Saturday, October 31, 2015

Sixgill Fishing Hyperion Reel Review

When Sixgill Fishing offered a 30% discount on their casting reels I thought I'd buy one and give it a good testing.  I ordered the Hyperion 6.3:1 which is their top of the line reel and the price seemed right at $149.00 even without the discount.  Well the price would be right if the reel performed.  I've bought cheaper reels before with mixed results.  I've tried $20 reels from China, waste of money and I've also tried the Academy Sports and Outdoors H2O Xpress Mettle reels which run about $60 and found they are excellent.  I normally fish with Quantum PT Smokes that run about $200 and I judge all other reels against the Smokes.

I received my Hyperion the first week in October and in time to fish it in a tournament that coming weekend.  As you can see from the picture the Hyperion is a good looking reel and it was well packaged.   The cork handles are very nice, but I did have issues with one of the end screw cover coming loose.  Little things like that are very annoying while fishing and specially when you are fishing a tournament.   I actually fished two tournaments with this reel.  I paired it with my Dunamis Rods Ascension Swim Jig Rod.  I didn't fish a lot of Swim Jigs during the first tournament, but the second tournament that was the main bait I used all day.  Needless to say the reel got a really good workout during that second tournament and I caught all my fishing using the reel.   The Hyperion is one of the best casting reels I've ever fished and beats the Smokes in casting distance.  However the casting ability and cork handles are the only positives that I found with this reel.  I knew going in that Sixgill Fishing was pretty new in the baitcasting reel market and that this was their first model year basically.  Knowing this I didn't expect the reel to be perfect.  The main problem with this reel is everything feels loose.  The crank shaft and bearings are not well fitted into the frame and cover which give you an annoying clunking sound and feel.   The drag also tends to loosen up by itself which cost me a couple fish as the drag would slip on the hooksets.

I contacted Sixgill to discuss some of the issues with the reel thinking I might be able to give them my views of the problems to assist.  At first they were receptive of my contact and I was even called to discuss some of the issues personally.  Then it all changed.  I was told that I had to work these things out with their customer service.  That would have been fine, I mean I know I'm no Kevin Van Dam.  Still they could have informed me in a more professional manner than they did.  It is little things like that which set some folks apart from other in the fishing industry.  I really wanted to help them out as I thought they might have a good reel that just needed some tweaking.  The fact that the reel casts so well really had me interested, but their manners and the cold means they brushed me off really turned me off.

So the bottom line is the Hyperion from Sixgill Fishing is Not Bounty Hunter approved!!!  The Hyperion is  not worth the $149 list price in my opinion.  It is not even worth the cost even with the 30% discount.  The H20 reels for less than half the cost will preform better overall then the Hyperion.   In fact, the issues the Hyperion has is very similar to those I found in that $20 reel from China and that does make me wonder where Sixgill Fishing is having their reels produced.

Until next time Tight Lines and Take a Kid Fishing!!!

 You can also Follow me on
Twitter - @BHOAdventures
FaceBook - Bounty Hunter Outdoor Adventures
YouTube - Bounty Hunter Outdoor Adventures

Also Checkout the great folks that help make my fishing adventure possible and the tackle I use and trust.
Santone Lures
Creme Lures
Dunamis Rods
Liquid Mayhem Fish Attractants
Stealth Rod Holders
New Pro Products
Squiddies Flip Reel

Saturday, October 3, 2015

Extra Tournament Weapons!!!

As I get ready for the upcoming Bayou Bassin League Fall/Spring tournament series I have some new weapons.   I've been testing them out as I pre-fish and let me tell you the other folks fishing these tournaments are in trouble.  These new weapons are 2 new favors of Liquid Mayhem Fish Attractant and my new Dunamis Rods Ascension Swim Jig rod.  They have proven themselves in a short time as go-to products in both my tournament and fun fishing.

