Success. Huddleston Shad lure was the ticket.
Showing posts with label Bass Fishing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bass Fishing. Show all posts
Fall Bass Fishing in Riverside
Turn Your iPhone into a Action Camera with Qmountz Case: Product Review
Intro
The Qmountz case is a convenient way to turn your iPhone or Samsung Galaxy III into a versatile action camera. I recently received one for the iPhone 4/4S and tried it out while fishing. So, how did it perform? Read on to find out!
The Qmountz case is a convenient way to turn your iPhone or Samsung Galaxy III into a versatile action camera. I recently received one for the iPhone 4/4S and tried it out while fishing. So, how did it perform? Read on to find out!
Features
Take your iPhone, pop it into the secure Qmountz case, and start filming. Boom, that is all there is to it! If you have the latest iPhone, you can shoot in 1080p, which is right around what most major action cameras (GoPro, Contour, etc) shoot in. Choose from several different accessories to best mount it, be it on yourself or on a bike, pole, etc. Screw in a QCamz wide angle lenses (not included in this review) and you'll get the awesome wide-angle175 degree view found in many major action cameras. There is even an app from Qcamz for superimposing data onto the video, including GPS and display speed. The Qcamz developer have reported that the Qmountz sports military-quality, tough housing, waterproof to 30 feet!
(Click below to continue reading)
Design
The Qmountz case locks securely with a rubber seal around the rim and four (4) snap-lock clasps. The case is designed to fit an iPhone 4S snugly without any shaking, although I was even able to fit an iPod Touch, 4th Gen, in the case with a little foam backing. Qmountz is also available for Samsung Galaxy III and iPhone 5. Qmountz case is quite waterproof and didn't leak on me at all, despite multiple tests. The included accessories are all very well-designed, with a great chest mount (perfect for anglers, more on this below), a handlebar mount (adjustable with included pins), bike helmet mount, and adhesive grips. It really neat just how many accessories are jam-packed alongside this little case, really lets you take full advantage of the action camera moments!
Performance
One of the key issues with any action camera is being able to quickly turn it on, catching the action as it happens. Some cameras, like the Midland XTC-300, feature a one-touch slider to turn on/off. The GoPro features a couple of buttons with various modes, sometimes making it difficult to quickly get in on the action. Qmountz comes in with a one-touch recording, as allowed on the iPhone. However, you'll need to keep the device powered on for this to work. Otherwise, you'll need to tap the Home button to wake the device up (which you can do through the well-designed case) and then tap the video icon. It is possible to record without logging in through the passcode menu, but it's easiest if you don't have a passcode on your device (easier to just tap the record icon). You'll need to have a camera icon on the main menu bar, at the bottom of the screen, for this to work.
I took the Qmountz out in a variety of conditions-fishing for bass at a hot, muggy lake and trout angling alongside several crystal clear mountain streams. For anglers, the included chest mount is a must-use. It's simply the best way to capture fishing action on the Qmountz action camera. It's lightweight and very comfortable. Strap it on, adjust the angle of the camera mount, start recording and you are good to go!
I was very impressed with the stability of the camera mount on the chest straps. You'll notice in the following video that I do a lot of rock hopping, jumping across the stream to advance further up the creek. With many action cameras, such jumping will lead to unwanted shaking/vibrations, a 'jello' effect, or a wobbly video. The Qmountz case and the chest strap holds the camera so tightly that this wobble doesn't occur! Granted, the video won't be of the best quality when you make very quick movements, but this is more due to iOS limitations that the camera.
The Qmountz case' underwater performance was also impressive. It can certainly be nerve-wracking to submerge your expensive iPhone or iPod Touch device. However, the ultra-waterproof design of the Qmountz case worked very well for me. I did not notice any leaks and weak points where water could possibly get in. My iOS device didn't get wet at all after a dunk in the creek for some underwater trout filming. Furthermore, the default flat lenses on the camera picks up action underwater excellently! Check out this next clip to see a little underwater footage at another mountain stream with rainbow trout.
