What’s New with Hardcore
Each summer at ICAST, lure manufacturers and other fishing industry brands release their new products. It is an excellent time for fishermen as we get to see all of the latest and greatest products that will soon be available to purchase and use on the water.
Duel, a sister brand with Yo-Zuri, has been a leader in Japanese lures for nearly 50-years and recently re-launched the Hardcore Bass Series in America. This year, Hardcore added some new items that will be of great interest to bass anglers as they have a new deep-diving crankbait, topwater popper, and a new lipless crankbait.
Hardcore Series Bullet Crank 7+
Deep-diving crankbaits have become a must-have for anglers who like to get out deep on ledges, humps, and other offshore structure. Over the years, these big crankbaits have become easier to use and will quickly reach the depths needed to fool bass that do not usually see a crankbait that far down into the water column.
That was the goal with the Bullet Crank 7+, which gets down quickly and will reach depths of 20 to 27-feet depending on line size and diameter. It uses Hardcore’s new “Bullet Magnetic Weight Transfer System” to allow extreme casting distances as it transfers the weight sled to the tail during the cast. This helps with distance as well as casting accuracy. Their testing showed that it would cast up to 46% farther than other deep crankbaits.
Once in the water, it gets deep quickly and does it with minimum effort. It runs deep but doesn’t pull too hard and will not wear you out from a long day of cranking. The bill design was also a big part of the design, and it easily deflects off of cover to trigger bites and avoid snags.
The Hardcore Crank 7+ comes in ten colors, chosen by both the US and Japanese pro-staff anglers. The finishes include a powder coating that protects them from fading or chipping. These are the ten colors for the new crankbait: Blue Back Herring, Blue Back Chartreuse, Blue Sexy Shad, Citrus Shad, Green Gizzard Shad, Holographic Shad, Japan Gold, Metallic Ghost Ayu, Purple Back Chartreuse, and Sexy Shad.
It comes with high-quality black nickel split rings and large round bend trebles and retails for $15.99. The bait is a 100mm size (4” long) and weighs in at two ounces.
Hardcore Vibe 75
The Hardcore brand is well-known for its excellent hard baits, and lipless crankbaits are one thing that they do very well. They have some great ones already and added a new version, the Hardcore Vibe 75.
The new lipless includes multiple rattles for fish attraction and includes a very tight wiggle during the retrieve. This makes it an excellent option for cold water fishing in the fall, winter, and early spring. It can be burned and will run true without blowing out. It can also be ripped up and down, similar to a blade bait, or it can be fished with a ‘yo-yo’ retrieve. This bait can do it all and the larger profile gives it more appeal to big bass keying on larger baitfish.
The Hardcore Vibe 75 comes in 10 color patterns chosen by the US and Japanese pro-staff. The colors include Citrus Shad, Crawfish, Natural Bluegill, Ghost Pearl Shad, Blueback Chartreuse, Golden Shiner, Green Silver, Metallic Ghost Ayu, Ghost Pearl Chart Back, and Purple Back Chartreuse. All of these finishes have a powder coating to protect the finishes and prevent chipping or fading.
The bait is 75mm (3”) and weighs ¾-ounce. This new lipless crankbait includes premium hooks and split rings and will retail for $9.99.
Hardcore Popper 70F
This popper from Hardcore is on the market, but it is still a new item to many bass anglers as it was released last year. It pops like every other popper on the market but has some unique features that make it cast much better than most topwaters like it.
The Hardcore Popper 70F includes their patented Magnetic Weight Transfer System. This aids in casting distance and accuracy, making it easier to place tightly to cover.
It also has a very wide cup on the front to push more water and is built with a durable polycarbonate material. The length is 2-3/4,” and it weighs in at ¾-oz.
The retail cost is $9.99 and it comes equipped with round bend black nickel treble hooks with a feathered trailer. It is available in the following color patterns: Bone, Ghost Pearl Chartback, Holographic Bluegill, Citrus Shad, Ghost Pearl Shad, Golden Shiner, and Metallic Ghost Ayu.
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