One of the most important and useful tools I use every day while fishing and honestly just about every day of my life are my sunglasses. I mean really think about it, how many times you have walked out the door and immediately it hit you “need my sunglasses”! Or even worse, head out fishing/hunting before the sun comes up, but when it comes up it hits you “oh no, I forgot my sunglasses”! That’s a long day no one wants to go through and yes we’ve all done it! This really shows how important a high quality pair of sunglasses is for any outdoor sport or better everyday life!
I’ve found a company that makes one of the finest pairs of sunglasses on the market today and you would not think at first it would come from the company that makes them. Salt Life has introduced a line of Sport optics (Sunglasses) that are like no other on the market, yet reasonably priced for the quality pair of sunglasses your getting. I know what you’re thinking; how and why are they better than most others on the market?
-Salt Life Optics use ZEISS lenses, for over 160 years ZEISS has been the world’s leading brand in precision optics. Like NASA, Google Earth, Nobel Prize winners and Hollywood producers, outdoor lovers who wear Salt Life sunglasses can also enjoy the high quality of ZEISS lenses, the pioneers in precision optics. ZEISS lenses are used by Hasselblad and Leica, the makers of the finest cameras in the world. ZEISS lenses are being used in the James Webb Space Telescope which is going to replace the Hubble Space telescope in the next few decades. The scope and Binocular of choice for the avid Hunter and outdoorsman is ZEISS. So the ZEISS brand is a house-hold name amongst the American Sportsman.
-Frames made in Italy NOT China with premium TR90 material. TR90 is a composite material that is lighter and stronger than most of Salt Life Optic competitors; you can feel the difference with their Italian made frames and the competitors.
-PPC: all Salt Life Optics lenses are made of Polarized Polycarbonate injected material that is lightweight, offers crystal clear vision, 100% UV protection and is scratch/impact resistant.
-Anti-Reflective AR5: Carl Zeiss invented AR technology; Salt Life’s five layers AR coating reduces glare and bounce back. It’s the best I ever tried and I’ve tried a lot of sunglasses!
-Ri-Pel: this proprietary technology repels water, dirt, oil and dust. It gives the lens a Rain-X effect so water, sun tan lotion and/or bug spray will be repelled off the lens and makes for easier cleaning. Ri-Pel is a permanent repellent coating.
-True Color Recognition: ZEISS formulated our exclusive tints to allow colors to be seen naturally. Other lenses distort the color spectrum blocking reds and yellows so after hours of wearing the user may develop headaches.
-Salt Life Optic Coatings: all our coatings are vacuum sealed on so they are permanent and will not delaminate when exposed to salt water or extreme weather conditions. Many of Salt Life’s competitors use a dipping process to apply their coatings and in time will delaminate.
-RX lenses: prescription lenses are available. Salt Life is using a ZEISS lab with the latest technology so that the user enjoys the special tints and coatings ZEISS has created for Salt Life Optics. They offer single vision, progressive and reader lenses.
I really could not believe my eyes, literally, the first time I put on a pair of Salt Life sunglasses, crystal clear is an understatement; for the first time really true color hues but with great UV protection!
A few weeks ago I was fishing off the beach a few miles, it was a flat calm day with lots of clouds with sun peaking through every once in a while. The kind of day when there is a really bad glare on the water, yet the water was super clear. A large barracuda rolled up beside the boat, I could see it very easily and when I said to my custom “wow look at that large barracuda” he could not see it?!?! I took off my pair of Salt Life sunglasses and handed them to him (my customer) he could not believe the large barracuda just beside the boat!!! The two things that blew my mind were that I could not see the barracuda without my Salt Life sunglasses and that he could not see the barracuda with the well known fishing brand sunglasses he was wearing before he put mine on.
Do yourself one favor go at least try on a pair of Salt Life Sunglasses, compare them to the brand you use now. I sure you’ll be amazed by the difference in many aspects of the Salt Life optics to the ones you wear now. Welcome to Salt Life Optics the way sunglasses should be made!
