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t seems as if every time I meet someone, and that someone finds out we do bass-tackle reviews, the first question is: "What's the deal with the E21 Wild Black Carrot Stix rods?" Well, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it is true these rods are riding a crest of momentum and they're highly talked about. Not all of the talk has been good, because some were reportedly prone to breakage. All the more reason to test the new gen-two Wild Blacks.

I finally got my hands on one about a month ago and wanted to give it a good long test before I gave my opinion on the product. I decided not to do this review until I'd caught 250 fish on the Wild Black using many different baits. Here's how the testing turned out.

To be totally honest, yes there were some problems with the...

Jackall Lures has been a favorite of ours for some time now, and for good reason: Nearly every lure the company produces is exceptional right out of the package. The Iobee frog's no exception.

We've been fishing frogs of all types since the early-'80s and we've had a lot of success – especially for big fish.

Hollow-body frogs have primarily been used for slop fishing, because of the feeling that a lack of overall action makes them unsuitable for open water. But frogs have changed in recent years and now most premium frogs come with the expectation that they're also suitable for open water. Jackall's new Iobee Frog is in that group, and its walk-the-dog action makes it quite effective in open water – perhaps as good as any hardbait out there.

There does remain the...

When it comes to hearing about new and unique bass-fishing products, Japan is one location that always comes to mind. Maybe that's why some anglers mistake Damiki for a Japanese company. Although Damiki has found success in the highly-competitive Japanese tackle market, the company's actually Korean in origin, and South Korea itself has some fine bass fishing.

Damiki's been selling tackle for more than two decades, but its products are relatively new here in the States. It first launched here in 2008 and immediately impressed with its designs and innovations. The Finesse Miki's a perfect example.

The Finesse Miki caught our eye quite quickly, due to its rather unique body attributes. The entire design of the bait just screams "dare to be different" and that's something...

Author note: This review was researched and written by Bad Poncho's Robert Taylor III.

Square-bill Crankbaits. When you hear those words you can't help but think of the classics and the legends. But there's a new kid on the block, the Jackall ASKA 60SR, and this silent-running crankbait is one that I personally plan to use when my money's on the line.

The engineering that went into this silent square-bill was a labor of love for legendary designer Seiji Kato. Kato's said to have spent over 5 years and made over 100 prototypes to come up with this gem. For those of you...