Troll Perfect Product Review

Kevin Springer

I have done several product reviews over the past few years and most have been of tackle that promises to catch more fish, but this review is of a product called “Troll Perfect” from Perfect Outdoor Products in Rochester Hills, Michigan and though it doesn’t claim to catch more fish, it will make your time on the water more enjoyable.

Not very often does a product come along that will truly benefit the fisherman who spend hours pursuing a tournament limit of fish or that once in a lifetime trophy, but this product does just that. The Troll Perfect is a 2 piece high impact polymer device that attaches to your trolling where the stationary upper shaft meets and the rotating lower shaft. You attach the pieces on each side of the shaft by using the two stainless steel hose clamps that are included. Place the first clamp in top groove on Troll Perfect and tighten the clamp until snug making sure it cannot rotate. Place the second clamp in the lower groove and tighten until desired amount of tension is achieved. You will probably have to make final adjustment while on the water to get the perfect amount of tension.

Troll Perfect Installation

Troll Perfect Installed - Stowed

After receiving my Troll Perfect it took me about ten minutes to install it on my trolling motor while my boat was in the garage and motor in stowed position. Once on the water, it took me just a few minutes to make my final adjustments to get the right amount of tension.

Adjusting Tension on the Troll Perfect

The very first time I used this product, I was fishing a three day tournament on the Tennessee River in high winds and a very strong current all three days. The very first thing I noticed was how much better I could maintain boat positioning in these harsh conditions with the Troll Perfect installed due to the fact it prevented the twisting of the motor during the high waves and current. It also took all the “play” or looseness out of the pedal, which in turn made my trolling motor a lot more responsive. But the biggest benefit for me, was after three 8 hour days on the water, I felt much less fatigued from not having to fight my trolling motor.

My ratings of the Troll Perfect are as follows: Design: 10 Overall Performance: 10 Durability: 10 Comfort: 10 Installation: 10 Price: 10 Overall Rating: 10

If you enjoy fishing and rather fight fish instead of your trolling motor, this is a “Must” product for you. It is made right here in the USA and is available for most brands of trolling motors. Visit: www.trollperfect.com or give Edward Laabs a call at (248) 747-8520. Perfect Outdoor Products LLC. Rochester Hills, MI 48307.

More ProStaff Reviews of the Troll Perfect Product:

Review by Conley Staley

Review by Dan McGarry

Review by Marques Green

2012 Ranger Z520 with 250HP Yamaha SHO

Well after eight years of being a Skeeter ZX225 owner, I made the leap into a 2012 Ranger Z520 with 250HP Yamaha SHO.  After spending only a couple of days in this new rig, it very easy to see why the Z520 cost more than the new Skeeter FX series.  You can see how much care is put into every little detail on the Ranger.  Every buckle, knob, switch, strap, bolt, etc. is high quality.  I keep looking for someplace where they might have cut corners, but I can't find anything.  This is truly a fishing machine with all of the comforts of a luxury water craft.

All the storage compartments are very well thought out.  There's a place for just about everything.  I went with a dual console because I fish a lot of team tournaments and also have young kids, so I wanted to make sure "everyone" is comfortable, warm and as dry as they can be.  (If I was flying solo, I would have went with the single console).  The glove box is a bit smaller than the one in my Skeeter, but the extra compartment between the front seats makes up for the loss of space.  There are four cup holders in the cockpit area, along with two good sized bins that are ideal for dropping wet lures into so they can dry off before putting them away.  The soft ride seat system that comes standard with the Z520 makes for a really comfortable ride when in ruff water (my back says "thanks").  The rod locker system for me was a huge improvement over what I had in my Skeeter ZX225.  I can fit plenty of rods (both spinning and baitcasting) and it is very easy to get to them.  In my Skeeter, positioning my reels was always difficult and getting to the rod I wanted was always a chore. 

The 250 HP Yamaha SHO four stroke outboard motor is amazing!  This motor is super quite and packed with power.  The hole shot blows away my old two stroke VMAX and the boat rockets to 60+ MPH in seconds.  Currently the top end speed is around 72 MPH, but I plan to tweak the settings of my jack plate to see if I can get the boat up to 74-75 MPH.  I must say it is a little strange at first going 60 MPH and being able to talk at a normal voice level to your fishing partner.  The sounds of the wind and water against the hull are louder than the motor.

