BLOG
7th Annual Kids Fishing For Charity Event is a Success
Posted on: Jul 22, 2010
Posted in: Hooks, Lazer Sharp, News From Chris, Wright & McGill
No Comments »
Every year for the past 7 years, Eagle Claw has teamed up with the New Brunswick Sportsfishing Association to hold the Kids Fishing for Charity event. The most recent one for 2010 was held on July 10th. Jason, a dedicated volunteer, talks about the event and explains why the event is so important, what the average person can take away from the event, and how this event can change the lives of so many underprivileged children suffering from Juvenile Diabetes.
Kids line up and await the start of the tournament.
Heres what Jason had to say…
“The New Brunswick Sportsfishing Association just finishing holding their 7th Annual Kids Fishing for Charity Event on July 10, 2010. All money raised is donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. I am pleased to say we raised $2000.00 and the New Brunswick Government just announced that they will contribute $2.00 for every dollar we raised. Juvenile Diabetes strikes far too many of our children and each donation, no matter the size, takes us one step closer to finding a cure for this terrible disease. In 2010, the event collected and donated $6000.00 to this worth-while cause.
Out of all the tournaments throughout the year this is the one I enjoy the most. Just to see all of the smiles on of all the kids’ faces. This event also gives kids a chance that they might not normally get: a chance to go fishing and to get in a fancy bass boat and experience the thrill of fishing.
We have Angel boaters that do not have their own children to take. So they volunteer their time and boat for such a worthy event. Angel boaters are willing to take one (1) child and their parent/guardian into this event. The entry fee is $25.00 per boat which goes towards our donation.
The kids are split up into 3 groups for this event. The group’s ages are 6 to 8, 9 to 11, and 12 to 15. The first group was set at 6 to 8 but every year we see more and more eager anglers under 6 signing up for this event.
Until 2 years ago, I was an Angel Boater. At that time my daughter was 4 and she decided she was old enough to start fishing tournaments. She has won a trophy both years she has fished. The way she is going I might have to expand my fishing room to hold all her trophies. Rumor has it that the Eagle Claw scouts have their eye on her.
The target species are Yellow Perch, Chain Pickerel, and Smallmouth Bass. Each child is allowed to bring one of each species in to be measured. Our Tournament Advisor also volunteers his time and experience to measure and release all the fish.
Every child receives a participation medallion and a grab bag with goodies like Eagle Claw hooks, soft baits, books, and even a Dave Mercer Bobble head. Trophies are awarded for the three top fish in every category. Every child is giving a chance to pick one gift from the prize table that was donated from generous people and companies. The prizes ranged from rod and reel combos to a Super Soaker squirt gun. In addition to the prizes, five bikes were donated as a special draw for the kids. With 56 kids fishing this year, it made many children happy and enlightened a few people’s minds.
After the kids weighed in their fish they were treated to a BBQ, snacks, and cake.
I would like to thank everyone that helped make this Annual Event such a great success. My daughter is already making plans for next year.
I am grateful to be fortunate enough to belong to an organization that has the same passion about taking care of our sport and resources to provide our kids a chance to enjoy this sport for years to come.” – Jason
Jason sits with his daughter while everybody enjoys a BBQ.
Do your part to help out when necessary. Eagle Claw is a proud partner of the Kids Fishing Derby and we understand the significance of the help we can give. Thank you, Jason, for such a wonderful and inspiring event that you dedicate so much of your time and efforts to. Eagle Claw, along with millions of other people, are proud and thankful for the determination and understanding you give to the children with Juvenile Diabetes.
