When it came time for packing for the trip, we asked to include our rods in his carrying case.  He chuckled and stated that the rods and reel that we had chosen were too small and would not stand up to the silver salmon of Alaska. At first glance of the size of his rods and reels we thought we might have come unprepared.

Upon arrival we adventured our rented boat through the Valdez Arm into Jacks Bay & Galena Bay.  At first we used down riggers and the larger gear to troll pop gear and herring for the silver salmon.  While we did catch a number of silver salmon it almost seemed unsporting as you couldn’t really feel the fight of the fish.

We then anchored in Jacks Bay for lunch, and unsheathed our W&M Alaska Medium Drifter rods & the Eagle Claw Endure Cast reels.  We rigged a small amount of weight and a herring, and cast over side.  As we were unpacking lunch my buddy shouted “the Wright McGill!”  My son grabbed the rod, set the hook, and it was fish on!  We had a modest set on the drag, when the salmon saw the boat it went for an immediate run stripping line off the reel.  After a good fight, we netted the silver salmon, which was our largest fish caught yet.  Immediately following the catch, the whining drag of the second Wright McGill sounded off, and my buddy grabbed the pole.  Like a kid in a candy store, he said “now this is fishing!” as he reeled in yet another big silver.  Lunch was delayed as we all took turns catching our limit with the Wright McGill fishing gear.

For the remaining days of our vacation we caught our limit using the Wright McGill fishing gear.  With each catch you could feel every twitch and pull of the fish, the responsiveness could not be beat.

My friend stated that he is getting rid of the other poles and from now on will only use Wright McGill.  I’m hooked, and cannot wait for our next trip!

My friend Chris and I decided that we would go fishing for perch on Edgemere road. We had caught 20 perch before it began to rain.  As we were packing up I noticed that my light action rod was being dragged into the water. I ran over and picked the rod up, set the hook, and felt what I thought was a whale.  It took a grueling 45min to real in this mud puppy! I was forced to run up and down the road to avoid running out of line or snapping the 4lb test. When I finally landed the monster it felt like a cylinder block. It ended up weighting 53.4lbs.  Thanks to Eagle Claw hooks I was able to catch this giant carp. I can finally say that  my Rocheser outdoors club finally got popular! – Bobby

“I attended a ladies fishing seminar in Stuart, Florida a few weekends ago called “Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing”.  I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of it or not, but it’s a weekend seminar to help us ladies become more comfortable with the sport of fishing by teaching us the simple basics.  Someone by the name of Sam Hudson was there on behalf of Eagle Claw and set up a station to teach us how to rig live shrimp on a circle hook.  He also gave us some handouts to help us learn the difference between hook sizes and shapes and in-line vs. off-set.  And finally, he gave us all a pack of different sized circle hooks to put in our tackle boxes.  I just wanted to take a few minutes and tell you ‘Thank-You’ for supplying us with someone willing to help us and for the hooks to get us started.  It was really an awesome experience and I hope Eagle Claw continues to be a part of it.”

Eagle Claw continues to remain dedicated to teaching and helping people around the nation become more involved and interested in the sport of fishing. Whether it be salt water inshore fishing, trout fishing in the rivers of Colorado, or off-shore marlin fishing, Eagle Claw wants to be involved.

Thank you to Delores and all of the rest of our faithful users and fans out there!

To be successful at fishing crappie you need to find underwater structure. Team Jones relies on the common fishfinder to navigate fishing hotspots. They look for canals, lumber, stumps, and any other structure to use to their advantage. The average fisherman has trouble reading or using their fishfinder. Learning to use your fishfinder correctly can make all the difference.

Look for the whole article coming out in Indiana Game and Fish

For tips and tutorials on how to correctly use a fishfinder go to:

http://www.lowrance.com/Support/Tips-and-Tutorials/

http://fishinweb.com/messages/messages/13028/13028.html?1258393767

Larry and his hat hook

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Eagle Claw Hat Hook & Tie Clasp, the Wright & McGill Co. is introducing an imaginative line of artistically styled hat hooks called the 155 Graphix Edition.

There are 7 new designs that have been added to the hat hook lineup. These new styles bring a breath of color and life to an already famous icon of the fishing industry. Joining the existing Gold, Red, White & Blue finishes, that the 155-hat hook is currently available in, are 5 new custom designs: Camouflage, American Flag, Rainbow Trout, Carbon Fiber and Flames. Also joining the 155 Graphix Edition are an Eagle Claw and a Lazer Sharp branded hat hook.

