Fishing Archives | RAILBLAZA International

Announcing HEXX Rod Holder

RAILBLAZA — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 02:42:38 +0000

RAILBLAZA has raised the bar again with the new HEXX Rod Holder, engineered for enhanced strength and durability through advanced high-impact materials and robust design. Watch the video below to see it in action.

HEXX Rod Holder 11-4189-11

HEXX Rod Holder has withstood a punishing testing program to endure the largest trolling loads and strongest strikes of the RAILBLAZA rod holder line up.

For spinning reels, bait caster and saltwater overhead reels.
Rotating collar helps reduce ‘strike-theft’
Rear gimble lock reduces rod rotation for compatible rods; lift to slide rods through.
Fully adjustable 90° around, over 90° vertical
Easy access to reel when in position
Square-tooth adjustable tilt stops rotational slipping.

Find Out More HERE

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Interview: MLF Pro Tour Angler "Bradley Roy"

RAILBLAZA — Mon, 04 Apr 2022 16:58:56 +0000

We got the chance to catch up with Railblaza and MLF Bass Pro Tour angler Bradley Roy recently on his way to his next tournament.

RAILBLAZA: Bradley, you started the 2022 season off with a victory at the Bass Pro Tour Stage One in Louisiana, and then in the second Bass Pro Tour Stage, you caught your personal best bass (11-11) live on Major League Fishing. That’s quite a start to the season!

Roy: Yeah! My goal is always to start the season strong; it seems like it always makes the rest of the season flow better. Obviously, a win is the strongest you can start a season, then to go on to Lake Fork and not only have a good finish but also the biggest bass I’ve ever caught. It feels like things are flowing, and that’s an excellent place to be when you’re an angler!

RAILBLAZA: What did that first victory mean to your career?

Roy: To me, it was an exclamation point; I feel like a win had eluded me for a while. I believe I’ve had a decent career so far; it was never an issue of confidence that I could win. It’s just one of those deals where it sort of solidified my career up to this point.

RAILBLAZA: We weren’t surprised a bit. We have a saying around here that “Railblaza always wins. Ott is on our team and won; we’ve had kayak winners, walleye winners, you name it.”

Roy: Haha, “Railblaza always wins.” I love it.

Roy films all of his Bass Pro Tour events and posts them on YouTube (find his YouTube and social links on his bio page HERE). Besides a chesty mount, Bradley utilizes a Railblaza USB-powered Starport, and Railblaza Boom installed on the back deck of his Triton boat.

RAILBLAZA: We got to watch some awesome fish catches with your GoPros; what do you like best about filming each event?

Roy: What’s really great for me is I can go back and watch the video of my tournament days, and I will sometimes look at them during a tournament. I run two GoPro’s during the tournament, the Chesty, and the Railblaza Boom at the back of the boat. With the 11-11 fish, I noticed on the video that the fish didn’t actually bite when I thought it did, and I made an extra couple of twitches that were a little different that triggered the bite. It’s things like that that I would not have been able to recognize without recording my fishing. I think all anglers should be recording their fishing to learn and capture their big fish catches.

RAILBLAZA: That 11-11 bass; what was it like catching a giant like that with cameras rolling?

Roy: Unfortunately, the GoPro on my Chesty failed around the time of that fish catch, but I was still able to catch it all on the Railblaza Boom GoPro, and the MLF cameras were on me, too. An issue like with the Chesty makes it even more important that I run two different camera angles.

RAILBLAZA: Before this fish, what was your personal best bass, and where did you catch it?

Roy: It was an 11-0 in 2017 on Lake Conroe, also in Texas. Being from Kentucky, we don’t see bass in the double digits very often, so it’s special when you can go to bodies of water that hold those size fish, but it made it even more special that I caught that one with my dad.

RAILBLAZA: Awesome that you caught that fish with your dad! How important is passing along the sport of fishing to the next generation?

Roy: It’s very important! We, as anglers, must work hard to support the younger generations. If it’s only older people fishing, and we’re not bringing kids up in the sport, it can die out. That’s why I try to spend time working with junior and high school anglers when I can. Now we have our son, Lucas, and I am really looking forward to getting his first rod soon and getting him on the water.