The Ranger trailer blows away my Skeeter trailer... you can see the care that went into every component from the breakaway tongue and boarding steps to the fiberglass fenders that match the paint job and chrome rims.  All high quality parts.

Although I've only been a Ranger owner for a few days, I'm proud to say it!  My hat goes off to Ranger Boats for the 2012 Z520 and to Yamaha for the 2012 SHO... I'm looking forward to fishing with this rig for many years to come.  I guess like the saying goes, "You get what you pay for".

To Lead or Not to Lead is the Question

The banning of all lead in fishing tackle because it is ingested by wildlife resulting in lead exposure has become a very controversial topic. This topic is taking on a life of its own. Some people believe that environment lobbyists have extremely blown it out of proportion, while others feel that the government has not taken it seriously enough. There are always two sides to the story, and then there are the facts. I myself am interested in keeping the environment a clean and healthy place for my four young children.

They love the outdoors and fishing as much as me, and I want them to grow up and be able to continue that enjoyment with their own kids someday. So, I decided to dive a little deeper into this lead ban and find out some of the facts.


The Center for Biological Diversity is one group of many that want to make it a federal law to stop all lead in tackle. Recently (EPA) has rejected their petition. The entire report can be read at http://www.epa.gov/oppt/chemtest/pubs/TSCA_Lead_Sinker_Petition_Response_Signed_2012-02-14.pdf


After careful review, EPA has determined that, while the petition does provide evidence of exposure and a risk to waterfowl in some areas of the United States, it does not provide a basis for finding that the risk presented is an unreasonable risk for which federal action under section 6(a) of TSCA is necessary to adequately protect against such risks…”


At a local level I found that Waterfowl are picking up lead shot as grit (in shallow marshes) to help with digestion, and unfortunately, some fowl have ended up dying of lead poisoning. I would like to add that lead shot is not exactly tackle, and it is extremely rare to see a bird eating a jig or spinnerbait, at least in my experience.


Are our priorities a little skewed when it comes to such things? There aren’t too many groups screaming about the fecal matter that these birds (I mean Canadian geese or now, what seem to be called Long Island Geese) spill out everywhere, which can be a health hazard to those, such as my kid’s, who fish the shoreline. If my kids ingest the feces somehow (simply picking up a rock from the ground, kids are just not aware). I would have to believe that it is far worse than the same bird trying to eat the jig I lost 10 feet under the water.


With that said, I come to New Hampshire. Their interest for a lead ban is mainly because they are trying to protect a species, the Loon. Here is a very solid argument, and it is great they are protecting an endangered species. Get the full details here regarding lead and fishing tackle deaths. http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Fishing/Fishing_PDFs/Lets_Get_the_Lead_Out.pdf


“In 2006…seven out of 16 dead adult loons studied during the breeding season were known to have died from ingesting lead sinkers and jigs. This represented a 1.3 percent loss to the state’s total loon population.”


According to the Loon Preservation Committee, they are averaging about 5 loon deaths per year and last year they found 12 lead poisoned loons.
You can read the whole article here http://www.sentinelsource.com/community/weeklies/lead-fishing-tackle-ban-idea-is-fueled-by-loon-deaths/article_71ed4179-f695-5969-9544-140510442a3a.html
There’s no question that the loon is affected by lead fishing tackle and has resulted in the unfortunate deaths of some of them. This ban will ultimately help preserve a species that has been fighting to keep their existence.


I also thought who benefits from a ban of all lead? Are politicians pushing this or companies? Who is tied to the manufacturer that is going to mass produce all the new tackle? Because let’s face it being green and environment friendly is not cheap. Fishing is a multi-billion dollar industry. When push comes to shove, fishermen are going to purchase all new tackle.


Like a friend said “A ban would decimate small business owners that depend on the fishing industry. Not to mention the loss of income from fishing licenses that won't be bought.”


I found there are some legitimate cases, and probably a real cause for the ban of lead fishing tackle, I respect that. And yet, at the same time I also find that I am not entirely convinced that the banning of lead fishing tackle is going to save the environment.


You have to ask, are we as fisherman really that bad? Is there overwhelming proof that the environmental changes and large number of bird deaths are caused by solely using spinner baits and jig heads, or a is going to impact the whole ecosystem? All fishermen need to continually take care of the environment, cleaning up behind themselves and not purposely leaving tackle behind, because that will help our environment overall.


However, the one question still lingers, to lead or not to lead?