Check out the full line at www.biminibayoptics.com or locally at Tex’s Bait & Tackle Shop 215 Old Eastwood Rd Wilmington, NC 28403 www.texstackle.com
Posted in Product Reviews on September 2nd, 2015
PENN Fishing tackle has done it again with the 2015 Best of Show Salt Water Fishing Reel at ICAST (International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades). It’s the new PENN Clash spinning reel series. If you love a super smooth, light weight, but strong spinning reel you really need to take a look at the PENN Clash series.
The new Clash comes in seven sizes to cover almost all fishing scenarios; inshore, near shore and offshore. The design and look of this reel is smooth and clean; with lots of great features that I look for in a reel today. We all know braided fishing line (superline) has gotten very popular for all types of fishing. Hey its great stuff, small in diameter and super strong; but its hard on reels IE: gears and drag systems. With the Clash’s CNC Gear Technology this delivers durability, smoothness and precision. PENN’s legendary HT 100 drag and utilizing a wave spring in the drag knob of the Clash so you no longer bottom the drag out and lose the last 25% of your drag curve. What’s the purpose of having forty pounds of drag if you can’t use the last ten pounds?
All Clash spinning reels come with braid ready spools, no backing needed for these spinning reels; you can put braid right on the spool with no worry of line slippage. Speaking of braid, how about a Leveline system; this system with the correct combination of slow oscillation and appropriate spool dimensions deliver the perfect line lay on the spool. This will help with longer cast and fewer wind knots.
Cap and Stats:
CLA2000: Mono cap yds/lb: 240/4 180/6 125/8 Braid cap: 210/8 180/10 165/15 Bearings: 8+1 Max drag: 10 lbs Ratio: 6.2:1 Weight: 8.2oz
CLA2500: Mono cap yds/lb: 255/6 175/8 140/10 Braid cap: 240/10 220/15 160/20 Bearings: 8+1 Max drag: 12 lbs Ratio: 6.2:1 Weight: 8.5oz
CLA3000 Mono cap yds/lb: 200/8 165/10 120/12 Braid cap: 250/15 180/20 130/30 Bearings: 8+1 Max drag: 15 lbs Ratio: 6.2:1 Weight: 10.2oz
CLA4000 Mono cap yds/lb: 270/8 220/10 165/12 Braid cap: 360/15 260/20 185/30 Bearings: 8+1 Max drag: 15 lbs Ratio: 6.2:1
Weight: 10.7oz
CLA5000 Mono cap yds/lb: 225/12 200/15 135/20 Braid cap: 420/20 300/30 240/40 Bearings: 8+1 Max drag: 20 lbs Ratio: 5.6:1 Weight: 16.9oz
CLA6000 Mono cap yds/lb: 335/15 230/20 210/25 Braid cap: 490/30 390/40 335/50 Bearings: 8+1 Max drag: 25 lbs Ratio: 5.6:1 Weight: 20.7oz
CLA8000 Mono cap yds/lb: 340/20 310/25 230/30 Braid cap: 475/50 390/65 345/80 Bearings: 8+1 Max drag: 30 lbs Ratio: 4.7:1 Weight: 27.2oz
Key Features to the PENN Clash Spinning Reel:
• Full metal body makes for a durable reel and keeps things lined up
• Superline Spool™ – No backing needed because of the rubber gasket keeps superline from slipping
• Techno-Balanced Rotor design
• Machined and anodized aluminum spool with Carbon Fiber wrap
• HT-100™ carbon fiber drag washers provide smooth drag under heavy loads with a Wave Spring to utilize the entire drag curve.
• 8 Sealed stainless steel ball bearings
• Infinite anti-reverse
• Heavy-duty Aluminum bail wire
• Spool design has line capacity rings.
• Leveline Oscillation system to help with longer cast and fewer wind knots
I was on the test team when PENN first started to design the new Clash line of spinning reels. When I first got the reels, the look is clean, light weight and well built. The Clash is noticeably super smooth out of the box, but what I found was after months of use, it’s still super smooth! I fished the test reels hard, lots of Striped bass, Redfish, Flounder, a few Cobia and even a few larger sharks brought to the boat side with these reels.
As a full time fishing guide the spinning reel is my choice tool I use every day, it must work and work well! When I look for a spinning reel, I look for the one that has a good price for what you’re getting; built well enough to last through a long day of a guided fishing trip or a super long day of a tournament and light weight is the cherry on top. The Clash cost a little more, but you really need to weight out what you’re getting with the new Clash. No one likes to pay too much for fishing gear, but if it works well it’s worth every penny! I really like this spinning reel, check one out today at your favorite tackle shop.