RAILBLAZA: What is the goal now that you have won a Bass Pro Tour Stage?

Roy: Winning another one! The goal is always to win, and any time you’re able to get one, it builds confidence in the way you fish. I hope I can do it again soon.

Best of luck the rest of the year, Bradley!

Tie Better FG Knots On The Kayak Using RAILBLAZA Spooling Station

RAILBLAZA — Tue, 16 Nov 2021 01:10:53 +0000

Pro team member Jason Milne shares his thoughts on how the new Spooling Station is helping him tie better & stronger leader to braid knots on the kayak knots.

“The new RAILBLAZA Spooling Station it is great to hold leader on the kayak when you’re trying to tie the leader to braid knots, even in the wind you can keep everything nice and tight resulting in a cleaner stronger knot, great idea team! In the video below I am using the StarPort version as on the Hobie Outback I have multiple StarPort Mounts so can simply click it in and out when needed.

Spooling Station Fixed or StarPort Mount

RAILBLAZA Spooling Station Fixed or StarPort Mount version can be easily attached directly to a flat vertical surface with the supplied self-tapping screws. Also comes with a StarPort adapter making it compatible with all RAILBLAZA StarPort mounts. StarPort Mounts sold separately.

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Ott DeFoe Reviews The NEW RAILBLAZA Spooling Station "Fishing Line Spooler"

RAILBLAZA — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 23:15:15 +0000

Ott DeFoe, Major League Fishing Professional Angler this great new product is something I have been very excited to get on both of my boats and in the garage. What is it? RAILBLAZA Spooling Station. Watch the full video review below from Ott

As professional anglers we spend a lot of time in between our bass fishing tournament days or in the evenings respooling our rods and reels, we need to have fresh line ready for the next day. With the RAILBLAZA Spooling Station I can sit in my Nitro boat passenger seat and respool line with Spooling Station fitted inside the lid of my storage hatch.

I can spool however many reels I need its super easy to use and change the spool over, so versatile like anything in the RAILBLAZA range. You can mount the Spooling Station in a StarPort, in a track system or you can hard mount it like I have in my Nitro hatch lid & in the garage.

Key Features

The height-adjustable shaft means it is compatible with fishing line spools up to 50mm (2”) thick and a maximum diameter of 115 mm (4.5”)
Integrated brake for adjustable spool tension
Adjustable orientation allows for the spooling station to pivot and point to your rod tip
Spool line retention clip to stop spool unravelling when not in use
Fold back tether point to hold the spooling station closed. Ideal for folding away in a cupboard or locker
Easily shift between boat, kayak, workshop or have multiple units for easy access wherever you are using StarPorts, tracks or fixed mount.

Great for holding leader line – I have one mounted in my Versatrack system to hold my leader line, its right there at the side of the boat when I break off my leader its super easy to get to. such a great tool and so versatile. A great addition to the RAILBLAZA line up, check it out at your local RAILBLAZA dealer.

Spooling Station is available in 2 options – see below

Spooling Station Fixed or StarPort Mount

Can be easily attached directly to a flat vertical surface with the supplied self-tapping screws. Also comes with a StarPort adapter making it compatible with all RAILBLAZA StarPort mounts. StarPort Mounts sold separately. Click the image to find out more

Spooling Station Track Mount

Allows a tool-free installation on gunnel tracks of most aluminium fishing boats including Tracker VersaTrack, Crestliner, LUND Sport Trak, LOWE Boats, Princecraft PrinceTrak, Xpress Boats, War Eagle, EXCEL Boats, G3, Ranger, Horizon & Stessl Boats Australia (2020 onwards). You can also use this version with our TracLoader Gunnel Track when mounted on a vertical surface. Click image to find out more

Josh Wiesner, Pro Bass Angler Joins RAILBLAZA Pro Team

RAILBLAZA — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 13:09:57 +0000

RAILBLAZA welcome the newest memeber to our USA based pro team : Josh Wiesner. Josh resides in Oakfield, WI with his wife Amy and their two daughters, Kinsey and Josie. When he is not busy being a father, husband, business owner, master technician, and professional angler he can usually be found either hunting or managing his property for trophy deer and waterfowl.