I didn't get to test out the neat wide-angle lenses (Qlenses) that is a separate accessory for QMountz. The actual case has a screw-top area just for the wide-angle lenses. I would love to see it works in person, I'll report back if I do get to test it out.
Summary
The Qmountz action camera case is awesome. Many anglers already have iPhones and this is a great way to turn your cell phone into a real action camera. The higher quality footage obtainable with newer mobile devices, including the iPhone 5, at 1080HD, combined with the Qmountz case, is impressive and quite comparable to the more expensive action cameras on the market. For anglers who already own a iPhone 4/4S, iPhone 5, or Samsung Galaxy III, the Qmountz case is a perfect alternative to more expensive GoPro, Contour, or Sony action cameras. Look out for Qmountz action camera cases at QCamz! Also, be sure to check out their other interesting action cameras, the Q-WiFi, Q-Full, Q-HD and so on!
Summary
The Qmountz action camera case is awesome. Many anglers already have iPhones and this is a great way to turn your cell phone into a real action camera. The higher quality footage obtainable with newer mobile devices, including the iPhone 5, at 1080HD, combined with the Qmountz case, is impressive and quite comparable to the more expensive action cameras on the market. For anglers who already own a iPhone 4/4S, iPhone 5, or Samsung Galaxy III, the Qmountz case is a perfect alternative to more expensive GoPro, Contour, or Sony action cameras. Look out for Qmountz action camera cases at QCamz! Also, be sure to check out their other interesting action cameras, the Q-WiFi, Q-Full, Q-HD and so on!
Urban Creek Bass Blast Video!
Earlier this year, during my urban creek rush, I re-visited a small Inland Empire creek. I had initially avoided even dropping a line in it as it didn't appeal to me.
However, I'm glad I returned. Despite the brief torrential downpour and suspicious fish, I managed to land several bass and a few green sunfish, all within a couple of hours.
While the creek wasn't very impressive in length, it made up for it in width with several spots allowing full-range of overhead casting.
Check out the photos and video, notice the two fish I scored towards the end on the dropshot + purple worm!
Bombshell Turtle Fishing Lure Review
Perhaps you have seen the ads and banners online for Castaila Outdoor's newest creation, a soft-plastic turtle lure? Or maybe you have watched the impressive YouTube advertisement for the Bombshell Turtle, complete with a turtle in a glass, tempting hungry bass? I was skeptical but interested in this new lure and recently received a few, in two different colors.
It's recommended to fish the Bombshell Texas-Rigged and I did so as you can see in the abovevideo. You'll notice the lure doesn't have a whole lot of action, except perhaps on a quick retrieve or on a fast jerk. This is also an observation noted by Field and Stream, in their ICAST Pool video test. The lure looks great, feels very solid and durable to the touch, but seems to lack significant action in the water. Bombshell Turtle does have a nice hook slot in the bottom, allowing for easy rigging and hopefully easy hookups. I think the best application of this lure is in the spawning time, when anglers infuriate bass by dropping various predator-style lures on their beds. Artificial crayfish, frogs, bluegill, and now even turtle lures can be utilized thanks to Bombshell. I have no doubts that it should catch fish in this environment, but I tried it out over the summer, well past the spawn, without much luck for largemouth. Still, there are quite a few videos on YouTube showing anglers nailing the bass on the Bombshell Turtle, so I wouldn't rule it out too fast.
This lure comes in a great selection of different colors, several in varied hues or mixed blends for better variation. There are 8 colors total, from Black/Silver to Softshell and Snapper. Each pack comes with 6 turtles, in a very nicely-designed bag (see above). The marketing behind this little lure is quite intense and I feel their website is worth a look, even if you aren't going to buy any lures. Castaila also makes an interesting saltwater crab lure, called the Bombshell Crab.
The Bombshell Turtle is not a terrible lure. In fact, I actually like it-I love seeing a new, unique and interesting lure design. It's quite durable, comes in nice array of colors, and has received some decent marketing online. However, I can't say I entirely recommend this lure to my readers. This is chiefly due to the limited action it has in the water. On a quick retrieve, the back fins get moving, but on a slow falls it really seems lifeless. It might work better had the paddles been more thin or angled differently. Overall, The Bombshell Turtle by Castaila Outdoors is a unique lure that may need a little more refining before I would feel very confident using it on a regular basis. Check it out today at Castaila Outdoors website!
