Craig Cantelmo from Van Staal came down for the day to fish with Captain Dave Sutton and I in Biscayne Bay. I always love to have my Sponsors on the boat so they can see their products in action. Not to mention they always bring some new toys to play with. This trip Craig brought down the new VSB series Bailed reels to test on one of our infamous Biscayne Bay Bones. We loaded them up with 10 and 15 pound Power Pro. My first thought was, "There is no way any fish is going to get away from this reel!" The VSB100 holds way more than your standard 300 Yards like other reels. Not to mention the drag system will slow most fish before they ever reach 150 yards.
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We started our adventure from Homestead Bayfront Park early that morning
with a cup of coffee in hand. It was one of those days you wish you can
get every time you set out to bone fish. The sky was clear, the wind made
just enough rip on the water to disguise our presence to the ever so spooky
game fish, and the water was low and just starting to come back in. The
first spot we decided to go to was only about 5 minutes away from the ramp.
Man we have it good down here in Miami! As we idled a little closer to the
flat I asked Craig to rig a live shrimp "Texas Style" on one rod and a
quarter sized crab on the other for the few lost winter time permit. Both
of course on a circle hook to ensure a corner mouth hook up to preserve the
life of the fish after we released it. Within 5 minutes our first school
of bones were working our way. "Oh, Oh, Craig there they are, a dozen fish,
1 O'Clock 30 Feet. Ready? Cast!!!" And just like that we were off to the
races. The drag system was flawless on this 8 pound bonefish. He screamed
just over 100 Yards of line before he gracefully bowed down long enough for
Craig and I to get a few nice pictures. We admired his strength and beauty
and released him back into the wild. The rest of the day we had several
more quality shots at tailing fish and managed to pull in a few more just
to hear that unique sound of the drag one more time.
Thanks for the memories Craig I had a ball, Captain Rich Smith
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VAN STAAL PLIERS - NO RUST. NO WEAR. Corrosion-free in the worst saltwater conditions, nothing else comes close. Van Staal Titanium or Stainless pliers are built to perform and built to last. With spring-loaded ergonomic handles, a unique line-keeper feature, and replaceable tungsten cutters and anvils, these pliers make the cut consistently and smoothly on both braided and gel spun lines. Think remarkably lightweight. Think incredibly tough. Plus, optional sheaths and lanyards are available to always keep your Van
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THE LARGEST MAIN GEAR IN THE INDUSTRY Wading into the surf or pulling on a giant fish, the challenges can be relentless. Your equipment must be equal to it.
For experienced anglers, the challenge is not always finding and hooking big fish, it's landing them. That's why Van Staal spinning reels are designed with a main gear that actually helps you fight - and land - big fish.
Made from hardened stainless steel, the main gear will never slip or strip under pressure. The Van Staal main gear is also oversized to provide more fish-fighting torque per crank of the handle, meaning you control the fight, not the fish.
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One of Van Staal's most famous features is its sealed, waterproof drag system. Even if you're not in the habit of submerging your reel while fishing, regular exposure to the elements alone is enough to compromise the integrity of the drag system and inner gears. Anyone who's hooked into a monster only to feel the drag slip or hear that unmistakeable coffee-grinder sound coming from their reel knows how painfully true this can be.
That's why when we set out to build the market's most durable and reliable fishing reel, we knew that drag and gear protection was critical for consistent, peak performance. To achieve this protection, our engineers designed water-tight seals throughout the spool, body and handle assembly of the spinning reels, and completely sealed the spool of our C-VEX fly reels. No other reels on the market offers this level of protection, and that's why no other reel on the market will do for serious anglers looking for hte ultimate in hard-fishing performance.
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C-VEX - TACKLING ANY FISH ON THE FLY Van Staal's breakthrough C-VEX series - named for the convex engineering that makes these reels among the strongest on the market - are brilliantly simple, with a large arbor design that is ultra-smooth and ultra-powerful.
The revolutionary combo kit - interchangeable spools with a universal frame and drag - allows you to "switch reels" with an easy push of the button. In seconds, you're fishing a new line weight, without using any tools. It's like having two great reels at all times.
As innovative, the removable sealed drag system is modular, waterproof and tool-less, ensuring flawless performance on every cast...and every reel-screaming hook up.
And the commitment to quality doesn't end there. The ergonomic handle placement gives you maximum line pick-up with minimum fatigue. Simply put, every detail has been crafted with you in mind.
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