This year's limited edition Makaira color is Mahi Mahi, with a fade from green to gold along with blue spots these reels stand out well just like the last limited color blue camo. These version feature the upgrade handle knob that you find on the LBS edition, it's a bit smoother and more refined. Along with that you also get the new louder and more durable clicker design which is a welcome addition.

If you're not already familiar with the Makaira reels they are one of the best big game reels on the market. They have low gear ratios, heavy duty frames, plenty of drag and a 5 year warranty to back them up. Unlike other reels the drag pulls away from the spool to apply pressure so you get no handle bind and no reduced freespool when fishing heavy drag, on top of that they even have a thrust bearing for smoothness under load.

The SEa or special edition models all have open bearings and lighter frames than the standard Gold, so you get better freespool and a more modern frame design with no top crossbar on the 30 size.

Sunline has finally released their higher end alternative to the original and new System Shock Leader. The Tunageat line, funny name aside, is a significant step forward in flurocarbon technology, Sunline has figured out a new surface treatment technology that makes the outside of the fluoro more abrasion resistant while still being more elastic. The elastic surface layer provides more grip when tying knots which dramatically improves knot strength and the amount of abuse a knot can take before breaking. The extra knot strength is a pretty big deal since fluorocarbon has always been inferior to mono when knots are concerned due to its lower surface stretch which doesn’t allow the material to grab onto itself or braid as tightly. Sunline has fixed this with a technology they created called Plasma Rise, which is a cold atmospheric pressure plasma that is used to treat materials. Fluorocarbon is a notoriously hard material to apply coatings to, so treating the surface in this way allows for a permanent bond that gives the line better abrasion resistance and knot strength.

Sunline is a materials research and production company so Plasma Rise tech has numerous other uses outlined on their site here. For our fishing applications this a big step forward, allowing you to worry less about abrasion and ensuring you have better knot strength to push the drag limit of your setup further without worrying about snapping the line or knot. This is especially exciting for fishing lighter line tests with heavier drag ratings pushing all the way to 50%+ of the breaking strength in drag, for jigging and lure casting experts this is a major advantage.

The new 2024 Blue Sniper surf/shore rods continue the legacy of the original series made in 2009 with many improvements to the overall performance of the rods. They have undergone a lot of development to improve the recoil of these rods without making making the action faster or stiffer, the biggest benefit of this improvement is how much easier it makes these rods to cast. With more recoil the rod is doing more of the work for you when it unloads during a cast, so these rods will cast further with less effort. Because of this they have also widened the release point angle, so you not longer have to release your lure at the perfect timing to get the best cast, so even someone picking it up for the first time can cast well.

They have two primary models, the all rounders and the plugging specific PL models. The all rounder lets you bring one rod to work a variety of lures and jigs, giving you great versatility. The PL plugging models are specifically made for larger volume stickbaits, jerkbaits and pencil poppers instead of jigs, they are not only better for casting but also working these lures back in because of the lighter tip feel which is perfect for Striper fishing.

All models use Fuji SiC stainless steel guides, with the lightest 103M-ML using KW+LKW frames and the rest using a combo of MN+LKW. The fit and finish of these rods is excellent and they balance well once you have a reel on them. Yamaga Blanks rods come with a 2 year US warranty.