Bassmaster Pro Elite Series - Brandon Lester - Talking About Jiggin' and the Custom Rod We Use Too!

Here is Brandon Lester who also custom builds his own rods, talking about the MHX rod blank that we at 1-2-6 Fishing use every single time we are out on the water. The rod is a workhorse and great on the 1/4 & 1/2 oz jigs we throw with it. If you would like more info or want one built for yourself please do not hesitate to contact us at 126FishingTeam@gmail.com

Don't Give Up On Those Used Soft Plastic Sticks/Senko Style Worms - ReUse & RePurpose

Quick and simple.  We recently have been collecting a large container of used soft plastics that have either been poked by hooks one too many times or that we just did not like.  Now, if you are a custom soft plastic bait builder, then this cemetery of soft plastics is right up your alley, but for us who count on you custom bait builders to supply us this cemetery is a buzz kill.

Recently, we decided to take our stick soft plastics and turn them into a tube senko hybrid.  On the skinny end of your senkos (considering you are using the common 5 inch ones) take a sharp exacto knife and do a bit of dissecting.  Laying the bait flat make an incision 1 inch up from the tail and slide the knife down.  Turning the bait about 90 degrees do the same for a quad tube looking tail.  Do this multiple times to give it more flare and that tube appearance.

With your hybrid senko tube, the best luck we have had with it is texas rigging the bait so that now flaring tail sticks up in the water for huge bites!  The action of the damaged senko/stick is now tuned up due to the wavy effect when in water.

So re-use it, re-tool and re-create with those dead soft plastics and you could have results like this!

Spencer - 5/17/2013 - Long Lake Park- 7.9lbs
Senko Black w/Gold Flared Tail

Rockin' the Bass with Punk Rock Baits - REVIEW: PUNK ROCK BAITS

On the 1-2-6 Fishing team we fish on the extreme outside of that proverbial "Tackle Box" 90% of the time in comparison to all other Bass anglers out there including the high paid pro's.  For this reason we love finding tackle and gear that just makes sense for our specific needs and with a motto of "Not Your Dad's Baits" - PUNK ROCK BAITS fits us to the T!  Veteran owned & operated (Owner - James Johnson), specializing in soft plastics we gave them a chance to Rock Our Fishing World!


After fishing with old stand by plastics that we were accustom to and using some other custom soft plastic builders we searched for a unique and different company.  Our search and research landed on Punk Rock Baits and James. We then spoke with James to work on a fully custom order and to start we wanted some custom colors that we know work on the local waters we fish, plus we added in some common creations to which James had no problems doing for us on either of the requests.

Out of the shipping package we could tell these were above average baits.  Our very first thing we look for when getting prepared to use new  plastics is the durability of the plastic bait itself.  Side note: before I get into details on Punk Rock's durability, it was just 3 days prior to receiving these we had our hands on some other custom bait making companies products and placing a 2/0 hook through one part of them caused Whitening, Flaking and Crumbles of the plastic.  That obviously did not even pass the first part of the durability test for us.  So, coming off a poorly put together plastic we were hesitant and anxious to see the durability of these Punk Rock Baits.  We took one of the DJ Diamond and one of the Drum Stick worms, sticking them and mock rigging them in different areas with a multitude of different hook sizes.  We also pull, stretch and purposely hammer the baits to see how they hold up.  The hooks punctured and held, as if it was suctioned and became part of the hook leaving no crumbles, whitening, tears or issues making it a multi-use plastic.  While on the water after 100+ casts with one bait there was absolutely no damage to the plastics at all.   The baits have a soft, wiggle feel to them very comparable to a Yamamoto Senko and Culprit Original Worm, but are beyond durable to get hammered by huge bucketmouths.

Here is our rigging and tackle selection we tested the Punk Rock Bait's out with:

• Bruises Colored Misfit Creature: (Bruises = Black w/ Blue Fleck) Texas Rigged & trailer on a War Eagle Black & Blue Flippin' Jig

• Grease Monkey Colored Roadie Chunk: (Grease Monkey = Motor Oil) Trailing on a War Eagle Brown & Orange Flippin' Jig

• Custom Black w/ Copper Fleck Drum Stick: Wacky Rigged weightless on a 2/0 VMC Wacky Hook & weighted with a 2/0 Gamakatsu Offset Hook

• Junebug Colored DJ Diamond: Texas Rigged & Wacky Rigged

Punk Rock Baits Drum Sticks in Custom Black w/ Copper Fleck & Green Pumpkin w/ Black & Blue Fleck

Punk Rock Baits Roadie Chunk in Custom Black w/Copper & Grease Monkey colors

Punk Rock Baits Misfit Creatures in Bruises color & On the Vine color

Punk Rock Baits DJ Diamond in Junebug color

Spencer from 1-2-6 Fishing was the one to have the Punk Rock Baits down to a science.  The action of the Drum Stick when wacky rigged is ridiculous!  The clapping action it has calls to anything near it as you will see below.  The Misfit creature bait's action mimicks the flutter of a craw when in the water which makes it perfect of pitchin' and flippin'.  The DJ Diamond when texas rigged makes a commotion with that diamond grooved tail enticing a predator to destroy it. I will also mention that even after he landed multiple bass he reused the same plastics over again.  Take a look for your self and below each picture is the setup and tackle selection he used.

