Ep. 119: Matt Newman of iRod on the Coastal Series, PCS Preview & In Memory of Tom Troop

Guest: Matt Newman (iRod)

Hosts: Daniel Dahlin ([FISH]rx), El Charly, Luke Dean (Bait Slingers / Artemis Charters)

Episode 119, recorded live on February 17, 2026, opened with the crew paying their respects to Tom Troop, True Punks on Instagram, a beloved member of the SoCal fishing community who passed away. Then Matt Newman of iRod came on to break down the Coastal rod lineup for inshore fishing and preview what [FISH]rx and Bait Slingers have coming at PCS.

In This Episode

• In memory of Tom Troop (True Punks): the crew shared a tribute from Fisho Magazine and announced an unreleased video coming in his honor
• iRod Coastal Series breakdown: which models work for spotted bay bass, which ones Caesar runs, and the case for shorter rods in tight spots
• The 5.25″ Dragon Tail and 3″ Dragon Tail revealed side by side: Daniel holds them up for the first time on the show
• PCS booth preview: [FISH]rx and Bait Slingers sharing booth 932, 90-inch TV running fishing videos, iRod rods available at the booth
• Tackle Meet coming up February 21st in Bellflower: Luke’s sons running the booth
• Why 40 lb braid to 20 lb leader is Matt Newman’s go-to for the lake: and how the quarantine system at Castaic has affected how people fish
• Genesis rod models coming to the booth specifically dialed for spotted bay bass

A Tribute, Not an Interview

The tribute to Tom was handled the right way. Luke had an unreleased interview with him, one where they were laughing too hard to make it work as a formal episode, and the plan was to release it as a memorial. “It never really worked as an interview,” Luke said, “but it definitely works as an honor to who Tom was.” That’s the kind of thing that doesn’t translate to a bullet point but matters to anyone who knew him or watched the show when he was on.

What the New Dragon Tail Sizes Actually Change

The Dragon Tail side-by-side was genuinely fun to watch. Daniel held up the 5.25″ and the 3″ together and the size difference was stark. The 3″ is built for situations where you want the same profile and action scaled down: Ned rig, drop shot, situations where you need to match smaller bait fish or get into finesse territory without giving up the scale detail and weedless hook position. Both sizes in the lineup means the Dragon Tail can cover more of the water column.

Why This Episode Matters

This episode matters for two reasons that don’t usually show up in the same conversation. One is the gear: a real side-by-side look at how the Coastal lineup and the new Dragon Tail sizes solve specific problems, from tight structure to finesse presentations that need to match smaller forage. The other is the tribute, which is its own kind of important. Tom was part of this community, and acknowledging that loss in real time, rather than skipping past it for the gear talk, is part of what makes Time On The Water feel like a community show instead of a product feed.

For SoCal anglers thinking through rod and bait sizing for spotted bay bass and other inshore species, the gear half of this episode connects directly to the spotted bay bass guide and the drop shot guide.

Watch the full episode on the Time On The Water YouTube channel. New episodes every Tuesday at 6 PM.