If you have any questions about the new PENN Clash series or any PENN product, let me know and I’ll be happy to answer your questions.
Thanks for reading,
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
Posted in Product Reviews on August 4th, 2015
PENN fishing tackle has taken inshore fishing to the next level with their new line of light tackle fishing rods the Battalion line. The Battalion rods have everything you need in a light tackle rod and nothing extra that you don’t need to get in your way on a rod to get in your way. These rods were designed, tested and still used today by light tackle anglers all over the world. I was on the test team for these rods and from the first day I fished them; I really liked the way they handle and feel!
There are twenty models in the Battalion line and I’m sure you can find a rod or two that will match what ever kind of light tackle fishing you enjoy doing weather it’s inshore or near shore fishing. One thing I look for in rods today is a rod that is built well, balanced in your hands and its feels good to fish with; I look forward to fishing with my Battalions every day I’m on the water. The Battalion is the kind of rod that as soon as you pick one up you know it feels good. We all have been to the tackle shop and picked up rod after rod some feel bad, some feel ok and some feel just right. That is the way a PENN Battalion rod feels as soon as you pick it up, you know it’s the one you would like to fish with!
Here are some of the features that really make Battalions great rods:
• 100% 30 ton Graphite blank for incredible strength
• Fuji Aluminum Oxide guides
• Fuji Reel seats on all models with Fuji Skeleton reel seats on select models
• Carbon Shied; a unique twist of strands of carbon fiber that create a beautiful scale pattern on the rods.
• Twenty Models with seventeen spinning and three casting
• A soft yet durable rubber gimbal on the heavier models in casting and spinning. The rubber gimbal works well without the worry of scratching the gel coat on your boat!
• Contoured cork handles on the lighter models and EVA on the heavier models
• Spinning models with lengths of 6’6”, 7’,7’6” and 8’ casting models are 7’
• MSRP: $99.95 to $119.95
During the test period of the Battalion rods I caught loads of Redfish, Flounder, Speckled trout, Bluefish and a few nice Striped Bass too.
The Battalion worked flawlessly for me during the test and design stages, It was a joy to fish the Battalion rods. These rods have the light feel of a well built rod, but with the power to bring in larger fish too.
One day I was out looking for Redfish around one of the local inlets in North Carolina I fish regularly, I was fishing with a Battalion seven foot eight to fifteen line class spinning rod (BATIN815S70). I was catching a few mid slot Redfish three to six pounders, always fun on light tackle! When all of a sudden my line started to run off the reel with good power and speed; what has picked up my bait now? After a good fight time of fifth teen minutes or so; a very nice Bull Redfish popped up to the surface. The Red was forty one inched long and weighted around thirty five pounds. During the fight the Battalion I was using felt good, stable and strong. Even today it still feels brand new even after the hard fight.
Check out the full line of PENN Battalion rods at www.pennreels.com or your local tackle shop. If you have any questions or comments on the Battalions or any PENN products please let me know.
Thanks for reading,
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
Posted in Product Reviews on February 21st, 2015
PENN Fishing tackle has been around for a long time and over the years has made some of the greatest fishing tackle of all time; I’ve still got PENN reels my grand farther used and they still work great! If you are a avid fishermen, I’m sure you have noticed that PENN has been working hard on some new and exciting products lately. PENN has had great success with the Battle line of spinning reels, this well built and affordable spinning reel has been hard to beat! If you enjoyed the PENN Battle like I have, you’re going to love the new PENN Battle II line of spinning reels.
The new Battle II comes in eight sizes to cover almost all fishing scenarios; inshore, near shore and offshore; with the new 2500 size the inshore anglers will love it! As we all know braided fishing line (superline) has gotten very popular for all types of fishing. Hey its great stuff, small in diameter and super strong; but its hard on reels IE: gears and drag systems. The Battle’s full metal body, side plate and rotor will keep precise gear alignment even under heavy loads. And with PENN’s legendary HT 100 drag system which is keyed in the new Battle II’s; not only will this reel have a strong drag system it will last many hard fishing seasons. All Battle II’s come with braid ready spools, no backing needed for these spinning reels; you can put braid right on the spool with no worry of line slippage.
