Reviews

XTRATUF Chumrunner
Posted on April 23, 2013 by

XTRATUF Chumrunners – First Impressions

My XTRATUF II boots have been the footwear of choice for winter fishing this year and they’ve been fantastic on every outing. I’m sad that they’ll be put away in the next few weeks as summer approaches, but I’m very happy knowing they’re ready and waiting for next winter. When talking to the folks at XTRATUF I found out they were about to release a new collection of fishing shoes paired with their XTRATUF sole. I asked, though I would have begged, for the chance to review their new shoes and they graciously supplied me with the pair you see below.

XTRATUF Chumrunner

At first glance the Chumrunners might seem boring, but I think the simplicity of their design is what I like the most. They exist somewhere between deck shoes and skate shoes with a feel that is casual and comfortable. The light and flexible soles are non-marking and feature the same chevron pattern that gives XTRATUF boots their grip. I’ll be putting these to the test with some serious urban shore fishing around Toronto and come back with a full review.

XTRATUF‘s new line of fishing shoes are available in three styles (Finatic, Chumrunner, and Sharkbyte) for both men and women.

Posted on March 4, 2013 by

Review Roundup: Ready, Set, Fish!

Over the weekend I spent a lot of time working on our backlog of reviews and preparing our 2012 contributor contest entries. I also managed to get out on Saturday for some winter fishing and although it was the first trip of the year, and fishing is never a guaranteed thing, we managed to find a great location and land a few fresh winter steelhead.

Winter Steelhead Fishing && WE FISHIN MANE t-shirt!

So while I’m packing WE FISHIN MANE t-shirt orders and the prizes for last year’s contributor contest why not check out these four fantastic reviews, including a review of the tangle-free WaveSpin fishing reel from KokeMachine.

XTRATUF II Boots

XTRATUF Boots The XTRATUF II are 100% waterproof neoprene boots, paired with a slip resistant sole and added stabilizers to support your feet and ankles. They retail for about $100-$120 USD and are available in men’s and women’s sizes. While they aren’t pretty, they come from a brand with a serious reputation among commercial fisherman, and some street credibility in Alaska and the pacific northwest where they’re known as the “Alaskan Tennis Shoe”. I’ve tested these boots for over a month now, but yesterday was my first opportunity to test them on some winter fishing.

Continue reading our review of the XTRATUF II boots…


WaveSpin Reel

Wave Spin Reel - RIG IT! As a man whose fishing game is so often crippled and hilarified* by severely nasty tangles and bird’s nests, when I first read about the WaveSpin reel, despite my reservations, I was hopeful that this reel might mean the end of those dark days. The reel features a unique spool design that resembles a saw blade. Although one might think that this feature is added for bad-ass stylistic purposes, it is actually the mechanism that prevents tangles. By forcing loose loops of line into the grooves and out-of-the-way of outgoing line on a cast the loops are eventually pulled out in the proper order. The “teeth” also reduce the friction on your line allowing for smoother and longer casts.

Continue reading KokeMachine’s review of the WaveSpin fishing reel…


Big Smallie Hair Jigs

Big Smallie Tackle - High Quality Handmade Hair Jigs The hair jig comes with a legendary reputation for catching fish. Some might consider them “old school” and pass them in stores without a second glance, while others know them as a veteran’s tool for cold water fishing. If these underrated lures are missing from your tackle box you’re probably missing out on fishing opportunities. Big Smallie Tackle Hair Jigs are handcrafted lures by Ryan Lampe, and they look fantastic.

Continue reading our review of Big Smallie Hair Jigs…


Suncloud Polarized Optics

Suncloud Polarized Optics - Impulse (Men's) If you have a large head like I do, then you know how hard it is to find a quality pair of glasses that fit. For that reason, I’m very pleased to say that these Suncloud Polarized Optics fit without any pinching, but also look great. The wrap around frames help to block out light and the polarized lenses are very sharp. The brown tint filters out blue light while increasing the overall contrast, making them perfect for cloud-free days, shallow water fishing, and even driving.

Continue reading our review of Suncloud Polarized Optics…


WE FISHIN' MANE T-Shirt
Posted on February 26, 2013 by

T-Shirt Printing from TShirtPrinting.org – First Impressions

When TShirtPrinting.org emailed and offered me a free custom t-shirt in exchange for a review I was eerily surprised. For the last few weeks I’ve been aggressively searching out t-shirt printers in my area for the best deals and I was in the middle of that research when their offer arrived.

WE FISHIN' MANE T-Shirt

Because TShirtPrinting.org uses a transfer system, versus a traditional silkscreen system, we were not limited by the number of colours. In fact, the background you see in the print is from a photo. The transfer system works by printing out your design on special paper which is then cut out, just like die-cut stickers, and then transferred to the garment usually with a heat press. The process is simple but there are plenty of little things to get wrong.

The print looks very nice, though after seeing it I would probably boost the contrast more to combat the whiteness of the paper. We’ll have to wait and see how it holds up after a few washes before posting our final review. I’ll also try to get a better picture of myself wearing this shirt before then.

If you’re looking for WE FISHIN’ MANE gear check out WEFISHINMANE.com.

Mystery Tackle Box
Posted on January 21, 2013 by

Mystery Tackle Box – First Impressions

Mystery Tackle Box is a monthly subscription service that delivers a mysterious package of fishing tackle right to your door for only $15 USD a month. Every month you should receive around 3-5 new products vetted by Mystery Tackle Box’s own team of tournament anglers that review each product to ensure its quality and merits. Currently they’re focusing on bass fishing but many of the lures and tackle will probably crossover into other common sport fish territories like pike, musky, or walleye.

I was given a 3-month gift subscription to Mystery Tackle Box for christmas by my wonderful girlfriend. I think she purchased it because I had previously raved about their commercials and how much I loved the Karl VonDibble character. Mystery Tackle Box really pushed these commercials on youtube during December. I swear 6 out of every 10 video ads I saw was a Mystery Tackle Box ad. In the end they did get my business for their efforts, so I guess it worked out.

So what mysterious things did I get in my first delivery? Keep reading to find out!

Mystery Tackle Box

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