2016 Product of the Year Awards by Chuck

2016 was full of gear tests around here. It seemed every trip I was testing at least one new piece of gear. I personally tested 11 different rods, 3 different brands of braid, and 5 different reels. By far the most gear I've ever tested in one year. All that gear makes it difficult to write this article. However, I had to make the tough choices and get this done. So here are the products that barely squeaked by the competition to rise to the top.
I'm going to start off with the most dominant winner of the year.
Reel of the Year - Okuma Makaira MK-8ll
[caption id="attachment_1457" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Okuma Makaira MK-8ll[/caption]
Just like it did my last Product of the Year Awards the big Mak crushes their competition with it's brutal power and magnificent tank like build quality. The best reels I've ever used of any kind, for any kind of fishing. A clearly superior product in every way.

Rod of the Year - MudbuM Railsplitter
[caption id="attachment_1424" align="aligncenter" width="960"] MudbuM Railsplitter[/caption]
The Railsplitter made it's rise to the top with it's world class quality blank and components. A custom quality rod for half the price. After 20 years of testing catfish rods, the Railsplitter is at the top of the list when we are talking rods specifically built for catfishing. The only thing it gives up to the winner from my last winner, the Okuma EVx Musky is a little bit of power and control over fish. This could be easily remedied with a slightly heavier blank. Something that just may be on the way from the MudbuM boys. Some of the competition made a fine showing, and could very well have made this list if not tested against the Railsplitter.


Lines of the Year
No clear winner this year in the line category. I tested 3 that all performed perfectly without any issues. None of them matched the overall performance of my preferred Cortland Master Braid which has unfortunately been discontinued. So, I'm going to call it a tie. I fully expect to have a new favorite line for 2017, as I have my eye on one especially promising line.
Diamond Braid
[caption id="attachment_1416" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Diamond Braid[/caption]
I like the orange color here on the Diamond Braid. But like all braids except the Cortland that I've used, there was minor fading and bleeding. Other than that issue, no problems at all. A more than solid choice.

Nano X Braid and USA Braid
[caption id="attachment_1467" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Nano X Braid                                                                USA Braid[/caption]
Seen together here, the Nano X on the left and USA Braid on the right. Just as with the Diamond Braid above, the only issues here were some slight fading and bleeding. It wasn't nearly as severe as other braids I've seen, but not as good as the Cortland in retaining their color. The Diamond above has a smoother feel than either of these lines. Both solid and dependable lines.

Hook of the Year - Owner K Hooks
[caption id="attachment_929" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Owner K[/caption]
Despite some tough competition, the Owner K still rises to the top again. A clearly superior hook in every way.

Budget Product of the Year - Warrior Cat Rods Medium Heavy 
[caption id="attachment_1468" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Warrior Cat MH[/caption]
World Class customer service, stunning performance, extremely high value for the money are just a few things going for Warrior Cat Rods. The MH rods are top shelf in every way. All of this helps Warrior Cat Rods to rise to the top of this category. Two of our contributors are now using these rods almost exclusively, and for good reason.

Congrats to all the winners!
2017 should see some serious competition as several products that are soon to be released will be battling it out for the best of the year award. Stay tuned, it should be an interesting year.
Chuck.

Catfish rod reviews 2016

[caption id="attachment_1425" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] MudbuM Railsplitter[/caption]

2016 was a banner year for catfish rods around The Quest. So many new rods to try and not enough fishing time to give them all a full review. So this article will combine all of the new rods we used in 2016 into mini reviews of all of them.
Warrior Cat XH
The best flathead rod I've ever used, period.
It's really hard to quantify exactly what makes the blank of this rod so special. Yes, the bend is perfect. Yes, it loves throwing heavy weight. Yes, it has a sensitive tip. But this is one of those times when the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts. This rod just feels RIGHT. Everything about it. It inspires confidence. When this rod is in play I have no worries, no doubts, no concern at all. I KNOW it can handle anything. There are some other great catfish rods reviewed here, and even some not reviewed here, but this is the ONE. This is it for me. I'm 100% content. No need to look any further for something I wish was just a little different. Exactly what I've been looking for for 20 years.
Read more here.
Chuck

Th

MudbuM Railspliter rod review
The Railsplitter is certainly on it's way to being my personal favorite catfish rod of all time. From butt to tip it's packed with top notch components worthy of a custom catfish rod costing $300 or more. The tapered butt cap lets the rod slide right out of rod holders without catching. Then the x-flock grips provide a secure grip under any conditions. The Alps aluminum reel seat holds the reel like a vise. A nice size hook keeper above the top grip keeps hooks from flying around while running balls out to the next hole. The white blank is highly visible in any conditions except total darkness. The stainless guides without inserts are placed perfectly keeping the line well away from the blank even under extreme duress. It cast wonderfully, handles any amount of drag any sane catfish nut can handle. All in all first class in every way, and my pick for
Product of the Year in the rod category.
Chuck.


Warrior Cat Bumping Rod review
One of the best new companies to appear on the catfish scene in recent memory is Warrior Cat Tackle. Customer service is priority #1 at Warrior Cat. John Adams is the man at the helm providing this world class customer service. Along with that, Warrior Cat is providing some of the best catfish rods available. Every detail is meticulously considered to provide the best combination of performance and value. A true class act. Now on to the Bumping Rod review.
I got my hands on the first build of the new Gen 3 Warrior Cat Bumping Rod to try out right at the end of flathead season in 2016, and it saw limited use before old man winter blew in and sent the flatheads into hibernation. What time I did get with this rod was very enjoyable. This thing is the lightest catfish rod I have ever used! And not by a little. Tipping the at under 8 ounces it feels like a feather in your hand with perfect balance to go along with it's feather light weight. My version of the rod has eva grips, but a wonderful composite cork is available. The Forecast exposed blank reel seat is a top notch seat that will keep your reel secure during long days of bumping. The Alps XN guides are the best guides available in ring guides. The new Gen 3 blank is a marvel as well. Constructed of the highest grade Japanese Toray Carbon Fiber, it is a thing of beauty. Best of all, This rod is assembled in the good 'ol USA! Rated for 2-8 oz and 30-100# line it is ready to take on any situation you are likely to use a bumping rod in.
Bumping rods are different than standard catfish rods. This type of rod is designed to provide the ultimate in sensitivity and balance, while remaining ultra light in weight. So don't expect a floppy tip common among todays catfish rods. This is a medium fast rod, bordering on extra fast. You are going to get much bend in this beast, it's all ass. I didn't get much time on the water with it in 2016, but I assure you that will be rectified in 2017. Combined with your favorite lowpro bait caster (Okuma Komodo SS my choice) this will be a force to be reckoned with. I have little doubt this rod will be in the running for rod of the year in 2017. Exceptional product from an exceptional company. Well done!
Chuck.


