I would like to talk about a few things that I discovered at this year’s show. The biggest item at the show was the new Boss Reels by Accurate. These two new reels "197" and "270" sold out during the 5 day show. Accurate is making another production run of these reels so the anglers who missed out can get their own. The "197" is the size of a Shimano 250 but it is a twin disc lever drag reel. The weight is just over 15 ounces and has incredible free spool. When it comes to tossing small anchovies and lightweight jig with 10 to 15 pound line this is the reel. Their "270" is little larger than a Shimano 400. It has all the same amazing features as the "197" with a larger line capacity. For you albacore anglers this is the reel for you. No more worries about your reel on a four-day trip. The only thing that will wear out is your fishing line. To make matters even brighter Accurate will be making a "99" and a "4/0 Narrow" version of the BOSS. I cannot wait to get my order from them.

    Longtime friend and fellow rod builder Norm Taniguchi is designing a "fool proof" rod belt. I could not see the need for a better belt than the one that Norm designed a few years back. I have used his belt for years without any difficulty. Norm’s reasoning for his new design is that he wanted to make a rod belt that will work with anyone’s harness and any style of rod butt. His prototype uses an oversized aluminum plate with a reinforced rod support with stainless steel. One of the main differences is there is no longer a "cup" with a pin to hold your rod in place. This new belt has for a better description has a stainless steel "ladder" which the rod’s gimbal lock into. If you are in the San Diego area drop by Taniguchi and check out his new belt. Norm is also designing a portable line winding machines.

    There was also a new type of drags, called Total Drags. For now they are available for Penn 500, 113H and Newell 200 & 300 size reels, with more sizes to come. The material that these washers are made of is a white fiber that has been treated with Teflon. No matter how tight you set the drag the drag remain smooth. No more sticky or jerky drags when using Total Drags. These drags are reported to last 5 to 10 times longer than regular drags and water does not effect them. For a drag this good it will cost you a few dollars, $ 22.00 for the 113H Thick washer set they may well be worth all that and more. I have a few different anglers trying them out and I wait for their reports. If they are as good as advertised I will stock them in my store.

    It looks like Mustad Hooks is producing a hook that is very similar to the Owner Super Mutus. These new hooks look great and are not as expensive as Owner; I should have them for the summer season. Cal Sheets has a new drag disc for the Shimano TLD 20 & 30 II. This drag disc will increase your drag settings as much as 70 %. Cal also has new bearings for these reels too. Some of the Shimano’s spin good right out of the box. If yours does not maybe it is time to try Cal’s bearings.