Welcome to our newest column featuring the latest and greatest in drool-worthy, must have gear for the year! Get your ‘hooks’ into these. We have, and we did well! We’ll update you with new gear that we’ve tried every month. If it appears here—it’s Gear for the Year 2018 – Part 2….
Abel Mooching Reel
If you want a premium reel, look no further than Abel’s mooching series. The oversized drag knob is especially comfortable and extremely responsive with a very precise “smooth as silk” cork drag system. Available in a stunning array of hand crafted finishes, these reels are just as much a pleasure to look at as they are to use on a daily basis.
Yamashita OG142R 3.5” (squid)
While often referred to as the spackle back or splatter back, it’s one of the most popular all-purpose hoochies and a staple in the tacklebox. Try this green hoochie. It’s nicely finished with double glow for fishing depth—why settle for single glow?
West Coast Thumpers
If you are going to bonk something, why not do it in style? Handcrafted and optionally personalized, these good-nighters are masterfully made one at a time right here on Vancouver Island by Chris Paloposki in Nanaimo. Get one while you can—they are in serious demand and now shipping worldwide.
MOB+ by Fell Marine
Available with wristband, necklace, and clip-on fobs for anyone on board, this wireless kill switch system will shut your boat’s engine off if the pilot falls in the water or is out of range. No more tethering, and what incredible piece of mind, especially when fishing alone. Additional fobs will sound an alarm but not cut the engine—perfect for boating with kids and your water-happy dog. This is one of the best safety devices we’ve ever seen, and we can’t recommend it enough.
Silver Horde #3.5 Lite—Super Pearl UV Yellow Tail
Here’s one to try for the season. Terrific action and great colours encourage the bite even for picky fish. It takes 16 steps to make one of these spoons, including actual silver plating and hand painting. Made one at a time in Washington State, production is much slower than imported mass-produced spoons. If you can find one—get one.
Gibbs Highliner #1 A Guide Series—Lemon Lime—Green Blade
Flashers come in all colours of the rainbow, but you’d be hard pressed to find any local Chinook fisherman without a green one. When in doubt, get back to the basics and grab green. Guide Series come with two true Sampo sealed ball bearing swivels which sell for about $3 each and make all the difference to a flasher’s action. Keep a pair of these on board, just in case your buddy wants to catch, too.
Silver Horde Pink Sink #3, sometimes known as “Custom #6”
You saw it right—they come in port and starboard. Which one do you have? This fellow worked especially well in Barkley Sound but should be a staple for everyone: it really is the kitchen sink with a large pink line. This spoon is the closest thing to a universal salmon lure—it’s even reported to work well on sockeye.
Silver Horde Glow/UV Herring Aide #3
The colours and scale finish make for a tasty treat that salmon find too hard to pass up, hungry or not.
Gibbs Wee G No Bananas
Terrific action and great colour set—give it a try. We did in this issue’s “On the Water Report” and caught well. Of course we used it, we were with No Bananas Fishing Charter. Go figure Trevor brought that one out, right?
Blood Nose Teaser Heads by Lighthouse Lures
Put your anchovies in these and just try to keep the bite off. Easy to thread, solid plastic, glow…it ticks all the boxes.
