>FISHING TACKLE

> EXTRA 2020

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> FISHING TACKLE > NEW 2020 PRODUCTS

2020
EXTRA
> Strike Pro Armour Braid

$ Price/m - 13 cents
The ultimate 20lb
braid test? Here’s
60x what we found
by Steve Morgan
> Berkley X5
We’ve been planning to do this test

$ Price/m - 15 cents for a pretty long time. Finally, we

assembled all of the sample lines
just before COVID hit. So it all got
shelved during lockdown and only
reappeared on the radar in the
middle of 2020.
At that point I hit up Gareth
60x Williams from Brisbane’s Tackle
Tactics to borrow some of his testing
machines. Gareth recently acquired
Platypus lines and as far as I know
> Daiwa J-Braid x4 is the biggest braid manufacturer in
Australia.
$ Price/m - 16 cents Gareth agreed, and after a few
hiccups (which involved us taking
out power to the entire TT operations
while they were ultra-busy) we got
the work done. > Highly technical gear - like this $60
Aldi microscope - got dragged out to
What are the results? Well, you’ll try and untangle the braid equation.
60x need to read on to find out, but I
learned a lot about braid and braid plenty of ways to test a braided line.
testing along the way. And I’m happy We tested with the machinery that we
to take y’all along on the journey. had available. Other companies test
> Siglon PEx4 Gareth summed it up pretty well different ways and other industries
on day one. test different ways as well.
$ Price/m - 17 cents “Although braid has plenty of
amazing properties, it’s all pretty
And we know that different
anglers look for different properties
poor when it comes to abrasion in a line. Some want thinness, others
resistance - monofilament line will abrasion resistance and others just
win that battle every day of the want to spend as little money as
week. It’s why we tie leaders to the possible to get the job done. We get
end of most braid setups. Abrasion all of that, which is why we’re aiming
60x resistance and to reduce visibility,” to rank the lines in plenty of different
he said. ways based on these preferences.
At the end of the day, there’s The first thing that stood out to me
> Nomad Pandora braid

$ Price/m - 20 cents

60x

> Strike Pro CFS Fish Floss

$ Price/m - 20 cents

60x
> Here’s Platypus’ abrasion testing machine. It’s been around for decades but there
seems to be no standard way to test abrasion that’s accepted industry-wide.