Diamond Valley Lake Microbass
Wow, these pics are almost a year old! I forgot to post them on the blog, after a fun trip to Diamond Valley Lake. The fish were all dinks, largest was maybe 14'', but they were really fun to catch. DVL is a tough lake to fish from the shore but at times it can be very rewarding!
Micro Crankbait Fun
Loads of fishing photos on my desktop and not enough posts on Hunting the River King? Let's fix that. Here are three fish from a previous trip in the last few months in California, two bluegills and one small largemouth bass. All caught on 2lb mono with a Strike King Bitsy Pond Minnow in my favorite Firetiger color. More to come!
Mangler Lure 4'' Swimbait Review
I’m always on the lookout for good alternatives to more expensive lures. One that recently caught my eye was the Mangler 4’’ swimbait, available for just $2.75. For fans of smaller swimbaits, it should be apparent that the Mangler 4’’ swimbait is very similar to incredibly popular Megabait Charlieswimbait (ICAST Best New Lure Winner and reviewed at Tackle Tour). I noticed this immediately and this was one of the main reasons I was interested in this lure. I’ve caught a lot of quality largemouth bass on the Megabait Charlie, including some very hefty fish and I curious to see if the Mangler’s version would be a viable alternative.
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| See that swimbait in the mouth? This is a 5lb largemouth I caught on the Megabait Charlie swimbait |
Mangler 4'' Swimbait Action
Design
Recently, when fishing at Lake Elsinore in California, I was trying out the Mangler 4’’ swimbaits. My friend was fishing nearby and remarked on just how lifelike these Mangler lures looked; it was his first time seeing this lure and he was quite impressed. The obvious differences in this lure from the MegabaitCharlie in design stem from the different metal used for the line tie on the front of the Manger version, it’s much thinner and lightweight than the Megabait Charlie line tie. I’m not sure if the thinner metal may pose a threat to lighter line or not, but it’s certainly something to be aware of. The Megabait Charlie comes in 4 different sizes, including a 4’’, but the Mangler version only comes in the 4’’ size. That’s fine with me, as the 4’’ version was the one I primarily used anyway. Internal rattles sound the same and the front lip is pretty close in thickness.
While I was impressed with how closely the Mangler version resembled the Megabait swimbaits, I was not too pleased with the color selection available for the Mangler swimbait. Many of the colors available are quite garish and not quite as realistic as I would like. One of the strong benefits of the Megabait Charlie line was the solid selection of colors. However, the Mangler version does come with several decent lure patterns, my favorite being the red/black and the all black swimbaits. These were the ones that I caught fish on and they looked fantastic swimming in the water.
Recently, when fishing at Lake Elsinore in California, I was trying out the Mangler 4’’ swimbaits. My friend was fishing nearby and remarked on just how lifelike these Mangler lures looked; it was his first time seeing this lure and he was quite impressed. The obvious differences in this lure from the MegabaitCharlie in design stem from the different metal used for the line tie on the front of the Manger version, it’s much thinner and lightweight than the Megabait Charlie line tie. I’m not sure if the thinner metal may pose a threat to lighter line or not, but it’s certainly something to be aware of. The Megabait Charlie comes in 4 different sizes, including a 4’’, but the Mangler version only comes in the 4’’ size. That’s fine with me, as the 4’’ version was the one I primarily used anyway. Internal rattles sound the same and the front lip is pretty close in thickness.
While I was impressed with how closely the Mangler version resembled the Megabait swimbaits, I was not too pleased with the color selection available for the Mangler swimbait. Many of the colors available are quite garish and not quite as realistic as I would like. One of the strong benefits of the Megabait Charlie line was the solid selection of colors. However, the Mangler version does come with several decent lure patterns, my favorite being the red/black and the all black swimbaits. These were the ones that I caught fish on and they looked fantastic swimming in the water.
