![]() The packability score was determined by a stand’s carrying comfort, maneuverability, and perceived noise. Each tester gave a score for packability from one to five, with five being the best. We also carried the stands through thick woods to see if any part of the stand caught on brush. The two testers who weren’t carrying stands stood along the trail, listening for any noise. Then, a tester carried the stand down a trail. To test how well a stand carried through the woods, we set up each stand in its pack configuration. Using our combined experience, we tested each stand with the following protocols: Scott Einsmann: Outdoor Life‘s gear editor and experienced mobile hunter. Josh Philips: Like his brother Billy, Josh is a four-season bowhunter with over 100 days spent in stands and saddles each year. The Test Teamīilly Philips: Is an urban bowhunter who has the opportunity to hunt 365 days a year and takes full advantage of those opportunities with 150 days spent in a stand or saddle. Here’s the full breakdown of the test team and our protocols and scoring system. We tested the ladder stand on how easy it was to assemble, comfort, and stability. The climbers and hang-ons followed the same test protocol of packability, speed, noise, comfort, stability, and shooting. The second day was all about building and testing the ladder stand. On the first day we tested hang ons and climbers, in spitting rain, which helped us evaluate platforms for their grip and seats for how much water they held. We tested tree stands over two days in northern Virginia, using hardwood trees of varying diameters. ![]() How We Tested Tree Stands We tested hang-on, climbers, and ladder stands over two days. Best Climber for Packing: Ol’ Man Alumalite CTS.Best Climber: Summit Viper Level Pro SD.Most Comfortable: Millennium M150 Monster.So, to help you find the best tree stand for your hunting style, a team of three testers spent a weekend comparing seven of the best tree stands and putting them through a series of tests. From innovative small manufacturers to large established companies, there’s never been more brands making better tree stands than there are today. Today’s stands are much more sturdy, they’re also lighter, more comfortable, and quieter than stands many of us learned to hunt from. It is also super cheap worth every penny and then some.Ĭomments: Best ice fishing lure there is for panfish in my opinion! I do change the hooks to a wider gap light wire.We’ve come a long way from plywood and 2X4 tree stands that creaked like old wood floors and started to rot after several seasons in the elements. Losing a expensive lure on the cast is not a nice thing to experience.Ĭomments: Sweet lure amazing action and works on all kinds of fish caught a pike on my first time using it. A warning to those buying the heavier weight lures, make sure you invest in the swivel ring. I noticed the lighter lures did come with a split ring. This resulted in the loss of the lure after a hour or two of fishing. Great value, and the smaller models work well for pan fish!Ĭomments: I purchased a Kastmaster 1 OZ chrome to pair with a Super Fluke to fish heavy grass/cover, worked great but I noticed that the heavier lure did not come with a split ring on the line tying end of the lure. They work well for schooling fish, but I suggest switching out the treble for a higher quality, sharper hook. ![]() My only issue is snapping them of on a cast and snagging them on a log or in a tree.Ĭomments: I have several of these lures, in various weights. I think the flash and erratic swimming motion just drives fish nuts, not to me to mention the versatility of the lure as it casts easy even into the wind. I've got about every color and size kastmaster there is, I love these things.Ĭomments: I have 6 or 7 kastmasters in different colors and sizes. Since then I've figured out the proper colors and presentation and have been catching 5+ pound trout nearly every trip to that lake with these lures. After thousands of casts and countless miles of trolling with every lure imaginable I finally tried a kastmaster and hooked up to my first lahonton. The barrel swivel won't affect the lure's performance.Ĭomments: There's a small lake in Washington that is full of monster lahonton cut throat trout. Install a small #7 or #8 barrel swivel to the split ring to reduce line twist. Simple, effective, and easy to throw on bait casting and spinning equipment. ![]() I have caught black/white bass species and trout on these lures in cold water conditions when no other lure in my tackle would produce. Comments: I have owned these Kastmaster jigging spoons for probably 25+ years. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |