It was a slow 1st of November day at the office and three of us were talking fishing in the shop area.   Nick and J.R. were talking smack about beating the old man in a tournament earlier in the summer.  I told them that if they thought they could repeat I had my boat hooked up and was heading out 1 more time to the Lake before putting the boat away. They were invited to a little Battle of Lake Erie Tournament.  The water temp was still in the low 50′s and the air temperature was in the 60′s, which was very unusual for the first of November in Erie PA.  After some prodding it was Game On!!!

I left work an hour before the two of them because if it was going to be two against one I should get a head start.  I started in the Bay put after 1 hour and no fish I headed out East towards New York.  The lake was a little rough for my 17 foot Triton but the chance to redeem myself from the earlier loss pushed me on.  After a 7 mile run I found fish in 35 foot of water.  I lost two and broke 1 off before landing a 3 lber.  We only had about three hours before dark so I had to catch fish fast.  I knew it would be gutsy but since I never had another hit for the next hour I decided to go another 5 miles to a spot almost in New York.  When I got there I was marking fish everywhere.  The first Drop with my Dropshot came back with a 4lb small-mouth.  It was Game On for sure.  Just like that the wind changed from the south east to the north east and the temperature dropped 15 degrees.  The bite stopped the fish disappeared and the waves went from two footers to four’s and five’s.  I decided to head back to the protection in the bay.

When I got to my first spot I found J.R. and Nick camped there.  They already had 1 fish in the box and I knew I needed to finish my limit.  J.R.’s boat is a 21 foot Pro Craft and a little better suited for the lake so I knew they were staying.  I got back to the channel leading to the Bay and decided to hit some of my summer deep spots and see if I couldn’t catch 2 more 15” fish to finish my limit.  Lake Erie in Pa has a 4 fish 15” limit.  I caught a 17 inch large-mouth on my first drop on my first spot.  I followed that up with a 15” BARELY legal large mouth on my last spot to finish my limit.

I got back to the ramp just in time the waves in the bay were now 3 footers.  I was getting a little worried because the boys didn’t get back until almost dark.  They were a little wet and cold, especially Nick he didn’t have a rain suit or a windshield to protect him.  J.R. and Nick finished with 3 smallmouth and a little over 8 lbs and I had a 4 fish mixed bag of almost 12 lbs.  I guess that makes me The Battle of Lake Erie Champion of 2011.  See ya next November boys!!!!!!

If Im Smillin I must be Fishin!!!!!!

I don’t Fish!! I Catch!!

But I still go Hunting!!

Ken

Brent put his trust in TroKar when in comes down to the wire. Sunday’s fish-off is one to go down in history. Brent set up a wacky rig using TroKar and  Tight Lines UV worm to catch the only fish in the fish-off. This 6lb 5oz fish pushed Brent for this his first win of the season.

Lets hope Brent continues to have a great season.

The following is a true story…

My name is TJ Shafer and I am the poster child for the weekend tournament fisherman. I have been fishing all of my life but just within the last two years have I really devoted my weekends to tournament fishing. The following is a story of one of those weekends that will always remain as a very special day in my life, and how Lazer Trokar Hooks played a huge part in it.

I had experience an extremely rough start to my 2011 tournament season. Signing up for the Bassmaster Weekend Series, East Texas Division had my adrenaline running in early as December of 2010. This was going to be the year that I gave it my all and fished hard all day long, never loosing a minute of focus. As I showed up for my first tournament I had received a phone call telling me that my link securing a spot to fish was a no-show and my hopes were that there would still be a spot for me. Those hopes quickly dies when I was told after the pairing meeting that I was not fishing. As I was driving home that night with boat in tow, it could have been easy to get down, or even upset at the situation, but the excitement of the next tournament a month away easily kept my feeling at bay.

The next tournament came along and as I sat in my boat ready for takeoff visions of my fishing heroes holding up their first place trophies wildly ran through my mind. I could not wait to get started. But this day of fishing proved only to be another enjoyable day of fishing with no trophy presentations featuring myself. Catching and weighing a few fish I could not help but think of the few fish that day that “got away”. I had always taken great pride in my tight knots inspecting the line after every few cast to check for nicks and frays in the line. Also knowing that when my 6’2″, 270 lb frame set the hook I used every ounce of energy and leverage to make sure that the hookset was solid and secure. But this day I had lost three fish. Could these three bites have made a difference? Could these three bites have been the difference in driving home empty handed and driving home with a First Place Trophy carefully secured with a seatbelt in the passenger side seat?

