First Look: New from Mustad

 

Mustad is obviously well known for hooks.  Of course they released several of them at ICAST, but also added a few new accessories that will be of interest to bass anglers everywhere. The following are the new items you can expect to see from Mustad in the upcoming year.

Sun Tube

Protecting yourself from the sun is very important.  These types of sun protection tubes are very popular as more anglers are seeing the benefit of covering up their skin while fishing to protect against sun cancer and severe sunburn.

The new Mustad Multi Tubes are rated at UPF 30 and will also manage moisture. They also do a good job of keeping anglers warm while running down the lake and keep wind off of your face. 

The Mustad version comes in two different colors, Tournament Blue and Fish Camo.  They are stylish and the best part is the affordability as they will retail for just $6.99.

Micro SS Split Ring Pliers

In addition to hooks, Mustad makes a full line of quality fishing accessories. From filet knives to pliers, they have it all. One new addition is the micro stainless steel pliers. 

These have a perfect micro nose for changing hooks on crankbaits.  The small notch for the split ring removal works great no matter what size you are using.  They are also handy for removing small hooks from fish.  The Micro SS Pliers have non-slip handles and come with a sheet, lanyard and carabiner for storage and easy access.

Hooks

Mustad did release several new hooks. They have some new additions to their lineup; a standard style of worm hooks and a unique trailer hook for swimbaits and other soft plastics.

Grip-Pin Big Bite Hook

The Grip-Pin that Mustad has developed has become very popular.  It is a great way to secure your soft plastic baits and will not move like other similar keeper systems.  The shrink wrap and threaded keepers tend to lose their strength over time and will start to slide down, but not this one.

The new addition to the lineup is the big bite style of hook. It is a round bend and offset shank. This is one of the most popular styles of worm hooks of all time, but this version has a 2X strong long offset shank to reduce flex and increase hookups. It also has an oversized keeper barb and fully sealed eyes to keep braid from slipping through.

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Brandon Lester is a big fan of the style of hook and was a big part of the development. He believes that the wide bend offers a much better hookup ratio than the popular extra wide gap style. “You have a direct line between the eye of the hook and the hook point on an Extra Wide Gap and it is possible for you to pull the hook away and never get a hook in them. With a round bend you don’t have that because of the offset between the hook point and line tie and it is almost impossible not to get them hooked,” he says

The hook features the Grip-Pin and come in sizes from 1/0 to 8/0. The larger sizes are perfect for big worms and each of them come with three or four per pack. They retail for $5.99 to $9.99 per pack.

Big Bite Soft Plastics Hook

The same great features of the Grip-Pin Big Bite hook, but without the soft plastic keeper Grip-Pin. Some anglers prefer to fish a more traditional hook without the Grip Pin.

The Big Bite Soft Plastics Hook will come in the same sizes and will retail for less, with all of the sizes retailing for $4.99 and the pack size will vary based on the size of the hook and contain either four or five hooks.

Trap Double Hook

This double hook is very interesting looking.  It is similar to double hooks you may find on frogs, but has another small hook going the other direction towards the eye. 

It will excel as a trailer for swimbaits and live or dead bait if you are targeting other species. The Double Lure Ryder comes three per pack and sizes, 2/O down to size 8. 

Mustad has added some new products to their already vast line of hooks and accessories.  The new Grip-Pin hooks, Sun Tube, Trap Double Hook and Micro SS Split Ring pliers should make like easier for bass anglers and help them land more bass.