By Nunzio Prato

February Bass & Perch Report - Long Island

Well I was able to get out with my fishing partner Joey for a half-day trip on Sunday. We fished a small pond on the east end of Long Island. We arrived at the ramp around 1:30pm.

Date: 2/19/12
Air temp: 44 degrees
Water Temp: 41 degrees
Water Clarity: Clear
Winds: West at 10 MPH

We set out to target largemouth bass. First area we approached produced two largemouth bass on back to back cast with a hair jig.





Both bass were located at the base of the drop-off into deeper water. We fished the break for about an hour and landed a total of 5 bass ranging from 2.5 lbs to 3 lbs. No giants, but some nice post frontal action for February. We also connected with a bonus fish, a really chunky perch.



We left that area to check another wintering spot and were rewarded with a 2 lb bass and this nice largemouth that was about 3.75 lbs (photo below). That was our biggest bass landed for the day. We connected with couple more 2-2.5lb bass in another wintering hole, but nothing big.



All in all we had a great day on the water. All of our fish were caught on1/8 oz. hair jigs. We managed to catch 9 Largemouth Bass, 4 pickerel and that fat perch, which got me itching to go target perch, so that became to focus for the following morning:

On the trip back, I put a call into my friends Dave and Nunzio to find out if they wanted to join me for a Perch trip. Both agreed and we planned to be on the water by 8:30AM. Our destination was another Long Island pond that holds a very healthy population of nice sized Perch.


DAY 2

Date: 2/20/12
Air temp: 37 degrees
Water Temp: 40 degrees
Water Clarity: Clear
Winds: North 25 MPH (with Gust up to 35 MPH)


You know it’s cold when you are thinking of getting back into the truck while you are taking the tie down straps off the boat! The wind was howling and the pond we were fishing has no place to get out of the wind, so we knew it was going to be a long day. We started searching for Perch in a hole where they are often found schooled up this time of year. It is a large area with weeds and stumps, but with the wind at 25mph sustained, it made finding the perch a little difficult. In addition, the weed was gone. We worked around the area for a while and then decided that we needed to set out to find some good weed that might still be around. Once we found a good patch of weed near the creek channel, it was on! We connected with our first perch around 9:30am, kicked a buoy marker over the side and caught them almost on every cast until about 12:00pm.
















Every now and then they would move around a bit, but for the most part they stayed within about a 100’ radius. We had tons of doubles and a few triples. We only had on one giant, but she came off before we could land her. The rest were all really healthy, fat and feisty perch. With the average perch weighing about 1.5 lbs. They’re a lot of fun on light tackle with 4lb test line.

More Bass Fishing Reports

Power Plant Bass Fishing

One lake in particular that I like is Clinton Lake, (about 2 hours south of Chicago) a 4,900 acre reservoir that's a cooling lake for the Clinton Power Plant. In the dead of winter we're catching bass in 50 degree water on crankbaits, plastic worms and slow rolling spinnerbaits.

October thru March in the upper Midwest usually means that bass season is pretty much over, most folks take their bass boats in for their end of the season maintenance and winterization and start focusing on deer and waterfowl season. Hey what do you expect it's the North Country; the first major snow storm comes in and you're stuck at home watching fishing show and going in & out of Bass Pro Shops or your favorite tackle store just to keep that desire for April spring fishing on your mind.

That works for some but there are a few of us that will get our bass fishing fix by fishing Power Plant Lakes.These are cooling lakes for Power plants, whether its nuclear or coal generation, these lakes don't freeze in the winter months and believe it or not stay fairly warm in the cold months. The other nice thing about these lakes is that they are usually stocked lakes, most of them are bass factories, so you will likely get some kind of action all year. Here in Illinois, where I live, we have several lakes just like these all over the state.

This is a great practice lake in the winter month's because with the warmer water from the hot discharge it will teach you how to fish currents, practice your prespawn-spawn techniques, and it will help you gain confidence in baits as well. On Clinton you can use rattle traps in 50 + degree water temp and 38 degree air temp and catch 15+ bass in a day.
Clinton Lake and other Power Plant coolings are a great option to work on your bass techniques in the winter months, and will keep that winter monkey off your back!!!