4 FISHING TACKLE 2020

 > NEW 2020 PRODUCTS
was that there’s no, one line that’s
the best at everything. If there was
a braid that was the cheapest,
thinnest, most abrasion resistant,
most supple and had amazing knot
strength, then we’d all just buy that.
Guess what - it doesn’t exist - at
least not yet.
There’s 24 lines in our test, which
we think represent most of the
braids on the market today. There
were a few companies who declined
to participate in the testing, and we
didn’t force the point.
Let’s start off at the easiest
comparisons first …. Let’s rank the
braids cheapest to dearest.
> Price
Line Price/m
Strike Pro Armour Braid 0.13
Berkley X5 0.15
Daiwa J-Braid x4 0.16
Siglon PEx4 0.17
Nomad Pandora braid 0.20
Strike Pro CFS Fish Floss 0.20
Daiwa J-Braid x8 0.23
Berkley X9
Siglon PEx8
0.23
0.23
Platypus Platinum Braid 0.25
Toray Super Strong PE 0.25
Sufix x8 0.26
Shimano Kairiki braid 0.27
Daiwa J-Braid Grand 0.28
Platypus Bionic Braid 0.29
Sufix 832 0.29
Platypus P8 0.29
Power Pro 0.29
Toray Jigging PE PG 0.30
Schneider Super 8
Sufix 131
0.33
0.36
Power Pro V2 0.36
Daiwa Saltiga EX 0.50
Toray Sea Bass PE 0.57
There’s lots of variability in braid
packaging. Some are measured in
metres, others in yards and there’s
all sorts of different lengths. We
have converted all of the braids into
price per metre. It’s worth taking
into account, because the cheapest
braid (Strike Pro Armour Braid at
13c/m is less than a quarter of the
price of the dearest (Daiwa Saltiga
EX at 57c/m).
All of these prices are based
on the manufacturers’ stated
Recommended Retail Price (RRP).
Chances are that you may well be
able to get a better deal from your
local, independent tackle store, so
keep that in mind when looking at
these rankings.
BREAKING STRENGTH
One property that we could test that
won’t stimulate much argument is
the overall breaking strength of the
line in a straight pull. Platypus had a
machine just for that and it was pretty
easy to use. You had to load the line
> FISHING TACKLE
2020
EXTRA
into the machine making sure that it
wasn’t pinched anywhere and you Daiwa J-Braid x8 >
flicked a switch to do the rest.
Overall, the results were very $ Price/m - 23 cents
tightly grouped - there was usually
only a pound or two difference
between the highest and lowest
breaking strain in a particular line.
Where there was a lot of variability,
however, was the actual strength of 60x
the lines. In fact, none of the lines we
tested broke at 20lb - the closest was
Toray SeaBass PE which averaged
at 22.8lb. Berkley X9 >
The strongest “20lb” line in our
tests was the Schneider Super
Smooth Braid 8, which didn’t let go
$ Price/m - 23 cents
until it hit a staggering 53.3lb.
But there wasn’t daylight between
the places, Sufix x8 and Daiwa
J-Braid x8 both came in at 48lb. And
with the strongest 20lb breaking
at nearly double the weakest, you 60x
have to question the way that
manufacturers label their braided
lines.
Siglon PEx8 >
Indeed, the labels often give this
variability away. Berkley braids are a
prime example of this and they label $ Price/m - 23 cents
a braid once that will sell into many
worldwide markets.
60x
Platypus Platinum Braid >
$ Price/m - 25 cents
60x
Toray Super Strong PE >
> Berkley’s labelling tells the story.
Amazingly, this 20lb is stated to break at $ Price/m - 25 cents
37lb, it actually breaks at more than this
and everyone seems OK with this.
You can see in the image that
Berkley’s 20lb X5 braid is labelled
for USA, Europe and Asian markets
simultaneously. It’s a 20lb braid in 60x
USA, a 17kg (37.5lb) in Europe and
0.17mm. In Asia it’s called 37lb and
when we tested it, it breaks at 37.5lb. Sufix x8 >
Confusing? You bet. Especially
since Australia gets braids that
were originally made for all of these $ Price/m - 26 cents
markets.
From what I gather, Americans
want a 20lb braid that breaks at 40lb,
Europeans work on diameter and
Asians just want to tell the truth about
the breaking strain! 60x
So, to be fair, we should take
continued to page 6
FISHING TACKLE 2020 5
> FISHING TACKLE