COMPETITIVE HIGHLIGHTS

To date; 28 Top 10 finishes, 6 Tournament wins, Bass Nation(WI) 5 time state team qualifier, Bass Nation(WI) Championship winner, 2 Time A.I.M. Walleye Championship winner, member of the 2019 USA Fishing Predator Team -South Africa.

Josh was born and raised in Campbellsport, Wisconsin. After high school he went on to graduate from the Marine Power Distribution program at Eau Claire Technical College. From there his travels took him to the Mercury Marine Service School in Detroit Lakes, MN. After graduating from that specialized training, Josh took a position with a local marine dealership and quickly worked his way up to lead technician. After working as an technician for four years, Josh accepted a position at Mercury Marine’s headquarters as a member of their Dealer Technical Service Department. While at Mercury Josh built on his knowledge of all Mercury products and ultimately completed his Master Certification, the highest technical certification a Mercury Technician can achieve.

Josh spent four years in the Mercury Dealer Technical Services before realizing his dream of opening his own boat dealership. After securing a great location, a great line of boats to sell, along with his Mercury Master certification he already possessed, Josh decided it was time to offer the boaters of Central Wisconsin a new and exciting option! Josh opened the doors of The Boat Doc in 2007. He continues to oversee the daily operation of one of the most successful and respected dealerships in the country.

Ott DeFoe Goes All-In and Wins Third Bass Pro Tour Trophy

RAILBLAZA — Wed, 26 May 2021 14:28:23 +0000

After a rocky first day at the Favorite Fishing Stage Three Presented by Bass Cat Boats, Ott DeFoe was a dominant force on the Harris Chain during his second Qualifying Day and the Knockout Round. When it was time for DeFoe to compete in the Championship Round, he took the lead and ran away with it when it mattered the most: Period 3.

He kept things interesting by hopping in the lake to land a bass during the final hour of competition. DeFoe ended the Championship Round with a total of 73 pounds, 14 ounces, more than 25 pounds over second-place Bobby Lane.

This is DeFoe’s third Bass Pro Tour win, and fourth MLF win. In 2020, he won Stage Three on Lake Fork and Lake Palestine. He started 2021 with a Stage One win on Sam Rayburn before winning the 2021 Stage Three. DeFoe recently won the 2021 Heritage Cup in Waco, Texas, which is an event that was “shot in the dark” in October 2020 and edited for television.

Watch the interview with Ott DeFoe below

Removable Mount For Humminbird Mega 360 Transducer

Railblaza Team — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 17:20:22 +0000

RAILBLAZA Pro team member Mark Harder was looking for a removable option to mount the Humminbird Mega 360 transducer. This blog we share his solution to this problem on his new 2021 Prinscraft Xpedition.

Hi Team, I received my new 2021 Princecraft Xpedition 200 and decided to add a Humminbird Helix 8 MSI+ and a Mega 360. I was looking for a removable option so I could use it in other boats and ice fishing.

The Universal Mega 360 ships with an aluminium GeigerTech mount. I attached that to a RAILBLAZA Rotating Platform S, which in turn went into a TracLoader Sideport mounted to the gunnel track of the Princecraft.

The Helix was mounted on a Rotating Platform R using the gimbal bracket that comes with the unit. Finally, I used two G-Hold 35 in TracLoader StarPorts to hold the Mega 360 along the gunnel when stowed.

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Battle Tested By Bass Pro: Brandon Lester

Railblaza Team — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 20:18:39 +0000

When big money is on the line, and the water is big, anglers will put their gear through some severe punishment to gain an edge.

Brandon Lester

Bass tournaments are serious business. When big money is on the line, and the water is big, anglers will put their gear through some severe punishment to gain an edge. Long boat rides, waves, and natural elements can take a lot of equipment past the breaking point.

Railblaza fields a pro staff of two Major League Fishing pros (Ott DeFoe and Bradley Roy) and two Bassmaster Elite pros (Bill Lowen and Brandon Lester). Their input and experiences are vital to providing industry-leading boat accessories and mounts.