Action
In a direct comparison to the Megabait Charlie swimbaits, the Mangler 4’’swimbaits looked almost identical in the water. Swimming action was the classic side to side wobble that I’ve come to expect from these and they felt almost exactly the same on retrieve. I was definitely impressed by this! The Mangler 4’’ lures seemed a tad bit stiffer, but not by much. Bass readily chased them down, even after seeing the lure a few times. It slowly sinks in the water, so you have plenty of opportunity to retrieve-pause-retrieve without too much of a change in lure depth. I had several videos of this lure in action in an urban creek and at Fairmount Park; unfortunately I lost them when my hard drive crashed. Instead, take a look at the Mangler's official lure video (posted above), with great underwater action shots.
Durability
The Mangler swimbaits were a mixed bag when it came to standing up to repeated use. I was able to catch and land largemouth bass on these swimbaits without any noticeable problems or damage to the lures, even with the stock hooks. However, after prolonged use over several fishing trips, I noticed the front line tie and nose of the swimbait would crack or bend upwards. This was not a problem I ever encountered with the more expensive Megabait Charlie lures. I definitely wouldn’t suggest relying on these for large bass or other fish. They seemed to be more appropriate for the smaller bass found in the urban SoCal creeks that I frequent.
Price
It’s hard to beat the price on these Mangler swimbaits. At $2.75 each, they are a far more affordable option than the Megabait Charlie swimbaits. The super low price of these swimbaits is definitely one of their strongest suits. You’ll notice in the video I posted that I am fishing near some pretty heavy and gross (typical urban creek) cover. I usually wouldn’t throw a swimbait in this muck, but I’m not as worried about losing a $2.75 lure as opposed to a $15 Japanese swimbait. The Mangler lure website also sells a lot of other super affordable lures for both warmwater and coldwater species, including some very nicely priced micro crankbaits, jerkbaits and topwater poppers. Mangler also offers a unique in-line spinner, reviewed positively by Tackle Tour and featured all over YouTube.
Summary
In short, the Mangler 4’’ swimbaits look great in the water, catch fish and are incredibly affordable. The lower cost doesn’t come without a price, as certain components are noticeably lower in quality. I wouldn’t suggest depending on their durability for very large fish, but for smaller bass they held up decently. I currently have several of these in my tackle box alongside their Megabait Charlie cousins, perfect for tossing in urban creeks for largemouth bass.
Cali Urban Creek Bass and Green Sunfish Fishing Action
Bass Attack Urban Creek Bass Fishing with Underwater Shots
Last week, I visited one of my favorite urban creeks in California. It's packed with cover and loaded with largemouth bass, green sunfish, carp, catfish and other eager biters. So far, most of the bass I've caught in this creek are tiny. However, this last trip really blew me away-several decent-sized largemouth bass were caught, along with a bunch of chunky green sunfish on an assortment of lures.
I was really impressed with this section of the creek. It's relatively un-trashed, when compared to some of the upstream parts of this urban creek. The tree canopy is pretty dense, covering the surface of the water with loads of shade. There is scattered fallen logs and brush along the shore, with fast sections and slow, deep pools. It really feels like a different world from many other urban creeks I've fished. Even better, I had this section of the creek to myself. That's not to say it hadn't been fished before, as evidenced by a few stray pieces of fishing line and beer bottles.
I started out catching one nice largemouth on a Real Fish Swimbait Hard Shad model. He hit it after a long retrieve in some rapids near a spillway. Catching that fish set the pace for the day. As you can see from the above video, I ended up doing pretty well on this trip. I'm also very pleased with how the video turned out; it's definitely one of my best urban creek YouTube fishing videos so far. The music choice may not be perfect for all audiences (dubstep?) but I hope you still enjoy the fishing!
The last pool I stopped at was absolutely amazing. Landed a healthy largemouth bass on my first cast, with a dropshot Zipper worm. Next up with several more missed strikes on the same worm. Switched over to a Yo-Zuri Snap Bean and was instantly back in the action. The largemouth would chase this tiny micro crankbait, but it was the green sunfish that went wild over it. I lost track of how many of these big-mouthed greenies I landed on this ultralite crankbait, but at one point I was hooking up on every cast. I'll be posting a review series sometime soon of my favorite ultralite crankbaits and jerkbaits, with more on these wonderful micro cranks!