Wright & McGill Allows For Big Catch
Posted on: Jul 21, 2010
Posted in: News From Chris, Wright & McGill
No Comments »
In the past several years, Fish Explorer has evolved as one of Colorado’s most well known, local websites for fishing news around the state. The website has grown fast, and is now one of the premier fishing sites for the region. It targets local lakes, local species, and is designed to inform and help fisherman learn more about the fishing reports in the region. Matt Snider, the admin and founder of Fish Explorer, talks about his most recent experience with Wright & McGill products. Matt went on an annual fishing trip to California with some of his old college buddies…
“We had a great trip to California, and I netted 4 muskies myself, the group did 11 total. All but 3 were 41-46″. The rain gear came in handy, especially day 1 and day 10. First day we got boated in with rain and the gear saved me! It rained a bit throughout the week but not downpours, and then on the last day we had a remarkable set of events: sunset, moonrise, full moon, rain storm, and wind change all at the same time! Which means an opportune feeding window. So I donned my gear and stayed out until ten. Good news was I picked up my last fish on what was my last cast, and the gear allowed me to do it! Thanks for the tough gear!”
Good job Matt…keep up the good work!!
Kind Word From a Faithful User
Posted on: Jul 20, 2010
Posted in: Hooks, Lazer Sharp, News From Chris, Wright & McGill
No Comments »
One of our most faithful customers, Nickie Morton, comments on the trophy fish he caught, and how Eagle Claw hooks and Wright and McGill rods allowed him to catch the fish of his dreams! Here’s what Nickie had to say:
“I would just like to say thanks for making a great product! On July 5th while fishing the Caney Fork river in Smithville TN I hooked into a monster brown trout! I was using ultra light gear and your number 6 pan fish hook and managed to land a 8.75 lb brown trout after a 2.5 hour fight! Thanks for the great product with outstanding quality!
Thanks Again!”
Faithful customer, Nickie Morton, stand with his 8.75 pound Brown Trout caught out of Smithville, Tennessee.
Our mission is to provide all of our customers with outstanding quality products that get the job done, every time! With affordable prices, we guarantee that the joy and excitement found in fishing is attainable by any and every customer! Thanks again Nickie for the story, and keep up the good work!
Wright & McGill Rods, Eagle Claw Hooks Get Job Done
Posted on: Jul 19, 2010
Posted in: Hooks, Lazer Sharp, News From Chris, Wright & McGill
No Comments »
Chase Plott, 8, of Ojai, California, caught this 130-pound halibut on a jig with a Wright & McGill halibut rod on July 1 while fishing with Capt. Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing in Gustavus, Alaska. It was one of two halibut over 100 pounds caught by the youngster. His father, Norm, held the rod after Plott hooked the fish while the boy continued to reel the big halibut in. Within no time, the halibut was owned by this young angler and brought to the boat.
Chase Plott hauls in his monster 130-pound halibut from Gustavus, Alaska.
His older brother, Tanner Plott, caught with a 140-pound halibut caught on July 1 on a jig. Tanner was using a Wright & McGill halibut rod to land the big fish in less than 20 minutes. With a big grin on his face, he pulled the monster to the surfaced and also landed the fish in the boat.
The Plott Family with their hoard of fish.
The Plott Family, Linda, Chase, Norm, Zack and Tanner, caught a load of halibut on their July 1 outing from Gustavus, Alaska, with Capt. Andy Martin. The group caught eight halibut over 100 pounds, plus dozens of fish between 50 and 90 pounds during their five-day trip. Halibut were not the only fish caught; the family managed to catch dozens of yelloweye rockfish and some larger salmon on their trip. They used Wright & McGill halibut rods, Eagle Claw hooks, and baits marinated in Pautzke’s Halibut and Rockfish Nectar.
On July 13th, Andy Martin led another guided tour with Pueblo, CO resident Scott Brown. He caught a 250 pound halibut, the largest one he has ever caught. This monster was caught on a 16/0 Eagle Claw circle hook, and a Wright & McGill halibut rod. The bait used was a cod head with a live herring. Brown landed the fish after a 20-minute fight in 145 feet of water just inside Glacier Bay National Park.
Scott Brown stands with his 250 pound halibut.