Over the past couple of years, we’ve observed first-hand the punishment these guys deal their gear, and one of the most exciting and challenging parts is the very first part of the event – blast off.

The Elite Series fields 100 boats take off in numerical order each morning with a delay of maybe 10-15 seconds in between. After the first couple of boats take off, the wave action can get intense.

According to RAILBLAZA pro-Brandon Lester, “Blast off is always an exciting time each morning. I drive a Phoenix, and, in my opinion, it’s the perfect balance of ride and speed. I pass a lot of other boats on the water down the lake, which is always satisfying, but I really like my boat at take-off. Once I drop the hammer on my Mercury (a 250hp ProXS), I typically don’t let off of it unless we hit some fog down the lake or something like that. My boat is built to take the bouncing, so I just hold on tight and run through it.

“I’ve been very pleased with the RAILBLAZA StarPort mounts and accessories on my boat. The StarPort USB that I run with the Camera Boom 600 for my GoPro camera is solid. It provides consistent power all day, so I can turn my camera on in the morning and know it’s going to run all day to capture the action.”

On Day Two of the recent Pickwick Lake Elite event, Lester’s GoPro recorded a prime example of blast-off hazards. He was boat 84 of 100 that day, and with the waves built up from 83 other boats ahead of him, he hit several solid waves coming from several directions.

True to form, Lester never let off the throttle, pushed through the spray and water, and continued heading west at 74 mph on the Tennessee River. He would go on to weigh 19 pounds, 11 ounces on the day, and ultimately finish 14^th in the event.

How To Spool A Baitcasting Reel : Ott DeFoe

Railblaza Team — Sat, 20 Mar 2021 22:17:00 +0000

Ott’s Garage – How I Spool a Baitcast Reel

In this blog Ott DeFoe shows you the way that he spools up a baitcasting reel, maybe you’ve got a brand-new baitcasting rod and reel now you’re home and you’re ready to spool it up but you’re not sure exactly the best way to get started. Maybe this is your first bait caster maybe you’ve bought a bunch and you’re just trying to learn a different way to do it.

The Best Fishing Rod Set Up For Beginners – Get Them Hooked With These Tips

Railblaza Team — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 19:59:48 +0000

Pro bass angler, Bill Lowen offers some great advice to anyone just getting started out fishing. Bill draws on his experience learning with his father to simplify a few things you need to know setting up your gear to catch fish for the first time.

Bill Lowen, In 13 years on the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bill Lowen has earned nine Bassmaster Classic berths and landed 148 Top 10 finishes. but he remembers how it all started, read on to find out more and check to see some great tips for Bill and other RAILBLAZA pro team members at the end of this guide.

“Remember to make it fun and they will be hooked for life”

The basics of how to start fishing are something I think as professional anglers we take for granted or maybe assume that everybody knows. How to get started out teaching kids to fish or anyone beginning for that matter is a question I get often.

The important thing to remember no matter if you’re fishing for bass, crappie, bluegill, catfish or whatever is to remember to make it a fun day out no matter what you catch or what size you catch, its about learning the process and experiencing this great outdoor activity.

What I am going to show you in the video below is the simplest easiest way to rig up a fishing pole to go to the lake and catch bluegill, crappie, bass, whatever you want.

What you will need

Lews Ultra light rod and reel (will do everything you need it to at this stage and is not complicated )
4lb or 6lb test line nylon (get the shop to spool that up for you if it is not already)
Bobber stop & slip bobber
Long shank hook size 1 or 2 (long shanks are easier to get out of the fish mouth without damaging the gills)
Splitshot sinkers to suit the size of bobber your using (pliers to crush it)

Steps to setting up the kids rod

Attach Bobber stop to line
Slide slip Bobber onto line
Tie a small long shank hook using trilene Knot
Attach Lead splitshot sinker (crimp with pliers)

What Bait is best for the lake or pond?

Nightcrawlers
Wax worms
Minnows

The Best Fishing Rod Set Up For Beginners : Bill LowenYou Might Also Like These Blogs

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