Warrior Cat Rods MH review
Another in the growing line of rods from Warrior Cat Tackle. This was the first rod offered by the company, and has been around long enough to have some true giants under it's belt. I believe I heard this rod pulled in an 80 ish# blue in 2016. This 7' 6" Mh is made from an e-glass blank that looks a lot different than your standard catfish rod. It's smaller in diameter, but packs some serious guts in the ass end. I'm not saying this rod would be my first choice for pulling giant flatheads out of a maze of logs and stumps, but I am saying it's certainly capable of landing any catfish.
The silver finish on the blank is striking, it certainly sets this rod apart from the pack. The stainless guides without inserts are spaced close together to offer good protection for your line from touching the blank. The aluminum reel seat is VERY nice, almost knocking on the door of the premium Alps seat. The grade A cork grips are as nice as you will find on any catfish rod, and as good as rods costing many times the modest price of this rod.
A top notch performer, especially if you like circle hooks. The tip section is just right to let a fish swim off and bury the hook in the corner of it's mouth. The back end is pretty stout for a MH rated rod, with a nice moderate fast action. All in all a top choice for the circle hook crowd, and a versatile rod that is likely to perform well should conditions dictate extreme measures. If a heavier rod is your cup of tea, Warrior Cat has a Heavy and Extra Heavy in the works that should be available in time for the 2017 Catfish Conference. There's also a Lady Warrior MH in pink, and the Larry Muse Signature Edition roller rod that is available in Medium and Medium Heavy. I will be trying the MH roller rod, as well as the XH Warrior Cat in 2017, stay tuned for updates.
Chuck.

Berkley Pro Select E-Cat Review
Back in the days when finding a rod designed specifically for catfishing was like pulling hens teeth, the Berkley E-Cat was one of the few, and in my mind, the best available. These rods have a special place in my heart. It's the bend, the action of these rods. It's simply perfect. The original E-Cat 3 is still to this day my favorite catfish rod. Like the MH Warrior Cat above, not my first choice for giant flatheads in a jungle of a log jam, but not my last choice either. It IS my first choice when I want to enjoy the experience of fishing and catching fish. The taper of these rods is perfect. The walls of the e-glass blanks just right to provide just the right action for casting and fighting fish. After trying hundreds of rods over the last 20 years, the action of a rod in the E-Cat series can't be beat. The new Pro Select series of E-Cat rods carry on the tradition of the originals, while improving on them in a few ways.
First the actions are the same. Perfect bends. But, the reel seats are a definite improvement. The graphite seat appears to be a patterned after the Fuji palm seat. One of the best on the market. The guides are stainless frames with aluminum oxide inserts. They appear to be decent in quality. The cork grips are nice. The finish on the rods is just like the original. Beautiful root beer colored wraps with gold accents. I tried several different models of the new Pro Select E-Cat rods, and was extremely pleased with the performance of all of them. After years without having access to new E-Cat rods I couldn't be happier to see them back on the market. If you are looking for an inexpensive rod that is extremely versatile and will perform well under any conditions, you owe it to yourself to check out the Pro Select E-Cat series from Berkley.
Chuck.


Warrior Cat Tackle MH review
Competition is getting stiffer these days among manufacturers to keep catfishermen outfitted with the best rods available. Warrior Cat Tackles' first offering to the table has proven to be a very worthy contender featuring everything a catman needs and nothing he don't, such as excuses. The 7'6" medium heavy model boats an E-glass blank that was given a good deal of thought in the engineering stages. This means not only can the rod be beaten around, dropped, stepped on, and abused without compromising its strength, but the taper of the blank allows it to pack serious muscle. A subtle and soft tip will hit a homerun with guys running circle hooks, but don't let that soft tip fool you. Once it loads down the blank, it hits its sweet spot where you know it's time to handle business. The Warrior Cats can easily tackle fish upwards of 50lbs, and I have personally witnessed 70lb+ fish be horsed into my boat on one of these rods. For this power, they still allow for a fun fight with smaller cats. The really amazing quality is one you don't have to see, but instead feel. Pick up the Warrior Cat MH and you will be blown away by its light weight. This is a rod that you could throw lures on all day comfortably in terms of its mass. It features 10+tip Chrome Stainless Steel line guides which are underwrapped and double footed for an indefinite service life. A strong aluminum double rear locking nut reel seat with washer located between lock nuts makes securing your reel easy. Grade A cork finishes off an ample 16"handle along with large hook keeper to complete the package. The rod is rated for 20-40lb line and a lure rating of 1-6oz but we rarely fish them this lightly. This rod punches well above its weight and holds its own.
Matt Lynch.