2020
EXTRA
... continued from page 5
> Shimano Kairiki braid
breaking strain into account when
looking at things like diameter,
$ Price/m - 27 cents because we are literally presented with
lines between 23 and 53lb breaking
strain here. And this will effect other
tests, like abrasion resistance.
> Tested Breaking Strength
60x Line lb
Toray Sea Bass PE 22.8
Sign PEx8 23.2
Siglon PEx4 23.4
> Daiwa J-Braid Grand Daiwa Saltiga EX 24.6
Platypus Platinum Braid 24.8
$ Price/m - 28 cents Toray Jigging PE PG 26.4
Sufix 131 27.8
Nomad Pandora braid 30.2
Platypus Bionic Braid 31.1
Strike Pro CFS Fish Floss 31.8
Toray Super Strong PE 34.3
Strike Pro Armour Braid 34.8
60x
Power Pro V2 35.3
Power Pro 35.5
Shimano Kairiki braid 36.8
> Platypus Bionic Braid Berkley X5 37.5
Berkley X9 38.4
$ Price/m - 29 cents Sufix 832
Daiwa J-Braid Grand
38.8
39.6
Platypus P8 40.7
Daiwa J-Braid x4 43.4
Daiwa J-Braid x8 48.0
Sufix x8 48.0
Schneider Super 8 53.3
60x
ABRASION RESISTANCE
> Sufix 832 This is the section which will definitely
cause the most debate. Let me remind
$ Price/m - 29 cents you of Gareth Williams’ original words.
“…it’s all pretty poor when it comes
to abrasion resistance - monofilament
line will win that battle every day of the
week,” he said.
We also borrowed Platypus’ line
abrasion testing machine. You can see
60x exactly how we set up the machine
and used it in the accompanying video
(that you can watch by scanning the
> Platypus P8 QR code at the start of this article) and
we did it the same way that they have
$ Price/m - 29 cents
60x
> Power Pro
$ Price/m - 29 cents
60x
> Yep. There were some pretty
good messes that we made on
the way to our final conclusions.
6 FISHING TACKLE 2020
> NEW 2020 PRODUCTS
been using it for years.
It uses a moving rough surface
(800 grit sandpaper) against a small
length of line under a small amount of
pressure.
But when we see how other
line companies test their abrasion
resistance, it’s the polar opposite.
Daiwa have a video on their site that
shows their J-Braid being abrasion
tested on their own machines. It moves
the line across a smooth, smaller
diameter edge under much more
pressure?
And I’m sure that each manufacturer
has their own testing regime.
Which one is right? Maybe they all
are.
What we learned very quickly was
that if you did a series of tests that
used the same piece of sandpaper,
it would fill up with abraded pieces of
fishing line and the results would 100%
reflect the order in which the lines were
put on the machine. To test this, we
ran the same line repeatedly over an
unchanged piece of sandpaper.
> Using Same Sandpaper
Test # Revolutions
1 40
2 77
3 134
4 298
5 344
By the 5th test, the result was nearly
10 times more revolutions than the first
test. So any of the test you see online
that use the same piece of sandpaper
over and over will be rubbish. The later
they test the line, the more abrasion
resistant it will appear.
That said, this type of ‘brute force’
testing will also be influenced by several
factors and I think that the main two are
the type and amount of line coating that
the braid has and the number of strands
in the braid itself.
The higher the number of strands
in a braided line (there’s 4 up to 13 in
the samples we tested), the thinner the
individual strands are and the more
easily they seem to be plucked apart by
the grit.
But also, a thick line coating tends
to still have an effect of dampening the
sandpaper’s effectiveness. For instance
the Strike Pro Armour Braid seemed to
wear nearly all the way through and then
get polished by the sandpaper fill of the
coating.
So we took a different tack. We
decided to measure the lines and
plot the thickness of the line against
abrasion resistance. If there there was
a trend between thickness and abrasion
resistance, then thickness and breaking
strain, there’s no point ranking lines in
terms of which one is more abrasion
resistant than the other. It’s not a fair
fight.
So now all we had to do is measure
the diameter of the lines.
 > NEW 2020 PRODUCTS > FISHING TACKLE

