally fishing deeper.

Winter

In the winter, I like to use a blade bait and hair jigs likethe ones made by Punisher Lures. Both of these are fished on the same setup I use for dropshotting.

Big Baits

The Super Spook, Lucky Craft Pointer 128 and 6" Triple Trout are other great baits for BIG smallmouth.

Hope that helps! Feel free to comment below with any additional questions.

Mister Twister 5" Magnum Sin-Sation Review

If you haven't noticed, Mister Twister has been making a come back. While this legendary brand never really went anywhere, they are now offering more modern bait styles. Their originals like the curly tailed grub have probably been used by every fisherman alive and now they have some new styles to add to our boxes.

One of them I have been using lately is the Magnum Sin-Sation. It is a cross between a big worm, creature bait and grub. I like the streamlined design and how it is still bulky and compact. At 5" long, it is a great, smaller size but I still feel like it will get me bigger bites.

The Green Pumpkin Blue color

As you can see in the picture below, it is a compact bait with alot going on. The tail adds a great thumping action and the appendages are small enough that it goes through grass easily, but they still add action.

Compact, yet bulky enough

One of the great things about this particular bait is that it can be fished just about anyway you want to. I rigged it on a sliding Eco Pro Tungsten worm weight, an extra wide gap hook and pitched it to grass edges. It would also shine with a pegged weight, flipping and pitching into heavier cover. You could also use it on a Carolina-rig, as a swimming worm, or even as a bulky jig trailer. It is as versatile as you want it to be.

A Washington largemouth that couldn't resist the Sin-Sation

Overall it was fun to try out the Sin-Sation. I can see many uses for this bait and will definitely be adding it to my arsenal.

Summertime Smallies

I went out to Long Lake a few weeks ago and the fishing was phenomenal. It was in the midst of a heatwave with temperatures nearing 100 degrees, so we went early and came in around noon. The hot weather suits my style perfectly as I love to throw topwater and drop-shot. The following are two videos I shot that day and what I was using.

Topwater Gear

• Rod: Denali Michael Murphy Jerkbait rod
• Reel: Shimano Curado
• Line: 15lb Seaguar Senshi Mono
• Baits: Megabass Giant Dog-X Pro Blue

Dropshot Gear

• Rod: Fenwick Elite Tech Smallmouth 6'9" ML 
• Reel: Abu Garcia Revo Premier Spinning Reel Size 20
• Line: 15lb Seaguar Smackdown braid with 8lb Seaguar Tatsu leader.
• Baits: 4.5" straightail Roboworm in Aaron's Magic
• Hook: Size 1 Gamakatsu G-Lock
• Weight: 3/16oz Eco Pro Tungsten Full Contact Drop Shot Weight

Newman Lake Tournament: 2nd Place

This past weekend was another Spokane Bass Club event. This time we fished Newman Lake, a lake I know pretty well since it is close to home and I am able to get out there quite a bit. Going into the event I knew it would be a drop shot tournament. It always works there and my confidence doing this is very high. I went out the day before and fished some new areas and caught two really nice fish and with my past experience I had a great feeling about the tournament.

I started off the day at three stretches of docks, hit them all for about 20 minutes and caught two at each spot. It was just after 7 and I was already culling. I caught them on a 4.5" Roboworm in several dark colors. After I had that quick limit I felt relaxed and decided to start with the Eco Pro Tungsten Heavyweight flipping jig in 1/2 oz. I switched between that and the drop-shot and caught quite a few more fish but still only had around 10lbs at 11:00. 

It was foggy and overcast all day and then it began to pick up wind speed and the fish really turned on for me. I started at a main lake point and just fished while on the trolling motor for three hours straight, hitting every dock in between. Once I caught a three pound fish on the jig I didn't put it down for the rest of the day and slowly culled out all of my original fish. It didn't really seem to matter about depths or bottom composition, the fish were really just keying on the docks. I fished as shallow as 2 feet and as deep as 12 feet and caught them on the sides and front of docks. The biggest factor I think was how much water I covered, it was non-stop pitching for most of the day and I had my trolling motor on high just hitting the highest percentage areas.

This was also one of the first times where I fished my Powell Endurance rod for an extended period of time and it was great. I only started pitching with it since my regular rod broke a guide and I am happy I did. The rod is a flipping model, the 775 Endurance, it's 7'7" and I was able to pitch much further with it.