The third tournament rolled around and as I drove three hours to my next challenge again I was focused and ready to get a hook wet. But this time it was no ordinary hook that would be getting wet. I had armed myself with the new Lazer Trokar Hooks. I was bothered by my performance in my last tournament. I could not let the thought escape my mind that the three fish that escaped my grasp could have made the outcome of that tournament different. So I researched in my spare time reading articles, talking to people at the boat ramps, and even making a phone call to the one fishing pro I knew. All of my research led me to one product line… The Lazer Trokar Hooks. As I again anxiously waiting for the director to call my boat number for take off I began practicing in my mind the retrieve of each lure, the pressure of the bite, and the feared hookset. I was ready. As my number was called the boat took off with a mind of its own blazing a white-water trail to the first spot. The morning was slow, but then without any warning there was the light tap indicating that a fish was testing the lure. Without hesitation and without fear I violently threw the rod back setting the hook. This hookset felt like no other time before. Did I do something wrong? Oh, no… did I also botch this hookset? Wait, wait one second, the line took off bending the rod over almost double! I reeled carefully but aggressively making sure this fish knew he was in my grasp and finally getting him to the boat I noticed something, something that gave me great joy. This fish, my first keeper, was securely hooked through the roof of it’s mouth. He was mine all of the way. Could it have been a coincidence that the hookset felt so effortless and appeared to be inserted through the upper lip of this fish by the hand of God? I shook off these thoughts and focused on getting my second fish in the boat.

Throughout the day the fishing seemed slow and the fish were in no way aggressive. I carefully executed each cast placing the bait in key areas while with kid hands working the bait back to the boat. That day I managed to get 5 bites, and capitalized on each of those 5. I fished to the last second of that tournament day racing my boat back to the ramp for weigh in. I knew it had been a tough day for me, was it just as tough for others? Grabbing my weigh-in bag I carefully inserted each of my five fish into the bag knowing that one was a pretty good chunk. I walked up to the stage and waited for my turn to walk across and weigh my fish. Nerves built up as I glanced at the other anglers and their bags hoping that this might be a day for me to come home with a check… maybe even a trophy. I reflected about each of my 5 bites as my turn was nearing. I knew that the fish were not tearing the baits up. How did I manage to harvest each of those cautious bites? Then it hit me. I had been so focused on fishing I had not even thought about the new hooks. As I thought of each opportunity that each fish gave me that day I realized the impact these hooks had made. Would a hook that was made with less care and attention have worked as well? The calling of my name through the PA system interrupted my train of thought as I walked onto stage. I carefully placed my weigh-in bag on the scales. After a few brief seconds my weight appeared on the scale. I was in first place! Adrenaline rushed through my body as I lifted my biggest fish up for all to see. Walking down the stairs I understood that there were several anglers left, but I hoped my standing would hold.

What seemed like an eternity finally came to an end with the tournament director closing the scales. My name was called and I walked on stage and proudly received my trophy for first place. I had done it. I had achieved a dream. I had won a tournament. Driving home that day with the trophy securely strapped in the passenger seat with the seat belt I could not help but think about the bites I had that day. The fish were so careful, so cautious. What made the difference in securing those fish and loosing the ones the last tournament. I reached in a brown bag stowed in the back seat and pulled out a package of Lazer Trokar Hooks. I open the package and pulled one hook from it’s carefully positioned place. I felt of the hook. The solidness of it, the sharpness. I knew this is what made the difference.

I finished out the 2011 Tournament Season with one win and ending the season in the top 40 qualifying me for Regionals. Throughout the year I did not miss a single fish that bit a bait on a Lazer Trokar Hook. To this day, there are no other hooks in my box other than Lazer Trokar Hooks, and as far as I’m concerned, there never will be.

