Outdoor Pro Shop To Distribute Z Block Sunscreen

Outdoor Pro Shop To Distribute Z Blok Sunscreen

Outdoor Pro Shop based in Cotati, CA has become an authorized retailer of Z Blok sunscreen, which solves the eye stinging problem and is non-greasy and fragrance free. They will sell three SKUs including the 4 oz., 2 oz. and .15 oz. stick.

Outdoor Pro Shop, which is a full service fishing tackle retailer, has two locations. Its original 24,000 sq. ft. store in Cotati serves Sonoma County and its Oakland store serves the greater San Francisco area.

Mr. Ken Elie, President of Outdoor Pro Shop tried the product on a recent fishing trip and said “Having grown up on the beaches of Southern California, I have a long history of facial cancers, keratosis problems and Effudex treatments etc. I have been an avid angler my whole life and in addition to proper SPF clothing I always use sunscreen on my face, ears, neck, and back of my hands( I hate gloves ). I recently went on a 12-day trip to the remote islands southwest of Cabo San Lucas and was in the sun all day on many of the days. In addition to my usual sunscreen products I brought a tube of Z Blok that was given to me to try. This product is GREAT ! Z Blok does everything it says it will. It applies easily, is clear when dry, is non-greasy, is odor free, does not sting the eyes when sweating all while providing excellent sun protection. I caught a lot of big tuna and wahoo on this trip and at the end of the day I was comfortable and sun burn free."

New Z Blok sunscreen is truly different in that its fragrance free formula does not burn or sting the eyes if water or perspiration causes it to migrate into the eyes. This allows athletes to stay focused on performing at their peak without needless, painful distraction.

Z Blok was initially tested by the Puma Ocean Racing Team in the grueling Volvo Around the World Race, where sailors get pummeled with waves at up to 35 miles per hour. According to the Puma Team skipper Ken Read “The UV protection is excellent. The entire crew believes in the product and we certainly put sunscreen to a test that few others can. Importantly we have experienced no eye stinging or irritation - and we are wet a lot!"

In addition to the benefit of eliminating the stinging eye problem, Z Blok contains the active ingredient Zinc Oxide that rubs in clear (hence the Z Blok name). Zinc oxide is the only active ingredient to provide “significant protection” from both UVA and UVB rays according to the EPA (see “The Burning Facts” attachment).

These are a few facts that the general public does not know about sunscreens in general which are also addressed in the attachment from the EPA:

1) SPF (sun protection factor) only measures protection from UVB rays. It does not measure protection from cancer causing UVA rays. Zinc oxide is the only ingredient to provide extensive protection from UVA rays.

2) SPF 15 blocks 93% of UVB rays, SPF 30 blocks 97% and no SPF blocks 100% (see the chart on page 3 of the enclosed EPA document). Products claiming an SPF above 30 provide a false reassurance to the consumer.

3) Zinc oxide is a physical element as opposed to most other ingredients such as PABA, which are chemically based. Physically based elements are far less likely to cause an allergic skin reaction according to the attached EPA document.

Strike King KVD 1.5 and 2.5

A leader in crankbaits, Strike King expands its line-up of already awesome hard baits with two new KVD models. The KVD 1.5 and KVD 2.5 were designed to the specifications of BassMasters Classic Champ Kevin VanDam. These baits are perfect for his style of shallow water power fishing. The square bill design and unique action allows the bait to constantly “wander” with erratic action while still running true. It also helps deflect off cover to entice strikes. These KVD baits are designed with no internal rattles for a “silent” approach.

These are just a few of the colors that are offered by Strike King in the KVD 1.5 and 2.5. To see more color options as well as the new 1.0 size, head on over to MonsterFishingTackle.com and check them out!

Lucky Craft Pointer 100 DD

"DD equals Deep Diver" Listen up all you Pointer fans. Lucky Craft now has a new Pointer minnow to add to their repertoire. The new Pointer 100 DD is a deeper diving version of the popular Pointer 100 SP. This new Pointer 100 DD is a great bait for fishing a few feet deeper than the original 100 SP. This bait will dive about 6-7 feet deep and suspend when paused. It has a wider wobble than the Pointer 100 SP and still has the same body style. This bait can be used for a bigger profile bait in lie of the Staysee 90 SP. When the fish are holding out a little deeper this bait will get in their face and aggravate them to strike.

