Superlines Reel ‘Em In At Fish Expo

An across-the-board expansion of expensive, high-end products and a whole new generation of high-tech lines highlighted the 1995 International Sportfishing Expo, the annual unveiling of new products.

Super braided line, made from gel spun polyethylene and Kevlar fibers, stole the show last year and garnered a larger share of the line market than many believed possible - even at their $20 to $40 per spool price.

While monofilament nylon lines still dominate, three line companies introduced new, super lines made from gel spun polyethylene fiber that are bundled and then spun, fused, coated or a combination of those things to create a line that is more like monofilament nylon in feel.

Berkley’s Fireline, Spiderwire’s Fusion, and Raptor line all will compete in this new superline category. These lines also will cost much less than the braided products because they can be manufactured for less money and in far greater volume. Spiderwire’s Don Jeckell says the new super lines are going to replace nylon monofilament lines.

Raptor’s Scott Turner didn’t think the new lines would replace mono, but definitely had a growing segment of the market. “Our whole goal was to reduce the price point (of superlines) and make a better product.”

Meanwhile, Stren bucked the superline trend and announced Easy Cast, a new nylon monofilament that blends different types of nylon together into a line that has both high strength and abrasion resistance with incredible limpness.

“I think Stren has real guts to buck the trends and focus on what is the core market. They have recognized that the majority of fishermen use monofilament, and by providing the best mono available, they’re going to capture a larger market segment with Easy Cast,” said Pennaz, a fishing magazine editor.

“Nylon monofilament is still the most forgiving line - and some people need to be forgiven. So I don’t think the new (super fiber) lines will replace monofilament. They will find their own niche in the marketplace, and they are all very good products,” said Field & Stream’s Ken Schultz.

In addition to pricey reels and lines, the lure marketplace is being flooded with lures that cost from double to nearly 10 times the price of lures in retail stores. Fenwick, a sister company with Berkley, and Yo-Zuri, a Japanese lure manufacturer, both are importing extensive lines of expensive Japanese lures that cost from $8 to $20. The lures feature innovative designs and immaculate finishes.

Suspending crankbaits and jerkbaits continue to be one of the biggest trends in the lure marketplace. Rapala’s entry here, called the Husky Jerk, joins suspending baits from PRADCO and Storm introduced last year. Reef Runner Tackle Co. of Marblehead, Ohio, added VMC outbarb treble hooks to its suspending bait, the RipStick, to give it superior fish-holding ability.

Reef Runner has an exclusive on the outbarb hooks for this year.

Viper Tackle Manufacturing of Hinton, Okla., introduced a plastic worm called the Annihilator that is hollow and filled with scent.

The scent is retained in the worm until it is rigged with a hook and then constantly seeps from the lure or emits it when bumped against rocks, brush or when taken by a fish.

Southern Lure Co. of Columbus, Miss., showed a new ClickLine spinnerbait that clicks each time the angler jerks the line slightly or pops the lure against any underwater structure.

Watson’s Wrats of Henderson, Nev., has a new line of 12 baits that utilize natural fur over a foam body that look like mice, weasels, and muskrats on the water.

Dwayne Watson, the designer of the $40 lure, said he kept them a secret for over a year, winning three bass boats in Western tournaments fishing these baits.

In the electronics end of the fishing marketplace, Motorguide’s voice-activated control (VAC) Lazer trolling motor is using technology that allows voicesteering and operation of the motor from anywhere in the boat - or even if you fall overboard.

The VAC Lazer motor also comes with a choice of two remote radio control pads that can be clipped on the belt and run by hand or by foot.

Lowrance’s new Global Map 2000 combines a global positioning system and sonar along with detailed inland mapping into one integrated system that allows anglers to return to fishing spots with precision and also chart their way to a local restaurant after a day of fishing.

Magellan’s $200 GPS 2000 hand-held unit went against the grain of increasing prices by becoming the first GPS unit to sell for less than $400, making the units far more affordable.