Cap and Stats:
BLTII1000: Mono cap yds/lb: 275/2 135/4 105/6 Braid cap: 160/6 130/8 110/10 Bearings 5+1 Max drag: 9lbs Ratio: 5.2:1 Weight: 8.1oz
BTLII2000: Mono cap yds/lb: 240/4 180/6 125/8 Braid cap: 210/8 180/10 165/15 Bearings: 5+1 Max drag: 10 lbs Ratio: 6.2:1 Weight: 9.8oz
BTLII2500: Mono cap yds/lb: 255/6 175/8 140/10 Braid cap: 240/10 220/15 160/20 Bearings: 5+1 Max drag: 12 lbs Ratio: 6.2:1 Weight: 10.3oz
BTLII3000 Mono cap yds/lb: 200/8 165/10 120/12 Braid cap: 250/15 180/20 130/30 Bearings: 5+1 Max drag: 15 lbs Ratio: 6.2:1 Weight: 12.3oz
BTLII4000 Mono cap yds/lb: 270/8 220/10 165/12 Braid cap: 360/15 260/20 185/30 Bearings: 5+1 Max drag: 15 lbs Ratio: 6.2:1
Weight: 12.8oz
BTLII5000 Mono cap yds/lb: 225/12 200/15 135/20 Braid cap: 420/20 300/30 240/40 Bearings: 5+1 Max drag: 25 lbs Ratio: 5.6:1 Weight: 19.8oz
BTLII6000 Mono cap yds/lb: 335/15 230/20 210/25 Braid cap: 490/30 390/40 335/50 Bearings: 5+1 Max drag: 25 lbs Ratio: 5.6:1 Weight: 22.1oz
BTLII8000 Mono cap yds/lb: 340/20 310/25 230/30 Braid cap: 475/50 390/65 345/80 Bearings: 5+1 Max drag: 30 lbs Ratio: 5.3:1 Weight: 30.2oz
Key Features to the PENN Battle II Spinning Reel:
• Full metal body, sideplate and rotor keep precise gear alignment under heavy loads
• Superline Spool™ – No backing needed because of the rubber gasket keeps superline from slipping
• Machined and anodized aluminum spool
• HT-100™ Keyed carbon fiber drag washers provide smooth drag under heavy loads
• Stainless steel main shaft
• 6 Sealed stainless steel ball bearings
• New paint process to stop paint lifting and chipping.
• Infinite anti-reverse
• Heavy-duty Aluminum bail wire
• New spool design that’s helps with less wind knots and has line capacity rings.
I was on the test team when PENN first started to design the new Battle II line of spinning reels. When I first got the reels, the look of them is clean and well built. The Battle II is noticeably super smooth out of the box, but what I found was after months of use, it’s still super smooth! I caught loads of flounder, redfish and striped bass on my test reels and fish after fish the Battle II’s stayed smooth.
As a full time fishing guide, outdoor writer, seminar speaker and tournament angler; I’ve seen quite a few spinning reels. Day in and day out, I fish with spinning reels and my clients use them too. When I look for a spinning reel, I look for the one that has a good price and built well enough to last through a long day of a guided fishing trip or a super long day of a tournament. Over the years of fishing, I’ve found that you get what you pay for in any fishing tackle, but who wants to pay “too much” for tackle; no one! You want a spinning reel that will stay smooth and have good smooth/strong drag season after season; right? If this sounds like the reel you are looking for give the PENN Battle II line a try.
If you have any questions about the new PENN Battle II or any PENN product, let me know and I’ll be happy to answer your questions.
Thanks for reading,
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
Posted in Product Reviews on July 24th, 2014
PENN Fishing Tackle has brought another great spinning reel to the fishing market, it is the new PENN Conflict spinning reel. If you love your PENN Sargus or Battle you’re really going to love the Conflict! PENN has been working hard to come out with some very good tackle and I feel that they hit a “homerun” with the PENN Conflict. Here are some of the features that make the PENN Conflict stand alone as a great reel.