At around 1:00 I had around 14lbs and was feeling pretty good about my bag up to that point when I hooked into a good one. The fish weighed 5.83 and won big bass of the tournament. It also allowed me to cull out a 2.50lb fish and put me over 17lbs.

I thought I would have a good chance to win but still fished hard looking to upgrade some more. When I returned to the weigh-in I knew it would be close since it seemed like everyone caught big fish. I ended up 2nd, losing by half of a pound. Overall it was a great event and I had a blast catching that many fish.

I recorded the tournament and will have a video up soon. The big fish of the tournament will not make the video because my GoPro batteries were charging during the time.

Holiday Gift Guide: Day 15 - Hoo-Rag

The use of multi-purpose face protection continues to grow.  If you talk to anglers in states like Florida, you will see that just about everyone uses them.  They are a great way to protect against the sun, wind and even the cold.  I honestly couldn't see myself not using the, especially when the sun is the brightest during the summer.  I have found that I get less sunburned and feel more refreshed after a day on the water.

I have used a few different brands and really like the Hoo-rag.  They come in plenty of patterns and they do not have a seam.  Some of the cheaper versions have a visible seam that will big you beyond belief when it's on your face.  Check out Hoo-rag at hoorag.com, they retail for just $14.95 each.

This video should warm you up

Most of the country is cold now and all of you in the Northern States are probably dreaming of topwater fishing with frogs.  I have something that should warm you up a little bit, a video of the new Bobby's Perfect Buzz in action.  The video is from none other than the man himself, Bobby Barrack.  Enjoy!

Beat the Heat and Save Your Skin

I know some parts of the country are starting to feel the effects of Fall and experiencing colder temperatures, but Summer is still in full effect here in Florida.  I posted a Product Review for Bass King Clothing on BassEast.com a few weeks ago and wanted to share it.

Beat the Heat and Save Your Skin

The clothes I wear when I am bass fishing often are the result of the conditions; I have always worn long clothes to protect myself from the sun or layer like crazy when it’s cold out. Because of this, style doesn’t always come into play because there simply wasn’t much choice. I think Bass King has finally closed the gap by bringing their stylish clothing to the bass fishing market. All of their clothing is worthy of being worn both on and off the water, but the new Bass Tech shirt is my favorite of the whole collection.

Bass King describes the BassTech shirt as a sun protection shirt and that it is. Even though they are long-sleeved, they are comfortable in the summer heat. They are really light-weight and have a sun protection of SPF 50.

I know it is a cliche, but you really forget it is even on. In addition to just feeling cool, the fabric repels water, features a stain release technology and also has air vents to help keep you cool all day.

I don’t stop fishing when it gets hot out and I want to make sure I am always protected from the sun. Skin cancer is a serious threat for someone who is on the water as much as I am and I don’t want it to happen to me.

My remedy for beating the Summer heat: protect your skin!

I have also been wearing the rest of the clothing line and love the style and the fact that no matter where I go people know my passion of bass fishing. Bass King has showed me that you can have style and still show the world how much you love bass fishing.

By Tyler Brinks

Bass King Clothing

Ultimate Flippin' Rig by Powerhouse Lures

The Ultimate Flippin' Rig by Powerhouse Lures is a pretty unique concept for flipping and punching heavy cover.  The punch skirt and big weights have made it possible to fish a "jig" in heavy cover.  This system does it all in one neat little package.  The rigging is also very unique (see video).  I have been using this product for a few months now and am impressed.  There are times when a regular flipin' weight and soft plastic are the ticket, but there are also times when the fish want something a little bulkier.  I have found that in the warmer months, the fish sometimes want a bigger profile.  If you are looking for something new to use next time you are fishing heavy cover, look into this flippin' rig.

Side View

The underside

Check out what's new from Snag Proof

At ICAST this year Snag Proof introduced the new Bobby's Perfect Buzz, which is a cool cross between a buzzbait and a frog.  I liked the idea and also the added kicking tails for added action.  Check out the video to see Bobby Barrack explain this new bait.

Also new from Snag Proof is the addition of three new colors to the Ish Monroe Phat Frog lineup.  Check out the video to see Ish explain it like only Ish can.