Bottom Dwellers Catfight Review
Bottom Dwellers Tackle may well be the best single location to get your fix for all your catfishing needs, and they even have their own offering of rods. These rods have had a strong following for awhile. Bottom Dwellers Cat Fight model CFC-M761-HC offers features geared toward hardcore cat guys. They boast a very robust blank through handle design of graphite composite which provides good lifting power and a tip that lends itself well to fishing circle hooks. It has a distinct camo finish with black and gold wraps which I'm sure would get a big thumbs up from Larry the Cable Guy. This model can handle large brutes yet still remains light enough to have fun with smaller fish. It has a tip section which glows in the dark to help detect night bites. The foregrip on these rods are a very impressive 8" long of thick cork. Similar size cork makes up the 14" butt of the rod. I have noticed the cork doesn't stay in good condition long on these rods. It is finished off with a large buttcap which is my biggest critique of this rod. Of almost every Cat Fight I have fished with, the buttcap seems prone to fall off. This can be remedied so long as it doesn't get lost but we have had a couple instances of them dropping off and plunging into a watery grave. The Cat Fight uses attractively finished gunsmoke line guides/tip which are well reinforced and a rear locking reel seat composed of graphite and stainless with a single lock. Another critique of this model I have personally dealt with is the reel seat locking nut backing off. I found myself tightening them up once or twice a trip which is why I always recommend using a reel seat clamp for your reel. The one piece Cat Fight is rated for 15-40lb line and a lure rating of 2-5oz. It can throw well within its rating and then some thanks to its backbone.
Matt Lynch.

Bottom Dwellers Knock Out Review
For anglers who need abit more stick than the original Cat Fight models offer, Bottom Dwellers Tackle has the Knock Out. This is the big boy in their lineup featuring the same blank through handle design as the Cat Fight. It is constructed of a graphite composite. The blank is noticeably less limber than the smaller Cat Fight and don't lend itself quite as well for circle hooks as other models. The rod would be better suited to flathead where its faster tip and tremendous backbone would help drive a live bait hook home. The Knock Out features an all aluminum rear locking reel seat with double nuts finished in gunsmoke. The finish on the blank is an attractive glossy urban digital camo and carries over the glow tip section. Topping off the blank are 9+tip stainless steel line guides. It also boasts the same large diameter 8" foregrip and 14" butt section. The Knock Out, CFR-KO-791XHC, measures 7'9" and carries a rating of 20-60lb line and 2-20 oz lure rating. If you are going for giants and want pure lifting power this rod is a great option, however this power comes with the drawback of the Knock Out being a heavy stick to wield. Luckily in general, weight is a non-issue for catfishing since often the rod remains in a holder. Again, similar to the other Cat Fight model I experienced the same common issue of the large rubber butt cap falling off and attempting to target underwater structure during its descent. Also the cork used on these rods seem to deteriorate quicker than I'm use to seeing. No issues with chipping/chunking thankfully, but don't expect it to look beautiful long if you use your gear hard and are on the water a lot. If you are looking for a big flathead rod or something for lifting huge blues this rod is definitely worth checking into.
Matt Lynch.

Berkley Mudcat Review
If you are on a budget and seeking smaller catfish, the new Berkley Mudcat may be up your alley. The Mudcat is a new model on the market and comes in both casting and spinning models. It uses a strong fiberglass blank along with 6 stainless steel guide frames finished with aluminum oxide inserts. I would like to have saw solid stainless guides used in place of inserts but we can't always have everything. Here's what Berkley did to make an awesome grip though. They give us an awesome X-flock handle. I'm a huge fan of the X-flock and it provides durability and helps traction on wet or slimy hands. I preferred the model # BCMUD601MH. During preproduction field testing we pushed this rod well over the limit on my boat. This model is a one piece 6' blank rated for 12-30lb line and a lure rating of 1-4oz. It didn't take long to end up with 8oz of weight and a double hook rig with half of a large skipjack hanging in the rod holder and when a 47lb blue cat slammed the bait the little Mudcat didn't let us down. With a bend the whole length of the blank it helds it own eventually managing to lift the behemoth off the bottom in heavy current and into the net. During a long season of field testing, I never had reason to question the quality of the Mudcat and for a budget rod I think this model will offer a long service life and although geared to smaller catfish, it can still tangle with larger specimens.
Matt Lynch.

Denali Bottom Feeder Review
As a preferred bank fisherman being able to cast large baits in tight areas comes into play a lot. The Denali Bottom Feeder gets the job done for me. If it's a big or small bait under a pound with 6 Oz or less of weight. The 7.5 MH does an impeccable job. Anything bigger requires the 8ft Heavy. But when it comes to reeling them in. Both have handled fish up to 45lbs. With ease and power.
Scott Ross.

I think the Bottom Feeder rods look badass. I like the all black with chrome accents. I also like the split grips, something most people I've talked to about them hate. They are inexpensive and seem to be solid. I haven't caught any fish on my MH so I can't comment on the fish fighting ability. They cast great though and seem to handle a good amount of drag on a pull test. The looks department is the area this rod shines the brightest to me. I like the looks better than almost any other rod I own. Although that doesn't help catch fish.
Chuck.

Berkley TEC Cat Hunter Review
I tested both spinning and casting models of the TEC CAT Hunter. They are very sharp rods that are rated for lighter use than you will normally see he at The Quest. They are also extremely light in weight. Stainless guides with zirconium insures, a wonderful aluminum reel seat, and composite cork grips round out the package on this 2 piece series of rods. Berkley calls the blank a Complex Matrix Construction, whatever that means. It feels like graphite or carbon to me. These rods are really stout for their rating without much flex, but I wouldn't want to use 8 oz and a big live bait with them. They should be great for bumping or any lighter type work that doesn't require heavy weight. The 2 piece blank construction would be nice for those with vehicle space limitations. A light, solid, attractive package for those doing lighter duty work.
Chuck.

Rippin Lips SuperCat
These rods are similar to the Denali Rods except they are S-glass instead of the E-glass the Bottom Feeders use. They are white with red guide wraps as opposed to all black on the Denali offerings. Seem to be about the same in action, I think the Denali rods look much better. An inexpensive rod that seems well enough made and offers good value.
Chuck.

MudbuM Railsplitter Rod Initial Review

CAUTION!!! Be prepared to spend a bunch of time on the sale forums if you pick up a Railsplitter Rod from MudbuM. Yes, they are that good. You will be selling all your other rods trying to get some extra cash for more Railsplitters.