2020
EXTRA
Toray Jigging PE PG >

$ Price/m - 30 cents

60x

Schneider Super 8 >

> Wrapping the test line around a glass microscope slide and photographing
under the 60x setting gave us a good enough image to measure diameter.
BRAID THICKNESS
Of course, measuring the thickness
of the braids isn’s an easy task. Some
braids flatten out easily, meaning that
when you measure diameter - even
with an awesome pair of verniers - it’ll
read thinner than it actually is. Some
companies use lasers to average a
diameter and others don’t even state
a thickness on their packaging. Many
Asian braids use a PE rating as a proxy.
So out came the Aldi microscope, a
metal ruler and some creative thinking
to get the job done.
We wrapped the braid 10 times
around a glass slide under a small,
constant pressure and taped off both
ends. these lines.
We then put the slide under a constant
(60x) magnification with a constant focal
length and took a pic. Then we gave the
ruler the same treatment and on the
computer, made a moveable measurer
with 1/10th of a millimetre increments.
We’d pick the thickest, thinnest and
then three random measurements of
the diameter and average these out to
get a number.
That was ‘our’ braid thickness.
During the process, there were
some interesting images generated.
For instance with the Sufix 832 braid,
you could quite easily see the single,
GoreTex fibre running through the
line. It seemed to not take any of the
colouration that the other fibres.
$ Price/m - 33 cents
Most of the 4-strand braid were
noticeably angular. You can feel this
through your fingers when when 60x
you run the line through it. The more
strands in the braid, the smoother it
feels as a general rule.
But what did we find? Sufix 131 >
Some of the measurements were
pretty much spot-on with what was
written on the packaging. If there
$ Price/m - 36 cents
was to be a “Most Honest” award,
it’d go to Siglon - their breaking
strengths and diameters stated on
the packaging were pretty close.
60x
Scan the QR
code to watch
how we tested
Power Pro V2 >
Most were thicker than stated. $ Price/m - 36 cents
None were thinner. Regardless, we
were able to ascribe a diameter to all
test samples and plot this against the
measured breaking strength.
And guess what - there’s a
correlation between thickness and 60x
strength. Who would have thought?
After that, we plotted strength v
abrasion test results and also thickness
v abrasion. Also a relationship. Daiwa Saltiga EX >
All of this passes the pub-test,
although there’d definitely be some $ Price/m - 50 cents
Karens on social media that’s sense a
conspiracy.
continued to page 8

60x

Toray Sea Bass PE >

$ Price/m - 57 cents

60x

> Here’s the Platypus’ line strength testing machine in action.