T Brinks Fishing Review: Buff Water Gloves

I have been searching for a few months for some gloves to wear while fishing.  I wanted to be able to wear gloves that will protect me the sun and at the same time allow me to fish comfortably.  As I was searching for the perfect pair, I was contacted by Buff and asked if I wanted to do a review.  It was perfect timing and I was excited to try them out as I love the entire Buff lineup.

They sent me a pair of the new Buff Water Gloves to review.  After fishing with them for a few trips in the hot and humid Florida weather I am impressed!

When I first put them on, I was wondering how they would handle the heat.  The last thing I wanted was to have sweaty hands and feel like I couldn't wait to get them off.  They were surprisingly breathable and after fishing with them I forgot they were even on.  I know people always say that, but I really could not tell I was wearing gloves and it's the middle of summer in Florida.  They have an SPF of 50+ which is great, but also helps by pretty much eliminating the need to add a bunch of sunscreen to your hands (and having to get rid of the sunscreen smell on your baits).

One other thing I was skeptical of was the grip.  The palms have a silicon grip that works great for both wet and dry conditions.  I know these are water gloves and can be used for a several watersports (paddling, kayaking, fishing and even wake boarding), so I was wondering how the grip would make a difference for fishing.  I ended up loving the silicon grip, especially when pitching and flipping.

Often with these techniques; my reel gets wet, my rod gets wet and my hand gets slippery.  This glove solves the problem and I know it will eventually help me catch some extra fish I may have missed with slippery hands.

The Sun Gloves are made to naturally contour to your hands and have exposed fingertips so you can still do what you normally do without gloves.  I also like the fact that they are able to be washed with a washing machine.  All positives and I really didn't see anything I didn't like from them.

Scoring for the Buff Water Gloves

Price/Value: 4

They retail for around $25.  I have never really bought gloves like this, so it was hard to gauge the price, but after searching through BPS, the cost looks about right.  They seem durable and should last for some time.

Durability: 4

I have not had any issues with them coming apart or having any loose threads.

Performance: 5

They work great, even better than I thought they would.

Innovation: 3

There are several gloves on the market, but I think these are a great combination of functionality and performance.

Availability: 3

They can be found on several sites online and I am sure Bass Pro will eventually carry them.

Total Score: 19  - Good Buy!

Beating the Heat - Part 2

In Part 1, I mentioned the importance of drinking water and staying hydrated.  Part 2 is all about clothing. Living in Florida, I am used to the sun when I'm fishing.  They don't call it the Sunshine State for nothing.  Even with the extreme heat and constant sunshine, I actually wear much more clothing and accessories than I have anywhere else I have lived.  

I have become a huge fan of the Buff Headwear and now am starting to wear the gloves as well (look for a review soon).  I sometimes get strange looks and even called a ninja when I wear it, but I am convinced it helps and I also feel much better after a long day on the water.  The sensitive areas on your neck and ears are the worst for getting skin cancer and I am glad I am protected.  I also wear a huge hat to keep the sun off my face.  I used to come into work every Monday with the infamous "racoon eye" tan, but it doesn't happen as much anymore.

The shirts have come a long way over the past few years.  I always try to wear a long sleeve, even in the dead of summer.  I have really started to enjoy the shirts like the Breathe Like a Fish shirt that is breathable but also protects.  

What's your sun clothing arsenal?  Are you a shorts, t-shirt and visor person? or do you look like me when I'm out there?

Beating the Heat - Part 1

Summertime is a great time to go bass fishing.  The bass are generally pretty active and willing to bite. One big problem with fishing this time of year, especially in warmer climates is the sun.  The sun can be your best friend on cold mornings as it rises and warms you up, but when it's hot out it can turn to your worst enemy.

I have become more and more aware of the effects of the sun in recent years and am now much more cautious to stay protected. Whether it is the appropriate clothing or accessories, or the right sunscreen; it all can help make your day on the water more enjoyable.

The first topic I wanted to share with you was dehydration.  I got the idea to research it some more after reading the article on Bassmaster.com on Matt Herren and his recent bout with severe dehydration.  It mentioned his "drinking problem", or lack of drinking water.  It offers some good tips on how to avoid getting dehydrated.  

One thing I took from reading it was how serious this issue really is.  I try to drink as much water as I can and (try to) avoid drinking teas, sodas and alcohol before fishing and also while on the lake.  Some of the steps to avoid dehydration may just be common sense, but it's always a good reminder to drink as much water as you can when the temperatures start to rise.