A white composite of Linear S-Glass/40 ton Toray, the 8' blank is damn near perfect for everything except XXXtra heavy duty use. Although I don't normally care for white rods, the white finish on the Railsplitter rods is striking. Very well done.



The reel seat, simply the best. The same Alps aluminum reel seats I use on all my custom catfish rods are found here on the Railsplitter.



Grip material, again, the best available. X-flock on the 12" fore and 12" rear grip, awesome!



Guides (10 + 1) are your standard stainless steel without inserts that all the catfish guys and gals love, except me. But, these guides are pretty much trouble free.



Even the butt cap is way better than any other catfish rod I have seen. Tapered to be smaller at the bottom it slides right out of the Driftmasters without hanging up like every other catfish rod on the market.

I put the Railsplitter through some serious testing before even using them. I checked the bend with 32 ozs, very nice. Then I sent a lob cast across the yard without much effort. I'm not recommending casting 2 pounds on a rod rated to 10 ozs, but it didn't complain. I think I will keep my casting weight under a pound total with these. I then put the Railsplitter in one of the Driftmaster rod holders with the drag on my Shimano Tekota 500 tightened down to max (about 18#). I then pulled straight down until the drag slipped. Very impressive. This rod will have no problem handling 20# of drag. Pulled that hard it has a nice moderate bend to about 4' down the blank where it gets into some serious backbone.

I'm going to introduce a new term to my rod reviews right here in the Railsplitter rod review. That is "Shutoff". The term backbone gets thrown around everywhere talking about rods. Even rods I consider to have very little backbone are said to have GREAT backbone. Well, if you think about an actual backbone, they are meant to bend. But a rod the "Shuts off" stops bending at some point. This Railsplitter rod shuts off at around 50% of it's length. This is the perfect amount of shutoff for me. The top through the midsection gives a nice controlled bend with some nice power in the midsection. The tip is pretty fast to bend allowing for easy casting. The bottom end is stout! It has tons of lift.
32 ounces hanging.

Pulling 18 pounds of drag.


I can't say I've tried every catfish rod on the market, but I've tried MANY. Some of them are too soft, some of them are too stiff. I say this Railsplitter rod from MudbuM is just right.


There isn't a true catfish rod on the market I can recommend more highly. The $159.99 price puts this rod at the top end of catfish rods price wise. But with components I would use on my custom built catfish rods that cost much,  much more, the Railsplitter Rod from MudbuM is a real bargain.
You can pick them up here.
https://mudbumusa.com/supply-shack/mudbum-railsplitter-rods/
Chuck

SeaArk RX180JT Tunnel Jet long term review

After putting some time on the SeaArk RX180JT model I want to share my thoughts. I did an initial video review highlighting some of the boats features and initial impressions. Now I want to provide you with a long term followup from my perspective. Overall the boat didn’t really meet my expectations in the longrun unfortunately.

So lets talk about the construction of the boat. The RX180 features a .100 hull which for the average boater is sufficient. I would prefer to see a .125 hull on jet models given the shallow water applications but then you have to sacrifice in performance or up the horsepower rating to compensate. The welding and basic construction of the boat is good. SeaArk boats are very durable. The ride of the hull as one would expect with a tunnel hull jet boat isn’t the best. Anything over a slight chop and the boat will beat you to death compared to a hull with a V. I removed the rear seat/storage box to free up more floor space and realized that wasn’t the best idea as the flooring is unsupported back in that area as it doesn’t really extend up under the rear deck. This alone was a disappointment. Starting at the bow if you do alot of casting you will notice the gigantic trolling motor mount. It takes up alot of space and was very irritating until I finally cut over half of it off and redrilled it. The boat has a forward storage locker that can work for a couple life jackets, rope, etc but will not allow storage of anchors, which is badly needed in the boat. There is a second storage locker behind the front seat pedestal on the front deck. With its seal around the lid and design, I assumed this to be dry storage or at least close to it. I was dead wrong. Do not put anything in this compartment you don’t want wet. Infact if you want to keep anything on the boat dry you will need a dry bag or dry box. A light rain and this compartment will be soaked quickly. Leaving the boat uncovered in weather for a week at a time even my plano boxes inside the compartment had moisture inside them. The console sits about midway in the cockpit. It is a fiberglass console and offers a livewell infront molded into it with cushion for seating. I learned to hate this console for several reasons. The single largest is my bias toward tiller boats. The boat was too good of a deal to pass up and I told myself I could adapt to the center console. I was wrong and I’ll explain the characteristics of this shortly, as I’m focusing on the construction now. The console is a terribly awkward one in terms of height for me. I am six foot tall, and the console is at such a height that it is too tall to drive sitting and uncomfortable to drive while standing. It does feature a nice grab rail but the height of it can be annoying when casting off the rear deck or fishing from the cockpit. With a 60” bottom there is room to get around the console but you have to pay attention when doing so if you have gear in the boat. The console has a shelf under the console which I assumed was storage and I, like most, tossed my keys, wallet, carry gun, etc there when fishing. I learned the hard way that this was a horrible idea. It turns out that there is nothing in the back(toward the livewell) part of the shelf to keep your gear ON the shelf. While returning back from fishing on a very cold winter evening I reached for my keys to the truck to find them missing. As it turns out they had slid to the back and then fell down between the livewell and part of the console along with several other needed items. To retreive the keys required a prolonged struggle with a screwdriver and removing numerous screws that attach the console. Finally I was able to get them to the corner where I had a small gap and pry the panel enough to get them out. After this incident I contacted SeaArk via email explaining the issue thoroughly to which I never received a reply. This would be a deep irritation during nice weather but happening on an extremely cold winter day when help and extra keys are over an hour away is a massive design flaw that could be easily corrected. The next thing I disliked about the console was the fact it rattled terribly. At idle speed when engine trolling it was very bad. Anything you place on the console from drinks to phones will almost immediately vibrate and fall off while being very audible. When running down the water it shakes uncontrollably even after double checking all the hardware attaching it to the floor of the boat. It literally shook so hard in any slight chop on the water that it would cause the master power rocker switch to shut off killing the electronics and anything else you may have turned on. I've rode in quite a few flat bottom boats and skiffs and this is the worst I have probably witnessed. So moving beyond the console, the boat comes with a rear seat bench/storage option. This was useful for storing lifejackets, drift sock, etc but isnt deep enough to store many items and you have to be careful shutting the lid or else the seat bases could smash or break something, as they protrude through the bottom. Also once again anything in there *will* get wet and stay that way. For rear deck storage, there is none. Absolutely nothing, and this feels like alot of wasted space. The rear battery area has enough room for two batteries as it is. I had to cut a section of the lid to allow for my 24V setup. This is an 18ft boat and I doubt many people will only use 12V. Again this should have been done better. I did manage to cram in a 9 gallon fuel tank which is undersized unless you fish close to the launch, my starting battery, and 2 bank charger. If you needed a second 12V battery to run extra electronics or similar you don’t have that option or space. The flip up lid was a nice touch though, allowing extra floor space for standing and casting. The tunnel design on the boat functioned very well and the boat could run around 30-32mph with two people powered by Yamaha’s awesome F90/65 Jet Drive. The hull also wasn’t very load sensitive as many jets are. It seemed almost anywhere a load was placed in the boat, once on plane, it would still move at a good pace with hardly any noticable change. The only thing effected was time to plane. Once on plane the boat could run roughly 8” of water with ease and for those familiar with jet handling, handled and cornered nicely. For all the design issues it did perform very well on plane.




