Abu Garcia Revo X 2X10
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he smallest model in Abu Garcia’s new Revo X spinning line, we think the 2X10 will make an ideal reel for panfish and smallish gamefish up into the 10-pound range. It holds 150 yards of six-pound braid, weighs 7.5 ounces, and has six ball-bearings plus a line roller bearing. We found two big surprises while fishing this reel: it has virtually no rotor wobble, and for its size it puts out an awful lot of drag with a 10-pound maximum. The aluminum spool does have a bit of play in it, but it’s hard to find a reel in this price range that doesn’t. Larger models range include the 2X20, 2X30, and 2X40, which takes you up into the Bay fishing range with a 210 capacity of 14-pound braid and a maximum drag of 13 pounds. We give it a sturdy thumbs up (even though we hate those hexagonal screw heads, because it’s hard to turn them with the end of a rusty bait knife). Price: $99.95, abugarcia.com.
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YUM Money Minnow
hile it isn’t terribly new, we wanted to bring you news of the Yum Money Minnow in case you haven’t heard of it yet — because we had the chance to test these plastics rather extensively this past season, and discovered that the fish found them, well, down-right yummy. But let’s get the downside out of the way right off the bat: these are molded with very soft plastic, which means that they get ripped up easily by the fish and five or six stripers fights is what you’ll get out of a single bait. If a bluefish so much as glances at one from 10 feet away, the lure’s tail vaporizes. This soft nature also means that if you shove a Money Minnow onto a thick hook-shank with vigor, you’ll pop the artificial eyeballs right out of the plastic. But that flexibility gives the Money Minnow an awesome swimming action, even at very slow speeds. We found that this lure, thanks to its softness and large paddle-tail, was unbeatable for handing off to beginners who didn’t necessarily know how to add action to the lure with their rod. And on a couple of occasions, by doing so the newbies out-fished the experienced anglers. Money Minnow will cost you a bit more money than usual, though. We used the five-inchers, which are $9.59 for a four-pack. Ouch. For more info, visit yumbaits.com. (PS – Pearl/Chartreuse was the killer color pattern). Follow us!
Ugly Stik GX2
rop it to the deck, step on it, kick it, whack it against the T-top six or eight times, and maybe back over it with your pick-up — you’ve got to love how an Ugly Stik rod can handle the abuse. No, these aren’t the most sensitive rods in the galaxy. Their action is rather muted, and they aren’t as light as a graphite rod. The stainlesssteel guides aren’t even lined. But when it comes to indestructible fishing rods that you’ll want to hand off to overzealous kids and rank amateurs, these things can’t be beat. So, what’s new about the GX2? Mostly, it’s a matter of looks. The handle and reel seat is a bit more modern than the old Ugly, and Ugly Stik says the rod has “enhanced cosmetics.” We agree, and more importantly, we love the $39.95 price tag. GX2s are available from 4.6-foot ultralights to 6.6-foot medium-heavies. Check out uglystik.com for more info.
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