6/2/10
2:58 PM
wash-and-wax types of products) that boosts your shine-factor to 10. The down-side? Most of these carnauba waxes wear off in a mere week or two. Eagle One claimed their Gel Wax, which is formulated for boat and automotive finishes, would do the trick yet would last longer then the norm, so I tested it out on my boat’s gel coat for several months. The thing I like the most about the Gel Wax is the fact that it’s a gel—that makes application a piece of cake. You merely wipe it on and don’t have to wait for it to dry and buff it, because the gel gets spread evenly in a thin coat as you apply it, then you wipe off any excess immediately. No white powdery coat appears to be buffed away, as it does with most waxes. Another bonus: unlike many waxes, since there’s no white powder this stuff doesn’t discolor your rubrail and other rubber or black nylon fittings. Once I coated the boat, I thought the shine was significantly better then paste wax provides, though it wasn’t quite as mirror-like as the finish you get from a good wash-and-wax. Of course, that stuff rinses away the first time it rains. And the Gel Wax’s shine held up for a solid month, even though the surface wasn’t as slick to the touch as it is with regular wax. But this doesn’t seem to affect clean-up, because when I trailered down a bug-infested highway and had gnat and mosquito marks all over the boat, they washed away easily. That means that even though you’ll still want a yearly base coat of paste wax and a weekly wash-down with a carnaubabased product, the Eagle One Gel Wax is a winner for monthly application of a longterm shine. —Lenny Rudow
Page 89
star drag reels aren’t as good for big Shimano game fishing because their drag washers are so much smaller then those on lever drags. A conundrum? You bet, and that’s why Shimano designed the Talica II series, a new line of lever drag reels that can conquer giant fish yet cast that country mile. These reels were originally designed for “fly lining” small live baits like sardines to fish like tunas, sailfish, and wahoo. An aggressively machined spool reduces weight, while high-grade greaseless ballbearings (which won’t flex under side-load) allow it to spin easier for excellent castability. When I first held one in my hand, it was so small and light I thought there was no way it would have the beef to take on truly big game… but looks can be deceiving. So, how did it cast? When I pulled down the lever, flipped my wrist, and released my thumb, the Talica spun without resistance until my light little bait splashed down 40 yards away. Meanwhile, Talica II big-game fishing reel — built for casting.
Shimano didn’t ignore the other features that make a reel big-game capable. The lever drag and drag system are as smooth as they get, and the Talica II 10 I tested put out 13 pounds of drag at strike and 20 pounds on full. Not enough for your tastes? The 12 and 16 models put out 22 pounds at strike, and 40 pounds at full. The gearing is also impressive, with a 4.1:1 low speed and a 6.2:1 high speed. Switching gears can be done single-handed, by pressing a button at the base of the crank. The 8 and 12 models are rated for 40 to 50 pound braid and the 12 and 16 are rated for 65 to 80 pound braid. Spooling up with 50, the Talica II 10 had no problem holding 535 yards of Power Pro line. So, what’s the down-side? Price—the Talicas run about $500. But as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for: with the little mighty-mite in hand I tied into a 148-pound bluefin tuna, and had no trouble winning the day. —LR
On the Web www.smith-wesson.com www.colt22rimfire.com www.buyeagleone.com www.fish.shimano.com
PHOTO (OPPOSITE): EAGLE ONE
Shimano Talica YOU WISH YOU HAD A BIG GAME REEL THAT could handle hundred pound plus fish, yet was still easy to cast? That’s a tall order; most big game reels have lever drags, and lever drag reels are notoriously hard to cast. Star drags are what you need to throw a country mile, because they have lighter spools since the drags are in the gears, as opposed to being on the spool itself. Yet C O A S T A L
A L M A N A C
T E X A S
F I S H
&
G A M E ®
J U L Y
2 0 1 0
|
89
PHOTO: SHIMANO
ALMANAC C.qxd:1002 Coastal