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Pretty much every angler recognizes Bubba Blade for their red-handled filet knives, which have taken new product awards at ICAST sportfishing trade show. The success of the brand enabled the team to expand the product line to include a variety of pliers, shears, bags, kitchen cutlery and even a new line of fishing rods.
On the Water with New Gear from Bubba Blade
Last month, the Bubba team assembled brand ambassadors and outdoor media members in Charleston, South Carolina for a couple of days of Lowcountry fishing armed with their latest products.
The new gear certainly got a workout. With the expert help of captains from Red Fin Charters, the crew boated more than 500 fish in two days. Our guides filled the bait wells with shrimp and mudminnows, which we either floated under popping corks or dropped on the bottom with Carolina or knocker rigs and circle hooks. We landed all the usual inshore targets, including redfish and speckled sea trout with a few black drum and even sheepshead making it across the gunnels.
Find the Tidal Rod to Fit Your Inshore Fishing Style
Bubba Blade’s new carbon-fiber spinning and casting rods are designed for inshore anglers and come in three tiers: Tidal, Tidal Select and Tidal Pro. After a few hours yanking on strong fish, the merits of the top-of-the-line Pro series is easily apparent in overall feel and weight.
I was impressed with the sensitivity of all the rods and their accurate feedback across oysters and even nibbling pinfish. All rods easily handled redfish, however, the entry-level Tidal and Select series rods felt a little stiffer than their action designations.
Even armed with a faster tip, the medium-heavy Tidal rod didn’t cast as far or as easily as I’d expect from comparable rods. The entire line includes more than 35 variations in length, power and action. The rods are designed to handle the corrosive salt environment. The Tidal series rods come with a 5-year warranty, while Select and Pro series rods get upgraded Fuji components and lifetime warranties.
Red Fin Charters paired the spinning rods with Daiwa BG 2500 reels and had a Shimano Curado DC on the baitcasting rod, all lined with 20- and 30-pound braid and 20 pound mono leaders.
Worth noting, the split grip handle on the entry-level Tidal spinning rod uses lighter and tackier foam grips that actually delivers a bit more traction with wet hands over the solid rubber found on the Select and Pro models. The new rod lineup is due to be released in February 2022.
More New Gear from Bubba
Also new are duffel, sling and hip packs with impressive construction and thoughtful design. Bubba chose robust materials, quality closures and very useful features like convenient gear loops and waterproof sections well-placed throughout. Including an inset sleeve in the sling pack was a brilliant move and ideal for a small landing net or even a second rod for pond-jumping with both a spinning and baitcasting rod.
To cap off the event and illustrate their “water-to-plate” lifestyle, Bubba brand ambassador, Charleston charter captain (Redfish Mafia) and Master Chef contestant Jamie Hough, stuffed the crew with a huge Lowcountry dinner. Hard to imagine a better way to refuel after a couple of days tugging on redfish.
Bubba’s new carbon-fiber spinning and casting rods are designed for inshore anglers and come in three tiers. | Feature photo: Courtesy of Bubba Blade