Yet another client trip was made by Andy on July 20th, where Hank from Pennsylvania caught a 300 pound halibut. This gigantic fish made three runs back to the bottom, and took Hank over 40 minutes to land. The fish was caught on a Wright & McGill halibut rod in 180 feet of water near Glacier Bay.
This 300 pound brutus was caught just outside Glacier Bay, Alaska. Andy Martin continues to impress with his growing number of halibut catches.
Bernie Franklin, of Sonora, California, caught a 210 pound halibut on July 30th with Andy. The fish was caught on a Wright McGill halibut rod and a 16/0 Eagle Claw circle hook. The bait is herring and octopus soaked in Halibut/Rockfish nectar. After a 45 minute battle, Bernie managed to haul the beast into the boat just outside Glacier Bay.
Bernie stands with his 210 pound catch.
Andy Martin has had a tremendous year with the Halibut. He continues to please clients and allow people to enjoy the thrill of catching a 200+ pound monster, day in and day out!!
Wright & McGill on the Kenai
Posted on: Jul 07, 2010
Posted in: Lazer Sharp, News From Chris, Product Info, Wright & McGill
No Comments »
As the season nears, many fisherman start to prepare for the famous rainbow trout season on the Kenai River in Alaska. The season officially opened on June 11th, but the King Salmon run over powered it and made it second in line. Many anglers, like John Whitlatch from Reel Adventures, are counting down the seconds until August 1st at 12:01 am when the real rainbow season kicks in.
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.
Eagle Claw Extreme Fishing
Posted on: Jul 07, 2010
Posted in: Hooks, Lazer Sharp, News From Chris, Product Info, Wright & McGill
No Comments »
Eagle Claw takes fishing to the next level as it hooks up with Carolina Outdoors to do some serious fishing in serious conditions! Jeffrey Thomas from Carolina Outdoors and Matt Smiley from Eagle Claw paired up and fished on each other’s home turf as part of .
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.
The Eagle Claw Featherlight Series
Posted on: Jul 07, 2010
Posted in: News From Chris, Product Info, Wright & McGill
No Comments »
Take a look at the excellent review about the Eagle Claw Featherlight Series rods. They were posted on The Fiberglass Manifesto website last week. Included in the article is the improvements of the rod, the details of the rod, and the uses of the Featherlight Series.
For the whole story and link to the website, click here.
Hot News! Skeet Reese Signs up to fish with Wright and McGill Rods
Posted on: May 20, 2009
Posted in: News From Chris, Pro Staff News, Wright & McGill
5 Comments »
2009 Bassmaster Classic Champion and 2007 Bassmaster Angler of the Year, Skeet Reese, announces a new partnership with the Wright & McGill Co. to produce a new line of Skeet Reese Signature Tessera Fishing Rods and will be fishing Wright & McGill rods exclusively in the coming years. The series will be based on the competitive needs of one of the world’s best anglers combined with the technological expertise of one of the industry’s most well known manufacturers.
The Wright & McGill Skeet Reese Signature Tessera Fishing Rods will feature nine technique specific models designed by Reese to fit his own fishing style and the most popular fishing techniques being utilized today. From drop shotting to flippin’ and pitchin’, swimbaits, crankbaits and jerkbaits, the lineup will fill the needs of any serious angler. The new lineup will be constructed using Wright & McGill’s proprietary S-Curve blank technology.
S-Curve is Wright & McGill’s new process of blank construction that blends a precise mixture of materials in a specific process for assembly that results in a thin diameter blank that weighs less than conventional construction without sacrificing durability. The result of the S-Curve construction and premium components is a premium bass fishing rod that would make a Bassmaster Classic Champion proud, while making it affordable for the angling public.
“I am very excited about this new partnership with Wright & McGill,” said Reese, who has been active in design and construction of new products with his sponsors for many years. “I have always wanted to be able to produce a premium fishing rod that would be at a price point that every angler would be able to afford; Wright & McGill Co. has given me that opportunity. This new project will allow me to build the rods I’ve always wanted to build at a price point that everyone can afford; and with Wright & McGill’s distribution network, we will be able to provide many anglers a chance to experience their quality construction and affordability.”
