Spankey

An old farmer I worked for as a kid and taught me to be a trout fisherman showed me that with spoons 50 years ago. You are 100% correct.

I am with you on that about anglers paradise. I cried like a baby about that closing. That was a bass shop. Anyone else in that area and my area could not hold a candle to that place. They had what I wanted, got me what I wanted, cut me deals on some things that normally are unheard of, would spool me for great prices, toss me a factory free-be here and there. Could share info there. Get in-site there. Some of you guys are fairly young. Bass Pro Shops is not what it use to be. That place was full line dealers for many manufacturers. Not today, they jumped the shark pushing the house brand stuff. There may be a big following for XPS and BPS branded stuff I don’t know. As an example if I’m a Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap fan from way back and I bought many of them from BPS, than you (BPS) strip that line down to nothing and push some JM rat-l-trap look alike/want to be. You don’t get my vote. My example is true. But when the same thing happens with Rapala, Storm, Strike King which it has, I’m not going out of my way to support that. I am not lying, I am not over exaggerating. A good well named hard bait product comes in let’s say 14 patterns, BPS carries 6, what is that. A top brand tube or grub is multiple colors, they carry 4. BPS tubes and grubs are out there hanging in every color going and colors that you have no idea where they came from. It must be me, getting old, living in the past too much these days, getting crotchety.

Red wrapper Charmin not the blue wrapper. Why? I have no idea.

If you are set on a Abu Garcia Rod try to work out somehow to get a Vendetta or Veritas rod. You will be happy with them. The powers and action will have more options. In my opinion they are quality rods.

Between the Corona Virus and snow storms we have more toilet paper in the one closet than a janitorial service would have in their warehouse.

Those Rappys are nice. Husky Jerks are great lures. I finally have a few things trickling in. Picked up on some Ser. 3 and 3XD’s as spares and triples on my most used patterns. A couple of new patterns also but they are for the most part still Shad colors. I still have a few thing on back order. It will get here eventually.

I’m in heavy industrial equipment repair and most days I have more stuff in my pockets than Dennis the Menace. I have a couple Leatherman versions but I bought the Skeletool version back awhile ago and seem to like this on the best. I’ve had a leatherman as long as I can remember working. But as far as a pocket knife I’ve never carried a true pocket knife. I have knives that I use while deer hunting or bird hunting.

I have no problems with the sight of my boat at the bottom of the driveway with a cover on it. If snow gets on the cover that bothers me. I’ll broom that off first before touching her car or my truck. Snow setting on that cover is down right depressing. Try like heck from getting depressed.

I hear you on that one. My longest rods I fish with are 7 foot. I don’t struggle with that length. But I’m only 5’10” and have wondered if anything in that 7’6” would be tough to flip and pitch with. Might have to put one of those Rubbermaid step stools on the deck, cast, come off the stool and start fishing. In my case if I was considering a 7’6” rod I’ll try to find one I could borrow for the day.

I’m in the market for another crankbait rod. 7’, MH, Moderate. It will be easy to find. Could just order up a tech. specific rod and call it a day and things would probably be fine. But I’ll have to touch about 12 rods before I find the one I go home with.

I’ve been fishing a Revo Winch for a couple of seasons. I’m 110% satisfied with it. Satisfied enough to buy another. They may be built on the same platform. And I think they are. I cast 3/8-5/8 oz. with it. 9/16 and 5/8 primarily being thrown. Lighter Shad Rap types I fish with a spinning set up meant more for CB’s. I am by no means a power fisherman. Actually the complete opposite. Crankbaits have always been a big part of my fishing and I bought this to taking more serious deeper cranking. I’m using this on a Veritas Winch rod. I’m getting together another set up now. I have another new Winch reel but I have to go look at more rods. May buy the new Veritas Winch rod but would rather touch it first instead of buying it blindly.

Makes it a little easier for snow removal.

Zoom, Berkley, Slider and Kalins. They all have their place.

That pattern works well for me on the river. Granted my Smallies are not huge and I’m not on a world class river but they like to hit that. Beaver and bugs also.

I fish jigs and buzzbaits a bit on the lighter side than most of you guys. And this may sound crazy to y’all but my favorite and productive trailer is a Zoom 4” Curly Tail Worm. A ribbon tail worm. I nibble down in the body of the worm until I get just the right fit. Not a lot of bulk. Ribbon tail adds attraction.

I’m right there with you guys on the productive colors. Some patterns seem to draw the bites. But I’ve had multiple days over the years where a color like morning dawn or sand or cotton candy was the trick for good numbers of fish. These are certainly not my go to colors but I like to keep presenting colors until I get hits some times. I have a real phobia about bubblegum. Why I don’t know. I’ve been at this bass stuff a long time and have never thrown it. My buddy is going to dig me up some in worms and flukes to try. It is hard to find right now. Not around like it use to be.

That’s the way I store them. Not much hunting around. If I wanted to switch to a Zoom Finesse Worm I have them in a plastic Rubbermaid like container and that is all that is in there. Along with some terminal tackle. If I wanted to throw SK 3XD they would be in a 3700 style box. I would have a few standard Series 3 in there but no Bandits would be in there. They have their own box. My tubes I have combined, only use Case, Strike King and Zoom versions. I also keep various tube jigheads in there also. Rapala DT’s have their own place also. ShadRaps would not be mixed in. And so on. Label the box and things are easy to find.

If you can’t catch a fish with a red/red Shad 4” or 7” Power Worm (in my case) it’s not in the cards for the color of red for you in your bag of tricks (in my case). I’m anal, bullheaded, and sort of wrote that color off a long time ago. I don’t want to invest much time in it too much these days. A couple of CB’s that have some red in them and worms, tubes and creatures that have red flecks in them is gonna have to be ok for now. It is very popular, guys have great results, I just can’t buy much with it.

It is certainly been a struggle for me with reds. Does it work yes, but I could never catch on with it. Between my shoulder blades is the biggest problem with red. Basically have tuned that color out. Most likely have hurt myself over the years by not using it more often. Should have tried to build more confidence in it. I have a couple of cranks that have red in them that work in tidal but I don’t fish tidal all season long. They have not produced on my home lake. It’s not the lure, it’s me. I’m pretty certain of that.

I’m by no way poo pooing the NED Rig stuff. I guess majority of the stuff works. But a lot of hype built up around it. More than that dude NED ever imagined I suppose. I know here in the Northeast that be fished since the early 80’s. A form of it I guess. Basically can be done with all the broken and torn up pieces of plastic laying around on the boat deck that is gonna be thrown out when you get back home. I fish some of the newer products. What I’ve tried has worked. But the old Zoom Fat Albert and a Case tube does also. It’s all good.

Great find. PB Blaster will clean some of that stuff up. Let it soak in good. Put it in the man cave. Hope it brings back some good memories.

A Few brands out there mark them. When I start to go over 10-12 feet on a handful I have them marked.

Been doing that for a few years myself. Use a fine point sharpie and write it on the bill or underside of the body. Majority I don’t do it but some for quick ID I do.

Not a lot of talk about tubes these day. Got hooked on them many moons ago when I started taking river fishing serious. Other older river rats turned me on to them. Was reluctant to fish them for lake bass at first. Now days I’m always ready to tie one on 3”-4” for green fish.

Sounds good. 7’ Medium? I fish a lot of SC Rods but not a Triumph. Don’t see many on a local scale. Do fish Premiers and Avids. 7’ MED-Fast. Great rod for soft plastics. Tubes, craws, Creatures, Flukes, Worms. Enjoy it, have fun.