 Dunamis Rods 

A couple years back I stumbled upon what I consider the best rods I've ever fished.  Dunamis Rods is not your run of the mill fishing rods as they are Custom or in the case of the Ascension Series Semi-custom.  Yes these are not your $39.99 rods you get a Walmart but they also aren't those expensive name brand rods made in another country that cost you an arm and a leg because some BASS Pro has endorsed them.  What you get with a Dunamis Rod is a made in the U.S.A rod that is a work of art with a Lifetime Guarantee.  That's right a Lifetime Guarantee and something you won't get from those name brands endorsed by a Pro that were made in some country with a name you can't pronounce.  If you want a rod that is totally special to you then give Josh at Dunamis Rods a call and he will work with you and get you the exact rod you need to do the type of fishing you want to do.  Josh is the most down to earth man I've ever talked with and not only does he know fishing rods, he is a fisherman himself so he understands your needs.  When you talk with him and tell him the type of rod, actions and fishing you want to do, he understands and will help you pick the right rod and actions you need to do that fishing.  You don't find that when you go to those big name brands of one size fits all rod companies.  With Dunamis you get so much more for your hard earned money and that money stays right here in the U.S.A.  Also if you need help or have questions you can call and you actually get to speak with the man that builds the rods.  You won't be talking to someone that doesn't have a clue about fishing rods and fishing that speaks in some ascent you can't understand.

My newest Ascension Swim Jig rod is not just what I wanted in the looks department as it is beautiful, but it is the exact action with the handling I needed to fish Swim Jigs the way I fish Swim Jigs.  If you have read a lot of my article here or kept up with me on Twitter or Facebook you will know I love fishing Swim Jigs and catch a lot of fish on them.  This new rod has enhanced my Swim Jig fishing 150% and maybe more.   It is the right length which is 7 feet 6 inches and the right action of Medium Heavy with a Fast tip that I wanted and let me tell you man is it sensitive.  Not only does it give me the feel I need to detect the cover I'm fishing and the strikes when a fish hits, it gives me the power I need to set the hook and the backbone to get the fish out of the cover.  In fact the first bass I caught on this rod was deep in the branches of a lay down.  I bumped my swim jig on a branch and this big girl hammered it.  I got a great hookset and then was able to get her out of all those branches and into the boat.  This was special because this was the fish that won me a friendly Beer Tournament, meaning this is the fish that let me drink a couple beers free when we got back to the ramp.

I know what a lot of you are thinking; of course I'm going to recommend these rods as I'm on the Dunamis Pro Staff.  That is true I am on their Pro Staff but it is by my choice.  I don't recommend any product that I don't personally use and believe helps me catch more and bigger bass.  I wanted to be on their Pro Staff as I felt I found a gem in the rough with these rods.  It was I that asked them and not them seeking me out to promote their product.   That is a big difference and to tell you the truth I have turned down other companies that have offered me Pro Staff positions because I don't believe in their products.

Liquid Mayhem 

 I realized at an early stage in my fishing that what I have on my hands can affect my fishing.  You get all kinds of things on your hands as you are going to the water fishing and some of those things will stop a bass from taking your bait.  So over the years I looked for products that would remove those bad tastes and smells from my baits so the fish would eat them.   Yes I've tried just about everything out there on the market and I just kept looking as none of the products did exactly what I felt I needed.  Well that is until I found Liquid Mayhem and their products as they are different from all the rest and exactly what I feel I needed.   The key to Liquid Mayhem is they use all natural ingredients so if you use their Crawfish it has real crawfish in the attractant.   Now I use the word attractant, and I don't use it lightly, because I really believe not only does Liquid Mayhem cover up all those bad scents and tastes from my hands, it really attracts the fish to strike.  Once applied to your bait it will leave an oily trail that the fish will smell and follow to your bait.  Once they see your bait they eat it because it looks, smells and tastes like something they want to eat.  This was a bonus as I was just looking for something to cover the scents on my hands, but I have a real fish attractant and fish catching weapon.   Liquid Mayhem is a jell that is applied to your bait and it stays on your bait a long time with each application.  You no longer have to reapply after every couple of casts.  It goes on easy and stays on up to 30 minutes with each application.  That means you spend less time applying your scent and more time fishing.  In a tournament that means more casts and more chances to catch that winning stringer.