For flooring, the boat has diamond plate cockpit flooring made from .125 aluminum and the interior has the Gatorhide coating. This coating is similar to many truck bedliners and does a good job of protecting the floor. However it is sprayed in a tan color and the boats color is sprayed overtop. The paint chips off very easily and was difficult to touch up with the factory paint and make it look good. Once dirty it is also extremely difficult to clean, even with dawn dish detergent and a good scrub brush. The paint my boat came sprayed in was a bone white. I found the finish to be rather dull and was difficult to clean. After setting outside in the weather uncovered as the boat was on the water quite abit I found alot of mildew stains around the transom that I was unable to clean with a good scrub pad and several types of soap and cleaner. Also any stains from skipjack blood/guts, if not washed off quickly seem to be permanent.


Now looking more specifically at this boat as a jet boat one intends to run skinny water with, there are also concerns at rest or drifting. As you can see in the picture the boat squats extremely bad in the stern. If keeping this boat longterm floatation pods would be an absolute must. But alone even they wouldn’t likely be enough to level the boat out. The next step would be distributing weight better, but by design the boat doesn’t really allow many options. I would have much preferred the console against the front deck. There is no room up front to relocate the trolling batteries either and an inquiry with the factory said adding additional storage up front to allow for this would void the warranty. There is the option to place them under the console  and reroute the wiring but it would eliminate any foot room under there one might have and would be a tight fit by the time you add a charger. There is an option of a bow mounted fuel tank that doubles as a deck extension but then you lose cockpit space,especially with the length of the console/livewell. Although a factory option from SeaArk, I would imagine installing float pods yourself would also void the warranty, so basically you have a boat that runs great and super shallow on plane but drafts so much at rest you have to be careful where you come off plane and get back on plane. Many shallow shoals I could have easily drifted over in my old Lowe jet would have resulted in getting stuck on the bottom in the SeaArk. I engine troll and found the slow steering ratio made this nearly impossible with the big motor. Jets rely on the thrust for steering given the lack of skeg to serve as a rudder, however I found engine trolling to be amazing with my tiller jet drive. Especially with the extremely slow speeds I could maintain using the reverse gate the tiller shined. However with the console I found it almost impossible to do so effectively, especially with any wind.
I know this may sound harsh, and some of it probably should. If you are looking at a boat strictly to catfish and striper fish from this is still a good boat. I fish for many species using a wide variety of tactics and it just falls short for me. If the boat had a forward console, pods, and some better options for balancing the weight out this rig would move up quite a few notches in my book. I have no doubt these boats will last their owners a long time and take a beating but no boat is perfect. No boat can do it all. In the end it is up to you to decide if one of these boats will match your needs. This is simply from my perspective from spending a good deal of time in this model of boat and hopefully can give those considering one some things to consider before making a purchase.

St Croix Rods' Mojo Goes Catfishing

St Croix rods have long been a golden standard by which other factory built rods are compared. For the serious catfish anglers, originally the glass muskie rods provided the tool for the job. Then back in the latter part of the 90s, we were introduced to the St Croix Classic Cat series of rods. These rods were class leading in terms of construction and function. Unfortunately during the 2000s they were discontinued. Much of this stemmed from sales, as many anglers weren't ready to pony up the money for the higher price tag of these rods. Sales typically went to lesser rods. However those of us who have been cattin' for a long time have witnessed the explosion in the catfishing industry. No longer a backwoods sport looked down upon by other sportfishing anglers, today we have a large industry catering to the catfish guys with media, gear, and professional tournaments. The demand for dedicated catfish rods capable of handling trophy sized fish and built with premium components has been mounting steadily with many anglers calling for their beloved St Croixs to come back. Finally St Croix stepped up to the plate introducing a new line. This new rod is the Mojo Cat series. Following the success of the earlier Mojo lines, the Mojo Cat should prove no exception.
When I heard the initial rumors of a new catfish line I was elated to say the least, and after it was confirmed I had to get my hands on one. Luckily I was able to use my contacts at St Croix and get my name on the list for one of the first ones off the production line for review. When it finally arrived I was blown away by this amazingly light rod and could hardly contain the excitement to get it on the water. As I currently write this review the rods have now been in the market for several months, so why so long for review? We all know that when a new product hits the market, people rush to review them and be the first to write about it. And while some do have prior field testing to the release, often times that isn’t the case, and the people only use a product a few times before reviewing it. I’ve postponed my own review for the simple fact I want to tell you what it’s like living with this rod on the boat for several months, not just a trip or two. Often those first few trips always result in stellar reviews and opinions, however as time goes on, we may see changes in performance or even faults and failures. I feel completely confident at this time however, in giving you the most honest facts about this rod and how it performs.

