ICAST 2026: CrushCity's New Avatar Shad for Scoping

 

The all-new CrushCity™ Avatar Shad is a versatile soft swimbait engineered to deliver lifelike swimming action, exceptional durability and unmatched rigging versatility. Built from Super TPE floating material, the 4-inch Avatar Shad features a segmented body design that creates natural swimming action throughout the entire retrieve. Unlike traditional swimbaits that rely primarily on tail movement, the Avatar Shad’s entire body contributes to a realistic baitfish profile that appeals to bass and other freshwater predators. Designed to perform across multiple presentations, the Avatar Shad maintains its swimming action whether rigged on jig heads, weighted swimbait hooks or as a bladed jig trailer. Its dorsal fin structure and molded bill work together to stabilize the bait and activate its lifelike action regardless of how it’s rigged.

DETAILS BELOW

The 2027 Bass Pro Tour Schedule

Buckle up, Bass Pro Shops Bass Pro Tour anglers and fans: 2027 is setting up to be a memorable tournament year.

The 2027 Bass Pro Tour schedule will include multiple new stops for the circuit and some of the most highly regarded fisheries in the country as the world’s top pros compete in seven regular-season stops, plus Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2027 and Kubota Heavy Hitters 2027.

Starting Jan. 14-17 at the St. Johns River in Florida and winding through Louisiana, Tennessee, Texas, Alabama, New York and Kentucky before culminating Aug. 5-8 at the Pasquotank River in North Carolina, the 2027 Bass Pro Tour roadmap covers legendary tournament destinations, dynamic river systems, proven big-bass fisheries and a dual-lake event in the Shreveport-Bossier region featuring Caddo Lake and Cross Lake.

In addition to the seven-event regular season – which includes the St. John’s, Caddo/Cross, Norris Lake, Toledo Bend, Lake Champlain, Pickwick Lake and the Pasquotank – Major League Fishing’s championship event will return to Alabama April 16-18 when REDCREST 2027 arrives at Logan Martin Lake. Also, the sport’s marquee big-bass event – Kubota Heavy Hitters 2027 – will be contested May 22-27 at Kentucky and Barkley Lakes in Kentucky.

ICAST 2026: BKK New Quad Hook for Urchin baits.

 

BKK and Dave Mercer explain their answer to rigging urchin baits. 

ICAST 2026: Crush City's New CEO Urchin bait!

The all-new CrushCity™ The CEO is a purpose-built urchin bait system engineered to simplify one of bass fishing's fastest-growing techniques while delivering exceptional castability, durability and fish-catching performance.

Developed through more than a year of engineering, testing and refinement, The CEO combines a proprietary weighted glass powder core with premium Super TPE construction and Smart Injection Technology® to create the ideal balance of castability, buoyancy and a slow, controlled fall right out of the package. Designed around the CrushCity "Customs" philosophy, every detail of The CEO was built to eliminate the guesswork. Molded hook alignment dimples simplify rigging, an integrated center channel accepts optional nail weights for added customization, and the bait was purpose-built alongside the VMC® RedLine Series® Urchin Neko Hook to create a complete system that performs exactly as intended.

DETAILS AND PRICE BELOW

DAIWA and Ever Green deliver the ultimate JackHammer trailer stateside to maximize bladed jig performance

 

A premium bladed jig is only as lethal as the trailer behind it. Too often, basic soft plastics act like anchors, choking out high-frequency vibrations, muting the blade’s signature thump, and causing the entire rig to roll over and blow out at high speeds.

You need a trailer engineered to harmonize with the lure, not fight it.

Through its exclusive partnership with Ever Green International, DAIWA is officially bringing a masterfully tuned soft plastic methodology stateside in the form of the Bull Point Shad 4.5". Designed by elite angler Morizo Shimizu—the mastermind who knows the legendary JackHammer bladed jig better than anyone—this soft bait is built to unleash 120% of the jig's fish-catching power.

Inverted Triangle Architecture and Casting Dynamics

Many soft plastic trailers feature a uniform round or flat shape that drags through the water and kills a bladed jig's hunt. Ever Green’s Bull Point Shad turns that design flaw on its head. Designed with a specialized inverted triangle body, it packs critical bulk and weight into the front section of the bait.

Garmin's New LiveScope 2: LVS 42HD and LVS 44

See fish and lures near the boat in up to 50% more detail and 20% higher resolution with reduced sonar artifacts and smoother images compared to previous generations. Plus, bottom track out to 125 feet in freshwater.

https://www.garmin.com/p/1908376/

Z-Man Unviels New Sinking ElaZtech Baits!

 Z-Man® Unveils Proprietary Superplastic Material with Natural Sink, Expanded Applications, and Legendary Durability

Z‑Man is advancing the platform again with a proprietary Sinking ElaZtech formula that introduces natural sink, added density, and expanded versatility to the company’s signature superplastic.

Designed for Density

The new Sinking ElaZtech material was developed to complement the original floating formula, giving anglers a second performance profile within the ElaZtech family. The new material maintains the lively action and durability anglers expect, while adding a controlled natural sink, increased density, and a slightly firmer feel.

“Our original ElaZtech formulation excels at a variety of different applications, but we identified several situations where a sinking formulation could actually enhance performance and really round out an angler's soft bait toolkit,” said Z‑Man Director of Product Development Jose Chavez.

The added density and predictable sink rate make Sinking ElaZtech material ideal for soft stickbaits, jerkbaits, and other lures that benefit from a slow, natural descent through the water column when rigged unweighted. The firmer composition also improves hook retention and penetration for Texas‑rigged baits and enhances performance around vegetation, wood, and other cover. These characteristics extend the advantages of ElaZtech material into finesse approaches, mid‑depth presentations, and heavier‑cover techniques such as flipping and pitching.​

Engineered for Excellence

Developing Sinking ElaZtech material required close collaboration between Z‑Man’s product development team and material scientists to create a formulation tailored specifically to these new applications.

Happy 250th Independence Day!

Wishing you a fantastic Fourth of July filled with spectacular fireworks, joy, and memorable celebrations as America marks its semi quincentennial milestone

30th Anniversary of Sun Line Sniper

In the early ‘90s, fluorocarbon wasn’t widely used for full-spool applications. It was known for being stiff, hard to manage, and mostly reserved for leader material. But in Japan, where pressured fisheries and finesse presentations dominated, there was a clear need for a fluorocarbon that offered stealth, strength, and castability all in one.

That’s where Sunline stepped in. In 1994, they introduced Dai-Riki Bass Special FC Sniper, a full-spool fluorocarbon line built for bass anglers. It was smoother, more manageable, and far more sensitive than most options at the time. Designed to hold up in clear water and around structure, it gave anglers a new level of confidence when it came to fishing light line, and it didn’t take long for it to develop a cult following in Japan.

 

2000s: Crossing Over — FC Sniper Hits the U.S. Market

As the influence of Japanese tackle and techniques grew in the late ‘90s and early 2000s, American anglers began to take notice of the gear dominating overseas. FC Sniper slowly made its way into the U.S. market, and those who tried it quickly realized it wasn’t just hype; it was different.

Unlike the stiff, wiry fluorocarbons that many American anglers had grown used to, FC Sniper was castable, sensitive, and durable. It performed equally well on spinning gear and baitcasters, especially in finesse situations where light line was critical. From club tournaments to national trails, it started showing up on more and more reels, especially in the hands of serious bass anglers who valued performance over marketing.

 

Key Evolution Milestones in FC Sniper’s History

FC Sniper’s long-standing success comes from more than just a strong start. What really sets it apart is how Sunline has continued to improve the line without