I also landed several fish on the usual assortment of microjigs, crappie jigs and one other lure, a hand-painted blank lure jerkbait from wLure. II don't have an airbrush, but I've still had a fun time hand painting a few blank crankbaits and jerkbaits from wLure. Catching a fish on a lure you've painted yourself is especially rewarding.
The new time change really throws off my fishing schedule, in a good way. I'll have to agree with a recent post over at UrbanFlyVentures-let's Spring Forward and stick with it, no more Fall Backs! I had been fishing for several hours but the sun didn't appear to be anywhere near ready to set. Definitely felt odd, but I'm thrilled to have a longer time to fish each day, at least until next Fall. Sounds like there will be plenty more urban creek fishing adventures to post at Hunting the River King in the near future!
Topwater Cicada Lure Reviews: Megabass Grand Siglett, wLure T4, Jet Tackle Crazy Bug
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So, what is a cicada? Chances are, you have heard them singing in the trees during the summer, yet not seen them up close. They are basically a large, buzzing insect with prominent wings. Upon falling in the water, they put up a tremendous disturbance, making them easy prey for largemouth bass and oversized bluegill. An obvious example of this may been here, in a YouTube clip depicting the cicada's action in the water and subsequent demise.
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| Jet Tackle's Crazy Bug |
Cicada lures for bass are nothing new, but few topwaters on the market today really imitate a true cicada very well, in my opinion. Today I'll cover three topwater cicada lures I have; two affordable models (Jet Tackle Crazy Bug and wLure T4) with one well-known and very expensive lure, the Megabass Grand Siglett. For a comparison of the action of each of these bass lures in the water, check out the above YouTube video, shot at tiny Ford Park, in Redlands, California.
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| MegaBass Grand Siglett |
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| MegaBass Grand Siglett |
Design
All three lures look great out the outside, with nice finishes and a variety of colors available. However, the Megabass Siglett really takes the cake when it comes to amazing design. The internal rattles create a sound supposedly tuned to match the cicada's buzzing sound, seen in this YouTube clip. The semi-translucent finish of the Siglett scores high marks with me as well, it's incredibly realistic and almost too good looking to use as a lure. It feels more at home in an insect collection! It's certainly the most photogenic of the three lures, as you can see in many of the photos. That being said, the other two from wLure and Jet Tackle both look great as well. Unless you are fishing for the most extreme, picky eaters, the different in external appearance probably won't matter much and will do more to catch anglers than fish.Interestingly, the Crazy Bug and Grand Siglett use a similar, soft, flexible plastic for the wings. The wLure T4 uses a hard plastic, different from the other two.
All three lures look great out the outside, with nice finishes and a variety of colors available. However, the Megabass Siglett really takes the cake when it comes to amazing design. The internal rattles create a sound supposedly tuned to match the cicada's buzzing sound, seen in this YouTube clip. The semi-translucent finish of the Siglett scores high marks with me as well, it's incredibly realistic and almost too good looking to use as a lure. It feels more at home in an insect collection! It's certainly the most photogenic of the three lures, as you can see in many of the photos. That being said, the other two from wLure and Jet Tackle both look great as well. Unless you are fishing for the most extreme, picky eaters, the different in external appearance probably won't matter much and will do more to catch anglers than fish.Interestingly, the Crazy Bug and Grand Siglett use a similar, soft, flexible plastic for the wings. The wLure T4 uses a hard plastic, different from the other two.
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| MegaBass Grand Siglett |
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| wLure's T4 with Siglett in background |
Action
On retrieve, these lures aim to imitate the struggling, floundering and often crazy buzzing action of a cicada landing in the water. As you can see from the above video I put together, they do a very good job of this (note: first lure shown in video is Megabass, second wLure, third Jet Tackle Crazy Bug). You can twitch the lures, pop 'em, or just do a nice, slow, steady retrieve, resulting in a crazy wobble, tantalizing wobble.