6' Custom Built by Spencer MHX Medium Light Spinning Rod10lbs Vicious Flourocarbon - 1/4oz Black/Blue War Eagle Flippin Jig with PUNK ROCK BAITS - Bruises colored MISFIT Creature trailer

6' Custom Built by Spencer MHX Medium Light Spinning Rod10lbs Vicious Flourocarbon - Gamakatsu 2/0 Offset hook wacky riggedwith PUNK ROCK BAITS - Custom Black with Copper fleck DRUM STICK

After 2 days at a local public lake we pulled in Bass after Bass even in poor water conditions.  The soft plastics from Punk Rock are outstanding and will beat out any other big boxed brand by miles in the durability, action, price and overall "fishability".  We have not known these guys from Punk Rock Baits very long, but have now choosen them for anytime we need soft plastics!

In closing Punk Rock Baits - customer service/care and order process (online shop coming soon) was seemless and easy to work with them when creating custom colors.  The product itself is highly recommended as you can see from our above bassin' love.  Get some Punk Rock Baits for yourself today!  Trust me you will not be disappointed in any way.  Tell them Blair & Spencer from 1-2-6 Fishing sent ya!


Pricing Breakdown:

ROADIE CHUNK'S - $4.50 for a 10 pack

DRUM STICK'S - $6.00 for a 10 pack

DJ DIAMOND'S - $4.50 for a 8 pack

MISFIT'S - $4.50 for a 7 pack






PLEASE NOTE: 1-2-6 Fishing is an independently owned site and not operated by any of the companies or products we review. We simply buy it online or off the shelf, tie it on, throw it and tell you what happened. Of course, our reviews are purely opinion in nature and are provided for entertainment purposes only. We invite all anglers to personally experience any of the products we review to make their own judgment.

Punk Rock Baits products are registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Not Your Ordinary Deck|Boat|Fishing Shoe - REVIEW: DC Shoes Unilite Trainer's

Many of you know or you may be able to tell that we at 1-2-6 Fishing are not your normal run of the mill angler's.  We are constantly looking outside of the box when it comes to gear, tackle and helpful products when you are out on the water.  When it comes to being on our feet for hours on end and not slipping all of the place 1-2-6 Fishing is a massive supporter of the DC Shoes - Unilite Trainer's. 


Originally we wore slides or flip flops when fishing and would have horrible pain on the soles of my feet.  Then unintentionally wore a pair of my DC Unilite's when bank fishing one day.  After 8 hours of standing in the hot Florida sun ripping lips bass fishing and then headed home to kick my feet up I noticed how I wasn't complaining about pain in my feet.  Since then I selected these shoes every single time I would head out fishing.  After a couple of times wearing the Unilite's when out on the water I made sure to notice how the felt, and focus on if these would be a good selection for pain free foot wear.

Unilites are available in Men's, Women's & Youth sizes!

There seem to be multiple "Fishing" related shoe companies now mocking each others technology and promoting the shoes as the "Only" one to use on the water.  This isn't true and please do not fall into that marketing scheme.  The technology that DC Shoes uses in most of their shoes is the exact ones found in any fishing related foot wear.  Here are some of the technologies in the Unilite Trainer's we believe in..

+Built with a Unilite midsole for shock absorption, flex and cushioning all in one lightweight solution.

+Upper uses no-sew technology with reinforced molded synthetic overlays to minimize weight and increase support and comfort.

+Lightweight mesh built into the upper and tongue for breathability.

+Molded Ortholite sockliner wicks away moisture and increases foot support.

+Rubber outsole provides traction and durability.

Take the 1-2-6 Fishing word's to heart when we say that the shoes sole gripping is crazy sticky even when wet.  The shoe is also light in weight and it feels like a sock.

In closing the DC Unilite Trainer's are durable, breathable and blocks moisture all at the same time.  A huge important part of the shoe is the price point.  The price of these shoes are low starting at $59.00 on the DC Shoes website, but if you search Amazon or Ebay you can find them in the range of $25 to $50!  For a name brand and shoe you can be confident in wearing all day when out on the water nothing will beat it.  Especially for the angler on a fixed income and budget.

There is an enormous amount of color choices to match your jersey or any of your gear! :)

LINKS DIRECTLY TO THE DC UNILITE'S:

DC Shoes Website Shop

Amazon: DC Shoes Unilite Trainers

PLEASE NOTE: 1-2-6 Fishing is an independently owned site and not operated by any of the companies or products we review. We simply buy it online or off the shelf, tie it on, throw it and tell you what happened. Of course, our reviews are purely opinion in nature and are provided for entertainment purposes only. We invite all anglers to personally experience any of the products we review to make their own judgment.

DC Shoe Co. products are registered trademarks of their respective companies.