Team TroKar Captain TJ Shafer

       

After realizing that following the big craze, or following what everyone else was doing, always put me with the crowd, instead of in front of the crowd, I discovered that the key to becoming more successful was to trust my own instincts.  It seems the talk at weigh-ins, or the talk at the boat ramp, always consisted of what everyone else was throwing, how they were rigging their baits, what kind of presentation that they used and what color was hot. It is never what is working for you, but what you hear is working for everyone else.  Very few people that are fishing local tournaments want to share their secrets with everyone they are fishing with.  Just think how things would be different if Elias wasn’t on camera with the Alabama rig.  You better believe it wouldn’t have been tied on when he returned to the ramp, and the news would not have taken the fishing world by storm.  
        It is that kind of thinking that can put you ahead of the game.  It is being prepared that helps you make the right decisions, and gives you an advantage when everyone else starts on the same playing field.  This starts way before you hit the lake.  If you have ideas on variations of baits, have a game plan implemented before you hit the water.  Learn the lake, know which way the wind is blowing from, and keep notes of what is successful, when it was successful, and in what conditions it was successful.  It may seem unnecessary when you are out there, but when you are fishing a year later in those exact same condition, and you find in your notes some valuable information, you will be thankful.  
        Trokar hooks are one fine example, of how to be better prepared.  Switching out Trebles, or rigging your plastics with such a superior product, is the type of thing even the average angler can do to better your chances of landing the big one.  Use your imagination, look in the livewell, see what kind of things you find in there after the fish are out, and don’t be afraid to try new things.  If you become the one that everyone is trying to duplicate, then you are doing something right.  You are leading the pack, and then you can have fun misleading as you choose.  

-Team TroKar Captain Mike Jennings

Lazer TroKar is thrilled to announce the expansion of their pro staff, by adding Jeff Kriet.  He will join Skeet Reese, Shaw Grigsby, Brent Chapman, Gerald Swindle, Scott Martin, Jason Williamson, Jonathon Vandam and Rick Clunn representing Lazer TroKar hooks during the 2012 Bassmaster Elite season.

TroKar manufactures the only hooks in the world utilizing surgically sharpened technology. Introduced three years ago, these wickedly sharp hooks are sweeping the competitive bass market.

Jeff commented, “Even if I didn’t sign with Lazer TroKar I would use the hooks, they are AWESOME.”

“We can’t be any more excited to add Jeff to our Bassmaster Elite Series team, he has showed for many years how dominant he can be.” stated Matt Gray, Lazer TroKar hook product manager.

Jeff will be fishing all year on the Bassmaster Elite Series Tour.  He’s looking forward to winning again now that he’s using the sharpest fishhook the world has ever seen.

Look for Jeff on the water this year in Louisiana and hopefully on stage all week during the upcoming Bassmasters Classic.

            Now on to the punch bait. First thing I string on is two Eagle Claw bobber stops, then a ½ oz to a 1 ½ oz tungsten weight. The hook I use is a 4/0 Lazer TroKar TK130 Flippin’ hook. The real key is in the knot, a Snell knot is the only way to go. Make sure to always put the tag end of the line through the front side of the eye of the hook. This allows for a pendulum action of the hook when you apply pressure and can easily burry the hook in the roof of the fish’s mouth, which I think is the toughest place to hook a fish. Last but not least, add your favorite pitching plastic. I prefer a beaver type bait, black with blue flake for dirty water, and watermelon for clearer water.

            Once you are all rigged up, look for the thickest weed bed on the lake, preferably lily pads. I only pitch the bait 15-20 feet away from the boat. Don’t just lightly place the bait in top of the slop; you want to use the weight of the bait to “punch” into the thick stuff. Once the bait hits the bottom, I give it a few hops; if I don’t get a hit, I move on to the next target. The great thing about this bait, is because it is so stream lined, I hardly ever have to remove any weeds from it. Another tip that will help you with this bait, if you are used to pitching the rod with your right hand, then switching to your left to work the lure. Practice pitching the rod in your left hand. It took some getting used for me, but once you get it down, you will hardly ever miss a bite.

            This punchin technique is awesome on the dog days of summer. I have had my best success on the hottest, brightest days of summer! And when you get one on, swing for the fences, hook’m and wrestle them out of that thick stuff!

I believe it was 2009 when I first heard about the new company Lazer Trokar through the media outlets of Bassfan.com and Tackletour.com. There was a ton of buzz blowing through the online fishing forums about whether or not Trokar’s hooks were going to revolutionize the terminal tackle fishing industry. Curiosity got the best of me, so I invested in a few packs of these hooks to try over the next few months. The first thing I noticed about the Trokar hooks that set them apart from other terminal tackle competitors was that Trokar hooks have a three-sided symmetrical point that is honed using Surgically Sharpened Technology (SST), which means that the hook points are capable of penetrating the toughest membranes and cartilages with ease. Lazer Trokar hooks are made in America using the finest and highest quality high-carbon steel called Q741. Without a doubt, Lazer Trokar raised the standard for hook manufacturing and elevated its’ image and status as the ultimate hook for all fisherman.

