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New Products, Gear and Tackle — Feb. 2015

Reels, electronics, lures and more
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Penn US Senator 4/0

Penn has added to its model line a beefed-up version of the vaunted Senator 4/0. The new US Senator 4/0 (made in the USA) comes in three models: The US113N replaces the Baja Special; the US113 is the standard 4/0, and the US113W was developed to deliver extra line capacity. All reels come with Bakelite side plates and a machined-aluminum one-piece frame. Features include oversize stainless-steel main gears, heat-treated pinion gears, a lubed HT-100 Versa-Drag system, and a Versa-Handle. The gear ratio is 4.3-to-1; all carry 50- to 80-pound braid (or comparable mono). Prices range from $249.95 to $299.95.
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GoPro HERO4

Available in two editions — silver and black — GoPro’s new HERO4 expands the popular camera’s features, adding low-light exposure settings, high-performance audio, highlight tagging, and Protune mode for photo and video to adjust color, sharpness, ISO limit, and exposure. The silver model ($399) offers GoPro’s first built-in touch display and 50 percent faster Wi-Fi. The black model ($499) features ultrahigh-definition video, that lets you capture 8.3-megapixel video stills to use as photos, faster high-resolution frame rates, and 12 mp magazine-quality photos at burst speeds of 30 photos per second.
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Humminbird Helix

The Humminbird Helix family of compact-format fish finders features widescreen color displays, similar to but smaller than the company’s 800 and 900 Series screens. The five models include a sonar-only unit, with 1,500-foot-depth capability, a sonar and Down-Imaging unit, a sonar/chart plotter, a sonar/chart plotter with Down Imaging, and the flagship — a sonar/chart plotter with Down- and Side-Imaging. All feature keypad control and an 800-by-480-pixel, 5-inch TFT display, and each is packaged with an appropriate transducer. Prices range from $199.99 to $499.99.
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Okuma Azores

Okuma says its recent focus has been on advancing strength, performance and durability with spinning reels in the popular under-$130 price range. The company’s new Azores reels represent the outcome of that focus. The reels feature die-cast-aluminum bodies, side plates and rotors, six bearings, a machine-cut pinion gear, and Okuma’s Dual Force Drag system. But in an Okuma first, the Azores line boasts a dual anti-reverse system. The reels come in three sizes for 10- to 15-, 12- to 20-, and 15- to 25-pound-test; gear ratios range from 5.4- to 5.8-to-1, and prices range from $119.99 to $129.99.
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Garmin GSD 25

The Garmin GSD 25 combines traditional sonar (supporting 50/200, 77/200, and 83/200 kHz frequencies), 1 kW CHIRP (40 to 250 kHz), CHIRP DownVü (260/455 kHz) and CHIRP SideVü (455/800 kHz) in one sonar module, which is compatible with the company’s brand-new GPSMAP 7400/7600 and GPSMAP 8000 Glass Helm Series multifunction displays. The GSD 25 — capable of reading depths to 5,000 feet — also pairs with Garmin’s newly announced line of scanning and CHIRP transducers. Available this quarter, the unit costs $899.99.
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Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow Premium Classic Lures

Yo-Zuri redesigned its Crystal Minnow Premium Classic Lures for 2015. The new floating (pictured), suspending, sinking, and deep-diving series lures feature prism and scaled holographic finishes along with new color schemes. All Classic lures have distinctive flat sides with highly detailed bodies, stainless split rings, round-bend, super-tin (rust-resistant) treble hooks, through-wire construction (select models) and oversize 3-D eyes. The baits come in a wide variety of lengths and weights. Prices range from $10.99 to $15.99.
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Lowrance HDS Gen3

Lowrance’s new HDS Gen3 fish finder/chart plotter series combines a faster processor with an anti-reflective multitouch layer, full keypad, and a modified menu system. New features include scrolling menus, cursor assist, snap-to-setting markers, and preview panes with quick-touch slider bars, which Lowrance says make the Gen3 operate similar to a smartphone or tablet. The 7-, 9-, and 12-inch models all come standard with StructureScan HD, DownScan Imaging, and CHIRP Sonar. Gen3 comes with built-in wireless connectivity for mapping and software downloads as well as mobile-device interfacing. Prices range from $1,249 to $3,149.
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