Before I dive into the details of the new line I want to also point out the stiff competition in the market today to help you better understand the quality and value you really get with the Mojo Cat line. For serious anglers, spending $100 or even more for a catfish rod isn’t as much of a shock as it use to be, especially for tournament guys where money is on the line. We have numerous companies making rods that are basically factory custom rods, built on many types of blanks from glass to graphite/glass combinations with other high quality components. And many of these rods have been shutting down the competition due to superior components and quality. So its not hard to see why this St Croix will turn heads when you get one in your hands.
The Mojo Cat family currently has seven models available in the lineup. Five casting models ranging from 7ft medium action to 8ft extra heavy provide a rod for any need if you choose baitcasting. If spinning is more your style, they offer both a 7ft and 8ft medium action model. The base of any good rod build is always the blank, and St Croix knocked this one out of the park with the Mojo Cat. The Mojo Cats blanks are blend of premium-quality SCII graphite and their super premium 100% linear S-glass. This means a blank that is extremely light in weight but with tremendous lifting power and shock resistance. The blank is an attractive silver coloration and features purple/gray wraps complements of its Mojo line namesake. It also features a double coating of Flex Coat which is a slow cured coating. Line guides are a topic of debate in the catfish circle and often the majority of anglers seem to prefer one piece stainless, however St Croix chose to outfit the Mojo Cat with Kigan Master Hand 3D guides featuring slim, strong aluminum-oxide rings with black frames. To secure your reel to the blank, the casting models features Fuji® ECS reel seat with black hood and for the spinning models,
Fuji® DPS reel seat with black hoods. The Mojo Cat line also features Kigan hook keepers. Now what really sets this Mojo apart from the rest of its family is the handle. We’re all use to the Mojo lineup offering split grip handles, however the Mojo Cat boasts a full cork grip made with premium cork. This is an incredibly important change from the split grip and I’ll talk more about it later on. As with the rest of the Mojo family of rods the Mojo Cat is designed in Park Falls, WI and assembled in Fresnillo, Mexico. The Mojo Cat also features a 5-year warranty to seal the deal.
For my review I naturally chose the big daddy of the Mojo Cat family, the MCC80XHF. This 8ft extra heavy beast features a one piece fast tip blank that carries a whopping lure rating of 8 - 32oz. It is rated for 50-100lb line and an unbelievable weight of only 11.8oz. When you pick this rod up the weight is mindblowing compared to what you typically expect holding a catfish rod. It weighs in less than some of my muskie rods. When casting and fighting fish, trust me you won’t be fighting your rod. With this lightweight however, don’t mistake the Mojo Cat as being fragile. Mine has taken a few good knocks and drops around the boat as one should expect to happen catfishing. It’s a sport that can be very rough on gear and the Mojo Cat simiply shrugs it off. Fishing the Tennessee River system and using large bait this model is a natural and I have no doubts that this model could easily muscle in a new record. For a reel I chose to pair the Mojo up with what could be considered by many as the greatest traditional baitcaster on the market, the Truth Reels SG model. The Truth SG with its compact size and reasonable weight makes for a superbly balanced combination that is dripping with brute strength. Spooled with 80lb HiSeas braid I’ve used this combo for several fishing styles ranging from livebaiting flatheads to drifting and dragging for bluecats. It performs admirably in all tasks and I’ve even exceeded the lure rating. Just to see how it handled I’ve had the rod baited up with almost 40oz worth of bait/sinker before and the rod handled it well as you could expect. You won’t win a casting distance contest but it will get the job done and then be ready to handle the fish that can eat a 40oz bait. When using these light rods especially at around 8ft in length you will notice how much easier it is to fight a large fish. A 50lb fish will feel more like a 30lber due to the leverage and weight. This being my only sample I didn’t want to break the rod, however I would love to see a deadlift with it. I have no doubt this rod could deadlift a smaller adult with the strength of its blank and after seeing similarly constructed blanks doing deadlifts. The Mojo Cat, for all its power, still offers a tip subtle enough to work superbly with circle hooks. It loads smoothly down until it reaches around the sixth and seventh guide from the tip. After loading up to that point you get into the true backbone of the rod from there down. This attribute will be very important for the angler targeting blue catfish especially with the numerous techniques involved. On one single day we may go from anchored sets to control drifting in a few hours, and even dragging before the day is done. I use reel clamps just for extra protection but the Mojo Cats factory reel seats seem to be quite sufficient, although I’d like to see an additional locking ring in the future or possibly even a rear locking seat. The rear locking seat would reduce stress on the locking mechanism during a fight with a large fish. As for the handle, I mentioned the importance of the full cork grip earlier. When placed in a rod holder just a large catfish takedown can easily crush the cork where it rests in the holder. If you use a split grip style you run the risk of an impact from a fish actually damaging the blank and crushing it in the holder. By offering the full cork on this Mojo Cat rod, you don’t have that worry as the cork cushions and protects the blank when in a holder. The hook keeper is also of adequate size to hang large 8/0-12/0 hooks and is placed on the bottom of the blank. This means whatever weight is fastened to it won’t be banging up your rod blank as much as if it were mounted on the top or side. For the line guides, I tried both 50lb Ande mono and the 80lb HiSeas braid with good success. I’ve noticed no loose inserts or damage in the months I’ve used the rod and they work well with either line. I do prefer one piece stainless myself however for simplicity and piece of mind and would like to see them in the future. The finish on the blank and the cork also exhibit no excessive wear after use aside from skipjack slime and blood.
After becoming familiar with this rod on the water I will say it’s probably the best catfish rod St Croix has produced, and certainly one of the best on the market. For anglers willing to pay for quality, this rod won’t disappoint and will handle any situation thrown its way. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to review one of these great rods and put some hours on the water with it. If you are in the market for a rod of this caliber I highly recommend you check out the Mojo Cat line. With the models offered they will cover everything from chasing bullheads in a pond to tangling with river giants.