• Length: 4" (100mm)
• Weight: 5/8oz (16.5g)
• Class: Suspending
• Belly: #5
• Hook Tail: #5
• Max Diving Depth: 6-7ft
• Line: 10-12

  

Yamamoto Fat Ika

The Yamamoto Fat Ika has become a deadly tool for many bass anglers. Though it has secretly been winning tournaments for a while now, the Fat Ika is still a bait that is misunderstood by many. At first glance, the Fat Ika looks like a tube bait, and many anglers start off rigging it as such. However, it is only when rigged backward that the Fat Ika discovers it’s greatest potential - as a penetrating target bait.

When rigged on a Gamakatsu 5/0 EWG hook (as seen above), the Fat Ika does it’s magic. Rigged without a weight, the bait should be cast out and let to  sink on a slack line. The Fat Ika falls away from the angler when rigged as such, so significant slack should be allowed on the sink. The bait falls at an angle (as seen below) because of the salt in the plastic creating weight to the back end of the bait.

Most strikes occur on the initial fall, but if the bait settles to the bottom, twitch the  bait upwards with a sharp lift of the rod tip. One or two lifts, then let the bait settle back to the bottom on a controlled slack line. Always watch your line for indications of a strike. As you lift the bait, the skirt flares, and then folds back as the bait falls again to the bottom. A very realistic crawfish action is created by the Fat Ika's lift and drop. Most often used in shallow areas with targets such as docks, brush, weeds, etc., the Fat Ika can really penetrate deep into such areas with it’s backwards decent. This is a technique where you’ll need to use a medium heavy rod with at least 12 lb test line.

The Fat Ika is much like Yamamoto’s Senko for the fact that weight from salt gives each bait its action, not the angler. They are both patience baits which need to be fished slowly, enabling each bait to do its job. The weightless technique is deadly for big bass because it forces anglers to slow down and spend a longer time with their baits in the water. The Fat Ika is definitely one of the deadliest weightless soft plastic baits ever invented.

Good luck using the backward Fat Ika.

Jackall IOBee Frog

Also at the 2011 ICAST show was another great finesse fisherman and Jackall representative, David Swendseid, who showed off the new IOBee frog. This new frog is designed to be fished right out of the box and features many of the modifications already built in that pros use to prep their frogs for battle. Custom made hooks are designed to improve hooksets and the lure features a balanced weight system that allows the frog to stay balanced when casting and walking the dog. This system also helps the frog sit more level in the water to achieve more splashing and aid in a perfect side to side walking action.

The IOBee features rubber skirts for legs, and the rubber flares out and sink slowly when the lure is paused. The IOBee is 2.5" in length and weighs 1/2oz. making it easy to cast long distances to cover plenty of water. This exciting new frog features the realistic finishes you would expect from Jackall and each frog will retail for $12.99.

The new Jackall IOBee Frog that hit the market is being offered in six different enticing colors and can all be found at MonsterFishingTackle.com

D&M Baits 'Baby Newt' and 'Super Newt'

Following their recent release of the D & M Super Newt and Baby Newt, company rep Dale Meddock offered more info and some instruction for fishing the plastic.  "We will have two sizes, both are five inches long.  The Super Newt is a big piece of plastic and the Baby Newt has thinner legs, ideal for a jig trailer or for flippin' and pitchin'.  From finesse to power fishing, this is really a nice bait," explained Meddock.

Addtional Colors can be seen at MonsterFishingTackle.com

He then included the following tips;

Finesse Fishing

The Newt swims exceptionally well at the slowest retrieve. Several things are trying to happen at once during a slow retrieve. First, the feet will spread apart and the legs will start to quiver. This causes the tail to instantly start swimming. If you speed up your retrieve with pulses in the cranking, the legs will start kicking open and closed. This gives the illusion that the legs are thrusting forward.

Chuck-n-Wind or Power Fishing

This is just as it reads. You can just go down the bank, picking out targets. Pushing out a huge wake and nice bubble trail. You can run the Newt at any depth and at any speed, topwater or subsurface. Burning, sends out huge vibrations from the kicking legs.
It is extremely weedless, made for the heavy mats, thick tules or open water. It will work as great a search bait any time of year.

Bed Fishing

The durability of this floating plastic formula is very nice. Multiple fish catches are possible. Just slide it into a bed and it will setup. The rate of fall is two seconds per foot of fall, this is with no weight and a heavy 6/0 EWG Gamakatsu hook. The Newt falls horizontal and slowly.

Kiss Rule-Keep it simple, stupid!

 The KISS principle states that most systems work best if they are kept simple rather than made complex, therefore simplicity should be a key goal and unnecessary complexity should be avoided.

