2015 Holiday Gift Guide Part 2: Swimbaits and Enthusiast Tackle (continued)

Advanced Superline (Gliss Monotex): Not really fitting into any category this line was introduced to Zander by Pro Angler Fred Roumbanis who handed him a spool after fishing at Lake Pardee. One cast with Gliss and you can tell immediately that it is something quite different. Gliss Supersmooth Monotex line delivers the many of the same properties as mono in that it features a single strand construction, is extremely pliable, casts very well, and it floats, yet it still has many of the advantages of braid as well, including zero stretch, extremely thin diameters, and incredible strength.

Advanced Superline : Gliss Supersmooth Monotex Line - $14.99 to $27.99 at TackleWarehouse

Gliss is constructed through an advanced process that involves the extrusion of High Modulus Poly-Ethelyne fibers. The softness of the line makes it very easy to cast lures a long distance and the zero stretch produces excellent strike sensitivity, and with strength levels close to braid Gliss provides confidence when money is on the line. Gliss superline is available now for $14.99 to $27.99 for 150yd and 300yd spools at TackleWarehouse. 

Enthusiast Reel (Shimano Metanium DC) - $409 at JapanTackle.com

Enthusiast Reel (Shimano Metanium DC) : Enthusiast tackle is about more than just the raw product. It's about how that product makes you feel while you're fishing it. No other reel inspires that raw enthusiast spirit more than a digital brake control reel from Shimano Japan. Why you ask? Because these reels remind you on every cast, that you're fishing with something not ordinary. That famous DC whine gives your smile a shot of adrenaline each time launch that bait through the air.

Enthusiast Reel (Shimano Metanium DC) - $409 at JapanTackle.com

So what happens when you pair that famous control and sound with one of the best ergonomics in a reel Shimano has to offer? Well, you have the Metanium DC and a reel that is on the fast track for an Ultimate Enthusiast award! What's even better is with the favorable dollar to yen exchange rate, this reel currently retails for only $409! That's less than for what the standard Metanium reel retails here in the States! Forget that fisherman on your list, give into the darkside, and grab two or three Metanium DC's for yourself! You can find them on sale now at JapanTackle.com.

Enthusiast Rod : St. Croix Legend Elite EC70MHF - $390 at TackleWarehouse

Enthusiast Rod (St. Croix Legend Elite EC70MF): In a spot normally reserved for import tackle, this year, a USDM brand breaks into our Holiday Gift Guide Pick for Enthusiast Rod. St. Croix Rods out of Park Falls, Wisconsin quietly revamped their prestigious Legend Elites this past year with upgraded materials in their highest end blank, brand new, and super ergonomic Fuji brand reel seats, and perhaps the biggest upgrade of all, titanium framed, torzite insert guides by the same afore mentioned Fuji Tackle. Most sticks coming in with Torzite guides are being built in Japan and are priced in excess of $600, but the 2015 St. Croix Legend Elite EC70MF (7'-0" medium power), a rod currently in our Search For One review cycle by the way, is priced at just $390 at TackleWarehouse!! That's an unheard of price for a top of the line stick with Fuji Torzite guides and built in the USA!

Enthusiast Hardbait : Evergreen WH3, 5 & 8 - $14.99 at TackleWarehouse and Hi's Tackle Box

Enthusiast Hardbait (Evergreen WH - Wild Hunch): After years and years of waiting, one of our favorite JDM Brands, Evergreen International has finally partnered up with a reliable distributor in North America - Daiwa USA. With Daiwa's help, we can now easily locate and purchase our favorite baits from Evergreen International and there is none more sought after than the very effective Wild Hunch. Sporting a new, abbreviated package name, "WH", the Wild Hunch is available in three different running depths and all for the very same flat pricing of $14.99 at both TackleWarehouse and Hi's Tackle Box.

Enthusiast Soft Plastic : Megabass Bottle Shrimp - $8.99 at Hi's Tackle Box

Enthusiast Soft Plastic (Megabass Bottle Shrimp): What's an Enthusiast Soft Plastic you ask? Well, for Megabass, it's the Hon-Jikomi Bottle Shrimp - a bait that's more of a craw profile than a shrimp, but maybe that's why it caught our attention. Infused with what the manufacturer refers to as "an organic blend of natural flavors", Megabass's Bottle Shrimp is one of those baits that's ready to get to work right out of the package with a ribbed profile, floating claws, and an abundance of appendages. Keiko was particularly fond of this bait. You can find Megabass's Hon-Jikomi Bottle Shrimp Hi's Tackle Box for $8.99 per six pack.

Enthusiast Swimbait : Megabass iSlide 262T- $94.99 at Hi's Tackle Box

Enthusiast Swimbait (Megabass iSlide 262T): When Megabass debuted their original iSlide 185, the first question Zander and I asked of Yuskei Murayama, President of Megabass of America, was when the company was going to release a larger version. He never answered us, but he did give us an unofficial, sly grin. The secret was officially revealed at ICAST 2015, and now the ten plus inch (~10.3"), six ounce (6oz), slow sinking iSlide 262T is available. Packaged with a detached tail to avoid fouling during storage, the bait is available in five initial colors and retails for $94.99 at Hi's Tackle Box.

Keiko isn't done yet, stay tuned for our final installment where we cover saltwater, optics, angling apparel, marine, and tools.