Slip Bobber Catfishing by Zakk Royce

Catfishing with Slip Bobbers
I think I speak for us all when I say, we all have a tendency to get into habits when it comes to fishing. We get use to doing something one way and just don't even think of doing it another way. Then there are some of us that want to try something new, and just don't know how to do it. Well, I'm going to do my best to explain what I feel is one of the most successful methods to target Catfish, particularly during the summer months.
#1 - What exactly is a Slip Bobber Rig?:
A Slip Bobber Rig is used to target fish that are suspended. I'm sure we all know about the regular bobber rigs, most commonly used for Bream, and other similar fish. Well, imagine this, the water you're fishing in is mostly 20 or more feet deep. Yet, the fish are concentrated in a certain depth range, and they are not on the bottom. Lets say they are 10ft down, in 20ft of water, imagine using a regular bobber, the kind that clips on to your line, you would have to slide it up 10ft from your hook, obviously that is near impossible to cast. So here's the beauty of the slip bobber rig, you are basically casting it just as you would with a regular bottom rig. You attach a bobber stop (I prefer the rubber stoppers that slide onto the line and easily adjustable) as far up from your hook as you want your bait to be, when you cast out the bobber stop will hit the top of your slip bobber and your bait will be however deep you set it to be.
#2 - Supplies needed to use a Slip Bobber Rig
1- A Slip Bobber of some sort. They can be purchased at nearly any tackle shop, and also many other places that carry fishing equipment. I prefer a very large Slip Bobber for Catfishing, a good size Catfish has no trouble at all pulling down a huge bobber.
2- Slip Sinkers work best with Slip Bobbers, what size you need depends on your fishing scenario, if you're fishing with a small bobber you will most likely need a small weight, again though, I really recommend a large bobber for catfish. With a large bobber normally you can use a 2 or 3 ounce sinker. A lot of it also depends on the current where you are fishing, a lot of current will of course require a larger weight, while with a slow or moderate current the size of the weight will not make much of a difference.
3- Leader material of some sort. It can be Fluorocarbon, or Monofilament, but it needs to be thick, meaning at least 40lb test in my opinion. I recommend 50lb-60lb.
4- Hooks, you need hooks no matter what kind of rig you're using. I personally use large 8/0 to 10/0 circle hooks mostly, but the choice is up to you, use whatever you are most comfortable with, or have the most success with.
5- Swivels, you need good strong swivels no matter what kind of rig you're using in my opinion. For the slip bobber rig, One-Way swivels are best. They don't have to be fancy at all, as long as they are good quality swivels, and not cheap snap swivels or something of that nature you should be fine.
6- If you are slip bobber fishing at night I recommend buying some sort of glow sticks to attach to the bobber so you can see what is going on. I usually get a tube of 100 glow sticks for only 10 dollars.
7- This is what makes the whole idea of the slip bobber work, The BOBBER STOP. You need something to tie to your line that will control how deep your bait goes. As I mentioned previously I prefer the rubber bobber stoppers due to the fact that they just slide on the line and you can adjust them easily to whatever depth you need to. Make sure you purchase the the right size stoppers that are rated for the pound test line you are using.
#3- How to rig a Slip Bobber.
1- Get the end of your fishing line, that comes off your rod and reel.
2- Put line through the hole on top of slip bobber and guide it through until it comes out of the bottom of the bobber. This can be just a little tricky sometimes, and may require some turning of the bobber while you're pushing the line thru, which helps the line get thru without bending up inside the bobber.
3- Slide Sinker on to your line, it should be under the slip bobber.
4- Tie Swivel to your line which should also contain your leader with hook attached.
5- And again, here is what makes it all come together at the end, decide how deep you want your bait to be, and attach whatever you're using as a bobber stop on to your line at that spot. Here is one way to do this if you're on the bank or at home, let out your line making the slip bobber rig lay on the ground, then let out approximately how ever much line is going to make your bobber the depth you want it, meaning, if you want your bobber to be 5ft deep, let out 5 feet of line. Then just attach your bobber stop on to that part of your line, if you want to get it at an exact depth, you can use a tape measure or something of that nature to measure it out.
#4 -Fishing the Thermocline
Here is where the Slip bobbers have come in handy most for me. I mostly fish a large Reservoir, in the summer it's not unusual for the surface water temperature to reach near 90 degrees. The fish get very suspended when this happens, usually concentrating around the Thermocline. Those of you that don't know what a Thermocline is, simply put it is a layer/depth of the water that has the most oxygen and cooler water. The fish can be so concentrated to that layer of the water that you can't even get a bite on the bottom, I say this because I have experienced it mysel. For me here in Northeastern, North Carolina, it has always started around early June and lasted all the way through late August, or early September. The Reservoir that I fish is mostly deep (30 or more feet, with the max depth around 90ft) and it is very large, and has many creeks that feed into it. I set my bobbers anywhere from 5 to 15ft deep, and will fish in anywhere from 10 to 75ft when bobber fishing generally. I have good success doing this. While at the same time I can fish with bottom rigs in the same spots and often not even get a bite from a decent fish when the thermocline is present.
#5 - Anchoring and fishing with Slip Bobbers
If you are anchoring up and fishing with slip bobbers there are a couple things you need to be aware of. If you're fishing in current, you need to position your boat to where the bobbers are going straight out from where you are setting your pole down, this will prevent them from getting tangled. If there is a wind, you need to try to anchor where your bobbers are going out with the direction of the wind, this also helps prevent tangles, and helps stop your bobbers from floating right up against your boat. Sometimes things can get tricky. When that happens you just have to use your head and figure out something different to do that works for the situation.
#6- Drift Fishing with Slip Bobbers
This is by far one of the most productive methods I have used so far. As I said previously, I mainly fish a large Reservoir, that means there is a lot of water out there to cover, the fish have a lot of different places to hang out, and a lot of times they will spread out also. Of course for Drifting you really need a trolling motor, some wind, or good current. A drift sock is a very good investment to make if drifting with wind or current, it will help you catch more fish drift fishing by controlling speed and helping keep the boat straight. Get your boat positioned to the wind the way you want it to drift. The way we do it is we face the boat sideways to the wind and we put a drift sock off the back and one off of the front, the two drift socks keep the boat straight and can help make a slower drift which seems to do best for us.
#7- Slip Bobber fishing from the Bank
Slip Bobbers can also work great from the bank of course if you have the right situation for them. Whether it be fishing a Dam from the bank, or Floating a bobber over submerged timber or other structure. A couple of ways Slip Bobbers can come in handy while Bank fishing are,
1- At a dam, you can float your bait out into a area of slack current (such as an eddie) where catfish will usually hold. I have done very good for Blue Cats using this technique.
2- You can stand directly upstream from a good spot downstream, like Submerged Timber, a deep hole, etc. And float your bobber down right over the spot, this can be an extremely effective tactic as well.
I believe that covers most of the basics of slip bobber fishing, I hope it helps some of you out. For me it has always been one of my favorite ways of fishing overall. I'm attaching a video below that also shows how I rig my slip bobbers up from start to finish.
Thank you and tight lines,
Zakk Royce,
Blues Brothers Charters (252-398-7192)