I've been using their Crawfish and Garlic Minnow favors for sometime now and they work awesome.  Hey I was in high cotton with them as they really did everything I wanted.  I did mention that I'd like some Garlic Crawfish and guess what one of their new scents is Garlic Crawfish or as we like to call it Crawlic.   Oh boy this stuff is on another level let me tell you.  For a long time fishermen like you and I  have known that bass as well as other fish love garlic for some reason.  Now you combine this know proven scent with a scent of one of the bass' favorite foods and what you get is a fish attractant that is almost unfair to use.  No matter how unfair it might seem I will have some Crawlic in my boat and I will be using it when fishing any baits that mimic a crawfish.   In fact I have tested out Crawlic on the bayou and the bass love this stuff.  I've actually seen them go out of their way to eat my baits with Crawlic applied, it is an amazing thing to watch.

The other new flavor of Liquid Mayhem that has found a place in my boat is the new Shad.  I had been using the Garlic Minnow on my Swim Jigs with tremendous success and will continue to use it but the new Shad will also see time on my Swim Jigs.   I will especially be using the Shad when the bass are actively feeding on Shad as they were my last trip to the bayou.  I started the day with my tried and trued Garlic Minnow but wasn't getting the number of hits I thought I should be getting.  I could see the bass chasing shad so I switched to the new Shad favor and Wow what a difference it made.  They were feeding on shad so I gave them the smell and taste of shad on my Swim Jig and they just went nuts.   I went from getting a hit on one in ten casts to getting a hit on one in three casts.  So yes the new Shad favor has a permanent place in my boat as does all 5 favors of Liquid Mayhem.  I am completely convinced that the Liquid Mayhem products give me a huge advantage when fishing.  You will never see me fishing without some of this product on my baits!!

Until next time Tight Lines and Take a Kid Fishing!!!

 You can also Follow me on
Twitter - @BHOAdventures
FaceBook - Bounty Hunter Outdoor Adventures
YouTube - Bounty Hunter Outdoor Adventures

Also Checkout the great folks that help make my fishing adventure possible and the tackle I use and trust.
Santone Lures
Throw-n-Thunder
Creme Lures
Dunamis Rods
Liquid Mayhem Fish Attractants
Stealth Rod Holders
New Pro Products
Squiddies Flip Reel

Friday, October 2, 2015

New Bayou Tournament Season

That is right the new Bayou Bassin League season is finally here.  I know I'm looking forward to testing my skills once more against some awesome bass fishermen.   You see fishing bass in the bayous isn't easy as you have a lot of factors that come into play, a lot more than you would have on other bodies of water.  The folks that fish these bayou tournaments are as good if not better than most fishermen you will meet in tournaments.  So it is those reasons that I can't wait to get back at it with these guys.

Now our first tournament is coming up on October 10th on Halls Bayou which is right around the corner.  Anyone in the Houston Texas area that want to pit yourself against these folks and myself are more than welcome to come on out.   These are team tournaments so grab a buddy and come on down.  The entry fee is just $60.00 for your boat and there is great cash pay out and trophies for the winners.


The launch and weigh-in will be at the Hall Bayou Fish Camp, located at 11721 Landrum Rd, Santa Fe, TX 77510.  The Start time will be at 7:00 AM or when it is light enough to safely leave the ramp.  Weigh-in will be at 3:00 PM and you need to be in the weigh-in line to at 3:00 PM to qualify.

 This is a great time of year to be Bayou Bassin' and Halls Bayou is a great place to go catch some nice bass. The water is improving and the bass should really be feeding and staging up for the spawn so look for some good bags to be weighed in.

For more and up-to-date information on this tournament you can visit the BBL Website at Bayou Bassin' League or their Facebook page at Bayou Bassin League Facebook

Until next time Tight Lines and Take a Kid Fishing!!!

 You can also Follow me on
Twitter - @BHOAdventures
FaceBook - Bounty Hunter Outdoor Adventures
YouTube - Bounty Hunter Outdoor Adventures

Also Checkout the great folks that help make my fishing adventure possible and the tackle I use and trust.
Santone Lures
Throw-n-Thunder
Creme Lures
Dunamis Rods
Liquid Mayhem Fish Attractants
Stealth Rod Holders
New Pro Products
Squiddies Flip Reel