Reviewed by: Capt. Mike Schoonveld
I was fishing on Eastern Lake Erie with Capt. T.J. Yetzer out of Irving, New York (Reel Time Charters) last August and in general conversation he mentioned he buys 10,000 Gamakatsu hooks each year. “Whoa, back-up!” I said. I buy a lot of hooks each year, but I may not have bought 10,000 of them in my whole life. (Though I might be close.)
“I work for Eye-Fish Premium Fishing Tackle as a side line to my charter fishing business. I tie up the Eye-Fish Spinner Harnesses and we use only high-quality Gamakatsu hooks on each harness. Eye-Fish Harnesses are all I use on my boat – and not just because I work for them. They are the best!”
Personally, I don’ t often use worm harnesses when I’m walleye fishing on my own boat, but I do know there’s a quality difference with different brands. That quality pays off whether it’s in the hooks, the line, the beads or the blades. T.J. opened a compartment and handed me an assortment of still-in-the-package Eye-Fish harnesses.
The one thing that popped out at first glance is the realistic fish eye located on each spinner blade. Obviously, these spinners weren’t just bought in bulk from one of the few wholesalers most spinner and spinner harness lure companies use on their products. I asked about them.
“Eye-Fish makes all their own blades, each with their ‘signature’ eye. Of course we paint and coat each of the blades as well. You may think the eye on each blade is just there to make them look more appealing to the fish or to the fishermen shopping for new harnesses.” “I’m convinced,” said Capt. Yetzer “The eyes on the blades do attract more fish than if the blades didn’t have them, but they aren’t just there for show. Actually, when we developed these eyes, we attached them at various places on the blades. Placement on the willow leaf blades we made for higher speed trolling wasn’t so critical, but we noticed on the Colorado blades, the location on the eye, made big difference. At normal, slow speeds 1.2 to 1.7 mph, the Colorado blade harnesses work great, but hit the throttle and they’ll keep spinning attractively and keep catching fish up to a mile per hour faster! I don’t know of any other Colorado blade harness that will perform well at those speeds.” We needed that on the day I fished with him since steep waves on our downwind troll jumped our trolling speed from 1.2 to nearly 3 mph as we rocked, rolled and caught fish on them.
Eye-Fish Spinner Harnesses are available in many Eastern Basin tackle shops, perhaps not in all colors and styles. Check out all the options and purchase them online at www.eye-fish.com
They come in dozens of colors, with seven different bottom or back colors – blue, copper, gold, gold crush, raspberry, shattered glass or silver on various models. All are available as either single or double rigs with either Colorado or willow leaf blades.
FISHING TOYS 