WINTER WARMTH: STORMR TYPHOON JACKET

STORMR TYPHOON JACKET
by Matt Lynch
Winter time tends to often show you the worst in your gear. The faults and shortcomings are exacerbated in the wintery chill that follows our often snowfilled season. One area many anglers struggle with in this frigid environment is their clothing. It can prove rather difficult to find proper clothing that does the advertised job when the temperatures drop, and often usually requires we stretch our pockets abit deeper to do so. I used my older hunting gear for years and years winter fishing to some success. I found though that after about 4-5 hours I was still freezing and it took sometime to recover after a long run down the lake as it did little to block the wind. This time of year I usually was active and moving while still hunting, however the requirements of warmth when setting in a boat with little movement proved more than the clothing was capable of.
This winter, Stormr USA came through and brought with it an end to the shivering cold when on the water. I had been reading forums and reviews for a couple months in search of some new winter gear, when I stumbled upon a very nice deal on a Stormr Typhoon jacket. Aware of their reputation, I jumped on the deal and ordered one. This model jacket was first introduced in 2011 and uses neoprene as its primary means of fending off the cold. If you have ever used neoprene gloves while fishing you can appreciate the effect a larger coverage of it can do for your core warmth. The best part is that it is extremely thin. So thin in fact you'll wonder how it can even keep you warm when the weather drops below freezing. When it arrived, it was about 65 degrees in the Fall and I tried it on. I found myself sweating almost immediately due to the effectiveness of the design. Along with the neoprene shell it has an AQ6 microfleece inner lining which provides outstanding comfort. They also use glue-blind stitch/thermal tape at the seams and splash proof zippers to repel the cold and water. From experience it does just that. The cuffs do an excellent job of sealing out the elements and to make sure your core remains warm it has a drawstring system at the bottom. To me the worst feeling in the world in winter is feeling the cold creep in around my kidney area on my back and I have yet to experience that feeling since using the Stormr jacket. Two large fleece lined pockets provide a great place for your phone, etc but also a windproof location for your hands when running down the lake or just needing to warm them up. One of the other downsides to running down the lake in winter is your face being frozen. The hood of the Typhoon features the same construction as the rest of the jacket and provides an elongated neck area. Combined with the draw string closure on the hood and you can cinch it down exposing only a small portion of your face from which to be able to see. Toss in some sunglasses or goggles and your face is very well protected and warm.
Perhaps the single best feature of the entire jacket is the fact that not only is it waterpoof, but it is also windproof. There is zero windchill for me running down the lake. None! The impervious nature of this jacet to wind is enough to ensure I continue to be a patron of this company. I really can't say enough how big of a deal a windproof jacket is for winter fishing. If you do not have this feature, by the time you get to your fishing spot often times you're ready to turn around and go back home already. And with the hood features I mentioned, I find my head is warmer when traveling down the lake than when wearing my Mad Bomber rabbit fur trapper hat. Of course when fishing you can't keep it cinched down as tight and when stopped I then rely on alternate head coverings unless it is raining/snowing heavily. In near freezing temps, I typically will wear a moisture wicking t-shirt of some kind topped off by one of my Army issued Polartec waffle suits that Uncle Sam was kind enough to let me keep. From here if moderately cold I can use my Stormr Typhoon alone, or if temperatures will be below freezing all day I'll usually throw on a warm hoody followed by the Stormr. the Stormr is so warm though that I often have to remove it after running down the lake even when temps are in the low-30s. I'm one of those crazy people that also night fish in the winter and this jacket shines especially on those cold nights where no sunshine exists to share its warmth. Marc and I on an early trip with freezing temps decided to night fish. After setting out lines and engaging our clickers, I layed down in the floor of my SeaArk and was quite snug for the night with my layering unlike my poor friend who despite numerous layers of insulating clothing found it no match for the cold. At this point besides catfish slime coating its exterior, I have had no failures of any seams or materials and the coat functions perfectly as it did on day one.
Stormr not only makes fine jackets but also bibs, gloves, UV protection, and several lines of their gear. And they have some newer products out now for 2016. I can definately say I'll be looking more at their gear for future purchases as I need it and I'd highly recommend you guys check them out at StormrUSA.com.
[caption id="attachment_1355" align="alignnone" width="490"] Don't fall victim to the elements.[/caption][caption id="attachment_1356" align="alignnone" width="1137"] drawstring located on the waist helps keep your core warm[/caption][caption id="attachment_1357" align="alignnone" width="1137"] a look at the hood. cinched up it provides exceptional warmth traveling down the lake at speed.[/caption]