Bass Fishing May - Jun 2018 | Page 54

GEAR FIRST LOOK COOL NEW GEAR FOR BASS HEADS Power-Pole Ultra-Lite Spike And Heavy-Duty Spike By Curtis Niedermier Power-Pole continues to expand its line of products aimed at perfecting the art of stopping a bass boat dead-still. New offerings include the Ultra-Lite Spike and Heavy-Duty Spike. Both can be used manually to lock a boat in place, or in con- junction with the Power-Pole Micro unit. The 3/4-inch-diameter Ultra-Lite is made with a hollow com- posite blank to be strong, yet light, which is perfect for kayaks, SUPs and other small craft up to 1,500 pounds. A 6-footer sells for $79.95; the 8-footer for $99.95. For more stopping power, the Heavy-Duty model’s solid spike does the job. It’s 8 1/2 feet long and sells for $89.95. All models come with a 6-foot lanyard made of 3/8-inch braided dock line, a rubber T-handle for easily driving in the spike by hand and a threaded insert on top for adding a GoPro or other accessories. power-pole.com Dirty Jigs Matt Stefan Guppy Head The Guppy Head was perfected by FLW Tour pro Matt Stefan to be a premium jighead for light-line, finesse tactics such as Damiki rigging or fishing small Keitech swimbaits. It’s built with a 90-degree-eye Gamakatsu hook (ideal for vertical fishing) and a series of molded bait-keeper cones along the hook shank. Sizes include 1/8, 3/16, 1/4 and 3/8 ounce, with the option for a 1/0 or 3/0 hook. Three-packs cost $5.99. dirtyjigstackle.com BOOYAH ToadRunner Thanks to the popularity of the Teckel Sprinker Frog in 2017, demand is already high for the Toad Runner, a similar frog bait from BOOYAH. Like its pred- ecessor, it features a hollow floating body with double hooks and a swimming paddle tail that trails behind. What’s particularly interesting about the ToadRunner is the Wire Form Tail. A pliable wire inside the tail can be bent and tweaked in order to dial in the best “plopping” sound during the retrieve. BOOYAH chose clear plastic for the tail to make it less of a visual target, with the aim of encour- aging bass to focus on the body and get the hooks in their mouths better. The 7/8-ounce ToadRunner is built on a modified version of BOOYAH’s Pad Crasher body, with additional belly grooves and puny legs that help stabilize it as it swims. Razor-sharp Trokar hooks finish out the bait. It comes in 10 colors and sells for $9.99. booyahbaits.com 52 FLWFISHING.COM I MAY-JUNE 2018