Tight Lines!!
Marques Green

Category: Tactics & Techniques

Frank from our ProStaff started this topic on our message boards:

I was reading an article in a fishing magazine where they were talking about old lures that have fallen out of favor in bass fishing. They seem to become "kinda not cool to use." In the article they wrote about in line spinners like the rooster tail and the Mepps and one of my favorites the Panther Martin. It got me thinking about old lures that aren't cool anymore, but we all started out with them. Maybe it's the tournament thing, who knows.

I never go fishing without a stock of Johnson silver minnow weedless spoons in my boat or a couple of Johnson Sprites, yup that simple silver spoon. Now I know some guys carry them on winter trips for jigging, but they still catch fish on a regular retrieve. In fact they catch a lot of fish. Another is the 4 inch Rapala and Rebel minnows. And of course the Jitterbug which I think just had its 80th Birthday. What do you carry thats uncool but works for you?

VIEW TOPIC

Hey Everyone.

It’s that time of year again for BASSIN’ USA’s Fantasy Bass Fishing League!  This year we are using the Bassmaster’s Fantasy Fishing website to manage the contest.   We created a “GROUP” called “BASSINUSA.com” within the Bassmaster site (http://www.bassmasterfantasy.com).  This will make all participants eligible for the prizes from Bassmaster too! 

In order to participate in the BASSIN’ USA.com contest, and be eligible to win our prizes, you MUST be a registered member of Bassin’USA.com site.  Membership is free and it’s easy to register, just go to www.bassinusa.com/forum/ubbthreads.php

CLASSIC CONTEST

Each registered member will be able to submit one (1) team consisting of 5 Classic Qualifiers.   Your roster may only contain 1 Qualifier from each of the five groups (A,B,C,D,E) .  The top three (3) teams with the highest total of points after the BASSMASTER’s CLASSIC will win a BASSIN’ USA prize package.

Prizes for BASSIN’ USA.com CLASSIC CONTEST will be as follows:

 (1st Prize) Tackle Package + Bassin’ USA Hat (Value TBD)

(2nd Prize) Tackle Package + Bassin’ USA Hat (Value TBD)

(3rd Prize) Tackle Package + Bassin’ USA Hat (Value TBD)

ELITE SERIES CONTEST

Each registered member will be able to submit one (1) team consisting of 5 Elite Series Pros.   Your roster may only contain 1 Pro from each of the five groups (A,B,C,D,E) .  The team with the highest total points after each quarter (2 tournaments per quarter) will win one of the four BASSIN’ USA prize packages.  The team with the highest overall total points at the end will win our GRAND PRIZE.

Prizes for BASSIN’ USA.com ELITE SERIES CONTEST will be as follows:

 (1st Period Prize) Tackle Package + Bassin’ USA Hat (Value TBD)

(2nd Period Prize) Tackle Package + Bassin’ USA Hat (Value TBD)

(3rd Period Prize) Tackle Package + Bassin’ USA Hat (Value TBD)

(4th Period Prize) Tackle Package + Bassin’ USA Hat (Value TBD)

(Grand Prize) (Value TBD) Gift Certificate to Midwest Fishing Tackle’s Store, Tackle Package (Value TBD) + Bassin’ USA Hat ($15.00 Value) & Trophy

Here’s how you get started!

1)      Register, if you haven’t already, on BASSINUSA.com to become a member.  You’ll need a valid email address and your account will not be activated until you respond to our verification email.  Once registered, you can post comments, participate in discussions, talk about the tournament, etc.

2)      To enter the contest click on this link;   http://www.bassmasterfantasy.com/

3)      Signup for a free bassmaster.com account

4)      Once you activated your account, then create your entry (the entry is your Fantasy Team) click on the link again to return to the fantasy fishing page.

5)      Go to the Groups Tab or click the “Join a Group” and search for BASSINUSA.com and join.  To participate in the BASSINUSA.com contest, you must join the BASSINUSA.com group.  

You are now a participant in the contest!  It’s that easy.

We will be following the game rules posted at http://www.bassmasterfantasy.com/ for “how to play”, however the BASSIN’ USA.com prizes are subject to our own terms and conditions.  BASSIN’ USA.com reserves the right to disqualify any participant who does not comply with our terms and conditions.  BASSIN’ USA.com is not affiliated with BASSMASTER, its website(s), contests, tournaments, etc. in anyway.  BASSINUSA.com has organized a Fantasy Fishing Group that will be playing on the BASSMASTER Fantasy Fishing site for scoring purposes only.  Eligibility to win BASSMASTER prizes is subject to their rules and regulations.

Good luck to all of you!!!