Flag Graphix Hat Hook

The new 155 Graphix Edition hat hooks are a fun and exciting way to show an angler’s love and passion for their sport. Now anglers can coordinate their hat hooks with their outdoor gear and proudly represent the brands that have kept America fishing for generations.

As always 100% American Made!!

Rainbow Trout

Hook Location: Of all the fish they landed, only one fish had “swallowed” the hook and was hooked fairly deep. The hook removed relatively easy with no harm to the fish. Every other fish was hooked in the mouth.

Hook Removal: The small circle hooks were easy to remove, but forceps or a pair of needle-nose pliers could be helpful. The hooks have short shanks and are tough to handle with fingers. The barbed hooks were easy to remove with pliers or by hand after pinching the barb down.

Hook Sets: As with large circle hooks, no swift jerk is required, and attempting to set the hook (as if you were bass fishing) won’t catch many fish. In fact, the jerk usually pulls the hook out of the fishes mouth. Fishing in about 6-8 feet of water, simply lifting the rod is proven most effective.

Hooking Success: The group missed a few more fish than traditional hooks, but the fish were so plentiful it didn’t really matter. The bite was subtle on the test day, often only noticed by a slight twitch or tightening of the line while the bait was on the fall. The light bite may have been another factor in the number of missed fish.

Baits: The bluegill hit both baits consistently, but the Gulp! crickets won out on this day by a significant margin. The tiny legs on the plastic bugs may have attracted the fish, or a huge grasshopper crop in Central Texas may have played a role. The plastic crickets held up well, didn’t get dirt under the fingernails, and each bug was good for several bites and successful catches.

Overall: The tiny circle hooks were a big success. No fish were killed in attempting to remove hooks. No cutting the line and leaving the hook in the released fish hoping the fish would make it. The hooks are a definite plus for fishing with live bait, still fishing while anchored, or anywhere that fish populations are such that large numbers of fish are expected to be caught and released.

The new bioline product performs as well as monofilament with outstanding abrasion resistance and knot strength while having the clarity of fluorocarbon. bioline is the choice for weekend warriors and top anglers looking for a more earth-friendly alternative.

The degradation process starts at the surface of the line. Microorganisms begin breaking down and digesting bioline with the aid of sunlight and moisture. bioline becomes a combination of CO₂, H₂O and biomass. After the initial 10-12 months of use, the line begins to lose its tensile strength. The loss of tensile strength allows wildlife caught in lost line to break free. Standard monofilament does not degrade for 600 years and discarded line entangles birds, turtles and other wildlife. 

Eagle Claw strives to be the leader in “green” fishing gear for anglers around the world and looks for opportunities to work with other organizations committed to conserve our natural resources and waterways.  

Eagle Claw is proud to bring bioline, the first 100% biodegradable premium fishing line, to the market. bioline is available in 225 yard spools in 4-12 lb test.

For more information, visit the all-new bioline website at www.biolinefishing.com. Fish Green!!

Monster rainbow trout caught on the Kenai River in Alaska by John Whitlatch from Reel Adventures.

Using the 11′ 6″  Wright McGill float rods and the Sabalos 2500 reels, John plans on landing numerous monster lunker rainbows like the one pictured above. “I prefer a 10′ 7 wt. Wright and McGill rod to tame these fish, even from a boat,” said John. “They are big and strong, anything less and you are likely to end up with a handful of toothpicks that used to be your 6 wt.”

John, a veteran angler on the Kenai, has been planning and preparing for this trip for months. He doesn’t just look forward to the trip, he is passionately excited about catching these truly beautiful trophy fish!

Catch the whole story and read up on all of John’s techniques and ideas. To go directly to the story, click here.

Jeffrey flew out to Denver and went ice fishing with Matt on Lake Antero this last winter. They faced brutal conditions as the temperature was 33 degress below! However, they managed to drag up some lunkers and make for a great day on the ice.

Recently, Jeffrey returned the favor by inviting Matt to fish with him on Jordan Lake in North Carolina. Mike Jackson from Eagle Claw joined the crew for the intense bass fishing fiesta. The conditions were completely the opposite as the sun blazed to the 100 degree mark. But nothing was going to stop the group from landing several trophy bass.

The entire story, along with pictures, can be found on the Carolina Outdoors website. To view the page, click here.

The team used several Eagle Claw and Wright & McGill products, including the Skeet Reese Series Tessera Jig/Worm Rod, the Sabalos Bait Casting Reel, and the Eagle Claw Bass Fish Attractant.