report - Browning Camping

Hands-On
REPORT
GROUND BLIND FOR TURKEYS
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Browning Camping’s Mirage ground blind, part
of the new Shadow Series, is a durable, portable
blind that uses 600D fabric, heavy mesh, aluminum
hubs with engineered steel tips and oversized No.
10 zippers. Windows allow for 360-degree views.
Designed for turkey or deer hunting. Realtree Xtra
pattern. Contact: browningcamping.com
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ALUMINUM PERFORMER
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Crestliner’s VT19 has a .100 gauge aluminum hull and
is 19 feet long with a 91-inch beam. Rated for 150
horsepower with a top speed of 60 mph. 1,085 pounds
and a maximum payload of 1,300 pounds. An elevated
starboard console has a windscreen, switch panel,
gauges and in-dash Lowrance depth finder. 30-gallon
aerated livewell. Motor Guide trolling motor. MSRP,
$23,168. Contact: crestliner.com
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CREATURE FEATURES
The YUMphibian creature bait has two small swimming arms
at the top, a pair of longer curl tails at the end, and two big
“flappers” at the mid-point. Pitch it, flip it, or work it deep.
Customize by pinching off appendages to create less water
disturbance for finicky or pressured fish. 4 1/2, 5 1/4 and 6
inches in 10 color options. Contact: lurenet.com
Top Shot
G-Loomis’ Jig and Worms Series GLX rods offer sensitivity to feel
the bite and the power to control the fish. GLX models feature Fuji
Titanium SIC guides, along with a new proprietary reel seat and split-grip
handle configurations. MSRP, $410-$450. Contact: gloomis.com
SECOND ARROW AT THE READY
The Double Barrel Arrow Loader is a bracket that attaches
to your bow to hold a second arrow in a position that will
minimize the time and motion required to load and fire that
arrow. It’s like a single-arrow quiver that is mounted horizontally,
and there are no moving parts in this bracket. Attaches to stabilizer. $29-$39. Contact: doublebarrelarrowloader.com
Suzuki DF15A/20A EFI
Suzuki’s two new four-stroke, two-cylinder portable
outboards have a compression reduction system for easier
starting. The 20hp tiller model weighs 97 pounds; the
electric-start model weighs 106 pounds. Single overhead cam,
four-valve engine with Suzuki’s Lean Burn Control and batteryless electronic fuel injection. Built for running in skinny water,
both motors come with five tilt pin positions and 15- or 20-inch
shaft. MSRP, $3,329/$3,738. Contact: suzukimarine.com
MARCH 2013
GAFP_1303_Gear.indd 15
– Daniel T. McElrath,
Game & Fish/Sportsman magazines
‘OCCASIONAL’ ROD
NOW ESSENTIAL
Needing a rod to frog-fish the grass mats,
I looked around for a reasonably priced,
high-performance rod. Though I enjoy it, frog
fishing is not something I do often, and a
good rod makes all the difference in terms of
enjoyment and success. After a friend recommended the line, I looked at and purchased
the Daiwa Light & Tough Frog rod.
Well, the thing worked like a charm. The
telescoping 7-foot, 4-inch rod has a light,
fast tip but stiffens quickly to a heavy action,
meaning it’ll fling a hollow-bodied frog far
out onto a mat, yet pull a determined largemouth free of the grass.
I was enormously pleased with its performance as a specialty rod, and was pleasantly
shocked during a tournament when it was
pressed into service as a pitching rod. I
was co-angling — which limited my rod
selection — when my boater strayed to an
unanticipated pattern. Well, it turned out that
the Light & Tough Frog rod excels at pitching.
In fact, in terms of both ease of use and accuracy, it exceeded my dedicated pitching rod.
Now that swim jigs have come into vogue,
it has revealed itself to also be the perfect
swim jig rod, whipping even 1/4-ounce jigs
far back into shoreline grass and then out
again — often with a bass attached.
Further, it is my premier launcher of Lucky
Craft Gunfish when spotted bass are schooling, sending those baits rocketing halfway
across a lake.
The Daiwa Light & Tough Frog rod
has turned out to be that rarest of tools:
A highly specialized instrument that is
nonetheless proficient at a variety of tasks.
What I expected to be an “occasional” rod
is now an “essential” part of the arsenal
from spring to late fall.
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