FISHING TACKLE 2020 7
> FISHING TACKLE > NEW 2020 PRODUCTS

2020
EXTRA
... continued from page 7
SO WHAT CAN WE REPORT?
After finding correlations between
strength, diameter and abrasion
resistance, we’ve decided no not
publish the individual results for these
three tests.
It’s not a fair fight.
Generally, a non-Asian market
braid labelled 20lb line will all of the
fights. That’s because it’s really a 40lb
braid.
Generally the Japanese braids are
pretty honest, the American ones are
understated and the Europeans seem
to buy on diameter and don’t really
worry about anything else.
Does this make it a ridiculously
difficult market for the consumer? Yep.
Should there be some standardisation
in how braids are labelled? Most
definitely. Will this Fishing Monthly
article make it happen? It’s unlikely.
This sort of sucks, because we
went into this piece hoping to come
out with some pretty solid rankings
on what’s the best and what’s the
rubbish.
In reality, It comes down to you.
Armed with this information at least
you’ll know that when you’re buying
braid to fill up your next reel, if it feels
nice, it’ll most likely do the job and if
you’re on a budget, you know what
braids to look at.
And when you’re fishing it, just
make sure that you have enough
leader to cover all of the contact with
fish and structure.
Like most of our features, you can
watch the video-version of this test on
the Fishing Monthly YouTube channel.
You can do it by scanning the QR
code at the start of the article and we
all know how to do it now, thanks to
COVID.

Strength v Diameter Diameter v Abrasion Strength v Abrasion

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8 FISHING TACKLE 2020

> FISHING TACKLE
2020
EXTRA
2
1 Concept Z SLD
13 Fishing
The original Concept Z rocked the industry
with its ground-breaking CZB technology.
Pushing the edge of design, engineering,
and materials forward is what the Z SLD is
all about.
The Concept Z SLD starts with the new
SLIDE magnetic cast control system located
in the per-fect place for anglers to adjust
without missing a single casting opportunity.
Control casting downwind and then upwind
on alternating casts with a flick of the thumb.
Pitch, flip, or just let it fly by combining or
isolating the low-friction centrifugal braking
with the magnetic SLIDE braking.
Zero corrosion CZB bearings and an
advanced polymer drag system are placed
within the new rock-solid cast iron carbon
frame and side plates. This design sets the
new bar for material inno-vation.
Other features include a Ti-Armour
aluminium Hamai cut drive gear, arrowhead
line guide, rein-forced clutch cam, KeepR
integrated hook keeper, low friction 6-way
braking system, beetle wing rapid access
side plate system and a compatibility to all
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SRP $459
W 13fishing.com
13FishingAustralia
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10 FISHING TACKLE 2020
2 Cedros Spinning Reels
OKUMA
It’s here and it’s ready to take on
Australia’s toughest saltwater rivals.
Specifically designed for saltwater use,
Okuma Cedros spinning reels feature
Okuma’s rigid Mag-Alloy Blade Body
design, Dual Force drag system for
extreme stopping power and proprietary
High Density gearing, designed with a
special corrosion resistant coating.
Combine this with a high-speed
gear ratio and a customised aluminium
handle, and you have a beast of a reel
that is ready to take on all challenges in
its category. Initially available in 14000,
10000 and 8000 sizes, with smaller
models to follow.
Enhancing reliability is a manual bail
trip, 6HPB and 1RB corrosion resistant
stainless steel bearings and a watertight
drag seal and a precision cut brass
pinion gear.
The spool is machines, two-tone
anodised aluminium.
RRP: from $279.90
W okuma.com.au
Okuma Australia
@okumaaustralia
3 Saragosa SWA
SHIMANO
Shimano’s Saragosa SW has built a
reputation across the globe for remarkable
cranking power and unmatched durability.
The latest evolution – the Saragosa SWA –
has been upgraded with Shimano’s latest
reel technologies and is now available in
two additional sizes.
Adopting the same Infinity Drive
technology as Stella SWC, the Saragosa
SWA has improved pinion gear support
and the main shaft has been treated with a
special skid coating to provide even greater
and smoother cranking power.
Additionally, Shimano’s X-Protect water
resistance system has been incorporated
into the line roller, increasing durability to an
IPX8 standard. Saragosa SWA also houses
Shimano’s super strong and reliable Cross
Carbon Drag system that has proven itself
against some of the biggest, meanest fish
on the planet.
The Saragosa SWA continues to deliver
top tier Shimano reel technologies such
as X-Protect, X-Ship, Hagane Body and
Hagane Gearing into a lightweight, more
compact body. The newly designed body
of Saragosa SWA has been re-engineered
across the entire series and improve the
reel’s handling and balance.
The Saragosa SWA series retains the
famous silver and blue cosmetics and
features 8 models including a 5000XG,
6000HG, 8000HG, 10000PG – two new
sizes 14000XG and 18000HG – 20000PG
and a 25000 size.
RRP: from $399
W shimanofish.com.au/
SHIMANO Australia Fishing
shimano.fish
> NEW 2020 PRODUCTS
4 Vanford
SHIMANO
The new Vanford is the latest addition to
Shimano’s spinning category with this
series being designed to become the
ultimate finesse fishing reel with a super-fast
start up. The Vanford series replaces the
iconic Stradic Ci4+ and is equipped with a
range of technology upgrades that sets the
Vanford apart. A lighter and more balanced
new MGL rotor makes the reel 48% lighter
to turn when compared to a standard rotor
design.
When combined with the Ci4+ body
material, the Vanford is up to 9% lighter
in some models. Now anglers will have
an improved ability to finesse casts more
accurately and transition to working the lure
with ease. Micromodule Gear II and Silent
Drive is featured in the new Vanford and
ensures the gears align and perform with
nominal resistance and minimal reel noise.
Additionally, the Hagane Gear has been
upgraded for added strength.
By combining Shimano’s water-
repellent coating and specially designed
water channelling construction, X-Protect
provides high-level water resistance without
sacrificing light gear and rotor rotation. This
has increased the durability of the Vanford’s
roller clutch and line roller to an IPX8
standard. By incorporating the new Long
Stroke Spool design, casting performance
has also been improved.
Felt drag washers are fitted to the 1000
to C3000 models for smoothness and
Cross Carbon drag washers are fitted to the
4000 and 5000 models for added power.
RRP: from $359
W shimanofish.com.au/
SHIMANO Australia Fishing
shimano.fish
 > FISHING TACKLE