The Conflict’s great looking and durable design with a super smooth but very strong drag are a few of the reasons some many anglers will love to fish this reel! Conflicts full metal body allows it to maintain precision gear alignment under severe pressure while you are fighting that trophy fish. The Techno-Balanced rotor (reinforced graphite on 1000-4000 sizes) ensures a smooth retrieve every cast.
Key Features of the PENN Conflict Spinning Reel:
• Full metal body and sideplate keep precise gear alignment under heavy loads (5000, 6000 & 8000 only)
• Superline Spool™ – No backing needed because of the rubber gasket keeps superline (braid) from slipping
• Machined and anodized aluminum spool
• HT-100™ Carbon Fiber drag washers provide smooth drag under heavy loads
• Line Capacity Rings
• 7+1 sealed stainless steel ball bearings
• Infinite anti-reverse
• Techno-balanced™ rotor gives smooth retrieves
• Machined and anodized aluminum handle with foam knob.
• Heavy-duty Aluminum bail wire.
By keying the proprietary HT-100 Versa-drag washers into the spool PENN was able to use both sides of each drag washer giving the Conflict higher max drags, more range and smoother start ups than the competition. PENN’s HT-100 washers are greased with our proprietary PENN grease for longevity.
Cap and Stats:
CFT1000: Mono cap yds/lb: 275/2 135/4 105/6 Braid cap: 160/6 130/8 110/10 Bearings: 7+1 Max drag: 9 lbs Ratio: 5.2:1 Weight: 7.8oz
CFT2000: Mono cap yds/lb: 240/4 180/6 125/8 Braid cap: 230/8 180/10 165/15 Bearings: 7+1 Max drag: 10 lbs Ratio: 6.2:1 Weight: 9.5oz
*CFT2500 Mono cap yds/lb: 255/6 175/8 140/10 Braid cap: 240/10 220/15 160/20 Bearings: 7+1 Max drag: 12 lbs Ratio: 6.2:1 Weight: 9.8oz
CFT3000 Mono cap yds/lb: 200/8 165/10 120/12 Braid cap: 250/15 180/20 130/30 Bearings: 7+1 Max drag: 15 lbs Ratio: 6.2:1 Weight: 11.3oz
CFT4000 Mono cap yds/lb: 280/8 220/10 165/12 Braid cap: 360/15 260/20 185/30 Bearings: 7+1 Max drag: 15 lbs Ratio: 6.2:1 Weight: 12.0oz
CFT5000 Mono cap yds/lb: 225/12 200/15 135/20 Braid cap: 420/20 300/30 240/40 Bearings: 7+1 Max drag: 25 lbs Ratio: 5.6:1 Weight: 19.0oz
CFT6000 Mono cap yds/lb: 335/15 230/20 210/25 Braid cap: 490/30 390/40 335/50 Bearings: 7+1 Max drag: 25 lbs Ratio: 5.6:1 Weight: 21.5oz
CFT8000 Mono cap yds/lb: 340/20 310/25 230/30 Braid cap: 475/50 390/65 345/80 Bearings: 7+1 Max drag: 30 lbs Ratio: 5.3:1 Weight: 28.1oz
*New Size
I was one of the field testers for the new PENN Conflict during the design stage and here are the features that I enjoy while fishing this reel. The Conflict has a lighter weight which you can feel when casting for hours on the water. When I was fighting fast running fish like Spanish mackerel or False Albacore the drag stayed smooth and kept its setting throughout the entire fight. While I was fighting hard but slower running fish like Redfish and deep water flounder the drag was smooth and stayed set even when fish would not want to come off the bottom. I really enjoy the feel of the new foam handles, which are round with a flat finger surface on the 1000 to 4000 and a round larger design on the 5000 to 8000 sizes. The Conflict has clean look to it with a black body and anodized titanium gray look on the spool and side plates. And with the new 2500 Conflict size, this reel is the perfect size for all my inshore fishing needs.
I believe the PENN Conflict is going to be one of the best spinning reels PENN has ever made; I know that is a strong quote, but trust me this is a solid reel!
Check out all of PENN’s great fishing products at www.pennreels.com
Thanks for reading my review, if you have any questions on the Conflict or any PENN product let me know, I’ll be happy to answer them.
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
Posted in Product Reviews on September 24th, 2013
