Minn Kota Riptide Terrova Kayak Motor: Rippin’ the Tide
Following up on its recent introduction of freshwater trolling motors for kayak angling, Minn Kota has announced a new Riptide Terrova designed for saltwater fishing kayaks. The bow-mounted Riptide Terrova can be operated remotely via the Micro Remote, a connected Humminbird fishfinder, or the One Boat Network app. The GPS positioning features that boat anglers love so much, including Spot-Lock, Autopilot, Drift Mode, and Follow Mode, are all now available in kayak form. The motor has a 36” shaft, weedless prop, and produces 55 pounds of thrust on a 12-volt power supply. Like all Riptides, the motor’s lower unit is armored against the saltwater environment with housings that are grit-blasted and aluminum-coated. Price: $1899.99 when you're ready to energize that salty angling kayak.
Okuma Cat Slayer Reels: Catatonic Cranking
The Okuma Cat Slayer collection has expanded beyond just rods with the new Cat Slayer reels, which we tested while cranking on blue cats in the Patuxent. First impressions: the anti-reverse is instantaneous, there’s zero flex in the reel or handle, and the reel thoroughly feels robust in-hand. Both regular and baitfeeder versions are available, and both are coated in UV-reactive paint for easy visibility when targeting catfish at night. Cat Slayer reels feature five ball bearings plus roller bearing, Carbonite and felt drag washers, machine-cut brass pinion gears, and corrosion-resistant frames, side-plates, and rotors. Max drag is 26 pounds and the 4.4:1 gear ratio brings in 31.5” per crank. Price: $75.99 to $89.99. You say you want to see these reels in action? No problem.
Game On! X-Walk Topwater Lure: X Marks the Spot
Game On! Lures has been a perpetual supporter of Team FishTalk/PropTalk in our Fish For a Cure fundraising efforts, and this year they sent us a big box of lures to auction off including the X-Walk Topwater. We’ve used the 4.5” and 6.0” X-Walks before—with a lot of success—but in this box of goodies there was an X-Walk we hadn’t yet seen: a whopping-big eight-incher. Weighing in at 3.5-ounces, the monster X-Walk comes with VMC hooks and boasts through-wire construction. The face has a small cup so it throws a bit of water and makes a little splash, yet still zigs and zags like a dog-walker. We discovered in short order that stripers in the 22” to 26” range have no problem smashing a lure of this size. But what we’re really excited about is throwing these beasts for those big trophy winter stripers, because they cast a country mile and offer up the mega-meal those big fish want. White, bunker, clear mullet, and chartreuse/silver color patterns are available. Price: $19.99 for a zig… zag…splash… KABOOM! (And thanks, Game On!, for your continued Fish For a Cure support!)