“Chris Russell, Marketing Director for the Wright & McGill Co. said that the company is equally as excited to be working with Reese. “The thought of working with a Bassmaster Classic Champion and Angler of the Year is certainly thrilling,” Russell said, but that was not the only draw. “Skeet has a real understanding of the business side of the fishing industry, and a real sense of what the fishing public needs and wants; when coupled with his skill as an angler and his work ethic, he represents a tremendous asset, one we are proud to enter into this project with.”
Reese said the rods fit his style, both as an angler and an icon. “The components are the best available, the blanks are some of the most technologically advanced I’ve ever seen,” Reese said. “The look of the rods will certainly be aggressive, reflecting my personal trademarks, I think everyone will see them for the revolutionary product they are.”
Wright & McGill’s Skeet Reese Signature Tessera Rods will make their industry debut at ICAST in Orlando in July. The rods are expected to be available for sale to the public in September of this year. In keeping with the Wright & McGill Co. brand strategy, these rods will be designed and priced to offer exceptional quality and value at a price point affordable to a wide range of anglers; the entire line is expected to retail between $89 – $99.
Skeet Reese is a Bassmaster Elite Series pro, he is the 2009 Bassmaster Classic Champion and the 2007 Bassmaster Angler of the Year who has compiled career earnings that total more than $1.9 million in career earnings. Reese has qualified for 10 Bassmaster Classic appearances, and has finished in the top 10 41 times, including four wins in BASS competition in an 11 year career. Reese is a 39-year-old California native who resides in Auburn, Calif. with his wife Kim, and two daughters; Leamarie and Courtney. Visit his website: www.skeetreeseinc.com.
Wright & McGill Company is one of the most recognizable companies in the fishing industry. They have been in business for over 80 years manufacturing Lazer Sharp and Eagle Claw hooks in Denver Co and their own brand of rods and reels, as well as other big game tackle. Their line of Essentials and Accessories gear has become one of the most sought after brands in the world today, and the new fishing rod home of 2009 Bassmaster Classic Champion Skeet Reese.
Wright & McGill Sabalos reel review
Posted on: Jan 13, 2009
Posted in: News From Chris, Wright & McGill
2 Comments »
Hey everyone, my friends at Gaff Magazine just did a great product review on the W&M Sabalos spinning reel and the WM Hybrid Crossover rods. Check it out at GaffLife.com.
For anyone who has fished these reels, it comes as no surprise, they loved it for the performance and the price!
For everyone out there who has not seen Gaff, it is one of the favorite magazines here at Eagle Claw. A great magazine of saltwater fishing and entertainment. See for yourself at Gaff online
24th Annual North Coast Rendezvous
Posted on: Nov 13, 2008
Posted in: News From Chris, Wright & McGill
No Comments »
This week I had the chance to travel to one of my favorite places, the Oregon Coast. I had been working with Tim and Shana Juarez since May, setting up an Eagle Claw and W&M sponsorship for the North Coast Rendezvous, which is a Chinook Salmon derby (503-842-6313) that is in its 24th year. This event is more than just your typical derby or tournament. All proceeds go to salmon and fishery habitat and recovery in the area. When they say all proceeds, they mean it. Everyone involved is 100% volunteer, from the people who run it to all the great guides involved, even the people who cook the dinners to the cleanup crew, everyone gives their time at no cost to ensure all money raised goes back to hatcheries, habitat and stream habilitation.