Dry Rule-Don't Repeat Yourself

 This is aimed at reducing repetition of any kind. The DRY principle is stated as "Every twitch of movement must have a single, representation within a cast”. Predictably changes and uniformly are thus kept in sync.

Power Fishing-Rule of least power

This is a design principle which suggests choosing the least powerful fishing method suitable for a given purpose or don`t wear yourself out.

Yamamoto Senko

While the Senko was his brainchild, and has been his tournament bread-and-butter for quite a while, Gary Yamamoto is constantly looking for ways to improve its effectiveness. Over the course of the past year, he seems to have reached a point where he’s able to catch fish seemingly at will by rigging it “backward.”
“The image people have of the Senko is that you fish it slow, cast it out and let it sit,” he said. “But that’s not the case here. With a #8 by one-inch screw in the head and the hook in the tail, you can fish it pretty fast with a yo-yo presentation. Cast it out, let it fall to the bottom, then pick it up and do it again.”
The proof, as they say, is in the livewell and Yamamoto utilized the technique to notch a 2^nd place finish in last week’s PAA event on Tennessee’s Old Hickory Lake. That’s his second runner-up finish on the rig in less than a year – he came in second to Dave Wolak in an FLW Tour Open on Lake Champlain last year using the same presentation.
Last year, during the Porter Wagoner Memorial Artists and Anglers Fishing Tournament on Old Hickory, Yamamoto located fish with the Senko in large marinas, suspended under floating docks. This time he couldn’t get that pattern to go, so instead he borrowed a page out of his Beaver Lake playbook. When he’d been there at the end of April, he’d targeted bass relating to bluff walls, particularly wherever there was downed wood. He found a similar stretch at Old Hickory and doted on it for much of the tournament.

He thought he’d found a reliable topwater bite on his company’s Sugoi Splash popper, but it proved to be a frustrating exercise: “I’d get them on and they got off,” he recalled. “I missed a few good fish.” Fortunately, he then abandoned that technique temporarily, headed to the bluff walls, and salvaged his first day of competition to the tune of 13.54 pounds, enough to have him comfortably in 5^th place, but still almost four pounds off the lead.
“On the second day, it got even worse,” he said. “I missed the topwater fish and broke off a 3 ½ pound bass at the boat when it wrapped around a log.” Nevertheless, he had almost 10 pounds, which kept him inside the cut in 8^th place.
“That third day I did some things backward,” he said. “I started with topwater and didn’t get a bite, so I went right to some docks I liked. I had caught a 4 ½ on Day One on one of them and quickly caught one about a pound and three quarters, just a keeper. I hoped they weren’t all going to be that way.”
On Day Three, his years of experience on the water and tinkering with tackle paid off. First, he realized that he’d been fishing the popper on a rod that was too light. He went to a stiffer model and proceeded to atone for past mistakes. Perhaps more importantly, he recognized that the water had gone up four or five inches overnight, which “gave the shoreline grass some depth,” and inspired him to stick with the topwater. “Fortunately, I didn’t miss any more,” he added
He spent the rest of the day mixing it up between the docks and the topwater. Even with the Senko, he maximized his effectiveness by using two different rod and reel combos: when pitching it to the grass and bluffs, he used a baitcasting rod spooled with 20 lb. Power Pro braid and a 16 lb. Sugoi fluorocarbon leader. When he skipped it under docks, he switched to a spinning rod with 15 lb. Power Pro and the same 16 lb. leader. He used a 2/0 Owner worm hook (not wide gap) under docks and a 1/0 version around the bluffs and grass.
By 10am, he had four fish in his livewell when he skipped the Senko up under a dock and tied into a six-pound kicker which he recalled “put up quite a fight” on his light tackle. With that fish in the boat, he had a limit and a kicker, and eventually culled up to 17.73 pounds, the biggest limit of the tournament.
Unfortunately, despite the big bag and the monster comeback, it was not enough to make up his ten-plus pound deficit to Steve Kennedy. Yamamoto fell just under two and a half pounds short, and while he has no regrets – “I performed quite well,” he said – he also noted that if he’d caught all of the topwater fish that bit “it would have been close.”
With two bridesmaid finishes in recent months, the most recent one to a fellow Yamamoto pro, Yamamoto was even-keeled about his fate as he moved directly on to the next event, an FLW Tour tournament on the Potomac.
“The competition keeps me going,” he said. “It’s what helps me develop new lures and techniques. And maybe one of these days I’ll win one on it.”
He may not back into a title, but no one should be surprised if the backwards Senko plays a role when he does claim the hard-earned trophy.