2020
> NEW 2020 PRODUCTS EXTRA
1 2 3 4

1 20 Aird-X Rods
DAIWA
Aird is a name synonymous with
affordable quality from Daiwa, with Aird
LT reels setting the bar for small spinning
reel performance. Now, that same
evolution is here for rod design, with the
introduction of 20 Aird-X.
Featuring Daiwa’s Braiding-X
technology, Aird-X blanks are more
powerful than ever, and have been
made lighter by the use of new finishing
techniques to reduce unnecessary
weight. This reduction in weight improves
blank sensitivity, making 20 Aird-X the
most sensitive rods in this price point
Daiwa has ever produced.
Fuji’s Corrosion Control (CC) finish
‘O’ ring guides give a high level of
confidence to the angler, and a uniquely
designed Daiwa reel seat improves
ergonomics and comfort over a long
period of time.
Designed from the ground up for
Australian techniques, 20 Aird-X boasts
the most significant model line-up of
any Aird rod series. Brand new models
catering to all kinds of angling situations
mean there will be an Aird -X rod to cater
for every anglers’ needs across the
country.
RRP: from $99
W daiwafishing.com.au
Daiwa Australia
@daiwaaustralia
2 Infeet/Infeet Z Rods
DAIWA
Daiwa welcomes two new line-ups to the
famous Infeet family with the releases of
the 20 Infeet and 20 Infeet Z rod ranges.
20 Infeet is the initial range in the
family, consisting of five of the most
demanded models by light tackle
anglers. Utilising Daiwa’s X45 and HVF
technology, Infeet rods are incredibly
light weight, weighing in under 90g for
all models. Sculptured ergonomically
designed reel seats fit perfectly in the
hand for ultimate comfort and control
while Fuji Fazlite guides provide precise
line flow and trouble-free casting
performance.
20 Infeet Z is the middle tier in the
Infeet family and blends some historic
Daiwa design and modern materials to
produce a high-performance finesse rod
series.
Six models feature in the range,
with a new Air Sensor ‘Heartland’ style
reel seat delivering anglers one of the
lightest reel seats on the market, while
Daiwa’s latest in X45 technology, Next
Gen. X45 Technology, features in the
butt section of the rod to increase
increasing torsional stiffness and
improving blank recovery.
A combination of Fuji stainless steel
SiC guides on the butt section of the
rod, and Fuji Titanium SiC guides on
the tip, makes Infeet Z rods responsive,
crisp and an absolute joy to use.
RRP: from $189
W daiwafishing.com.au
Daiwa Australia
@daiwaaustralia
3 Saltist Hyper Rods
DAIWA
Any product carrying the Saltist name
invokes a level of trust and dependability
few others can match. Now in 2020,
a new generation of Saltist Hyper
rods is here, leveraging all of Daiwa’s
advancements in rod technology to
elevate the range to a new level of design
and performance.
The blank of the all new 20
Saltist Hyper is where the bulk of the
advancements have been made with
Daiwa’s new X45 technology, Next Gen.
X45 Technology increasing torsional
stiffness to significantly improve casting
performance.
A newly developed grip section
catches the eye thanks to the unique
spiral foregrip, while quality Fuji
components including the newly released
Corrosion Control (CC) Fuji ‘O’ ring
guides and Fuji branded reel seats and
butt caps further enhance looks, design
and function.
The 20 Saltist Hyper brings with it
a host of new actions dedicated to the
growth in the lure casting sportfishing
market that is so prevalent in coastal
Australian waterways. Whether it’s
throwing stickbaits for tuna or reef
species over shallow coral flats, or
throwing a timber hardbody off the
breakwalls of the northern rivers for
mulloway, there’s now a 20 Saltist Hyper
for almost every conceivable mission.
RRP: from $299
W daiwafishing.com.au
Daiwa Australia
@daiwaaustralia
4 Anthem Saltwater Rods
SHIMANO
Joining Shimano’s extensive range of
saltwater rods, the new 2020 Anthem
SW series is built tough and designed
specifically for Australian anglers. This
series of dedicated sportfishing series of
rods feature 12 purpose-built models that
include 2 overhead, 6 spin, 2 stick bait and
3 jigging models across varying line ratings.
Incorporating premium components
and technologies, the blanks are built
from Shimano’s durable and lightweight
TC4 blank construction which creates
an extremely durable, yet light rod that
performs incredibly when casting, jigging
or popping. TC4 is based on double inner
layers of advanced dynamic T glass which
are then over-wrapped with a spiral of high-
modulus graphite. This allows the Anthem
SW blanks to deliver incredible strength and
durability, with actions that are inspired by
the original TC4 Terez and Ocea Offshore
series.
The Anthem SW series further
incorporates premium Fuji K Faz Lite guides
which allow for optimal casting ability
and distances. The Faz Lite guides also
disperse heat from the line around the inner
which helps to reduce damage to the line.
To improve handling and performance,
the rods features specially designed custom
shaped EVA moulded grips and Fuji reels
seats. If you are looking for a premium, up
spec’d and sturdy rod to tackle those big
offshore and inshore species the Anthem
SW series is sure to have you covered.
RRP: from $299
W shimanofish.com.au/
SHIMANO Australia Fishing
shimano.fish