My first pack of Trokar hooks was the Lazer Trokar HD Worm Hook 4/0 series. I had caught several on Carolina rigs using this hook with a Zoom Ol’ Monster worm, but I wanted to really utilize this hook, so I rigged the 4/0 Worm hook on my frog rod. The shallow bite has been unreal this year in the places that I fish and the frog bite has been unbelievable with the introduction of hydrilla. I normally switched betwen a hollow body frog and a buzz frog to catch my fish, depending on the mood of the fish. I was having difficulty hooking up with fish on my buzz frogs, like the Zoom Horny Toad and the Stanley Ribbit, until I started using the Lazer Trokar 4/0 worm hook. With topwater frog fishing, you got to give the fish time to take the lure, but in a grass bed you can’t give the fish to long or they will hang up in the grass. I personally believe that the Trokar hooks were so sharp that they were able to instantly stick in the mouth’s of the fish before I even had to set the hook and cross their eyes. The Lazer Trokar HD work hook 4/0 model is the perfect size for the buzzing frog. I know some people will argue that there are better hook models for this technique, but from my own personal experiments, this particular hook glides through the grass better and it instantly sticks in the roofs of the fish’s mouth.  

My bread and butter technique is jerkbait fishing, whether it be a hard jerkbait or a soft jerkbait. With both techniques, a superior hook is needed to land fish. During the spring and fall, I normally land 50-75 bass a day on flukes, but I was having a problem with larger bass throwing the hooks. I tend to use soft action rods when I throw both of these types of lures, so that I can get really erratic action, but the down side of using a soft rod is that you do not always get excellent hook penetration. Once I started using the Lazer Trokar 1/0 worm hooks, my hook-to-land ratio skyrocketed with flukes. No longer was I having to worry about whether or not my hook was secure in the top of the mouth.

Do I belong??

The question rang through my mind in early March of 2011 as I was fishing on a cold lake during the pre-spawn.  Water temperatures were in the lower 50’s and I was searching for any bass moving up along main lake points.  I fished all morning and didn’t even get as much as a nibble.  By the end of the day, I had zero fish caught and blue bird skies above me, and it was 1 week until my first tournament with my local bass club.  I went home that day and really did some thinking.  I was down on myself, short on cash to waste not catching fish in tournaments, and really pressuring my mental state with the, “Do I even deserve to call myself a fisherman?”

I questioned myself all through the week and eventually talked myself out of paying membership dues and fishing.  A few weeks went by and I had hit the water a few times, all while catching a few fish on each trip, but something was still missing, the competition.  As I was driving home from work one afternoon, flipping through radio stations, I was still pondering whether or not I belong on the local tour.  I prayed to God to give me something, let me know if I should be on the water.  Down on myself, looking for inspiration, on came a song….  A hit by a band known as Credence Clearwater Revival, as I drove and listened to those words from Born on the Bayou, I knew, on the water fishing the tournaments was exactly where I should be.  I got an email from a friend asking if I wanted to partner up with him since he was fishing solo, I accepted and it turned out to be the right move.

Our first tournament in, I caught some fish, but he caught the largest two, one of which was hooked light on a shaky head.  The fish went under the boat came out, wrapped around the net, then as I got the net out of the line, the fish lunged and the hook came out.  My partner watched his hook go over the boat while I watched the fish going back into the water, with a lunge, and a prayer, I swept towards that bass, and as I lifted the net out of the water, there was a 3 pound largemouth laying in it.  The winning fish made it into the boat.  We won that tournament and it would set the stage for the rest of the year.  The next tournament we won again with 3 keepers that I caught on a Havoc Craw Fatty.  Then later in the year we went on to win two more, with the last one sealing our Angler of the Year award, which was won on a fish that I caught with 30 min. left in the “must win” in order to get the AOY.

By the end of the year, I had caught several pounds of fish, learned new techniques to fishing, and I gained a lot of much needed confidence in order to advance my fishing career.  Money is still tight, and the hopes of making it to a big time level are very small, but I still have the desire, the will, and now the confidence to continue.  I will never ask myself the question of “do I belong?” again, because I answered it myself, and from now on the answer will always be the same.  Yes I do!

-          Jason Spalding