by Gord Pyzer photos by Robert Biron and courtesy of manufacturers Top Tackle 2004 (part 3) Berkley Gulp! Soft Baits (BEST FOR THE ENVIRONMENT) Berkley’s Gulp! products are the first soft baits made from all-natural ingredients, including natural fish-attracting scents, and therefore 100 per cent biodegradable. And unlike traditional oil-based soft plastics, these water-soluble baits disperse scent 400 times faster and in concentrations far beyond anything found in nature. Little wonder Gulp! out-fished live bait in Berkley’s head-to-head field tests. Rigged the same as soft plastics, Gulp! baits are available in a variety of imitations, such as minnows, worms, grubs, maggots and corn. Pure Fishing, 1-800-237-5539; www.berkley-fishing.com SealSkinz ChillBlocker Socks (and Gloves) Are you prone to getting cold and wet hands or feet? The new SealSkinz ChillBlocker gloves and socks may be your solution. The ChillBlocker socks feature an inner liner made of expedition-weight double velour Polartec Power Stretch fleece, while the inner lining of the gloves is made of DuPont’s water-repelling Coolmax yarn. The outer layer of each is made of nylon/Lycra spandex, and sandwiched between it and the respective inner layers is a waterproof MVT membrane. This combination of fabrics promises to keep the ChillBlockers soft, warm and dry. Danalco, 1-800-868-2629; www.danalco.com Shimano Talora/Tekota Trolling System (MOST USER-FRIENDLY) Fishing for salmon, trout and walleye in big open waters like the Great Lakes just got simpler. The Shimano Talora/Tekota Trolling System features rod-and-reel combinations designed for specific techniques, including fishing with wire line, lead-core line, planer boards, downriggers and dipsy divers. The Talora rods—there’s one for each technique—sport a double inner layer of fibreglass wrapped with two spirals of high-modulus graphite, resulting in lightweight, sensitive rods that are virtually indestructible. The equally impressive Tekota level-wind reels feature die-cast frames, sturdy power handles, oversized clickers, line counters and a crossbar forward design that makes accessing the spool easy. Shimano Canada, 1-800-361-6215; www.shimano.com Bullet Weights Drop Weight System No fishing method has grown as quickly over the past couple of years as drop shotting. First developed as a finesse tactic for finicky bass, the technique is now being adapted by anglers for walleye, trout and panfish. Bullet Weights is helping meet the drop-shot demand with kits that contain torpedo-, teardrop- and egg-shaped weights for different bottom and cover conditions. The neatest part of the kits is the unique “t-stop” that snugs the sinker to your line, letting you easily adjust it for the depth you want to fish. The weights range in size from 1/16 ounce to 3/8 ounce. Bullet Weights, (308) 382-7436; www.bulletweights.com Daiichi Bleeding Bait Hooks For years anglers have tried to hide their hooks from fish, but now the trend is to let them all hang out—if they’re coloured blood red. The theory is that red hooks make baits appear wounded, triggering fish to feed. Daiichi, the leader in so-called bleeding hooks, has two new styles of note: the Bleeding Bait Snelled Baitholder Hooks with pre-tied invisible fluorocarbon snells for live-bait anglers, and the Butt Dragger (pictured) for fishing soft plastics. The Butt Dragger combines a CopperHead hook with a D.O.A. Pinchweight to make the baited hook swim as it falls. It also features a HitchHiker coil spring to hold the soft-plastic bait securely in place. Daiichi Bleeding Bait Hooks are proving so popular that Strike King and Lindy Little Joe are including them on many of their best-selling lures this year. Daiichi, (334) 567-2011; www.daiichihooks.com Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5