I flew in on Wednesday and was greeted by a typical NW afternoon on the coast, windy and rainy. After all, those trees don’t grow like that without a little rain. I met up with my first day partner, Al King. Al is a longtime friend and had never had the chance to catch a big King Salmon. We both hoped this was his chance. After getting settled in at our hotel in Tillamook, Oregon, we went over to see Tim and Shana for the kickoff dinner and guide meeting. One of the best parts of this event was how you get teamed up. By random draw, you and your partner get teamed up with two other anglers to make a team of four. It gives you the chance to meet new people and really evens out the teams. We met out team, Bobby Joe and Gary. It was Bobby Joes sixth event and the first time for Gary, just like Al and me. Bobby Joe works in sales for a local lumber company and Gary was one of her customers. The second half of the draw process is for your guide. Just like the team draw it is totally random and each team of four gets two guides. This way, based on your guide and what they like to do, you get the chance to fish a wide range of ways. Also the other half of your team may be doing something totally different. We all traded phone numbers so we could keep in touch the next day and trade fish stories as the day unfolded.
I was able to meet with all the guides and the captains to go over some of the W&M items designed for fishing in the Northwest. These guides make a living putting people on fish. With the right stuff, it makes it easier to be successful. The W&M Essentials salmon rods are built and designed for this purpose. With over 25 models to choose from and the exclusive KevlarTM built into the butt sections, these rods are perfect for this event. The other item I showed everyone was our guide bib and jacket. This heavy-duty rainwear is designed with guys like this in mind. With the weather predicted as rainy and windy for the next two days, this was the hottest item I talked about. Everyone knew they would be putting rainwear to the test over the next couple days. We kept the meeting short, answered a few questions, gave everyone a catalog and raffled off a set of rainwear and two rods and then called it a night. We all knew 4:30 am. would be coming early.
Al and I got up early the next morning ready to get out on the water. The Rendezvous Team had a great breakfast ready for everyone. We ate quickly and headed out.
DAY 1
We met up with our guide, Dave Steele, for Chinook Charter www.chinookguide.com at 6:15 am. sharp at the Garibaldi boat ramp. The rain was coming down but with the W&M rain gear on, we were dry, warm and hopeful about what the day would bring. Dave’s plan was to fish the “Jaws” the area just inside Tillamook Bay. He knew the weather would make the area rough but the tides were right and Dave felt it was our best chance at getting a good fish in the boat. He warned us on the way out that, based on the conditions, he would call his clients and cancel a normal guide trip on a day like this. Regardless, we were going to give it a shot.
Well, the wind and rain were pretty tough and the ocean waves made the Jaws area very rough with 4-6 foot swells. Fishing was tough. We fished plug cut herring with a 20 oz. weight just to keep our bait on the bottom while we battled wind and waves all day. About 10:00 am. we had a good solid hit on my rod. The rod bent over hard a couple times and just as I was about to give it a good hookset, it stopped. I reeled up to check the bait – nothing. A miss. Since Dave uses another brand of hook, not Lazer Sharp®, we had a good-humored discussion on the reason we missed that one! The day wore on and nothing more. We heard from other guides that fishing was tough all over so we stuck it out. Dave had a few crab pots out so we ran them and picked up a few nice crab but no fish. We decided to call it a day about mid afternoon, disappointed but still happy for a fun day on the water. Dave gave it his all and never gave up or slowed down trying to put us on fish. He is great guide and a good fisherman. I know days like this are not the norm for Dave. If I ever get the chance, I would love to fish with Dave again.
The dinner and auction that night was one event you did not want to miss. The crew served up a seafood dinner that was second to none. Fresh Oregon halibut, oysters and clams and all the dungeness crab you could eat. Fantastic.
We met up with the other half of our team and found out they had faired no better. Their guide tried the local rivers, and after switching rivers three times and still finding no good fishable water because it was so high, they ended up on day one with no fish. Not many fish were caught on day one so we were one of many teams tied for last place, but still in the hunt.
We drew for new guides for day two and we hooked up with Lee Darby LINK, a local guide with over 10 years experience on Tillamook Bay. Lee really wanted to drift fish the rivers but was worried about high water. We decided on the lower bay and trolled herring again. With day two ahead of us we were hopeful for better results.
