LOWER EMISSIONS tested.
Not a big “eco” fan in general: too much fixing somebody or something else, and not enough horse sense employed. On the other hand, when we can do something helpful and that doesn’t require recreating the earth, then I’ll take a look. (more…)
LOOKS NORMAL, but it’s really not.
I know we all have foul weather gear, thermals and insulated gloves, but sometimes after being out “in it” for several hours, don’t we ask ourselves what was I thinking? Wouldn’t some of this off-season be better served with a different use of our time?
How about we learn something we maybe didn’t know or fully understand? How about expanding our thinking on lures and methods we often take for granted? (more…)
ROD BANDS from Sunline make great drop-shot sinker holders…
A recent delivery of Sunline to the office carried the braid and leader material I was looking for, but in the bottom of the box was something new: Rod Bands. Apparently, in the quest for additional marketing opportunities, Sunline came up with these broad bands that tout the brand name and also note the pound test in use.
Of course, I already knew the product line is one of the best we can fish and certainly, it’s used by some of the best touring anglers. But as soon as I got a peek at these things, I saw instant value (more…)
THE NEW ME…. More organized.
“Organized” is not my middle name. In fact, a quick look at my desk and it’s evident, the word must be in a foreign language. But that has begun to change. No, I don’t tuck every used worm back in its tray like a sleeping grandchild, but I have revamped virtually everything I carry in the boat–tackle and otherwise.
But it’s not been easy. Having more space on board means I’m able to carry more stuff. And since I no longer have the hawk eyes of decades past, picking things out from among lots of other things has required labeling (and yes, in bigger letters). (more…)
TODAY'S COLA catch was not too short of 8 pounds.
UPDATED, 4 p.m. Tuesday–Anybody can make a lucky cast, and I admit to those all the time. But following up on the theme of yesterday’s cola 4.8 Flick-Shake performance, we put the little worm back on display and the oily little shaker came through again. The result, this one at an even 7 pounds, 8 ounces.
While the world of bass lures, colors, scents and configurations is fraught with contradictions, sometimes it’s still okay to hang on to what works. That’s the way I think about the cola-colored Flick-Shakes (but also watermelon pepper) in the 4.8-size because they just get more bites.
Of course, this puzzles Jackall’s Curt Arakawa. He sees the sales numbers and the 5.8-inch size clearly outsells them all. Worse than that (on the stat sheet), (more…)
EASY TO FISH at 6.7 ounces...
When Scott Sweet called me earlier in the summer, he had the idea we might get out on the water and take a look at the new baitcasting line-up from Lew’s. However, since Bassfan.com had just done an interview with Lynn Reeves, the man who purchased the name from the Childre family, I wanted to do more than just repeat what I had heard.
Fortunately, by the time I had returned from the ICAST trade show, where everyone is touting something, I already knew that the Lew’s baitcasters had the goods. (more…)
Since I was just talking braid use, let me go one more step in that direction. Braid needs a specialized cutter–and when you’re on the troll motor, it would be nice if it were also handy.
I try a lot of stuff. I spend more for scissors every year than my wife. I try and take care of them, but I lose stuff when I’m fishing (many witnesses can attest) so I end up just grabbing what I can reach. It might be a nail clipper or a (more…)
SENKOS TO DARTHEADS, the Excel 703 works
PRICE UPDATE…CHECK IT OUT: I think there are probably three key things to consider when choosing a spinning rod–and I’m not ashamed to say that one of those is price. So before I go on, I was first influenced to look at the Lamiglas Bass Excel series because I knew the brand and I liked the price (ON SPECIAL $109, retail).
Hey, a rod can only do so much despite the many claims in a game that began with the words, “You need a rod to cross their eyes when you set the hook.” We’ve come a long way (more…)
THE EGO S2 SLIDER NET in action...
Hey, a net’s a net, right? Doesn’t matter if you’re dipping that 5-, 6-, or 8-pounder from the local pond on a fun trip, or fishing for a big prize, when you desperately need that lightly hooked 1 3/4-pounder in the boat on the last day of the U.S. Open?
Well, maybe there’s a little difference. And ever since I first saw the EGO S2 Slider from Adventure Products (one I saw and voted for in the New Product Showcase at ICAST) I knew this one was a step-up in nets.
Just this past weekend, fishing with guide Gabe Bolivar, I got a chance for a hands on field test. I was so sure this comfortable, slick sliding and retracting handle net was going to perform, I told Gabe to leave his at home. (more…)
INVISIBLE HARDWARE...
In a perfect world (with murky, shallow water) I would be busting limbs with 20-pound hi-viz line, a half-ounce spinnerbait and loving it. Unfortunately, most of my fishing is clear at the other end of the spectrum, trying to generate as many bites as possible from crystal water and a lot deeper than I’d prefer.
Depending on your definition or the range of parameters you choose to include, finesse fishing, (more…)