FISHING TACKLE 2020 11

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2020
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1 T Curve 2020
SHIMANO
This year brings anglers a redesigned and
upgraded iconic Shimano favourite, the
new TCurve 2020 series. The reputable
TCurve series has been used by Australian
anglers for years and it was time to bring this
series back to life and into anglers’ hands
once again. The new range consists of 13
specially designed models to suit an array
of fishing styles and techniques throughout
Australia. The cosmetic design features a
classy grey blank with slightly darker bindings
to complete the sleek new look, giving it a
modern finish. The butt design features a
mix of custom shaped EVA and cork split
grip butt sections with a Fuji reel seat. The
guides showcase Fuji’s premium Faz Lite K
frames in silver, which provide great casting
performance. The Faz Lite guides are
designed to disperse line heat from extended
fights around the guide, reducing damage,
ensuring you land that PB fish.
The blank technology incorporates
Shimano’s premium TC4 blank construction
which allows the blank to be extremely
durable yet remain a light and sensitive rod
with a crisp feel. TC4 blanks are based on
double inner layers of advanced dynamic
T glass which are then over-wrapped with
a spiral of high-modulus graphite. This
allows the blanks action to deliver incredible
performance, while maintaining the strength
and durability Aussie anglers demand.
The 13 models cover all bases from
light estuary, heavy offshore, baitcasting,
swimbaiting and all fishing styles in between.
RRP from $279
W shimanofish.com.au/
SHIMANO Australia Fishing
shimano.fish
12 FISHING TACKLE 2020
2 Fat Jack 04
RAPALA
Rapala is diving head first into the bream
market with the release of the brand
new, 4cm/4g Shadow Rap® Fat Jack
04 crankbait. Designed in Australia with
input from Tim “The Bream” Morgan
and a handful of bream tournament
anglers, it fills a gap in Rapala’s small
crankbait range.
The long-casting Shadow Rap®
Fat Jack 04 dives fast when cranked.
With a very slow rise on the pause, it
perfectly imitates the fade of a dying
baitfish. Designed for slow presentations
with a steady retrieve and built with a
subtle, natural rattle created by two
internal glass beads, Fat Jack will draw
aggressive strikes even from the most
passive fish.
Detailed Shadow Rap® Series
baitfish and attractor patterns help cover
all fishing situations while the wire-
through construction withstands even
the biggest fish. There are 26 colours in
the range designed for both fresh and
saltwater species and there’s a mix of
natural colours for the bream market and
more vibrant hues for the bass and trout
segments in the fresh.
MSRP $23.95
W www.rapala.com.au
Rapala
@rapalaaustralia
3 Gulp 9” Jerkshad
BERKLEY
It’s designed for anglers who only care
about one thing: hunting the biggest fish
that swim. The largest Gulp! ever, the 9”
Jerkshad has got more surface area, and
therefore more scent dispersion than any
other softbait.
With an extended tail, this legendary
profile now has an incredible swimming
action on a medium-fast retrieve.
Whether jigged deep amongst the reef
or skipped across the surface like an
out-of-luck garfish, the 9” Jerkshad revs
up predators from miles to have a swipe!
Watch it hunt. Available in 10 colours.
RRP $11.99
W berkley-fishing.com.au/
Berkley Fishing
berkleyfishing_aus
>> NEW
NEW 2020PRODUCTS
2020 PRODUCTS
4
4 Gulp 3”, 4” & 5”
Paddleshad
BERKLEY
It’s an instant classic. The best of both
worlds have combined to produce a bait
that not only swims like an athlete, but has
that winning Gulp! scent and fish-attracting
flavour. The robust tail action fires up all
manner of predators, with the 3, 4 and 5”
baitfish profiles covering your freshwater,
estuary and inshore bases. Whether you
slow-roll, hop or burn: if you could only
pick one bait profile to have in your bag,
the Gulp! Paddleshad is it.
Available in 6 colours, 3 sizes: 3” 4”
and 5”.
RRP $11.99
W berkley-fishing.com.au/
Berkley Fishing
berkleyfishing_aus