My friend, Al, had to change his plans and head back for home so I called another friend, Doug Bellmore. He jumped at the chance and drove over late Thursday night. Doug and I had fished many times before in the Northwest but not for the last couple years and we were looking forward to getting the chance to team up again.
DAY 2
The day started early with more rain and wind. We met up with our guide at the boat ramp and after a short run, we were fishing just after first light. Our guide, Lee Darby, www.leedarby’sfishing.com knew it was going to be a tough day again today and we needed to take advantage of every opportunity.
Lee set us up with fresh plug cut herring and we meticulously checked our depth and baits every few minutes to make sure they were running true and free of weeds. We trolled to the top of the Ghost Hole, a famous stretch of Tillamook Bay, just above where the Miami River enters. We made the turn at the top of the hole and dropped our baits back down. Within 30 seconds, before I could even get the rod in the rod holder, I got a bite. The salmon hit hard with a series of strong tugs on the rod and made a strong run straight away from the boat. He was hooked solid and the fight was on. We played the fish well and after several surges next to the boat, Lee positioned the boat for an easy net job of a nice 23 lb. chrome Chinook.
We were feeling pretty good about things as we finally had a fish in the boat and it was only 7:30 in the morning. We reset the gear, rigged the rods with fresh bait and started making another pass. Today, we had our other team members fishing in a boat nearby. They cheered us on as we trolled past each other with spirits high. We made a few more passes through the hole and saw a few other fish being caught and settled in, hoping for more action.
About 9:00 am. we were again fishing fresh baits at the top of the hole, very near where we had hooked the first fish. My friend, Doug, had just poured a cup of coffee and was standing up looking toward my rod when it went off. The strike was so hard it pulled my rod tip all the way in to the water and the drag started singing as line was stripped from the reel. No subtle bite or nibble here, this fish slammed the bait and never looked back. I leap into action and pulled the rod from the rod holder with the fish still taking line. Since the limit was one wild and one fin clipped fish, with only a few fin clipped fish in the system at this time of the year, I told Doug this one was his. We made a quick hand off and he was on the fish with it still pulling hard as it ended its first long run. Doug started working the fish in as Lee positioned the boat to keep the fish in deeper water. We knew it was a good fish by the way it was taking the drag and staying deep. We took our time and when it finally swirled on top, we were greeted with its silver side and the broad sweeping tail of a 30+ pound Chinook.
Doug played him well through his final surging runs. With one perfect motion Lee netted the big Chinook. We were excited to see the size of him, long and thin. The scale stretched to 36.5 pounds and the high fives and photos ensued. What a day compared to the prior one. It was 9:30 am. and we had two great fish in the boat. We decided to troll through the hole a few more times and see if we could pick up a fish for Lee. As we made the next pass, we saw our other team members fighting a nice fish. After a short battle, we saw them bring it to the net. We trolled through the hole until about noon and decided to call it a day. We had our limit for the tournament and wanted to get the fish filleted and on ice.
We went into the official weight and measure station to get our fish registered. The guys from Tillamook Anglers volunteered to man the weight station. These guys do a great job and were a fun bunch to be around. Normally this group volunteers their time at a local hatchery that is 100% manned by volunteers. It is a great cause and much appreciated by the local fishermen.
At the dinner we hooked up with our other teammates and found they had caught just the one fish. We also found out Doug’s fish was the big fish of the tournament. As the final numbers were being totaled and put up on the leader board, we were shocked that we had squeaked in to first place by three inches!
After dinner and at the awards ceremony, our guide, Lee Darby, received the honor of biggest comeback and finished 3rd overall in the guide two-day totals.
It was a great event and I was able to fish with and meet some great people. Even better, The North Coast Rendezvous raised $64,000 for fish recovery and habitat in the Tillamook area. The people that put this event together, Tim and Shana Juarez and Jack and Tina Smith and all the guides who volunteered there time, are the real heroes. This is one of my favorite events and they can bet I’ll be back next year to defend my title!