The Megabass Grand Siglett is certainly the loudest in the water. The internal rattles work together to really create a cacophony on the surface. The wLure lure and Jet Tackle cicada's are considerably more quiet, but still create a ruckus with their wings.
One important note. To get the best performance from the Crazy Bug from Jet Tackle, you'll need to do some modifications, namely, remove the center hook and screen, and also switch the wing positions so they are facing forwards. Sounds confusing? It's really quite simple, you'll just need a small screwdriver to do this. Flipping the wings around forwards, to resemble the wLure T4 and the Megabass wings position will create the right wobble in the water; the out of box position really doesn't do enough.
Do they catch fish? Sure, just wander over to YouTube and find the myriad of videos of people catching fish on the Megabass or the Tiemco Soft Shell (Australian version of the Crazy Bug/wLure T4). Unfortunately, the cooler weather over here hasn't resulted in a quality topwater bite yet, but I have had several missed strikes on these lures already.
Here's the bottom line: All three lures have basically the same action. The Megabass Grand Siglett and wLure T4 are virtually identical on retrieve in the water. The Jet Tackle Crazy Bug is very closely similar, you'll just need to tweak it a little more to get the best retrieve (definitely doable).
On retrieve, these lures aim to imitate the struggling, floundering and often crazy buzzing action of a cicada landing in the water. As you can see from the above video I put together, they do a very good job of this (note: first lure shown in video is Megabass, second wLure, third Jet Tackle Crazy Bug). You can twitch the lures, pop 'em, or just do a nice, slow, steady retrieve, resulting in a crazy wobble, tantalizing wobble.
The Megabass Grand Siglett is certainly the loudest in the water. The internal rattles work together to really create a cacophony on the surface. The wLure lure and Jet Tackle cicada's are considerably more quiet, but still create a ruckus with their wings.
One important note. To get the best performance from the Crazy Bug from Jet Tackle, you'll need to do some modifications, namely, remove the center hook and screen, and also switch the wing positions so they are facing forwards. Sounds confusing? It's really quite simple, you'll just need a small screwdriver to do this. Flipping the wings around forwards, to resemble the wLure T4 and the Megabass wings position will create the right wobble in the water; the out of box position really doesn't do enough.
Do they catch fish? Sure, just wander over to YouTube and find the myriad of videos of people catching fish on the Megabass or the Tiemco Soft Shell (Australian version of the Crazy Bug/wLure T4). Unfortunately, the cooler weather over here hasn't resulted in a quality topwater bite yet, but I have had several missed strikes on these lures already.
Here's the bottom line: All three lures have basically the same action. The Megabass Grand Siglett and wLure T4 are virtually identical on retrieve in the water. The Jet Tackle Crazy Bug is very closely similar, you'll just need to tweak it a little more to get the best retrieve (definitely doable).
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| Jet Tackle's Crazy Bug Shown with wing swapped for proper forward-facing, be sure to also unscrew the first hook eye and remove it |
Price
Here's where the three lures really differ. The Megabass Grand Siglett Cicada lure is incredibly expensive, selling online for roughly $20. It's also rather difficult to locate, as few US retailors carry it, even in their online inventory. eBay has been one of the best places to find the Megabass Grand Siglett.
Both the wLure and the Jet Tackle cicadas are far more affordable. The wLure T4 cicada sells for $2.99 ($1.99 if you buy in bulk), with free shipping. The Jet Tackle Online Crazy Bug cicada is the best priced lure of the bunch, at only $1.59, not including shipping. You can also find Jet Tackle's lure through their eBay page.
Here's where the three lures really differ. The Megabass Grand Siglett Cicada lure is incredibly expensive, selling online for roughly $20. It's also rather difficult to locate, as few US retailors carry it, even in their online inventory. eBay has been one of the best places to find the Megabass Grand Siglett.
Both the wLure and the Jet Tackle cicadas are far more affordable. The wLure T4 cicada sells for $2.99 ($1.99 if you buy in bulk), with free shipping. The Jet Tackle Online Crazy Bug cicada is the best priced lure of the bunch, at only $1.59, not including shipping. You can also find Jet Tackle's lure through their eBay page.
