Specialty Stuff

Bass anglers need a lot of accessories—just check the storage boxes of any weekend warrior. There’s more to the game than picking lures and casting them about. Push poles are essential for fishing slop, and they also excel for pinning a boat in place to fish for spawners, or any other stationary approach in shallow water.

The Kicker Stik, designed by Steve Swisher of Elite Bass, Inc., with input from his son-in-law, accomplished pro Fred Roumbanis, is several steps beyond standard push poles. Its knobbed top provides sure handling, and a tether rope can be used to tie the boat, ­holding it in a key spot. Two 41⁄2-foot sections screw firmly together, while its sealed graphite construction enables it to float. A sharp spike at one end helps punch into hard bottoms, and a soft foot attachment aids poling through muck or silt. It also doubles as a lure retriever.

Continued developments in handling fish are important for all conscientious competitive anglers. Glory Bags represent a big leap forward. Tommy Bass, a lifelong angler from Virginia, had sought ways to make tournament culling and processing less stressful for fish and anglers.

The result is a set of 6 zippered bags of fine, yet strong, soft-plastic mesh. Place bass in a color-coded bag, zip it shut and place in livewell. Weigh it if you wish, with loops on the bag, and record weight. Bagged bass relax and do not jump, race about, or bump into livewell walls. In their cocoon, they breathe easily and can readily be retrieved for culling or placement in a tournament weigh bag at the end of the day, with no handling and minimal time out of water. No more holes in the jaw, fish jumping onto the floor or out of the livewell, or time out of water hanging on a balance beam. I used Glory Bags in tournaments throughout last season and they worked great, with the exception of a bass or two that escaped into the livewell when zippers weren’t completely closed.

Ardent Reels has a new device that adds another dimension to Glory Bags or any other culling system. Their SmartCull Professional Culling System, devised by bass pro Pete Ponds, includes a heavy duty clip and cable with protective coating attached to 6 color-coded floating balls. Each ball has adjustable numbers to record weight in pounds and ounces, allowing quick culling without writing on a pad or board.

In their TEC tool series, Berkley offers a kit that’s neat, too. The 35-Pound Scale & Culling Kit includes a scale that can be programmed to track fish size and indicate what to cull, up to a limit of 8 bass; 8 color-coded poly clips with buoyant cords and clips that securely hold in the jaw without puncturing; and a plastic weight card to record weights and other information; all enclosed in a compact weatherproof pouch.

The Just Keepers Zip Bag from Duncan Enterprises prevents the ultimate disaster—a bass leaping from a weigh bag on the dock, or the whole bag bursting at the seams. It’s built of durable EVA material that holds a lot of water and resists punctures, with a marine-grade zipper, available in black or clear.

This topical review represents but a portion of exciting new items available for 2009. Other new tackle you’ll find in features in this Bass Guide. And on the pages of this year’s ­In-Fisherman magazine, more will be displayed, often with great tactical advice on using them. Have a great season!