>
>NEW
NEW2020
2020PRODUCTS
PRODUCTS
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2 4
1 Powerbait HD
Hollowbelly
BERKLEY
The Hollowbelly range needs little
introduction, a renowned paddle tail
profile known for one of the widest,
most irresistible body rolls in the game.
This year, the Hollowbelly gets an
upgrade of High Definition finishes.
There are four ultra-realistic colours
in the lineup: Yakka, Slimy, Mullet and
Garfish, all of which are high on the hit
list of an Aussie predator’s menu.
Available in 4 new colours, 3 sizes:
4”, 5”, 6”.
RRP $14.99
W berkley-fishing.com.au/
Berkley Fishing
berkleyfishing_aus
2 60M Crankbait
JOLLIP
Jollip lures Specialise in making bass
lures and now have stepped up to the
plate with this awesome new crank bait
the MF 60M.
Already in its prototype stages it has
taken out a 1st and 2nd place in the ABT
Bass Electric series on the venue it was
designed on - the mighty Richmond
River.
The MF 60M is the ultimate river crank
bait reaching depths up to 4ft paired with
its silent approach it’s a must in your
tackle tray this summer.
Coming in a range of great Jollip
colours they’re sure to be one that ticks
your box.
These will be available shortly at www.
jolliplures.com.
RRP: $23.00
W jolliplures.com
Jollip Lures
@jolliplures
3 Bait Junkie Soft Plastics
DAIWA
Bait Junkie is the culmination of years of
collaboration between Daiwa engineers
from Japan and local Australian R&D
teams. Developed specifically for
Australian conditions, Bait Junkie is the
furthest evolution of soft bait design,
incorporating innovative material science
with unique and functional 2D and 3D
designs to release a full range of soft
plastics that are just as effective as they
are exciting.
Made from Daiwa’s Elastomax
material, Bait Junkie baits are stretchy,
durable and buoyant material, with
Elastomax allowing thinner designs to be
created to optimised swimming action and
performance at slow speeds.
Amino-X, a natural based flavour and
scent masks any unnatural plastic odours
or smells, while Bait Junkie baits and
packs are also loaded with Shrimp Power-
Oil, a powerful shrimp-based formula to
make sure that the moment your lure hits
the water it’s working. The range includes
six of Australia’s most popular soft plastics
models, including 2.5” and 4” Grub, 2.5”
and 3.2” Minnow, and 5” and 7” Jerkshad.
Packaged in a double clam tray to
keep each bait straight and true and
kink free, Bait Junkies are available in an
extensive range of fish catching colours,
with UV colours prominent throughout
the range. Built tough and designed for
Australian anglers and species Bait Junkie
is the range to give you your soft plastic
fix.
RRP: $11.99
W daiwafishing.com.au
Daiwa Australia
@daiwaaustralia
> FISHING TACKLE
2020
EXTRA
4 Hard Armour Leader
PLATYPUS
Tackle Tactics history of product
development and innovation has seen a
new release from Australia’s oldest fishing
tackle brand, Platypus Fishing Lines
(Australian Made since 1898).
Hard Armour Leader is the result
of countless hours of laboratory and
on-water testing and R&D, resulting in a
leader that has increased knot strength
and up to 20% more strength and
abrasion resistance when compared with
equivalent diameter leaders from leading
brands.
Available in both a Tough, for
maximum abrasion resistance in harsh
environments, and Supple for maximum
action without sacrificing abrasion
resistance, Hard Armour is manufactured
in Australia from premium Japanese
co-polymers for outstanding clarity, knot
and crimp strength and controlled stretch
for shock absorption. Includes a bonus
line tamer for easy dispensing and spool
management.
Hard Armour Tough: 20lb – 150lb /
Supple: 20lb – 100lb
RRP: $19.95
W fishplatypus.com.au
Platypus Fishing Lines
@platypus_lines
FISHING TACKLE 2020 13
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1 3
1 Gulp! Gel | Rub
On Scent
BERKLEY
You’ve been asking for it forever. We’ve
finally perfected the development. 30
years of scientific research and on-water
testing boiled down into one tube of
undisputed fish catching ability. Now,
legendary Gulp! scent isn’t just for soft
baits, but can be applied to all manner
of lures. No other scent triggers a bite
response from fish quite like Gulp!
Available in 35ml tube.
RRP $14.99
W berkley-fishing.com.au/
Berkley Fishing
berkleyfishing_aus
14 FISHING TACKLE 2020
2 Roadie 24
Hard Cooler
YETI
The Roadie® 24 Hard Cooler is a fresh
take on a tried-and-true YETI favourite.
It’s 10% lighter, holds 20% more, and
performs 30% better thermally than its
legendary predecessor. With no drain
plug, you can ditch excess water or
ice with a quick flip. The all-new design
accommodates an upright bottle of wine,
allowing you to instantly up your picnic
game. Plus, its slim design means it’ll
slide behind the front seat of the car,
giving you quick access to ice-cold
drinks no matter how long the journey.
Please note: The Dry Goods Basket is
sold separately.
RRP: $299.95
Trailhead
Camp Chair
YETI
Once you’ve conquered a killer trail,
you’ve earned an even better break. Our
Trailhead™ Camp Chair is a best-in-class
seat designed for legendary durability
and hardcore comfort. Included carry
bag makes it easy to take your chair on
the trail. And ultra-supportive FlexGrid™
Fabric makes for a comfortable landing.
You and your seat are going places.
RRP: $399.95
W au.yeti.com
YETI
@yeti_au
Panga 75 Duffel
YETI
The YETI Panga™ 75 is an ultra-durable,
fully submersible dry duffel. This dry bag
is built to take a beating and keep your
gear dry in the face of whitewater, or
when you’re fishing off-shore. This is a
whole new category of waterproof.
RRP: $449.95
Daytrip
Lunch Box
YETI
This fresh-for-hours, easy-to-clean
lunch box is your one-way ticket to
packing a lunch you’ll actually look
forward to. It’s loaded to the gills with
insulation power, engineered with a
water-resistant exterior, and built with a
rock-solid form factor so it holds its own
when riding in backpacks and bags.
RRP: $109.95
W au.yeti.com
YETI
@yeti_au
>> NEW
NEW 2020PRODUCTS
2020 PRODUCTS
3 Edge Master
PLANO
Over two years in the making and
countless hours of research and
development has led to a tackle storage
system that solves every major problem
anglers encounter.
Every feature on Plano’s new EDGE
series is part of a well thought out
system to help you be a better angler.
With a family of 10 boxes offering
both general purpose and specialised
storage that fit into the current Plano
system, they will prolong the life of your
tackle and give you an edge on the
water.
One quick glance shows these tackle
boxes are different. Look closer and
you’ll find they’re not only different –
they’re better in every way possible.
The EDGE Crank features the patent-
pending Crankbait Catcher – a system
of silicone pegs that hold crankbaits
securely to prevent hook tangles. This
is the first crankbait storage solution of
its kind and you’ll only find it from the
fishing experts at Plano. The shallow
depth of the EDGE Crank – Small
provides the perfect protection for
finesse baits, jerk baits and slim-profile
lures. Also available in an extra-large
size for deep-diving crankbaits.
RRP: $69.95
W jmgillies.com.au
JM Gillies
@jm.gillies
 Meet Jack’s Little
Fat Brother...
NEW FOR 2020
Diving jerk bait up to 10ft • troll or
cast retrieve with twitching action TWITCH 105
• available in 6 colours • best
for jacks, flathead & barra
• rrp $30

Shadow Rap
®

R
AD JN
Fat Jack 04
Z SH
Z
BU 60mm • 10 grams • floats
when paused • available in 6
colours • best for bass
• rrp $25 Slow Rise • Subtle Rattling with Glass Beads
• Wire Through Construction • VMC Black Nickel Hooks
• Targeted for all Estuary Species both Freshwater & Saltwater

Running
Model No. MSRP Depth Length Weight Buoyancy
online store and stockists SDRFJ04 $23.95 3m 4cm 4g Slow Rise
www.jolliplures.com
AS BG BLL

BRP CLN CPE

GGIU GHP GHS

All new website now live

GNT HAY HBG

HGT HH HLW

HROL HTY MBLU

P PEL PSC

PUPU ROL RTL

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Visit us online at
www.jmgillies.com.au
jm.gillies Rapala @rapalaaustralia rapala.com.au
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