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| Jet Tackle's Crazy Bug |
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| wLure's T4 |
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| Jet Tackle's Crazy Bug |
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| Jet Tackle's Crazy Bug |
Company Info
Both Jet Tackle Online and wLure have been very professional in all my inquiries and responded promptly to emails. I've been very impressed with the lure selection offered by both these fishing lure websites. They both offer incredibly good prices, great customer service and a huge selection of lures to choose from. I've received a lot of interest from anglers inquiring as to my opinion on both wLure and Jet Tackle Online's lures and hopefully, if all goes well, I'll be doing more reviews on my favorite lures from them in the near future. The key difference between these websites is product location: Jet Tackle's lures are shipped from a US location to the buyer, while wLure ships directly from China. I really like wLure's free shipping, but keep in mind that you will wait at least 3 weeks, sometimes more, to receive these lures, so order well in advance. On the other hand, Jet Tackle has a small shipping fee, but their lures arrive very quickly, roughly one week or so, standard USA shipping times, which is always appreciated.
Both Jet Tackle Online and wLure have been very professional in all my inquiries and responded promptly to emails. I've been very impressed with the lure selection offered by both these fishing lure websites. They both offer incredibly good prices, great customer service and a huge selection of lures to choose from. I've received a lot of interest from anglers inquiring as to my opinion on both wLure and Jet Tackle Online's lures and hopefully, if all goes well, I'll be doing more reviews on my favorite lures from them in the near future. The key difference between these websites is product location: Jet Tackle's lures are shipped from a US location to the buyer, while wLure ships directly from China. I really like wLure's free shipping, but keep in mind that you will wait at least 3 weeks, sometimes more, to receive these lures, so order well in advance. On the other hand, Jet Tackle has a small shipping fee, but their lures arrive very quickly, roughly one week or so, standard USA shipping times, which is always appreciated.
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| wLure's T4 with Siglett in background |
Summary
While some anglers will undoubtedly only buy the most expensive Japanese lures and only settle for the Megabass Grand Siglett, I would encourage those of us who are looking for a more budget-friendly option to try out the other options for topwater cicada lures. All three of these lures will certainly catch fish, just at considerably different prices. For me, I feel much more comfortable casting a $1-$2 lure than holding my breath every time I cast a $20 lure near thick cover. If you want a lure quickly, and aren't afraid to do a little tweaking of it, go with the Jet Tackle Online cicada. If you don't mind waiting and want to save on shipping, check out the wLure T4 cicada. Finally, if you just simply must have the photogenic (and arguably still impressive in the water as well) Megabass Grand Siglett, load up eBay and start hunting!
While some anglers will undoubtedly only buy the most expensive Japanese lures and only settle for the Megabass Grand Siglett, I would encourage those of us who are looking for a more budget-friendly option to try out the other options for topwater cicada lures. All three of these lures will certainly catch fish, just at considerably different prices. For me, I feel much more comfortable casting a $1-$2 lure than holding my breath every time I cast a $20 lure near thick cover. If you want a lure quickly, and aren't afraid to do a little tweaking of it, go with the Jet Tackle Online cicada. If you don't mind waiting and want to save on shipping, check out the wLure T4 cicada. Finally, if you just simply must have the photogenic (and arguably still impressive in the water as well) Megabass Grand Siglett, load up eBay and start hunting!
English Springs Park No Fishing Fail
Why oh why does English Springs Park, in Chino, California, not allow fishing? There is plenty of water (larger than some city park ponds that do allow the noble pastime of fishing, like Ford Park or Village Pond Park in Lake Forest, California), it's the only real fish-able body of water in the Chino community, and it sure looks like it as bass, bluegill, catfish and other finned monsters. Maybe someday the powers that be will open their minds to one of America's favorite pastimes and allow it at English Springs Park. Heck, they could even charge a fishing permit fee and make a killing off people looking to dunk a bobber & worm. Make it catch and release only, kid friendly, and fun. For now, enjoy the photos of this little urban park pond where fishing is sadly forbidden.
Sigh.
